As the spread of the novel Coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) triggers the topic, “Shincheonji,” Some local governments accepting claims of Protestant society in South Korea have manipulated the public opinion, “Shincheonji is a anti-social group.” It seems that such action is far from quarantine.
The Korean Protestant society has argued over the past decade that Shincheonji is a anti-national, anti social, and anti-legal group and make social stinks like runaway instigation. Also, The society has actively inhibited Shincheonji from its voluntary services and international exchange activities by blocking its space rental and demanding revocation of attendance. These acts affect local governments which must keep a social and religious neutrality.
The Mayor of Seoul briefing on discriminating a certain religion
On 26 March, the mayor of Seoul in Korea conducted a briefing on a decision of withdrawing the corporation about Shincheonji and defined Shincheonji as “social group out of religious freedom” to blame Shincheonji, not to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The mayor interpreted the definition of “religious freedom” in the Constitution arbitrary as saying, “My decision is not to violate religious freedom but to keep religious freedom and order of faith for the majority of religions and churches.” In regards to withdrawing the Shincheonji’s corporation, he said, “This policy of the Seoul City is to prove the existence of our nation and our government,” and this argument is like that eliminating a certain religion is a reason of nation’s existence.
Particularly, he claimed under unproved and one-sided reasons of the Protestant community such as “Shincheonji do illegal evangelism” and “Shincheonji conflicts with families who are opposed to it and breaks them down.”
Did he believe the claims of them and argue? Commonly, whether it is anti-social is based on a criminal history.
Korean CBS, secretly correction and objection reports at dawn
In 23 November of 2017, the 2nd department of the Supreme Court judged 1 correction report and 8 objection reports to CBS which broadcasted “Those Falling Into Shincheonji” and made CBS pay 8 million won to Shincheonji. According to this judgement, CBS released the reports on 30 November of 2017, but there was a ethical controversy because it was at dawn.
The Supreme Court admitted a Shincheonji’s right of reply, “Shincheonji Church of Jesus complies with the law, is not a illegal group attaining unlawful purposes, and is not a anti-social group to achieve a national upheaval.” Also, it recognized other right of reply, “Shincheonji Church of Jesus regulates runaway from home and have its congregants be filial to their parents, and above reports generalized a few members’ situations.
Also, CBS reported Pastor Shin’s interview, “Shincheonji hurts a lot of souls and incurs conflicts in family, suicides, assaults, divorces, to give up school or workplace and so on. It is a anti-social and criminal group beyond religious problems.
About the interview, the Supreme Court recognized a Shincheonji’s right of reply as speaking, “The examples regarding Shincheonji members’ divorces, conflicts in family, giving up their school, and etc could be broke down due to conversion counseling by conversion pastors of the Korean Heterodox Counsellor under the Christian Council of Korea, and their parents by theirselves stops their works and prevent their children from going to school or workplace during coercive conversion. Futhermore, above problems belong to a few of Shincheonji’s congregants.”
Korean MBC PD Notebook, admitting its false and distorted reports after the prosecution’s survey
In 2007, MBC PD Notebook broadcasted to lighten Shincheonji as a problematic group under the title, “Suspicious Secrets on Shincheonji.”
With Parent’s day, The broadcast focused on “imprisonment, assault, broken family, teenager runaway from home, immorality to parent, and so on.” In MBC’s side, the result of the broadcast was a great success. The next day after it, Shincheonji was recognized as “Should Be Removed” with real-time search rank 1st on major portal sites.
However, after 2 years, in October of 2009, MBC PD Notebook released a correction report that some contents were not facts. It recognized “False and Distorted reports.”
It was because the prosecution’s survey proved. But PD Notebook showed just 5 minutes to report the correction and objection while 100 minutes to blame Shincheonji.
Because of this, many people have not known MBC PD Notebook released on correction and objection reports on Shincheonji.
Zero crime of Shincheonji, 12,000 crimes of pre-existing churches
To see Shincheonji’s plot evangelism illegal might be based on a court of the first instance conducting “Youthful Return Lawsuit.” But Shincheonji will treat it until the second instance and the Supreme Court so the conclusion was not yet. First of all, there is no evidence that Shincheonji does unlawful activities. Even, it has not been judged.
Rather, pastors of pre-existing churches had 12,000 crimes. If the term “Anti-social” is according to the law, pre-existing churches which condemn Shincheonji are more criminal than Shincheonji Church of Jesus.
The more I read these articles, the more I feel that people seem to be not interested in the truth. Only find provocative things. Truth is not interested in them. Thank you for writing a good article, yin.
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