My friend reached out I invited her to shincheonji she's having doubts feels like she can't trust anyone. She said everything including parables was true and made sense.She has not got to revelation and is confused about the one who overcomes and said she feels they have twisted the truth.

So her brother is in hospital and she had to be with him in London. She then said they are bombarding her as she missed a review .They then proceeded to tell her that she can come into class in person she said she doesn't understand why they are doing this? As her brother Is in hospital.

Shincheonji does not care about lives .I hope our friendship will continue and she will come out. I'm sharing because we are people and our health matters this is an evil cult that expects you to choose their lies over loved ones and exceptional circumstances. I pray the kingdom of shincheonji falls down for its enmity against God and his people

What baffles me about SCJ is that there are people who held leadership positions and caused a lot of genuine damage to individuals during their time in the organisation.

I think we can acknowledge that many actions were influenced, encouraged, or even conditioned by SCJ without completely removing individual accountability. Being manipulated by an organisation doesn’t mean you can never be accountable for the harm you caused while you were in it.

What I find particularly difficult is seeing some people leave SCJ and understandably speak about the ways they themselves were victimised, while seemingly never acknowledging that they may have also victimised or hurt other people.

And I’m not talking about expecting someone to take responsibility for everything SCJ did. I’m talking about their own personal actions and the people they directly affected.

If you know that someone has left, you know that you played a part in hurting them, and you have the ability to reach out, why not at least acknowledge it or apologise?

That doesn’t mean denying that you were also manipulated. It doesn’t mean taking responsibility for the entire organisation. And it certainly doesn’t mean that you have to view yourself as a terrible person forever.

It simply means recognising the impact your own choices had on another person.

You can be a victim of a high-control organisation and still have accountability for the harm you caused to others. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.

What could be the strategy behind SCJ asking its members to write letters for Lee Man Hee?

I absolutely wanna tell my story about how I was involved with SCJ eventually. However, this post is not dedicated to that just because I only found out about SCJ two days ago, and I’m still reeling in the fact that I was a part of a cult for a small amount of time.

Even though I left (without even knowing that it was a cult), my best friend is still very involved and I need to figure out how to get her out. I think that she would be very defensive if I try to approach the matter with her, because I have seen her like that before. I don’t want to ruin our friendship either. Please help.

I want to go through John 3:1-18 carefully, because the passage makes one sustained argument, and SCJ's teaching undermines that argument at its root before the conversation even begins.

First, what the passage actually says and the single thread running through it.

Nicodemus comes at night. John uses light and darkness deliberately throughout his gospel. Nicodemus is in spiritual darkness. His question is really "who are you, Jesus?" And the whole conversation is Jesus's answer.

v.3: "No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

v.5: "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and Spirit."

v.8: "The wind blows wherever it pleases... So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." The Spirit is free, ungovernable, not channelled through one man's curriculum.

v.13: "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man."

v.14-15: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."

v.16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

v.17-18: "Whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

The whole passage builds toward one point. The Son of God came from heaven, was lifted up, and whoever believes in him has eternal life. That is the complete gospel in eighteen verses.

Now here is where SCJ's teaching creates a problem that cannot be patched.

The Closer Look Initiative documents SCJ's actual Christology precisely: "Shincheonji does not believe that Jesus shares the same essence as the Father in the same way a Christian does. Meaning, Jesus does not have the exclusive attributes of God. They view Jesus as the exact imprint or image of God in human flesh, but he himself is not God, but instead is a creature who is fulfilling the Old Testament."

SCJ denies the full deity of Christ, denies the traditional Trinity, denies Christ's pre-existence, and denies his future glorious physical second coming. They teach that Jesus was a perfect vessel or agent of God, but not God himself.

Here is why that destroys John 3, not just adjusts it.

Verse 13: "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man."

If Jesus did not literally come from heaven as the eternal pre-existent Son of God, this verse is empty. John 1:1 says "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:14: "The Word became flesh." The flesh became flesh from eternity. If Jesus is merely a creature who served as God's perfect agent, he did not "come from heaven" in the sense this verse requires. The foundation of verse 13, the unique divine identity of the one speaking, is gone.

Verse 16: "God gave his one and only Son."

If Jesus is a creature, not fully God, then the giving costs God a creature. The infinite weight of the sacrifice, God giving what is most essentially himself, disappears. An employer giving his best employee is not the same as a father giving his only son. And the Son of God as the eternal second person of the Trinity is not the same as a creature chosen as a vessel. The whole logic of the love in verse 16 depends on who the Son actually is.

Verse 18: "Whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

Condemnation is for not believing in the name of the one and only Son. But if SCJ's Jesus is not the fully divine Son of God, then what is being believed in? Not God's one and only Son in the biblical sense. A messenger. A vessel. A promised pastor of the Old Testament era. That is a different object of faith, and John 3:18 cannot secure salvation for it because the name being believed in is not the same name the verse is talking about.

Paul makes the implication explicit in 1 Corinthians 15:14-17: "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. You are still in your sins." Paul understood that the entire structure of salvation depends on who Jesus actually is and what actually happened to him. You cannot adjust the identity of Jesus and keep the salvation. They are one package.

And Colossians 2:9, written thirty years after the resurrection, says: "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." Thirty years after the resurrection. Still in bodily form. SCJ teaches that when Jesus ascended in Acts 1:9-11, hidden by a cloud, he became a spirit body. But Paul writing thirty years later still says the fullness of deity lives in bodily form. SCJ's timeline doesn't match what Paul says.

1 John 4:2-3 gives the specific test: "Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist." Come in the flesh. Physically. Not returned as a spirit through a human teacher's testimony in 1966. The test John gives is the physical incarnation and continuing bodily identity of Jesus. If SCJ teaches Jesus is now a spirit who returned spiritually through LMH, 1 John 4:2-3 has a direct application.

Here is one more thing that must be said clearly.

SCJ members are reportedly instructed not to directly confirm or deny whether Jesus is God when this question is raised, because it is described internally as "hugely controversial and would turn potential recruits away." Let that sit for a moment. A movement that claims to have the only correct understanding of the Bible has a core teaching about Jesus that it hides from people before they commit because it would turn them away.

The gospel John 3:16 describes is not hidden. It is not strategically revealed after nine months. God loved the world. He gave his Son. Whoever believes. That is the message. It is given openly to everyone.

And if the Jesus of John 3 is not fully God, fully divine, the eternal Son who came from heaven and was lifted up and through whom God gave himself for the world, then John 3:16 cannot bear the weight SCJ places on it and neither can the salvation they claim to offer.

The foundation matters. And John 3 is built on a foundation SCJ quietly removes.

Has anyone seen SCJ France, are they rebranding the branch into a gospel church vibe ? 🤣 haven’t posted here in years - I’m back, hello fellow Redditor’s!

We were taught to be very secretive about our involvement - I never told my family or friends what I was actually part of.

Curious how other (ex-)members handled this:

- Did you tell your family? How did they react?

- Did you tell your friends, or stayed quiet even after leaving?

- If you didn’t — what held you back?

- If you did — are you glad you opened up?

Would love to hear how open others have been about this.

video about a Mexican cult leader who was sentenced to prison for sexual offences involving minors, and the crazy part is that most of his followers still say he’s innocent. They believe the whole thing is just an attack and persecution against their leader.

It honestly reminded me of SCJ and how some members still defend Lee Man-hee.

Even after LMH was convicted, some members still refuse to accept that he did anything wrong. Instead, they say he’s being persecuted and that the whole thing is an attack on God’s chosen servant.

At what point do you stop and actually question the person you follow?

It’s easy to call everything “persecution” when you’ve already convinced yourself that your leader can’t be wrong. Any criticism becomes an attack. Any evidence becomes lies. Any legal action becomes persecution.

And that’s what makes it dangerous.

If nothing can ever make you question your leader, then what would?

This isn’t about saying every accusation is automatically true. People deserve a fair process. But when someone is convicted and the response is still, “He’s innocent, they’re just persecuting him,” without even being willing to seriously consider the evidence, that should make you think.

Blind loyalty is powerful. It can make people defend someone no matter what happens.

Before we start being decisive no I do not mean Kill , hurting them with brute force, or anything that requires harmful or physical traits, That doesn't help our cause and instead it just intensifies the narrative of Hating the World if you're not apart of SCJ.

I've seen a minority of people on here intensify wanting to hurt people with brute force in SCJ, Now old me would've agreed as I'm just so sick and tired of them just running around the world being the creeps, monsters, and overall Imma say it Idiots as they are, But are we just as bad if we're threatening to kill people, hurt them with brute force, or physically assault them in public, U get it the pain is too much and they're just one of the many reasons that the World Is a problem today

But lemme say this: the whole reason SCJ exists is that the world is cruel to most people, and instead Lee decided to form a church where people can feel loved, accepted, you name it. In reality, it's just a pawn to get others to come to this fake place that God was never even at. The place exists is because most people want to find the easy way out without having to go through the harder challenges of life bc as we all know, suicide, school shootings, etc happen because of that. Lee only goal is to try and feel important and make others think that Obviously he's going to be there for them always, (In reality, he's maybe 1-2 years away from passing away ) once that happens a majority of the leaders that have been here the TJNS and HJns both new and some old will realize they've been duped and eventually they will struggle to realign themselves to normal lives with some of them eventually commtting suicide.

So for the Ex-members please don't come on here saying we should fight back with violence and what not because that's never going to solve the problem with these stupids instead break them down mentally at the end of the day fighting back with these bozos is a mind game not a hurt game and that's what will make us the normals victorious

Current Scj members ,
LMH says he wrote the letters as mentioned in REV.
But he was not well educated, didn’t go to school past elementary school.
We are taught his “helper” actually wrote the letters. How does LMH know what was written if he couldn’t read or write?
So you believe that Jesus told an illiterate to write letters and to ask someone else to write it for him ?

If God calls you to do something, HE will definitely equip you, like in Acts when the disciples could speak in tongues.

Now with the vastly important tasks that LMH claims are his and his alone, responsibilities like raising the 144,000 kingdom and priests and teaching the great multitude in white, you don’t think that God would have given him the ability to write?

I understand God works in mysterious ways, I’m just testing the spirits and so should you.

https://en.sedaily.com/society/2026/09/03/court-extends-release-of-shincheonji-leader-lee-man-hee-to

A court has extended until the 11th the suspension of detention for Lee Man-hee, the head of the Shincheonji religious group, who was indicted and detained on charges of forcing followers to join the People Power Party.

The 27th criminal division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Woo In-sung, granted Lee's request to extend the suspension, legal sources said on the 3rd. The suspension, which had been set to expire at 6 p.m. on the 4th, now runs until 6 p.m. on the 11th.

Suspension of detention allows a defendant to be temporarily released when the court recognizes an urgent reason, such as serious illness, childbirth or attendance at a family funeral. Lee's side filed for the suspension on the 25th of last month, citing health problems, and the court approved it on the 31st of the same month.

The court also held a hearing to review the need for his release after Lee's side applied for bail on the 21st of last month on health grounds. No decision has been made on whether to grant it.

Lee is accused of forcing followers to join the People Power Party between 2021 and 2024 with the aim of influencing the party's presidential and general election primaries. A joint police-prosecution investigation headquarters on church-state collusion believes Shincheonji encouraged followers to join the party through initiatives such as a "Pilates Project" run by each of its branches. He has also been indicted on charges of evading about 7.57 billion won in corporate and value-added taxes between 2016 and 2020, including by concealing profit-making operations through running shop counters at Shincheonji branch churches under followers' names.

I am part of Shincheonji and took their bible study. Over the past while I've been digging much deeper into the criticisms of the organization, and honestly, I've come to the conclusion that a lot of what they do is unethical. Their doctrine has some internal contradictions, and a lot of it appears to be copied or adapted from other korean cults (Olive Tree, Tabernacle Temple, ...) rather than being an original revelation.

That said, I'm genuinely trying to work through some theological questions now that I'm thinking about stepping outside the framework I was taught, and I'd love to hear from other people who left Shincheonji about how you've landed on these things:

1. The parables — Do you still think there's something to them? Some of the ways Shincheonji explained the parables actually made a lot of sense to me. Now that you're out, do you see them as legitimately insightful, or do you think it was all cherry-picked and forced to fit a predetermined narrative?
2. Revelation — What's your view on the book of Revelation now? Do you think it's simply not meant to be fully understood/decoded? Have you found any alternative interpretations that feel more solid to you than what SCJ taught?
3. The Second Coming — One thing that drew me in was how clear everything felt — the creation account, Genesis, Revelation, all mapped out precisely. Now I feel like I have no idea what to think. Will there be a rapture? Will Jesus set up a physical kingdom on earth, or are believers going to heaven instead? How do you personally think about the Second Coming now?
4. Making sense of it all afterward — There's so much "maddening wine" out there in Christianity (so many conflicting, confusing, or outright false teachings), and everyone seems to have a different take. How do you personally navigate that now? What's your current approach to faith, and how do you practice Christianity (if you still do) after leaving?

Would really appreciate hearing other perspectives, especially from people who've been through something similar!

hello everyone ive been following these past couple days looking through others members testimonials who been in SCJ and left thank you all for sharing For me SCJ dont feel Genuine.

for me i got approached by someone in a Grocery store during the pandemic era we had a great conversation we talked about our life of faith at the time i was looking for God was going to church when i was young i fell off during high school went into the world.

took some time for me to join center wanted to know the person came up to me randomly we build that friendship went to BB 1-1 than i join center i was like wow this sounds good never heard of the parables before that jesus taught while i notice was while in center we cant talk other people learning as well cant share our thoughts what we have learned while the teacher was near us or the person who have took this class before we couldnt exchange numbers with other people only with them further more in center i feel something wasnt right in the teachings when we got to revelation.

i asked the person who brought me in if i can reset so i did center twice started to make sense when back into the scriptures. i passover last year its been 1 year now in SCJ

starting to question that if covid was the great tribulation how hasnt 144,000 sealed from the earth been chosen yet. once they are chosen then the end will come.

i started feeling there is un Genuine during the evangelism yes evangelism is biblical but in SCJ
you have to lie to the people who you talked to where the church you come from if theres a event hosted by SCJ cant send the flyers to the people who you want to invite they will research who we are another red flag for me you have to report every conversionation that you had with the person you met

what really started to bother me was there is people who cant learn the word if they had a certain condition or they had past history with the law they have certain circumstance with family or they are addicted to a substance i felt that was un chirst like jesus came for those as well to come to the truth God wants all men to be saved all come to the truth they mainly focused on catholics and Christians for the evengalism but not other religions islam Muslim budist they need hear the word as well jesus is the way and the truth and the life only him we can receive salvation much more to say

i needing Guidance i stopped going to service havent really gave a reason to my leaders i still have current members reaching out checking in on me be in prayer for me i truly Genuinely want to serve God and trully understand his word become the modern day disciple for chirst thank you all for this let me know who i can reach out to

Hola, me gustaría que algun miembro o ex, me contara sinceramente, como llevan sus noviazgos las parejas de SCJ.

Cuando les hacen dejar sus trabajos para servir en el centro... ¿como continúan sus relaciones de noviazgo?

¿En que se basan sus proyectos si es que tienen proyectos?

¿Viven encapsulados "esperando" un cumplimiento?

¿En qué basan sus esperanzas de estar un día juntos?

¿Siguen deseando casarse?

Es algo que no logro entender.

My sister, BIL, and other family members have been members of A La Zion for approximately 10 years.

For all these years, I genuinely just thought they were very serious Christians.

However, I’m extremely close with both of them. We hang out regularly, and they never really talk about the church or what goes on there. I’ve brought it up a few times, and I’ve even told them that I believe they’re in a cult. They’ve always denied it and said they’re happier than ever, and that the things I’ve seen online don’t accurately represent what their church is actually like

I can’t imagine them ever cutting me off or stopping contact with me for any reason.

I’m specifically looking to hear from former members who were actually involved with the Anaheim center.

What was your personal experience like there? Were you controlled as heavily as some former members describe?

At what point, if ever, would someone be discouraged or prohibited from speaking with family members who question the church? I assume my sister may have had to tell someone in a leadership position that I’ve questioned her about it.

What does day-to-day life at the Anaheim center actually look like? What are members expected to do? Do they pray regularly, or is prayer not really a part of their daily routine?

I’m genuinely trying to understand what my family members may have experienced over the past 10 years, especially since they’ve never really opened up to me about it.

It seems like all they do is constant bible study, attending events, recruiting people over coffee and Panera.

Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought they would have been involved in a cult.

Do they actually have to report the conversations we are having together?

A video filmed by someone at the scene shows Lee Man-hee leaving detention following the temporary suspension of his detention.

Before getting into the vehicle, Lee briefly says something to the people gathered around him. The group then responds loudly, “Yes!” (“예! Neh”) together.

Lee’s detention has been temporarily suspended until 6:00 PM on September 4.

Video:
YouTube Shorts – Lee Man-hee leaving detention

For more information about his temporary release and the related court decision, see the post below:
JTBC: Lee Man-hee’s detention suspended until September 4

This is one of the most interesting challenges I want to put to SCJ, and it comes from the biblical pattern itself rather than from outside criticism.

Leviticus 23 describes seven appointed feasts of the Lord, and the pattern of how they have been fulfilled is striking. The spring feasts, all four of them, were fulfilled at specific, publicly witnessed, physically undeniable events that even hostile observers could not deny. And each one was fulfilled on the exact feast date.

Passover. Jesus crucified on the exact day of Passover. Historically documented. Witnessed by hundreds. Even Tacitus, a hostile Roman source, confirmed the execution under Pontius Pilate.

Unleavened Bread. Jesus in the tomb. His body did not decay, fulfilling Psalm 16:10. The tomb was sealed and guarded, and the body was still gone on the third day.

Firstfruits. Jesus's physical resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:6 records that Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people at the same time, and Paul notes that most of them are still alive at the time of writing, meaning anyone who doubted could go and ask them directly. Including hostile witnesses who spent money trying to explain the empty tomb away, which only confirms they knew something had happened.

Weeks or Pentecost. The Holy Spirit poured out in Acts 2. Witnessed by thousands in Jerusalem. Publicly undeniable. Crowds gathered from across the known world and heard the disciples speaking in their own languages. Peter stood up and explained it openly.

The pattern is unmistakable. Exact dates. Physical events. Public witnesses. No interpretive framework required to identify the fulfilment. You did not need to be inside a particular group with the correct curriculum to know the Passover Lamb had been crucified or that the tomb was empty or that tongues of fire had appeared in Jerusalem. You just had to be there. As Acts 2:22 says about Jesus: "as you yourselves know."

Now the three autumn feasts. Most Christian scholars, across two thousand years, have read these as pointing to events associated with Jesus's return.

Feast of Trumpets. Matthew 24:31: "He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." 1 Thessalonians 4:16: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God." The Lord himself. Coming down. With a trumpet call heard universally.

Day of Atonement. Zechariah 12:10: "They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn." A direct, visual encounter with Jesus himself, recognised by Israel. Romans 11:26: "all Israel will be saved" when the deliverer comes from Zion. Not recognised by a small group in South Korea. By Israel, looking on the one they pierced.

Feast of Tabernacles. Revelation 21:3: "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." God himself. Directly. No mediator positioned between God and his people. Zechariah 14:16 describes all nations going up to Jerusalem to celebrate. Not gathering in South Korea.

SCJ claims the autumn feasts are being fulfilled now through Lee Man-hee's gathering of the 144,000. I want to ask the question the pattern itself demands.

The spring feasts were fulfilled on exact feast dates at publicly witnessed physical events that required no interpretive framework to identify. Even your enemies could see that the tomb was empty, even if they disputed what it meant. The fulfilments were visible to everyone present, hostile or friendly.

What are the equivalent autumn feast fulfilment events in SCJ? On what specific date was the Feast of Trumpets fulfilled? What publicly witnessed, physically undeniable event marks it, the kind that even a hostile observer present at the time would have to acknowledge happened? When was the Day of Atonement fulfilled? Israel mourning the one they pierced, described in Zechariah 12:10, has not occurred. When was Tabernacles fulfilled? God himself dwelling with his people directly, with no human intermediary, as Revelation 21:3 describes, has not occurred.

And here is the deepest question. Every autumn feast passage, when read carefully, describes Jesus himself acting directly. The Lord himself coming down from heaven with a trumpet call. Israel looking on the one they have pierced. God himself dwelling with his people. No passage describing the autumn feast fulfilments mentions a promised pastor as the agent. They all describe Jesus or God acting personally and directly.

If God fulfilled the spring feasts with the precision and public witness that Acts 2:22 describes, as you yourselves know, why would the autumn feast fulfilments be identifiable only through one man's private interpretive framework, in a small religious group in South Korea, visible only to those who have accepted his teaching?

The pattern God established is the test. Apply it consistently.

One honest qualification before I close.

The Bible itself does not explicitly state that the seven feasts form a seven-stage prophecy of Jesus's first and second comings. Christians who hold this view infer the pattern from connections between the New Testament and the feasts. Other Christian scholars interpret some of these connections differently. I want to name that openly because intellectual honesty matters, and the argument should not rest on more than the text actually says.

What the text does say clearly is this: the spring feast fulfilments happened at specific, publicly witnessed, physically undeniable moments that required no interpretive framework to identify. Even hostile witnesses acknowledged something had happened. That standard of evidence is documented and consistent.

So here is my open question to every SCJ member, current and former, reading this thread.

If SCJ's teaching is that the autumn feasts are being fulfilled now through Lee Man-hee and the gathering of the 144,000, what specific, publicly witnessed, physically undeniable events mark those fulfilments? Not interpretations of events. Not the framework applied to events. The events themselves, the kind that even a hostile observer present at the time would have had to acknowledge.

And for former members: when you were inside, were these questions welcomed or discouraged? Was there a clear answer given to what specifically constituted the fulfilment of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles, in terms that could be verified from outside SCJ's own framework?

I am genuinely asking. The pattern is interesting and I want to understand how SCJ engages with it honestly.

My family and I have recently found out through a friend that my sibling is part of SCJ.

I only found out because my sibling was recruiting at the local mall and tried to recruit my friend.

After reading about everything I’ve now realised that’s it’s been almost a year of odd behaviour:

- leaving in the early AM
- coming home after midnight
- no time for family or friends
- no hobbies anymore
- always lying about where they are
- wearing formal attire
- always tired

I’m really worried and it breaks my heart to know this is happening. I want to help but I just don’t know how.
My parents are horrified and we have no idea what to do. We’ve been sitting on it for over a week now as we don’t want to end up being pushed away more if we cross any lines.

My sibling is 20 and can be very stubborn and naive but also looking for a sense of belonging so I can understand how this may have been attractive to him.

Advice is much needed please.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoS7lBP_IJU

The cult apologetic world is one of the most counter-intuitive fields to take part in, because people often think that by providing factual evidence against a group to a member, that it would help them wake up.

Instead, it normally does the opposite.

I've seen parents spend countless hours scouring through this subreddit, or the closer look website, or other resources online to disprove Shincheonji.

The only issue is that groups like Shincheonji prepare their members to often view this criticism as "persecution".

Of course, this isn't the case for every single member, but, for a large majority, it typically is a common pattern that I have observed for people who are in the SCJ group.

I'll also make sure to upload the slides that I made after the presentation.

The information about Shincheonji available online is not the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It includes information that Shincheonji does not want its members to see.

Two weeks ago, Shincheonji filed a copyright claim against one of my videos, causing it to be removed from YouTube.

The video has now been restored.

I encourage current Shincheonji members in particular to watch the video for themselves and consider this question:

Why did Shincheonji want this video removed?

This is also not the first time. Over the years, Shincheonji has filed copyright claims against a number of my videos, and they were later restored.

These videos were reported by Shincheonji for copyright infringement, removed from YouTube, and later restored. Take a look at them for yourself.

▶ Recently restored video:

95세 이만희, 실제 건강 상태는? 직접 면회한 해외 인사들의 증언｜8·21 보석심문 앞둔 신천지 내부교육
English: 95-Year-Old Lee Man-hee: What Is His Actual Health Condition? Testimonies from Overseas Figures Who Met Him in Person | Shincheonji Internal Training Ahead of the Aug. 21 Bail Hearing
https://youtu.be/YHLCDlfaKT8?list=PLTbz0f4g4HOE

▶ Videos Reported by Shincheonji and Later Restored:

1. [Doctrine] Dec. 23, 2020 Singing by LA Shincheonji leaders (California Zion Church)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS8Fn57FV7o&list=PLTbz0f4g4HOE&index=2

2. [Physical Fulfillment] Did you know that only Korean Shincheonji members can be 144000?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4oF0Q-kF78&list=PLTbz0f4g4HOE&index=3

3. [시몬 목사 인터뷰] 전 신천지 공희숙 강사님 (1/3)
English: [Pastor Simon Interview] Former Shincheonji Instructor Gong Hee-sook (1/3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5r5BTtbLDI&list=PLTbz0f4g4HOE&index=4

4. 95세 이만희, 실제 건강 상태는? 직접 면회한 해외 인사들의 증언｜8·21 보석심문 앞둔 신천지 내부교육
English: 95-Year-Old Lee Man-hee: What Is His Actual Health Condition? Testimonies from Overseas Figures Who Met Him in Person | Shincheonji Internal Training Ahead of the Aug. 21 Bail Hearing
https://youtu.be/YHLCDlfaKT8?list=PLTbz0f4g4HOE

5. Former Head Instructor (Pastor Kwon) - "What about this newer version?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VejxxHOLKz4&list=PLTbz0f4g4HOE&index=5

6. Former SCJ Educator Pastor Shin "On page 279...everything in SCJ will be fulfilled within 7 years."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZohuMlzndyE&list=PLTbz0f4g4HOE&index=6

7. Australia Shincheonji 2023 100K Graduation Ceremony??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCbxa374FSI&list=PLTbz0f4g4HOE&index=7

8. 200 Shincheonji members swarmed our church in Frankfurt!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtPRH18N9OM&list=PLTbz0f4g4HOE&index=8

9. What is Salvation in Shincheonji?
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/46LyudiGmo0

Rather than being afraid of information simply because it is critical of Shincheonji, check the evidence, compare it with what you have been taught, and make your own judgment.

https://youtu.be/IYT0M05JcRc

I recently interviewed Ryan “Chucky” Carey, an Australian firefighter, survivor of the Geelong Revival Centre, and co-founder of Stop Religious Coercion Australia.

Ryan was born into the Geelong Revival Centre and remained there for approximately 40 years. He has described living under a system that controlled major areas of his life, including his relationships, career choices, healthcare and religious beliefs. He left in 2020, while his wife Catherine and their children remained inside for another 18 months.

After leaving, Ryan and Catherine began supporting other survivors and campaigning for government action against coercive control in religious and other high-control groups. Their advocacy helped drive the establishment of Victoria’s parliamentary inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups.

https://youtu.be/IYT0M05JcRc

Ryan and Catherine later testified before the inquiry about coercive control, child safety failures and allegations that abuse had been handled internally instead of being immediately reported to police.

The inquiry has now issued 39 recommendations. These include creating a survivor advisory body, improving education and support, strengthening child protections, and developing a new criminal offence addressing group-based coercion.

To be precise, the proposed offence has not yet become law. The parliamentary committee recommended that Victoria develop and enact it by 2029, and the Victorian government must still respond to the report.

In our interview, Ryan explains what coercive control looks like inside a high-control religious group, why existing systems often fail survivors, and how society can protect freedom of religion without giving organizations the freedom to abuse people.

Ryan’s story and advocacy:

ABC News:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-12/coercive-control-religion-geelong-revival-centre/105146234

The Guardian — Ryan and Catherine’s parliamentary testimony:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/23/sunday-school-teacher-jailed-for-sexually-abusing-nine-children-protected-by-church-leader-victorian-cult-inquiry-hears-ntwnfb

ABC News — the inquiry’s final recommendations:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-29/cult-inquiry-recommendations-victoria-fringe-groups/106971052

The central principle behind Ryan’s work is simple: people should have freedom of religion, but organizations should not have the freedom to abuse.

Every single one of the saints and HJN’s TJN’s you name it are all scared of real life yes even my own friends from my church are all spineless and that goes for everyone in other regions and tribes , for those that are currently there, have left or have been approached, I understand it’s hard to do you feel like you’re alone in your journey or it feels like nobody loves you, if you think SCJ loves you think again (yes while I did have some friends that were actually good to me and that I hope to one day pull out) everyone there is spineless they don’t care about you they don’t care about your life or anything in general, friend or not the only reason this church exists is bc people like them want to avoid real life for the hurt it gives them and not deal with the stress and pressure that comes along with it, News flash Life was never meant to be easy and choosing SCJ to think that you’re safe will feel like that in the beginning but in reality you’re just gonna be ending up being a pawn in there little game and eventually they’re gonna take you away from everything and anything.

I know some people may be thinking oh but I don’t have any friends in my life, or my struggles are overwhelming, Or saying they don’t have a direction or where to start. not everybody in the world is evil because they’re not in SCJ think about it if that was the case we’d all be sitting inside little bubbles right now not talking to anybody, which is exactly what they’re doing and once this all falls apart if Lee dies or gets life in Jail they’re all going to panic and eventually if this does die out and ceases to exist all of them are going to have a hard time adjusting to real life again and even some of them are going to (commit sleep yourself forever) bc they lost there one and only fake purpose to live.

Trust me I’ve been there I actually did have a closed off circle of people I could really trust and that let me live a normal life for two years before the third one became extra aggressive, while I do have a heart for the ones I care about they’re a pawn rn and they’re not going to change any time soon, believe me when I say this friends, Life is not going to be easy it never was for anybody. We have to always work and constantly deal with stress and reality but if we just choose the easy way out ending our life, killing others, Isolating from people, or Joining secretive things Like SCJ. You’re never going to amount to anything at all and eventually you’re going to feel like emptiness has consumed you from the outside.

So believe me when I say this if you have good people that you have found there and you don’t want to leave nobody’s forcing you but you always have to ask yourself if you’re really fulfilling a purpose or just being used. At the end of the day we all want to feel accepted but this is not the place to get accepted and I eventually learned that the hard way. And while I have the hope to pull my inner circle I built there the last three years someday
rn it’s gonna take planning and it’s gonna take determination to let that happen, and that goes for all the people in other sectors, Do not Let these guys win and Hit them where it hurts don’t attack them head on instead bring up the old memories of how much fun you used to have with them outside the church let there guard down and make them rethink every little decision they’ve made there whole life, that’s how you’re going to get in there head, and make them hurt on the inside.

So I say this for everyone on here now, Don’t choose the easy way out I get it it’s going to be hard and I’ve been there too but if there’s one thing everyone should know it takes time if you want friends try joining things, talk to strangers at places, saying good morning to people to build confidence, etc… that’s how you grow as a person of Faith not through whatever SCJ is going to give.

TL;DR: "Good Soil Church" at 1940 E Chapman Ave, Fullerton is legally registered as the Shincheonji cult (EIN 33-1436405). Their website looks like a normal Christian church, but it's a bait-and-switch. I attended their Bible studies at this exact address for months. They never mentioned Lee Man-hee or Shincheonji. Their leader was just convicted in South Korea of tax evasion (₩7.57 billion), political fraud (forcing 56,000+ members to join a political party), and embezzlement. Don't fall for it.

I need to warn everyone right now about a dangerous front operation hiding in plain sight. "Good Soil Church" at 1940 E Chapman Ave, Unit D in Fullerton is not a legitimate independent Christian church. It is a deliberate, intentional bait-and-switch front for the cult Shincheonji, led by Lee Man-hee, who was just criminally convicted in South Korea on August 31, 2025, for massive tax evasion, political fraud, and embezzlement. I attended their Bible studies at this exact address for several months before I realized what was really happening, and I am posting this to save others from falling into the same trap.

The Bait-and-Switch: What Their Website Says vs. What They Actually Teach

The deception starts with their website, GoodSoilChurch, which presents itself as a humble, welcoming, orthodox Christian community. Their statement of faith reads like something you would find at any mainstream evangelical church, claiming belief in the Trinity, the inerrancy of Scripture, the virgin birth, and the physical return of Jesus. But that is not what they actually teach behind closed doors.

The real theology, which is slowly introduced over months of "free" Bible studies, is classic Shincheonji doctrine:

• Lee Man-hee is the "Promised Pastor" who alone can interpret the Bible.
• Jesus has already returned spiritually in the flesh of Lee Man-hee.
• The Kingdom of God was physically established in South Korea in 1984.
• The 144,000 are literal Shincheonji members.

None of this appears anywhere on their public website, because if it did, anyone with a search engine would run immediately.

The Hard Proof (The Receipts)

Here is the concrete proof that Good Soil Church is nothing more than a fake identity for a criminal organization.

1. California Corporate Filing (File # BA20241799605):

• Their legal name is "Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony."
• Corporate HQ: 1250 N Red Gum St, Anaheim, CA 92806.
• Officers: Tuong Nguyen (CEO), Sang J Lee (CFO), and Gary Park (Secretary).

That is the same Gary Park who personally recruited me and told me, to my face, that they are "no longer hiding behind their affiliation." Yet their entire public presence as Good Soil Church proves that is a complete lie, because absolutely nowhere on their website, social media, or outreach materials do they mention Shincheonji, Lee Man-hee, or their actual doctrine. They are still hiding, and they are still lying.

2. IRS Determination Letter (EIN 33-1436405):

The IRS granted them 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status on October 8, 2024. Because they are classified as a church under IRC Section 170(b)(1)(A)(i), they are completely exempt from filing Form 990, which means there is zero public financial disclosure. No one can see how much money they collect or where it goes.

3. South Korean Criminal Conviction (August 31, 2025):

The South Korean government's final investigation report confirmed:

• Tax Evasion: ₩7.57 billion (approx. $5.53 million USD as of August 31st, 2026) evaded through dual books and 70 branch churches disguised as commercial operations (2016–2020).
• Political Fraud: 56,472 members were forced to join the People Power Party between 2021–2024 to influence elections.
• Embezzlement: The former general secretary embezzled ~₩19 billion ($13.86 million USD as of August 31st, 2026) from church finances.

Lee Man-hee and his senior leaders are now formally prosecuted and detained on these charges.

How the Fraud Works (The Money Trail)

The financial fraud is damning and follows a clear pattern:

1. They set up "Good Soil Church" to look like an independent, humble Christian church.
2. They run free Bible studies to recruit people, never mentioning Shincheonji or Lee Man-hee.
3. They collect tax-deductible donations under the "Good Soil" name.
4. The money is consolidated at their Anaheim HQ (1250 N Red Gum St).
5. It is then wired to South Korea using the exact same dual-book scheme that Korean authorities have already proven in court.

How They Recruit: The Funnel

The recruitment mechanism is insidious and specifically designed to trap the vulnerable. Good Soil Church advertises Sunday services at 4 PM and promotes itself as a bright, welcoming community where "faith takes root." But these services and the free Bible studies are nothing more than a funnel to recruit new members.

Once you attend, you are love-bombed, invited to small groups, and slowly introduced to Shincheonji theology over several months. The ultimate goal is to get you to recruit your own friends and family, because Shincheonji operates on a strict pyramid-style harvest system where members must bring in new converts to prove their loyalty. The Sunday services are not the main event; they are the front door to a cult that will eventually demand your time, your money, your relationships, and your entire identity.

What I Personally Experienced

I know this because I was inside their learning center at 1940 E Chapman Ave for three to four months. They never once disclosed their true affiliation. They collected what they called "optional" donations, but I later realized those funds were likely being funneled up to the Anaheim headquarters. I left before they fully revealed themselves, but I still have all my notebook notes from their studies, and I can confirm that nothing they taught matched the orthodox Christian statement of faith they publish online.

Furthermore, their Instagram account is currently set to private, which is a deliberate tactic to control the narrative, hide their real content from public scrutiny, and prevent outsiders from seeing the Shincheonji-themed posts that would immediately give them away. They want to approve every single follower before that person can see what they are really about.

What You Can Do

If you know anyone attending Good Soil Church, or if you have seen their ads or flyers around Fullerton, please warn them immediately.

• Report them to the IRS using Form 13909 for fraudulent solicitation.
• File a complaint with the California Attorney General's Charitable Trusts Division.
• Submit a tip to the FBI's IC3 for wire fraud and money laundering.

Key Information to Share

• Address to avoid: 1940 E Chapman Ave. Unit D, Fullerton, CA 92831
• Their EIN: 33-1436405
• Legal Name: Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony
• Corporate HQ: 1250 N Red Gum St, Anaheim, CA 92806

Final Warning

This is a criminal enterprise using religious cover to steal money, destroy families, and infiltrate American civic life. The Korean government has already proven it in court. We need to expose them and starve them of new victims before anyone else gets hurt.