Is This A Communist ‘People's Court'? The Deception of Coercive Conversion (Cheonji Daily 21st May 2020)
On 21st May 2020, Cheonji Ilbo (Daily) published an article entitled "Is This A Communist ‘People's Court'? The Deception of Coercive Conversion". This is a translation of that article.
The once unknown term 'forced
conversion' became a serious topic in Korean society in 2008 after Pastor Yong-Sik
Jin sent Mrs. Baek-Hyang Jeong to a psychiatric ward in order to carry out
forced conversion. He was later punished by law. At that time Pastor Jin, who
headed up the Heresy Investigation Committee of the Christian Council of Korea
(CCK), forcibly converted believers who belonged to denominations of the
established church labelled so-called 'cults', including Mrs. Jeong’s. Such
cases began to rise in leaps and bounds. At first, pastors carried out ‘forced
conversion’ (also termed ‘deprogramming’ or ‘coercive conversion’) themselves,
but later altered their approach. Today, forced conversion pastors instil fear
and anxiety in the families of Shincheonji Church members by slandering
Shincheonji Church, so that families are deceived into believing their beloved
child, wife or parent has fallen into a ‘cult’ and are prone to making
immediate hasty decisions. In order to prevent this, forced conversion programs
tainted by illegal practices that include kidnap, confinement and violence
become the 'last straw' to save the family. In 21st century South Korea, where
issues around religious freedom have been brought to the limelight, ‘forced
conversion’ continues unabated. This paper intends to serialise the distressing
appeals of victims who have had to endure human rights violations and
oppression through forced conversion, and are otherwise unable to voice their
plea.
Slander Spouted by Conversion Pastors Deceives Family into
a Horrid Decision
Take her to a Church in Ansan for Conversion
Monitored by Surveillance Cameras Everywhere, even in Toilets
Mocked for Disagreeing with their Accusations
Fake Submission Was Only Way to Escape
[Cheonji Ilbo = Reporter Kang Soo-Kyung] Families which have undergone the forced
conversion programme are often left on the brink of collapse. The reason for the
collapse of the family unit is forced conversion pastors who interrupt the family
unit by slandering one family member’s religious beliefs. The hatred that this
stirs within the family unit is beyond comprehension. Victims testify that they
were subject to a Communist-style People's Court. So-hee Choi (pseudonym) is
one such victim of forced conversion. What follows is an account of So-hee Choi's
appeal.
At the end of July 2005, I went to Pastor Jin's ‘A’ Church in Ansan to receive forced
conversion education.
One day, my father-in-law who was poorly called me and told me that he wanted
me to go and visit him urgently. My husband told me to leave immediately, so I
packed my bags and, together with my children, we went to his home.
As my husband was always busy working, it was difficult for him to spend a day
or two there, but on that day even after visiting my in-laws in Cheonan, he
asked me to go the next day.
I left my children at my sister-in-law's house, while my
husband, sister, brother and I got into the car.
I fell asleep, and when we arrived at Ansan I was taken to a small studio where
I was sat down in front of my parents, brother and sister.
When I looked inside, I noticed all my personal belongings had been brought in.
I was dumbfounded and thought this was pathetic. Should I laugh? Should I cry?
My husband told me that he had resigned from his job and would stay in the
studio with me receiving Pastor Jin’s teaching until I renounced my beliefs;
whether that takes one or two years.
My husband had already paid 5 million won to secure this one-bedroom studio and
told me I was being stubborn.
My husband also told me, 'I’ve transferred our children to a school in Cheonan.'
It was an outrageous decision to make transferring our children, who had not
yet acclimatised to their new life moving from the US to Korea.
In such a situation, I was forced to receive conversion education and was taken
to the 2nd floor of ‘A church’.
As I entered, an evangelist was seated in front of a chalkboard. Conversion
education began as my husband and sister-in-law sat on either side of the desk.
I was surrounded by other family members and church members who had been converted
from other religions.
Conversion education was carried out like an interrogation as everyone watched.
The conversion pastor interrogated me forcefully.
I was given a series of 'Yes/No' questions.
When I gave a different response, they started to laugh at the church I belonged
to.
I answered their questions with a Biblical story, and the conversion pastor who
was teaching me got angry and even slammed the desk. In response, even my
father rebuked the conversion pastor.
Education lasted from 10am-8pm without a break, and when I went to the
bathroom, I was observed. I wasn't allowed to go out and could only eat the food
provided.
The church building was equipped with surveillance cameras throughout, and the
pastor observed everything I was doing.
The next day, education took place in the one-bedroom studio from 10am-8pm, but
I couldn't absorb any of their Biblical teachings. My body and mind was shattered
from the many accusations and forced conversion education I had received.
It was so painful being there. I felt sick to the point
of death and missed my children. I wailed because I missed my children so much.
The conversion pastor responded with laughter.
Education began in the morning on the third day.
When Pastor Jin came in and told me things that I couldn't agree on, I pretended
to accept it.
I asked Pastor Jin, 'Why are you doing this?' and he said 'to make money'. His
answer shocked me so much.
On the third day, my mother pleaded with me to renounce my faith so that my whole
family could live at peace.
In order to escape this painful and terrible situation, I had to pretend to be
converted.
I was riddled with guilt and pain because I thought I was deceiving my family. But
I wanted to talk to my family, not with a conversion pastor.
After the period of conversion education ended, my family cottoned on to the
fact that I hadn’t been converted and they were initially angry. But I
continued to engage in dialogue with them.
As the conversion pastor left the relationship between my family and I, they
began to gradually acknowledge my faith as we dialogued.
However, my family had been scarred by what the conversion pastor did. No
matter how hard we tried, we couldn't return to our previous life of peace and
harmony. Truly the real perpetrator of forced conversion is the pastor.
This pastor played on my family's affections to his own benefit, disguising his
intentions with the words 'holy mission’ and ‘salvation'.
As a victim of the forced conversion programme, I hope that the reality of this
sick and twisted conversion pastor will be revealed to the world, so that there
will be no further victims.
To read the full article as published in Cheonji Daily, please click here⇨https://bit.ly/2WXJ7Lb
Related Blogs
Restrained with Sleeping Pills…Resisted Forced Conversion, but was Assaulted and Eventually Fainted (Cheonji Daily 20th May 2020)Drugged, Handcuffed, Kidnapped, Confined; it’s OK, they Belong to Shincheonji! Today’s ‘Cult Framing' that Violates Human Rights and Tears Families Apart (Cheonji Daily 6th May 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/05/drugged-handcuffed-kidnapped-confined.html
“Kidnapped and Confined Without Shower or Food, and Sexually Shamed” (Cheonji Daily 29th April 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/05/kidnapped-and-confined-without-shower.html
"Family deceived and manipulated into locking up and beating pregnant family member. 'Peace' will be found when truth is revealed." (Cheonji Daily 4th May 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/05/family-deceived-and-manipulated-into.html
"They forced me to remove my underwear in front of relatives in a car. I'm a 30 year-old woman” (Cheonji Daily 28th April 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/04/they-forced-me-to-remove-my-underwear.html
2 comments
What kind of society thinks this is a good idea? The victim being transparent with their family was the better solution all along. If people have rational thinking, their is no need to let religion come between family unless the religion is causing strain on the family, then it should be discussed within the family first and agreements or compromises should be made. If there is love there should be an effort made to understanding the other side.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've discovered about Shincheonji is that they choose to hide their faith from loved ones because no one understands Shincheonji, because they are so secretive and infamous that people won't immediately have good reactions when they find out their loved one has been hiding their faith from them for so long.
If people find out the secret faith, they shouldn't attack.
For Shincheonji, I don't know, maybe it's time they stop telling their members to hide from the get go.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree it would be better for Shincheonji Church members to be truthful about their religious affiliation from the get-go, but the reality is that religious freedoms are often violated in South Korean society. Shincheonji Church has been demonised and stigmatised for years by the mainstream Korean Protestant church - notably the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) and their mouthpiece Christian Broadcasting System (CBS) which have refused to engage in open dialogue with Shincheonji Church on numerous occasions - to the extent that the mere mention of ‘Shincheonji’ can lead to instant panic and fear, family abuse, immediate loss of employment and, in the worst case, murder. Korean law does little to nothing to protect religious minorities. This is the reality and the reason why Shincheonji Church members don't reveal their faith from the get-go. Yet they hold on to their faith regardless because of their clear hope in the promises of the Bible. I hope this helps😊
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