Q&A on Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) (22nd March 2020)
This year, Shincheonji Church of Jesus will not hold an
event for its founding anniversary. In addition, all worship services are being
held online, and gatherings and meetings are suspended entirely until the new
coronavirus epidemic is over. We also notified our congregation that those who
have not been tested for the virus will not be allowed to attend service even
after the epidemic subsides. If a church is compared to parents, its
congregants would be like children. For the church, nothing is more important
than the health and safety of its members. In situations where many congregants
are suffering from the virus and feeling anxious, we make it clear that the
church has no reason at all to resume services and gatherings. (Since 18
February, when the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the Daegu Church,
all services and gatherings have been suspended entirely.)
Before congregants in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do region
were released from self-quarantine on 11 March, the Thaddeus Tribe of
Shincheonji announced the following: △all meetings and gatherings are banned even after
self-quarantine is lifted, △mass facilities should not be used, and △residents in
specially controlled areas should fully cooperate with the Daegu city, Nam-gu
Office, and the police.
Also, the announcement stated that personal contact with congregants
who are waiting at home for in-patient admission is strictly forbidden, these
congregants should isolate themselves completely, and entry to closed-down churches
and related facilities is prohibited. The church made clear that it will take disciplinary
measures against members acting contrary to the instructions.
To relieve local residents’ anxiety over those released
from self-quarantine, we will not only ban all meetings and but also practice hygiene
and social distancing. This is to protect the communities as well as our
congregants. We reiterate our intention to cooperate with the public health
authorities until the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end.
□About the claim that
footage of the 31st patient attending service at the Daegu Church has been
deleted
On 18 February, the Daegu city took a copy of
surveillance footage from inside the Daegu Church of Shincheonji on a USB
drive. At the site, officials from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Daegu City, and Nam-gu Public Health Center confirmed the footage
of the 31st patient wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer in the lobby on the
first floor. The copy includes the footage of two elevators on the first floor,
the lobby of an educational hall on the fourth floor, and inside the church
building taken from 7 to 10 A.M. on 9 February and from 7 to 10 A.M. on 16
February. Consequently, the allegation that the surveillance footage of the
31st patient was found missing or intentionally deleted during the
administrative investigation on 13 March is not true.
□ About the claim that
a Shincheonji member is the cause of the spread of COVID-19 at Kmadi Hospital
in Daegu
The Daegu city has announced that an epidemiological
investigation conducted on this occasion showed a low correlation between Patient
A, the first confirmed case of Kmadi Hospital, and Patient B, a Shincheonji
member who was reported to have visited the hospital as an outpatient.
According to the Yonhap news agency, Patient A showed suspected symptoms on 14
February and was tested positive on 22 February. The church conducted its own
investigation and found that Patient B, a Shincheonji member, visited Kmadi
Hospital on 22 February and was tested positive on 24 February. Details will be
updated as more information becomes available.
□ About refusal to be
tested
To cooperate with the public health authorities and
ensure the health and safety of its congregation, Shincheonji Church of Jesus took
measures to ban members who have not been tested for COVID-19 from attending
service even when church services are back to normal.
To those whose occupations are in medicine, nursing
homes, and public facilities, the church stressed that they must be tested
voluntarily even if they have no symptoms. All other congregants were told to
be tested as well.
Due to these measures, Shincheonji members are asking to
be tested at screening centers, but they are rejected in some cases since those
with symptoms should be tested first. This is the same for people employed in
medicine and public health.
Please refrain from reporting that congregants working in
medicine and nursing facilities are avoiding being tested intentionally.
□ About congregants
who are out of contact
Some local governments have announced that there are
Shincheonji members remaining out of contact. We would like to explain some
cases in this regard.
Some congregants are classified and reported as “out of
contact” for the following reasons: 1) contact information in the church
register is not updated (wrong contact information), 2) the line is busy, 3)
the person is on an overseas business trip, 4) the health center calls the
wrong phone number, 5) in case the address in the church register and the
actual place of residence are different, health centers of two or more
jurisdictions contact the person, but this information is not shared between
the health centers.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus has issued 25 formal notices
to urge its congregation members to cooperate with the public health
authorities, and the church is checking the condition of the members with a
24-hour emergency system.
However, there are clearly limits. Shincheonji is a
church for faith and worship; it is not an organization for collecting personal
information. Upon entering the church, each member’s address and phone number
at the time are registered in the church register, and the update frequency is
irregular. In case a member moves to a new place or changes his or her phone
number, the church cannot know unless it is notified, and such changes are not updated
in the church register in real time. This would be the same for any religious
group or company.
Also, a church is a gathering of various individuals.
Among the congregation, there are members who have not attended service for a
long time, who are on overseas or regional business trips, whose phone numbers
have changed, and who are not answering calls from the church.
However, Shincheonji Church of Jesus promises to overcome
these limitations and make every possible effort to fight COVID-19 for the
health and safety of congregants, communities, and citizens.
□ Regarding the expression
“residential compound of Shincheonji”
Shincheonji Church of Jesus has never encouraged its
members to engage in communal living, and the church has no reason to do so. There
are some residences provided for instructors and evangelists for their welfare,
but it is not true that the church bought certain housing complexes and had congregants
live there.
It is possible for congregants of any religion to reside
near their church, and they do so out of their free will. The church does not intervene
in the personal lives of congregants. Using the expression “a residential
compound of Shincheonji” may cause citizens to misunderstand that such a place is
run by the church, so please use a more accurate wording.
□ About withdrawing
permission for the corporation of Shincheonji Church of Jesus and tax
investigation on real estate
On 9 March, the Seoul city announced that it would go
through a procedure to withdraw its permission for the corporation, Jesus
Mission of New Heaven and New Earth the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony.
This corporation is a different entity from Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which
is an unincorporated, nonprofit organization. Thus, even if the permission for
incorporation is withdrawn, Shincheonji Church of Jesus is not dissolved. The
Constitution and laws of South Korea guarantee the continued existence of Shincheonji
Church of Jesus, and the church will continue to enjoy its rights granted by
law.
Jesus Mission of New Heaven and New Earth the Temple of
the Tabernacle of the Testimony is only a missionary corporation belonging to
Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Most of the churches in South Korea are
unincorporated, nonprofit organizations, and depending on their needs, they may
have a separate corporation.
Also, on 10 March, the Seoul city notified that it would
launch a tax investigation on twenty real estate holdings of Shincheonji Church
of Jesus.
At a time when efforts should be focused on quarantine, we
cannot but suspect a misuse of the power to investigate against Shincheonji
Church of Jesus that they hastily assumed to be an illegal organization.
The Framework Act on Local Taxes stipulates that tax
investigations shall be conducted “to the minimum extent necessary to achieve appropriate and fair
taxation” and not for any other purposes. Also, it states that the taxpayer to
be investigated shall be notified at least 15 days prior to such investigation.
Conducting a tax investigation on facilities that have been shut down since 18
February would only interfere with quarantine efforts.
As many confirmed cases of COVID-19 have occurred among
Shincheonji members, causing fellow citizens much anxiety, Shincheonji Church
of Jesus is making its utmost efforts with a deep sense of responsibility.
However, we object to attempts at making a political issue of the COVID-19
outbreak when people’s lives and safety are at stake. We earnestly ask the
local governments to focus on quarantine efforts.
□ About the claim that
Shincheonji attempted to enter a closed-down building (Busan Andrew Training
Center) using disinfection as an excuse
Shincheonji Church of Jesus did not attempt to enter a
closed-down building for disinfection. The training center of Shincheonji
Andrew Tribe in Busan was closed down until 11 March. The Andrew church gave an
opinion to the Busan Dong-gu Office that the training center should be
disinfected on either 9 or 10 March and got permission.
The Andrew church contacted a disinfection service
company and heard from them that they do not have enough staff and want the
church to assist with ten of its members. On 9 March, ten church members
wearing protective clothing waited for officials of the health center to
arrive. Upon hearing from the officials that Shincheonji congregants cannot
enter the building, they left immediately.
The church made such preparation as there was a request
from a company specialized in disinfection service. It was not an attempt to
enter a closed-down building.
□ About claims that Shincheonji
Church of Jesus supports a certain candidate or has connections with
politicians
Shincheonji Church of Jesus has about 210,000 members in
South Korea. The church is a gathering of people of faith. The members are on
their own in doing social activities, and their political inclinations are
varied. This is no concern of the church, and the church does not interfere.
Congregation members can support politicians they wish to support, but the
church does not support a certain candidate.
If Shincheonji Church of Jesus had connections with
politicians, it would not be oppressed as now. Even constructing one church
building is not easy for us. We have been looking continuously for a location
that can serve as a treatment center for mild cases of COVID-19 among
Shincheonji members in Daegu and
Gyeongsangbuk-do region but could not find
one. Since the church has much difficulty in constructing a building, it does
not have a facility fit for this purpose. The church’s donation has been
rejected as well. These things would not have happened if we had connections
with politicians.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus has carried out various
activities for social contributions, interfaith harmony, and peace to become
the salt and light of the world as taught by Jesus. For such activities, it is
necessary to seek solidarity with different sectors of society. This would be
the case for any organization. Please do not distort the good intentions to
practice peace and love through interaction and solidarity.
Regarding Hanmaeum Apartments in Daegu
According to what Shincheonji has examined, there were a
total of 80 congregants of Shincheonji’s Daegu branch dwelling in Hanmaeum
Apartments within the Daegu City Community Welfare Center Complex in
Seongdang-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu. However, Daegu City stated that
there were 94. The Daegu branch is looking into the difference of 14 people.
The branch’s internal survey showed that 80 congregation
members are residing in the apartments, all of whom underwent the screening for
the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Out of the 80, 36 tested positive, 41
negative, and three members are waiting for the results to come out (as of 8
March).
The apartments are not accommodation for the congregants
of the Daegu branch. Simply because multiple members are living in the
apartment near the church doesn’t make the residence something that exists for
the members; Hanmaeum is an ordinary rental apartment.
The apartment is affordable and it is close by as it is within
a walking distance from the church. The members of Shincheonji chose to live
there out of free will.
Daegu branch has never introduced Hanmaeum apartments as
a residence prepared for the congregation. The apartments are not accommodation
for Shincheonji.
Hence, it is incorrect to dub the buildings as “an accommodation of
Shincheonji.” It is simply that members heavily occupy the place.
Concerning confirmed patients from Munsung Hospital in Daegu
One of the confirmed patients from Munsung Hospital, Mr.
A, is a member of the Senior Group in Shincheonji’s Daegu branch. He has been
working as a parking lot attendant at the Munsung Hospital.
A pastor of the Munsung Church located on the 11th
floor of the hospital requested Mr. A to take part in the church’s choir.
According to what we have heard, the pastor asked Mr. A to attend his church
multiple times, knowing that Mr. A had a talent for vocal music. We have
confirmed that he did attend the church of concern that if he rejects too many
times, he may not be able to continue the job as a parking lot attendant.
Shincheonji found out about the case via news.
Currently, Mr. A is undergoing treatment at a hospital,
and his health condition isn’t very good. As soon as he recovers, specifics of
what happened will be identified and made known.
Regarding members refusing tests and entering virus treatment centers
Daegu branch’s surveying showed that it is scarce for its
members to refuse being admitted to virus treatment centers. The 534 members
Daegu City labeled as those refusing to enter the centers were parents who
tested positive but had to wait for the screening results of their children. If
not, they would be leaving their children all alone at home. Hence, they were
merely trying to reschedule the admittance because they had no choice, not that
they wanted to refuse being quarantined in the treatment centers. The church
has recommended that when children also test positive, they should enter the
centers together with the parents, and if the children’s result comes out
negative, the church will assist parents in finding a place for the children to
be taken care of so that the parents would be able to enter the centers as
swiftly as possible.
The branch also notified the whole congregation of the
guidelines that going to treatment centers is not an option, but mandatory.
Also, there seems to be no member refusing the COVID-19 test as far as the
branch is aware. We ask for your understanding in this matter as it is not that
members are being uncooperative with public health authorities, but they are
currently making changes to accommodate the request of the public health
authorities.
On 7 March, special notice from Chairman was sent to the whole
congregation on the followings: those who exhibit symptoms must be screened;
people working in the medical field, nursing homes, and other facilities where
many people gather should be tested even if they don’t show any symptoms; and
even if there is no symptom, all members are recommended to be tested. In
particular, the message explicitly mentions that “members who didn’t get
screened will not be able to attend church services even after COVID-19
situation stabilizes,” taking the strictest measure a religious body can make
for cooperation with measures against the virus.
In the case of the Thaddeus Tribe, announcements were
made to the congregation via an official notice on 8 March, which included the
followings: those target of self-quarantine must not leave their locations of quarantine;
even those who don’t display any symptoms must undergo COVID-19 screening with
no exception (when there is no notice, make the call to schedule the testing);
those who were recommended to be transferred to virus treatment centers or
hospitals must keep the schedule and be admitted in time; and people should
limit going outside as much as possible even if quarantine period ends.
The tribe also made known that especially those who go against the
instructions of Daegu City, other local governments, and public health authorities,
intentionally avoids phone calls, or leaves quarantined locations will be
prohibited from attending church services even after the public health crisis
stabilizes. It has also told the members that in all cases, cooperating with
the public health authorities is the top priority, and if not, there will be
stern measures from the church.
Although Shincheonji has been fully cooperating with the requests of the public
health authorities, it is indeed difficult to control all aspects of life of
the entire congregation exceeding 210,000. Some members cannot be reached since
they had stopped attending the church, those overseas, and those who avoid the
calls of the church, among others. These have led to misunderstandings, but
surely, it is not that Shincheonji is not being cooperative.
As of 8 March, an absolute majority surpassing 90% of the members are
faithfully adhering to the instructions of the government. As public health
authorities have declared, the church was never intentionally uncooperative. We
have already notified all congregants that if they don’t cooperate with the
authorities, they will be prohibited from attending church services. As you can
see from the tough measure, we will stay committed to pouring in our utmost
efforts to curb the virus spreading.
Concerning news on Shincheonji not providing to authorities the churches
Chairman directly manages
It was aired on a Christian media outlet that there are 63 churches Mr.
Lee, the chairman of Shincheonji, directly manages, and that Shincheonji
omitted 25 of them when turning over the list of buildings to the public health
authorities.
However, Shincheonji has provided information on all 1,903 real estate
properties including churches, mission centers, mission churches, education
halls, meeting rooms, homes, dorms, land, storages, and properties owned or
leased by individuals (as of the end of January 2020).
The 63 church list an insider is told to have provided is from December
2018, from which 26 locations are not used as they have moved to a new location
or closed it down. The rest of the buildings have all been submitted to the
public health authorities.
Regarding news that said congregants of Shincheonji are bonding together
with the willingness to face death for Chairman
This is a groundless rumor. Currently, members of
Shincheonji have stopped all services and meetings to stem the spreading of
COVID-19, and are committed to undergo the virus testing, self-quarantine, and
managing personal hygiene. We ask people who convey speculative myths that harm
and denigrate the members, to stop as the congregation is fully devoted to
life, health, and safety, not death.
□ On donating 12 billion won
As a church that produced a high count of confirmed
cases, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus feels a deep sense of responsibility on
the tumultuous developments regarding COVID-19. And to help fight the COVID-19
crisis, the church had donated 12 billion Korean won (10 million US dollars) to
Community Chest Korea towards on 5 March.
The funds for donation was not collected by congregation
members but came from the church finance. As Chairman Man Hee Lee had stated
during the press conference, the church will not spare any efforts in
supporting human and capital resources.
However, 6 March, the Community Chest Korea requested to
return the donated funds for the negative public sentiment against Shincheonji
Church of Jesus put a burden on spending the church's donation.
We convey our sincere regret and apologies to the Korean
people. The church will commit to placing the donation so that it reaches where
help is needed.
The church has also spent days focusing hard on finding a
location appropriately equipped for a treatment center for patients with a mild
case of COVID-19 in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do area. We will make all possible
efforts to provide a facility and help relieve the strain on hospitals. We hope
these efforts will allow hospitals to reopen more room for, and give patients
in critical conditions and patients waiting for admitted treatment the
much-needed care.
□About the watch that the chairman, Man Hee Lee,
wore to the 2 March press conference
The
wristwatch that Chairman Man Hee Lee wore on 2 March was a gift he had been
given in the past from one member of the church. It is a watch he usually wears
and does not carry any political significance.
□ About claims
that the chairman named the Saenuri Party
The
Chairman did not create the name Saenuri Party, nor did he make such a
statement.
□ About submitting
the list
The
Gyeonggi-do government acquired this information:
1)
a list of the church members who have their address in Gyeonggi-do,
2)
church members who were at Daegu Church either on the 9th or 16th of February,
3)
church members who were at Gwacheon Church on 16 February.
And
on 27 February, Gyeonggi-do obtained additional data on 1,074 people with
missing contact information from the initial list of 33,582. Most of those
1,074 were students and children, and the church provided the contact
information of their parents and family members. Gyeonggi-do government
officials also brought IT personnel to extracted data from the church server
and checked search queries.
When
the KCDC sends the list to respective local governments, they sort the list by
address. However, Shincheonji Church of Jesus categorizes congregation member
data by church and tribe rather than the place of residence. Inevitably, when a
local government requests a roster of the congregation to a Shincheonji Church
in their area, it would not perfectly match the list sent from the KCDC. Also,
there are cases where a person's address information in the church records
would be different from the current address. Later, to resolve complications,
the headquarters resubmitted a full list with additional details, including
attending church, tribe, and member group.
Per
the request of the KCDC, the headquarters provided a list of students on 27
February. For students without contact number and address, the name and contact
information of the evangelists assigned to those students were attached to the
student information. Meanwhile, congregation member data from Gwangju Church
and the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do region was provided in realtime upon request
of respective local governments.
On 5 March,
after allegations that the data previously provided by the church had omissions
and discrepancies, officials from the center in charge of infectious disease
response at the KCDC joined by forensic analysis experts from the Supreme
Prosecutor's Office visited the church headquarters office for an
administrative investigation. The administrative investigation was to verify data
and whether it matched the submitted lists, and the officials acquired the full
list of congregation members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, all students,
church properties including church buildings and annexes, the list of all
people who have attended service during January and February, and student
attendance records of mission centers.
Controlling
and preventing infectious diseases is a serious matter which is directly
related to the health of people and may cause social anxiety from concerns of
infection. The church is assisting in thorough investigation and diagnosis
following the instructions of the health department. Also, church members are
vigilantly following the process of admission, treatment, or self-quarantine,
depending on the results of testing and epidemiological investigations, in
hopes of minimizing the possibility of community-acquired infection.
□ On church
buildings, annexes, and other facilities
The
1,100 churches and annex facilities that Shincheonji Church of Jesus disclosed
to the public is the sum of all churches, offices, education halls, gathering
spaces, mission centers, mission churches, cultural spaces, seminar rooms, and
student halls in Korea. The properties reported to the General Assembly
included land unsuitable for public gatherings, plots reserved for parking
space, storages, and buildings owned or leased by individuals. And the total
number 1,529 reported indicates the number of organs holding property, not the
number of estates. When it comes to real estate properties, the church does not
control property information from a single administrative system, but rather,
respective branch churches would send files separately when reporting their
properties. To follow up on the claims that some addresses were incorrect,
omitted, or outdated and already closed, the church staff doublechecked the
address information. As a result, the church provided a complete list of all
church properties including vacant land, storages, homes, dorms, and properties
owned or leased by individuals totaling 1,903.
1) Shincheonji Church of Jesus had
said the total number of their congregation is approximately 240,000. The KCDC
says they received a list of 212,000 people. Why is there a difference?
The
240,000 is a number counting in the congregation members of churches abroad.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus had provided a list of the entire domestic
congregation counting 212,324 and followed up on the evening of 26 February by
submitting an additional list of 33,281 members overseas.
2) Shincheonji Church of Jesus
deliberately excluded their student information from the list sent to the KCDC?
The KCDC requested the list of
students on 27 February, and the church immediately provided the list the same
day. Provided that students are not officially recognized church members,
Shincheonji Church of Jesus cannot provide personal information on its terms.
Therefore, the list was provided on the condition that the public health
authority would take full legal responsibility in case of any breach.
3) A group, titled the National
Association of Victims of Shincheonji Church (전국신천지피해자연대), filed a suit against the leader
of Shincheonji Church charging violation of the Infectious Disease Control and
Prevention Act by refusing to submit material, submitting false information or
concealing it. Didn't the church hide its records?
Shincheonji
Church of Jesus has certainly provided all materials to the KCDC. Regarding the
charges brought against Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a member of a group that
has been slandering the church brought charges for violating the Infectious
Disease Control and Prevention Act by either refusing to submit information, or
submitting wrong information, or concealing them. The allegations are
groundless since Shincheonji Church of Jesus is actively cooperating with the
public health authorities by providing information. In addition to that, there
were charges on embezzlement and misappropriation of funds. Earlier, in 2019,
an organization and its members, who have falsely accused Shincheonji Church of
Jesus, filed charges with the same accusations. After investigation, Gwacheon
Police Station concluded the accusation was not grounded, and the case is currently
pending at the Anyang City Prosecutor's Office. Those charges are redundant.
□ On Cheongdo
Daenam Hospital
Among visitors at the funeral held at Cheongdo Daenam
Hospital, no church members were visiting from China, and a survey on the
entire congregation showed that no church member works at Cheongdo Daenam
Hospital. Also, the patient referred to as confirmed case no. 31, or the
Shincheonji Volunteer Group has never visited Cheongdo Daenam Hospital.
□ On Wuhan Church
in China
It was 2010 when a member of the church, a Chinese
national who had studied the Bible in Germany, started the work of mission in
Wuhan, China.
In China, the new Religious Affairs Regulations went into
effect in early 2018, applying stringent rules to regulate religious practices.
As a result of such regulations, all Shincheonji churches in China were closed
in 2018. Equally, Wuhan Church closed down all church spaces on 15 June 2018
and has since taken all meetings and services online and operates them
autonomously.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus acknowledges a group as a
'church' when the number congregation exceeds 120. Church members in Wuhan
reached 120 in 2018, and the church recognized the area as Wuhan Church on 1
January 2019, however, without any physical church building. Church records
show that there are 357 members in Wuhan. Wuhan Church is a branch of the Tribe
of James in Busan and is not related to Daegu Church, which is under the Tribe
of Thaddaeus, and according to records, none have been to service there during
January and February.
□ On False Notices
Notices coming from the headquarters office of
Shincheonji Church of Jesus are drafted and published in the form of a formal
letter. The church clearly states that any other format of notification is not
an official notice coming from Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Any circulation or
syndicating of falsified messages posing as a formal note from the church in
chatrooms or on social media will lead to legal charges.
1) Shincheonji Church of Jesus
encourages its members to hide that they attended service at a Shincheonji
church and to continue activities for evangelism?
Not true. On the morning of 18 February, the church was made aware of the
31st confirmed case of COVID-19, which was found to be a member of a
Shincheonji church in Daegu. The Headquarters of Shincheonji Church of Jesus
immediately sent an announcement to all branch churches in Korea prohibiting
any gathering, service, and ordered to close church spaces and all services to
be made online.
As soon as the church was made aware of the confirmed case at 9 a.m. the
same day, the Shincheonji Church in Daegu also closed the church and mission
centers and forbade any meetings, activities for evangelism, or any personal
contact among church members. Immediately after that, the church started an
epidemiological survey with the guidance of the KCDC and Daegu city government.
Meanwhile, all members of Daegu Shincheonji Church went in self-quarantine, and
those who presented symptoms tested for infection.
The church headquarters office sent text messages to all members of
Shincheonji Church to notify them of the situation. It provided strict
guidelines to self-quarantine for those who have visited Daegu church, also guiding
the entire congregation of all Shincheonji churches to try to remain at home
and contact local public health offices in case of fever.
The so-called “Deceptive Response Manual,” rumored to be a part of a “Notice from the Ministry of Liaison of Daegu Church,” is nothing like the actual guidelines provided by either
Daegu Church or the headquarters of Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Shincheonji
Daegu Church shared the instruction messages with the KCDC when the officials
arrived at the church at 9 am, and the church is in close cooperation with the
KCDC.
The message in question was a text composed by an individual member of the
Daegu Church and sent to fellow members. The church looked into the matter,
immediately made corrections to the texted contents, and brought disciplinary
measures to the person responsible.
Additionally, on 19 February, the headquarters sent a formal notice to all
Shincheonji churches in Korea to prevent similar events from happening. The
notice instructs all members to follow the headquarters' guidelines, not to
take actions arbitrarily, and to cooperate with and accommodate the requests of
the public health department.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus has publicly announced multiple times that it
will actively follow government policies on this matter, and it is currently
bringing its full capacity to work closely with public health officials. We
pray for the swift recovery of church members and all patients struck by
COVID-19. Shincheonji Church of Jesus will put forth its utmost efforts to help
resolve the current national health threat.
2) Shincheonji church gave out secret
orders to its members not to come to service but, instead, go to other churches
so they could spread the virus and make the epidemic everybody's problem?
It is entirely false. The headquarters office has closed
down all Shincheonji churches from 18 February and guided members to have
service online from home. The church also currently prohibits all types of
meetings, activities, and encounters among or within the congregation. All
members of the church conform to instructions from health officials. In
response to such fake news spreading on social media, Shincheonji Church of
Jesus will seek strict legal measures on the grounds of publicly alleging false
facts.
□ Regarding
confirmed case patient no. 31
1) The 31st confirmed patient refused to test for
COVID-19 twice when suggested at the hospital admitted after a traffic
accident?
That is not correct. According to the recounts of the
patient, the patient was admitted to Saeronan Korean Medicine Hospital on 7
February, and developed symptoms of a cold after receiving I.V. fluid with the
window open. Fever started around the 9th, and the patient was diagnosed with
pneumonia on the 14th. However, the medical staff at the hospital never mentioned
COVID-19. On the 17th, blood test results indicated a worsened case of
pneumonia. Then, the healthcare workers suggested the patient transfer to a
bigger hospital and test for COVID-19 as well. The patient called the local
public health office in Suseong-gu, where she was tested and confirmed
positive.
2) A patient in quarantine (confirmed case 31) at a Daegu
Hospital assaulted a nurse, made a scene, and people from Shincheonji caused a
nuisance at the hospital?
This news, which started circulating in online
communities and messengers from the morning of 19 February, is entirely false.
The Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act allows health workers to
quarantine confirmed cases and contacts, and not following quarantine orders
may result in a penalty of three million Korean won. A nurse at the said
hospital confirmed that such allegations were fake news. Also, since the Daegu
hospital is currently closed down, it would be impossible for a group of people
to barge in and cause a disturbance.
□Other Fake News
1) People from Shincheonji Church of
Jesus visit door to door posing to give out face masks to spread the virus?
That is
not true at all. There are photos on the internet of a person visiting houses
to give out masks. As clarified in prior publications, the people in the images
are local community leaders of towns and villages (representatives of li, eup,
myeon, and dong) and public workers of Daegu City. Currently, Shincheonji
Church of Jesus has suspended all activities for evangelism, services, or
gatherings.
2) The Tribe of James in Busan of
Shincheonji Church is hosting an open house event on 29 February and inviting
citizens?
All
information and materials on events hosted by Shincheonji Church of Jesus were
produced and distributed before the spread of COVID-19. To avoid any confusion,
please note that Shincheonji Church of Jesus has prohibited all services,
meetings, and functions starting from 18 February.
3) Shincheonji Church requires
people to complete a certain course at a training camp before they can sign up
as a member? Those trainees are what they call students?
Joining
Shincheonji Church of Jesus requires a six-month course of studying the Bible
(at Zion Christian Mission Center) that ends with a final examination. Once you
complete the course and pass the final exam, you are eligible to join the
church, which is a decision by choice. There are no camps required for joining
Shincheonji Church, and the church does not recommend it. That assertion is
entirely false.
4) There is a video on social media of a
person confirmed as infected and a member of Shincheonji Church on the run from
a hospital quarantine ward and wandering the streets. Is that real?
No, it is not.
5) The distinct style of services at
Shincheonji Church worsened the spread of COVID-19?
Since it is not an expert group on health and medicine,
Shincheonji Church of Jesus cannot determine why the church has had a high
count of infection.
Some media reports claim the spread of COVID-19 was
exacerbated because of the way of service at a Shincheonji church. Shincheonji
Church of Jesus does have a large congregation. A Shincheonji church arranges
seats so that the congregation members would sit on the floor with a distance
between one another. This seat arrangement allows church members more personal
space and room to move about compared to conventional church row chairs. On
days with an unusually big crowd, space in between people may get smaller than
usual to accommodate more people in the given space. When space allows, people
sit wider apart.
Moreover, church notices from January state that anyone
who shows any symptoms of a cold, including coughing and fever, was not allowed
to come to service. Others were encouraged to wear protective face masks.
Assertions that the style of worship at Shincheonji Church of Jesus is the
cause of a mass spread of the virus are unfounded.
6) Shincheonji Church of Jesus does not tolerate personal
health issues, so churchgoers must hide their ailments and attend service?
That is entirely false. Shincheonji Church of Jesus does
not demonize illnesses or ailments. When sick, we take rest and seek medical
help. Members sometimes do have personal reasons for not joining service from
health, business trips, or family matters, and none of those reasons can cause
disadvantages. Service and worship is a personal matter in faith.
※ Updates will keep coming.
The flood of inquiry calls is hampering church administrative work at this
time. We ask journalists to kindly send their inquiries via text message. Thank
you for your cooperation and understanding.
News & Other Organisations' Reports
Broadcasting Centres Raise Audience Ratings through 'Shincheonji Hatred'…“Enormous and Malicious Influence on National Progress” (Cheonji Daily 18/03/2020)
Controversy over Gyeonggi Provincial Government’s Response to COVID-19 as number of infected members from the established church is 2.4 times higher (Cheonji Daily 18/03/2020)
White Paper on Shincheonji and Coronavirus - Massimo Introvigne (Center for Studies on New Religions 17/03/2020)
"Shincheonji didn't lie about membership figures." (The Korea Herald 17/03/2020)
Prohibition of 'Hateful, Speculative and Distorted' Reporting Proposed under Natural Disasters Act (EDaily 17/03/2020)
Prosecution investigates membership list provided by Shincheonji Church Headquarters: “No hidden members; they reported a true list” (Newsis News Agency 17/03/2020)
Coronavirus: USCIRF decries South Korea for blaming Shincheonji Church (Muslim Community Report 10/03/2020)▶http://bit.ly/2Qhpmdz
Four criticisms of 'Shincheonji Doctrine' brought to light… If you only believe in external sources, that’s a 'disgrace' (Cheonji Daily 04/03/2020) ▶https://bit.ly/2wGAslq
Lies regarding the Coronavirus about Shincheonji 신천지 (03/03/2020)
COVID-19 Response of Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Official)
•0307 Chairman Man Hee Lee asks "all congregants to fully cooperate for disease control" in a special announcement
•0302 Statement at Press Conference of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19
•0302 Regarding COVID-19 Testing of Chairman Lee, Man-hee of Shincheonji Church of Jesus
•0301 Letter of Appeal to Political Leaders
•0228 Letter of Appeal from Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Regards to COVID-19
•0226 Shincheonji Church of Jesus Provided a List of All Members to Public Health Authorities
•0223 Statement of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19
•0222 Over 1000 Shincheonji Church of Jesus Locations Disinfected and Closed Down in Korea
•0221 Shincheonji Church of Jesus Closed Down Its Churches and Affiliated Buildings from 18 Feb
•0220 Statement of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19 Countermeasures and Fake News
•0219 Statement of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
•0218 Notice on the Worship Service of Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Regards to COVID-19
COVID-19/Fact Checker: Q&A on Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
6 comments
People of Shincheonji in the midst of hard times absolutely overcome well. And The truth about Shincheonji necessarily reveals all over the world. Cheer up.
ReplyDelete多くな人々が新天地に口を出しても真実は変わらない。偽ニュースに揺れないで真実を見てください。
ReplyDelete1日も早くコロナウイルスが消えて欲しい。そして真実は必ず勝ちます。
ReplyDeleteYou don't want everyone to suffer from coronavirus. We must all try to win from this.
ReplyDeleteThis is so thorough! Thank you for your accuracy and citing sources! More people should do this! <3
ReplyDeleteThe more I read these articles, the more I feel that people seem to be not interested in the truth. Only find provocative things. Truth is not interested in them. Thank you for writing a good article, noah.
ReplyDelete