The NEXT Unification Church??? Invasion of the Church-Snatchers

In this post I will ask you to view two videos. The first is a holdover from last post, about things I see everyday at Ewha. It is a Youtube video (Click here) shot by a former resident. Be sure especially to look at the Ewha Campus Center at 0:48". The video gives you a walk-to, to the very building in which I live.

Now, to the new religious movement here: Shinchonji, (신천지) or in Chinese, Shin (新) New, Chon (天) Heaven, Ji (地) Earth.

Shinchonji is perhaps poised to become a household name in America, to become what the recently deceased Rev. Moon and his Unification Church meant. Shinchonji is headed by an 81 year old LEE, Man-Hee. He's used some verses from Revelation to announce, like Rev. Moon, that he is either the fulfillment of the book of Revelation, or is the new John of Patmos, and sees/understands the entire final book of the Bible. Here's his picture, the only one on this blog I did not take.

 He spoke this past summer in a Times Square church, and in the Crystal Cathedral in California.

Methodology: Shinchonji members infiltrate churches, suggesting/insinuating to the impressionable that their church either (1) does not or cannot teach salvation, or (2) the church leadership is unable or unqualified to teach true salvation. Shinchonji can, and is here to "save the day." Eventually, Shinchonji teachings and members take over the church. All under the guise of "Correct Understanding of the Bible."

It's an amazing, biological model. Invasion of the Church-Snatchers. Think conversion by vampires.

Sunday, Shinchonji held its every-four-year National Olympiad, complete with 100,000 member card-performance team, that makes "The Wave" look like nursery school play. 

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YUWddjIGyQ I uploaded.

The rally had all the feeling, to this observer, of a cult: long hours doing rehearsed moves and actions, amped-up exercises, songs, and minutely synchronized group actions. I was reminded of heavy Unification Church (a.k.a. “Moonies”) activity in the States during the 1980s. There's the look and feel of legitimacy, but something in the back of the brain kept sending out sirens. My “group-think” herd mentality triggers were firing, but obviously, there was “something” that was feeding these thousands.

Folks from all over Korea were there, as were many international folks, especially, it seemed, from India/Bangladesh. The stadium was packed to the top, with brightly colored sections of folks all wearing the same uniform (UNIFORM is the key word here). Down on the track, occasional footraces were run, bringing roars from the crowd; there was also a football/soccer game in progress on the field. Very, very weird. 

EVERYONE here knows about it. Now you know. Homework: Go to Google, type in Shinchonji and click on "images".

In fascination,

Marc

What I See Everyday

Two weeks of classes down. The undergraduate class (Missions Theology) has settled into a class of 12, the graduate class in History of Heresies remains at 3. 

Thought I'd give a peek into some everyday scenes. So this is mostly a picture post.

But first, The Almanac:

• Reading: Kate Chopin, The Awakening; Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
• T-shirts observed (a hobby I have in Korea): "Corrupt with Violence, Materialism, Lookism, and so on" (really!); "Follow Marc"; "Dates Say Used Compass"; "No Respect for Reality"
• Price for a large round container of Quaker Oats Oatmeal: $19.50
• Primary language on the floor where I live: German
• Number of times I have visited the Immigration Office for a Permanent Resident Card: 2, with at least 2 more
• Time spent waiting, and getting Immigration affairs in order: 10 hours
• Most surprising encounter: On the subway, a conversation with an older man, atheist, with whom I found myself "correcting" unethical evangelistic theology he had heard. So I guess you could say I was "witnessing"!
• Am I wearing bow ties? Absolutely!

The Pictures!

I see these guys every day. 

They were here before I was, and will outlast me.

Chapel is required for students; 

professors who choose to go MUST sit on the stage.

From the Ewha Campus Student Center, 

advertising by groups looking for new members.

From the board in my latest Missions Theology class. 

"FROM Advertising/Propaganda TO Missions". It was a lesson in Rhetoric. Fun!

Whenever it rains, this is what my residence hallway looks like.

That's all for now. Look forward to your communications.

Marc

First Classes in Korea!

l;

One is officially "here" when your name shows up on the roster of the Humanities Building at Ewha! (If it's too small, use <CTRL and +> at the same time.)

On Labor Day I met my first class in Missions Theology, an undergrad group of a dozen women (1 Canadian; 1 American) meets M/W. The second class (Graduate class of three non-Korean women) on History of Heresies meets once a week, on Tuesday.

I began each class with a personal introduction, via (1) a book of pictures about Asheville given me by my faith congregation; & (2) three Youtubes that depict (a) the Asheville Friday Night Drum Circle (b) the Bailey Mountain Cloggers from Mars Hill College, and (c) a bicycle spin class. :) 

After showing where Asheville and Mars Hill College on GoogleEarth, I  handed them the computer, and they showed us their hometown, or their high school, or a place where they grew up.

After each person was finished, there was polite applause!

The graduate class was pretty amazing. Three women, each at least 30 years old or older; one from Bangladesh, one from India, and one from The Philippines. Each is involved in women's leadership here and back home. I asked them something they had been asked before: to integrate the subject matter (heresies) into their own existing ways of thinking and contexts, and see how it actually works in or affects one's personal environments. Three cheers for Connected Learning!

Impressions: (1) I find the students pretty eager to study. Of course, some angle for connections for a succe$$ful life; however, the Confucian legacy of learning for its own sake is reward enough. Virtue based ethic lives! (2) Their reading life does not seem that rich. Asked about the three books that have changed the way they think, Rick Warren and Max Lucado came up often. One undergrad mentioned Walter Wink!!! Nice going!

The Almanac:
Reading: Fire in the Mind, by George Johnson, which is kicking my mind's butt. It's an exploration of science and faith myths about ways we have conceived the order(s) of the universe. Stunning, but my most difficult read in years. Thanks for the headache, Glenn Graves!

Listening: KEXP Song(s) of the Day (great new music free, on iTunes). http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/kexp-song-of-the-day/id121393815

What everyone else in Korea and the world is listening to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0 has 99 million hits as I write. Forty-eight hours ago it had only 72M. Gang-Nam is a region south of the Han River (3 miles or so from here) known for money "style".

Watching: Yale's online course Phil181 on iTunes U: Philosophy and Science of Human Nature, with Dr. Tamar Gendler.

Pictures posted: (1) https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.571751314677.2035918.105600820&type=1&notif_t=like & (2) 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.571432952677.2035862.105600820&type=1

Surprise experience so far: I was at the Seoul Train station Saturday when a group of Christians appeared with a loudspeaker, circled the whole area Jericho-style, testifying. The signs at the front and back (and on everyone's red jacket) were their message. The front one reads "Jesus Heaven" and the rear one (in red/white) says, "Unbelief Hell".

Will write again in less than a week! What questions have you?

Marc