On 2nd June 2020, Cheonji Ilbo (Daily) published an article entitled "Kidnapped & Confined: Coercive Conversion Abuses Parents’ Love & Must Be Eliminated.”. 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.
Family dinner with
my older brother-in-law followed by being driven to a studio for forced
conversion
Plans for forced conversion conceived in advance
‘Conversion counselling’ meted out by conversion pastors
Fled the studio while parents were asleep
Plans for forced conversion conceived in advance
‘Conversion counselling’ meted out by conversion pastors
Fled the studio while parents were asleep
[Cheonji Ilbo =
Reporter Kang Soo-kyung] The greatest damage on young victims of forced
conversion is the initial kidnap or assault inflicted by parents from the very outset.
Anxiety and fear instilled by conversion pastors manipulates the great love
parents have for their child to the extent that it becomes licence for the
parent to abuse their child. Moreover, because it involves the family, victims
are often unable to find justice. Kyung-ho Moon (pseudonym, Daemyeong
neighbourhood, Nam district, Daegu city) experienced forced confinement in a
studio after being dragged there by his family for conversion. He maintains
that forced conversion makes the victim seem like a thug - even if they are
good children who love and obey their parents - and it must be removed from
society. What follows is an account of Kyung-ho Moon’s testimony.
After graduating from college, I became an everyday citizen living independently
with my own goals and dreams, just like other people.
I am, therefore, writing this article to make a plea for
action to be taken to punish the perpetrators. I have become a victim of severe persecution
by my family because of my belief in a religion they label a ‘cult’ in a country
like South Korea where freedom of religion is ‘recognised’.
I recall that day as we gathered as a family to enjoy a pleasant meal with my
brother-in-law who announced that he had been enlisted as a military surgeon. After
the meal, my Dad and I went for a drive in his car when he asked to see my
phone out of the blue. I naturally gave it to him. When I asked him where we
were going, he said that he was taking me to a church in Ansan so I could
receive conversion education.
I made it clear several times over that I would not go. I begged him to listen,
but it was to no avail. I had been kidnapped, though I wasn’t tied. I couldn't stop
thinking about how I could get out but the car was too fast. If I had the
chance, I would have jumped.
I still don't understand how my family could have followed through with kidnap.
It was because Pastor Jin had deceived my family with lies about the church I
was attending, as if it were a crime.
In my opinion, it is impossible for a sane parent to kidnap their child. My
parents loved me as they always did; they just opposed my religious beliefs. Because
they cared for me so much, Pastor Jin’s cunning words played on their love and
instilled fear and anxiety to the extent that they kidnapped me.
We were headed for Ansan when the car briefly stopped. I couldn't bear the pain
and tried with every fibre of my being to open the car door to escape, but my
father, mother and brother-in-law stopped me, holding me tightly so that I
couldn’t go anywhere.
From that time on, I was locked up in a studio and their crafty plan was so meticulous
with all the necessities clear to see.
The area was busy and it turned out that many others like myself had been brought
in for forced conversion. I had been forcibly taken to a church in Ansan to
receive conversion counselling. Someone approached me and consulted me before I
received the conversion programme given by Pastor Jin. It was a compulsory
one-way show rather than any form of ‘counselling’.
I was resolved that the conversion pastor would fail in converting me through this
education, and I had no intention of agreeing to accept it. It didn't make
sense that my parents would be fooled by these people and aimlessly give away
hundreds of thousands of Korean Won.
It also meant quitting my studies and dreams and spending a few months as a
prisoner, disconnected from the outside world.
Yet that person treated me like a psychopath and shamed me just because I
belonged to Shincheonji Church of Jesus. He also encouraged my parents, who were
by my side, to continue persuading me and pleading with me so that I would feel
like a nuisance for resisting this education.
They tried to convince me by using my parents as a shield and by getting me to
sign a consent form so that, if anything went wrong, they would be absolved of
responsibility.
They cunningly manipulated my parents from behind me so
that I couldn't resist.
That night, I was able to sneak out of the studio after
my parents slept.
I had never imagined becoming such a disgrace to my family and I had never been
someone who abused my parents’ trust.
I am convinced that Pastor Jin, who forced me into a horrible situation, manipulated
my family into internal distrust and received a ton of money in the guise of a ‘thanksgiving
offering’, must be punished by law.
No one who professes to believe in God should receive money and let people suffer the way I did. It is inexcusable tolerating the behaviour of someone
who can rip a family apart and carry out abduction in exchange for money. Please help bring these
conversion pastors to justice so that there will be no further victims.
To read the full article as published in Cheonji Daily, please click here⇨https://bit.ly/3co5wpl
Related Blogs on Coercive Conversion
“Coercive Conversion Pastor Treated me like an Animal and Instigated Mistrust Within my Family” (Cheonji Daily 1st June 2020)
Is This A Communist ‘People's Court'? The Deception of Coercive Conversion (Cheonji Daily 21st May 2020)
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)
“Kidnapped and Confined Without Shower or Food, and Sexually Shamed” (Cheonji Daily 29th April 2020)
"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)
"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)
This is really horrendous, I hope truth will soon prevail
ReplyDeleteThis is just horrible. It's heartbreaking when parents get their children kidnapped and forced into something they disagree with. It's a shame pastors do such things for money.
ReplyDelete