7th Anniversary Memorial Booth for the Late Ji-in Gu Held at Shincheonji Gwangju Church
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| On the 9th, believers pay their respects at a memorial service held at the Shincheonji Gwangju Church |
“Although seven years have passed, the events of that day, which befell the deceased, are still vivid as if they happened yesterday. I hope that such a tragic incident will never happen again and wreck any precious family.”
A female congregant of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, who attended the 7th Anniversary Memorial Booth of the late Ji-In Gu presented at Shincheonji Gwangju Church on the 9th, said this tearfully.
Ji-In Gu died while undergoing 'forced conversion' - a programme which attempts to forcibly convert members, typically youth and women in their 20s, of a minority religious group.
On that day, many believers gathered and paid tribute to the deceased's soul by offering chrysanthemums and praying at the memorial booth. Memorial messages that contain a longing for the deceased also filled the booth.
Forced conversion destroys the family unit and goes beyond simply a religious issue; it is a serious social problem that violates human rights and results in family breakdown.
The Human Rights Association for Victims of Coercive Conversion Programs has pledged to continue to publicise the damage caused by forced conversion through photo exhibitions and media promotion, and work to eradicate it.
Despite religious liberty being guaranteed by the Constitution, the Republic of Korea remains the only democratic country in which forced conversion continues unabated.
Source: vo.la/mcLkay
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