Four Korean Heresies

Information about four pervasive Korean heresies

Translated from Korean language pamphlet about these heresies

1.    Salvation Sect

·         Overview of Salvation Sect: Byung Eun Yoo (1941-2014) and his father-in-law Shin Chan Kwon pastors of Evangelical Baptist Church, Yohan Lee (real name Bok Chil Lee) pastor of Life Word Mission Church, and Ok Soo Park pastor of Good News Mission Church, have become known recently because of the Sewol Ferry incident. In the aftermath of the Sewol Ferry incident, the aforementioned churches (Good News Mission and Life Word Mission in particular) claim that they are not a part of the Salvation Sect. The Korean Church, however, stipulates that they are indeed a part of the Salvation Sect. In addition, Dal Suk Seo’s Seoul Central Church, Young Suk Gu’s New Life Mission Church, and Young Su Son’s Ahava Church are also classified as a subgroup of the Salvation Sect.

·         Why are they called Salvation Sect?: They became known as the Salvation Sect because when they first began to evangelize, they would do so by asking others "Are you saved?" (Or “Do you have salvation?”). Does this mean that asking "Are you saved?" is wrong in nature? No, it does not. However, the Salvation Sect claims that orthodox Christians do not have salvation. They take a false approach to salvation doctrine in order to deceive orthodox believers, which is why they are referred to as the Salvation Sect.

·        Common (Heretical) Doctrine of Salvation Sect:

1.      “Salvation through enlightenment” theology: Salvation Sect claims that one needs to be enlightened in order to receive salvation, but this is one of the biggest heretical doctrines used to deceive orthodox believers. The claim is that the majority of orthodox Christian believers have not been enlightened. They assert that only after listening to the teachings of Salvation Sect leaders, there will come a day of enlightenment, which is when one will receive salvation. (From this doctrine, there also came the belief that if you do not know the exact day that you were saved, you are not truly saved. Due to heated debate over this issue, this belief is no longer widely disseminated.)

2.      One-time Repentance: After repenting once, there is no need to repent again and thereafter, one need simply to confess. The belief is that repeated repentance is evidence of a person who is not truly saved. This is a result of a misinterpretation of 1 John 1:9, as repentance and confession originate from the same word.

3.      Incorrect dualism: The assertion that there is no sin in the soul, only sin in the flesh.

4.      The impending apocalypse due to Biblical misinterpretations: they insist that credit cards and computers are of the 666 and the impending generational eschatology.

5.      Byung-Eun Yoo and Yo Han Lee are accused of and facing prosecution for using church offerings and then lending the money at high interest rates, also Ok Soo Park is accused of and facing prosecution for selling a so-called “cure-all” drug.

·         Methods of Evangelism: They evangelize through biblical seminars given by Ok Soo Park or biblical lectures by Yohan Lee, either in large or small assemblies. They also win over their acquaintances or friends through wrong theories of salvation. The Good News Mission Church evangelizes using the IYF by reaching different school clubs or creating cultural organizations.

·        Ways of Prevention:

1.      We must have certainty of our salvation and alert those who have misconceptions about salvation.

2.      People of the cult seek to confuse others by emphasizing that they will be saved if they know the word.

3.      We must not attend any of the Salvation Sect’s evangelization assemblies, biblical assemblies, or biblical seminars.

4.      We must know and be cautious of the titles of the “Life Word Mission Church,” “Good News Mission Church,” and “New Life Mission.”

5.      We must know the doctrine of the authentic, legitimate Christianity.

Reference: Professor Chang Seop Shim’s “Heathenism of Salvation Sect”

1.      Ok Soo Park did not acknowledge the believers of the established church (those not of the cult) and their belief in their salvation.

2.      Ok Soo Park asserts that there is a division between sin and the symptoms of sin and acts such as killing or adultery are symptoms of sin, and not sins themselves.

3.      Ok Soo Park insists that you must know the exact date of your salvation or else you are not truly saved.

4.      Ok Soo Park asserts that salvation is not reliant on God’s grace, but rather reliant on man’s assurance of salvation (epistemological experiences; salvation through enlightenment; there is a lack of ideas or theories of the salvation by God’s absolute sovereignty).

5.      Ok Soo Park’s salvation theory lacks the process of sanctification.

6.      Ok Soo Park’s process of sanctification confuses original sin with actual sin.

7.      Ok Soo Park does not acknowledge or recognize sins following salvation and insists on the abolition of commandments (because repentance is useless after salvation).

8.      Ok Soo Park insists on the fundamental salvation theory of the Salvation Sect affiliations.

(Major Consolidated Data Report of Cult Prevention)

2.    The Unification Church

·         Founder: Sun Myung Moon. (1920~2012) Although he is universally known as Sun Myung Moon, his given name is Yong Myung Moon. He is also known as “the true father” or “the Messiah” of the Unification Church. He and his wife, Hak Ja Han, have been popularly identified as the father and mother of the church.

Following Sun Myung Moon’s death, Hak Ja Han became the successor to the presidency of the Unification Church. His fourth son, Gook Jin Moon became the successor of the Unification Church Foundation while his seventh son, Hyung Jin Moon, became the designated religious-sect leader of the Unification Church.

·         Overview: In 1954, it began as the “World Christian United Holy Association”, and then in 1994, it became the “World Peace United Family Home Union,” which serves as its official title today.

·        Doctrinal Issues

1.      Corruption Theory:        In Genesis 3:6, the Unification Church believes that the origin of human sin and corruption was an adulterous relationship between the fallen angel Lucifer and Eve. This is written in the book of the Unification Church, or “the Divine Principle.” According to the Unification Church, there are two kinds of corruption: physical and spiritual. They believe that there was physical corruption in an adulterous relationship between Adam and Eve and spiritual corruption when Eve committed adultery with the serpent.

2.      The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: The church insists that the Tree of Life is the symbol of the Complete Man made complete in Adam, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is the symbol of the Complete Woman made complete in Eve. Therefore, Jesus Christ came in the form of the Tree of Life in his mission to carry out the duties the Complete Man, Adam, failed to accomplish.

3.      The Failure of Jesus Christ: The Divine Principle regards Jesus Christ as a failure. Because of his crucifixion on the cross, Christ did not accomplish the salvation and providence of both the physical and spiritual realms.

4.      Sun Myung Moon the Messiah: Because Christ failed through his crucifixion on the cross, there will be a second coming of the Tree of Life that will graft humanity and serve as the atonement of not just Actual Sin, but Original Sin as well. The church believes Sun Myung Moon to be the second coming of Christ and thus, the Messiah of this generation.

5.      A Savior of Every Generation and the Journey of Returning Providence: From Adam to Noah to Abraham to Moses and to Jesus, God has provided a savior for every generation; the church asserts that Sun Myung Moon is the savior of this generation. The church believes that the Old and New Testament are not complete and thus the Divine Principle serves as the completion to those works.

6.      The View of the End Times: Jesus Christ failed to build the Kingdom of God and so during the end times, there must be a second coming of Christ to complete the construction. Christ’s second coming will be in the physical form of man and this will be accomplished in Korea.

7.      Cancelling of Debts: In order to wash away or combat wickedness created by the relationship between Eve and the Serpent, the Messiah in Korea must give birth to children.

·         The Influence of the Unification Church on Other Cults: Man Hee Lee of New World, Yoon Sik Park of Pyeong-Gang Jeil Church, Myung Suk Jang of JMS, Dan World, Seung Hun Lee of Cerebral Breath, were all influenced indirectly by the Unification Church.

·         Preventing the Works of the Unification Church: The Unification Church has become an enormous enterprise. We should not buy the autobiography of Sun Myung Moon promoted by companies affiliated with the Unification Church nor should we buy any of their products and merchandise.

o   Companies Associated with the Unification Church:

o   Companies: (Inc.) Unification (motor part, machinery) etc...

o   Organization & Association: World Peace United Family Home Union etc....

o   Cultures: Universal corps de ballet etc...

o   School and Education: Sun Moon University etc...

o   The Media: The world newspaper (daily newspaper) etc...

o   Sports and Leisure: Geum-gang Mountain international group etc...

o   Category Products Beverages: Mckol etc...Ginseng/ Red Ginseng productsIl-Hwa Goryeo Red Ginseng candy etc...

o   Medical Products: Red Ginseng Jungton etc...

3.    World Mission Society Church of God

·         Founder: The founder, Ahn Sahng Hong (1918-1985) was from the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was accepted into the church in 1947 up until 1962. He established the Jesus' Witness Church of God in 1964 and died in 1985 at the age of 67 while he was still ministering. After His death, the church became divided into several different branches. Among these branches was the World Mission Society Church of God, which is the biggest branch and also holds the belief that Ahn Sahng Hong is God, the Second Coming Christ, and the Holy Spirit and also that Janggija is the Heavenly Mother God.

·        Main Creed

1.      Keeping Saturday a Sabbatical day

2.      Earning eternal life through practicing Passover

3.      Considering the Installment of a cross upon the church as a form of idol worship

4.      Christmas is a day of worshipping the Sun god

5.      Ahn Sahng Hong is God, the Second Coming Christ, and the Holy Spirit

6.      Janggilja is the Heavenly Mother God

7.      Emphasis on the imminent end of days

·         Family Organizations: Melchizedek Publishing, International WeLoveU Foundation, Satbyul (morning star) Mission Daycare Center, Aurah Supporters of Church of God.

·        Propaganda Strategy

1.      They come in contact with people through presenting them with a questionnaire on the streets or by going door to door and meeting people in their houses. The questionnaire is composed of a series of questions that are meant to cause distrust towards the Christian Orthodox Church. Some of the questions are as follows: What day is the Sabbatical day? Is Christmas on Dec. 25? Do you keep the tradition of Passover? Who is the heavenly Mother?

2.      There is an emphasis placed on baptism throughout their propaganda strategy.

3.      Use of various media outlets such as the press or even the internet.

4.      Also there is a focus on various volunteer services.

·        How to deal with them?

1.      If you find specific words such as Sabbatical day, Passover, Cross, Christmas, Heavenly Mother, or even God in the questionnaire, reject them as 2 John 1:10-11 tells us; “if anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your hose or welcome them.”

2.      Do not accept the arguments that have been presented by various media outlets like the press and the internet.

3.      Do not join or attend any outside bible study group that has not been approved by your Church.

4.      Do not join any social volunteering services that are affiliated with the Church of God.

5.      Equip yourself with the apologetics against the main creeds of the Church of God and admonish them once, if not twice. If they listen the first time, guide them towards the path of truth however if they are not willing to listen even after the second time then do not have anything to do with them (Tit 3:10, James 5:19-20).

·        The Refutation against their Principal Doctrines

1.      The first assertion: Keeping Saturday a Sabbatical day

a.       The refutation according to biblical passage:

                                                                          i.      "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance"(John 20:1).

                                                                        ii.      "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day"(Colossians 2:16-17).

                                                                      iii.      The 12 Apostles as well as the Churches in the early first century kept Sunday as a day of worship as it is the first day in the memorial of the resurrection instead of creation.

2.      The second assertion: Earning eternal life by practicing the tradition of Passover

a.       The refutation according to biblical passage:

                                                                          i.      "who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance" (Peter 1:2).

                                                                        ii.      "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).

                                                                      iii.      "I tell you the truth; whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24).

                                                                      iv.      We become the children of God through receiving Jesus therefore when we believe that Jesus is our one and only savior then we can get eternal life. 

3.      The third assertion: Considering the Installment of a cross upon the church as a form of idol worship

a.       The refutation according to biblical passage:

                                                                          i.      "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).

                                                                        ii.      "I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth" (2 Cor. 1:23).

                                                                      iii.      Therefore we can see that the Cross of Jesus Christ is not a form of idolatry but instead is the symbol of the pure essence of the gospel.

4.      The fourth assertion: Christmas is a day of worshipping the Sun god

a.       The refutation according to biblical passage:

                                                                          i.      "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind" (Romans 14:5).

                                                                        ii.      According to historical research, December 25 was a pagan festival dedicated to the sun god but was later converted by the church into Christmas day to prevent the believers in joining the pagan worship.  Thus, even though we don’t exactly know when Jesus was born, since December 25 is assigned as the Christmas day, we continue to celebrate it.

5.      The fifth assertion: The Founder, Ahn Sahng Hong is God, the Second Coming Christ, and the Holy Spirit

a.       The refutation according to biblical passage:

                                                                          i.      "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen" (Revelation 1:7).

                                                                        ii.      "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30).

                                                                      iii.      Jesus will come on the clouds of glory and every eye will see him in his second coming. Ahn Sahng-hong died abruptly while eating noodles in Pusan in 1985 and was buried in Yangsan city, Kyungsangnamdo. He never resurrected.

6.      The sixth assertion: Janggilja is Heavenly Mother God

a.       Refutation according to biblical passage:

                                                                          i.      While Ahn sahng-hong nominated her his bride.  But they insist that Holy Spirit must have the bride reflecting "The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Revelation 22:17).

                                                                        ii.      By misinterpreting "But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother" (Galatians 4:26), they assert Janggilja is “our mother”.

                                                                      iii.      The right interpretations are as following: the former, the bride means the church and the latter, “our mother” signifies Sarah in the Old Testament.

7.      The seventh assertion: Emphasis placed on the imminent end days. They had already predicted when the second coming would occur but have failed thoroughly twice in 1988 and 2012.

a.       The refutation according to biblical passage:

                                                                          i.      "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36).

                                                                        ii.      "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into" (Matthew 24:42-43).

4.    Shincheonji

·         What is Shincheonji?: Shincheonji is an organization accused of being a cult, established by Lee Man-hee on March 14, 1984. Lee, the founder of Shincheonji, was born in Hyundong-lee, Fungak-myun, Kyungbook in September 15, 1931. He had been involved in many cults such as Jundogwan, a very famous cult in South Korea. Later, he asserted that the Spirit of Jesus had descended on him and declared himself as a counselor savior. He teaches that his followers will be inhabited by the spirits of dead martyrs, be immortal, and reign for ever and ever if they gain 144,000 members. Furthermore, he insists that people can be saved from Shincheonji only by believing Lee Man-Hee as their savior because there is no other way to be saved from traditional churches. Of course, people may not be deluded from the beginning with such cultic teaching and therefore, they approach people by concealing their true identity and dogma.

·        Membership Process

Deceiving People

→

Gospel Room (House, Office, Lecture Room)

→

Center (6 Months)

→

Zion Church

Beginner Class

Intermediate Class

Advanced Class

Harvester

1.      Personal bible study outside of church while concealing the identity of Shincheonji

2.      Four classes of the membership course: (Gospel room) - Beginner class-Intermediate class-Advanced class

3.      Invitation to the center after 3 months’ Gospel room classes

4.      Completion of the whole course after 6 months’ center classes

5.      Infiltration to church after the completion of the whole course

6.      Shincheonji’s strategy to tempt Christians

The following is a list of ways in which Shicheonji participants approach Christians by hiding their identities. If you have experienced any of the situations listed below, or met any of these people, please make sure to contact your local church or an expert to verify their authenticity.

1.      One who suggests having Bible studies, Quiet Time, or prayer meetings outside of your church.

2.      One who introduces a missionary or a minister and offers psychological counseling and/or Bible studies.

3.      One who uses phrases such as “the Bible’s secrets are sealed in metaphors” “144,000 people who are sealed should go in” “there is no trial by fire” “will Jesus really come back in a cloud?” “We should be harvested to Mount Zion” “you are not saved just by believing” “truth and un-truth”.

4.      One who suggests providing psychological counseling by using geometric shapes (△, □, ○) or introduces someone who can.

5.      When you are meeting someone and he/she introduces another and invites you to study the Bible.

6.      When you are invited to a One Day Cafe event and are introduced to a psychological counselor and offered a counseling or Bible study time.

7.      When the part-time job you have applied for leads you into a Bible study group.

8.      One who tells you he/she is attending a well-known church in Daejeon and invites you to a ‘good’ seminar he/she knows of, or introduces him/herself as a minister and offers you Bible studies.

9.      One who suggests participating in a Shicheonji Bible Assembly (saying he/she is interested in knowing what they are about)

10.  One who approaches you as a customer in your shop, and introduces someone else to have Bible studies with you once you are acquainted.

11.  One who invites you over to seminars or spiritual worship services of any kind at another church.

12.  One who frequently contacts you after leaving the church and invites you to participate in a Bible study group.

13.  One who asks you to participate in a Bible study group saying that he/she is having a hard time studying by him/herself.

14.  When one who didn’t attend church before frequents a Bible study group in which other people participate in, in order to acquire some form of ‘faith’.

15.  When a person you became familiar with after attending a children’s art contest or an outdoor study event invites you to start Bible studies.

16.  One who argues against saying the Apostle’s Creed by saying Pontius Pilate didn’t sin.

17.  When you go to a beauty salon or beauty parlor and the shop owner attracts you with psychological counseling sessions or Bible phrases.

18.  When a person you have come to know via volunteer group or a club offers you Bible studies.

19.  One who frequently visits you when in the hospital and offers you condolences, prayer, and Bible studies.

20.  One who brings another to a cell group worship service or meeting (and the friend says he/she came because their church is too far away)

21.  When a neighbor approaches you kindly and offers Bibles study meetings.

22.  When a colleague at work or a fellow club member invites you to study the Bible and introduces another participant.

23.  One who visits newcomers at church without the knowledge of the pastor and criticizes the church.

24.  One who frequently criticizes the messages given during services, and actively forms a negative image of the church.

25.  One who criticizes the church’s response to heresy creates a negative image of the church.

·         How to react to Shicheonji’s approach?: All of Shicheonji’s methods of approach listed above are ultimately intended to make the unprepared Christian participate in Shicheonji Bible studies. Therefore, all bible studies should be done in the church, under curriculums strictly approved by the church. Unapproved Bible studies outside of the church should not be done, and whenever someone invites you to participate in one, you should report to the senior pastor in order to prevent Shicheonji from infiltrating the church.