What am I going to do?

[HumbleServant94]

I'm pretty scared of this issue. Okay, I need to start this story from the beginning. When I was 12, my friend and his mother joined this cult called the World Mission Society Church of God. This group believes that the late Ahn Sahng Hong is the Second Coming of Christ, his wife is Holy Mother Jerusalem, and you need to follow God's commands and feasts in order to be saved. Well, they've been telling us this for three years now. Just now, Jackie, his mom, basically challenged me to visit their church, hear the deacons, and battle it out with them. This is scaring me. I am not good at debates. At all. Plus I don't know if it's God's will. In fact, I don't even know how to hear God's will in this. What do I do?

 

[GuidanceNeeded]

I'm pretty scared of this issue. Okay, I need to start this story from the beginning. When I was 12, my friend and his mother joined this cult called the World Mission Society Church of God. This group believes that the late Ahn Sahng Hong is the Second Coming of Christ, his wife is Holy Mother Jerusalem, and you need to follow God's commands and feasts in order to be saved. Well, they've been telling us this for three years now. Just now, Jackie, his mom, basically challenged me to visit their church, hear the deacons, and battle it out with them. This is scaring me. I am not good at debates. At all. Plus I don't know if it's God's will. In fact, I don't even know how to hear God's will in this. What do I do?

What exactly are you to battle over with the Deacon? Do they follow the same beliefs as you?

Personally if this isn't something you are not comfortable doing, I wouldn't do it.

God Bless
Melissa

 

[HumbleServant94]

What exactly are you to battle over with the Deacon? Do they follow the same beliefs as you?

Personally if this isn't something you are not comfortable doing, I wouldn't do it.

God Bless
Melissa

I think I already established that. But if that didn't work, I suggest this website: www.ahnsahnghong.biz. Sorry if it's the wrong link.

 

[FreeinChrist]

I'd stay away from it totally. They will have their planned answers and method all worked out and will look for any weakness you may have.

I'd just tell that lady no, and if your friend cannot be your friend unless you go, then bid him goodbye.

 

[FreeinChrist]

From that site you provided, it looks like they copied Sun Yen Moon

 

[DeaconDean]

As a debater myself, I must warn you of two things:

1) Do not go into battle unprepared. Study what they preach and teach, and go to the scriptures to prepare an answer. If your not comfortable with debating, then don't.

2) In most likelyhood, your not going to change their minds. They are already so set in thier doctrines, it would be hard to persuade them. However, it may do some good for those who follow their teachings.

I would suggest you pray over this. If it is something God wants you to do, He'll give you an indication.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[icamewithasword]

the World Mission Society Church of God. This group believes that the late Ahn Sahng Hong is the Second Coming of Christ, his wife is Holy Mother Jerusalem,

I don't even know how to hear God's will in this. What do I do?

Seems I vaguely remember this Hong characters name....
OK, If he's the second coming- how come he's dead?
They are cult- By extreme definition.
You can find many teachings and verses in scripture warning us of false prophets and false teachers. Jesus even warned us not to listen to them or follow them. My advice would be not to go.....

IMO you're making an easy "target" for them due to your age and lack of confidence. Don't put yourself in a situation where you are alone with these people. If your friend is lost to these people (sounds like he and his mother are) you should "wash your hands of him".
Don't worry about not being good at debating, that's a gift for the
Apologists....

God Bless you.

 

[DeaconDean]

From that site you provided, it looks like they copied Sun Yen Moon

I was gonna say the same thing.

Moonies!

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[lawtonfogle]

I'm pretty scared of this issue. Okay, I need to start this story from the beginning. When I was 12, my friend and his mother joined this cult called the World Mission Society Church of God. This group believes that the late Ahn Sahng Hong is the Second Coming of Christ, his wife is Holy Mother Jerusalem, and you need to follow God's commands and feasts in order to be saved. Well, they've been telling us this for three years now. Just now, Jackie, his mom, basically challenged me to visit their church, hear the deacons, and battle it out with them. This is scaring me. I am not good at debates. At all. Plus I don't know if it's God's will. In fact, I don't even know how to hear God's will in this. What do I do?

Until you are familiar with debate and the tatics involved in both fair and underhanded, you should not go. If you have any church elders, get them to come with you if you must go.

 

[Mykael]

I'd have to agree, don't go. Cults rely on uncertain, truth-seeking people for money and credibility, and they're usually very good at sucking them in (they have to be in order to survive). I've studied some cults before (Scientology most prominent amongst them), and I've found that they can be identified by several characteristics.

• The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
• Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
• The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).
• The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).
• The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
• The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).
• The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
• The group is preoccupied with making money.
• Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.
• Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

‪Instead, educate yourself about them using information on the Internet and from ex-members. Bringing your mother out of it is possible though: don't give up on her! Don't shove all the anti-cult info in her face the moment she comes over to visit, though. That's one of the worst things you can do: it will make her instantly close up to you and probably cause her to disconnect (cut off contact with you).

Just stand by her and be her anchor to reality. Avoid the subject of the cult until she starts to see the contradictions and lies put out by the leadership. She'll probably come to you, someone she trusts, just for the company as she tries to reason it out. This is where you need to broach the subject, but take it slowly and delicately. Too much anti-cult information at once can still trigger rejection.

Hope that helps,

-Mykael

 

[Phileoeklogos]

Continue to witness to and pray for your friend and his mom, the Gospel is the only thing that can bring them to Spiritual Life, their problem is not that they are in a cult, their problem is they are spiritually dead, which is why they are in a cult. Don't bother battling their deacons, they are dead too. Talk to your Pastor about all this if you haven't yet......................

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

Continue to witness to and pray for your friend and his mom, the Gospel is the only thing that can bring them to Spiritual Life, their problem is not that they are in a cult, their problem is they are spiritually dead, which is why they are in a cult. Don't bother battling their deacons, they are dead too. Talk to your Pastor about all this if you haven't yet......................

I 100% agree here!!!!

 

[HumbleServant94]

I'd have to agree, don't go. Cults rely on uncertain, truth-seeking people for money and credibility, and they're usually very good at sucking them in (they have to be in order to survive). I've studied some cults before (Scientology most prominent amongst them), and I've found that they can be identified by several characteristics.

• The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
• Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
• The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).
• The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).
• The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
• The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).
• The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
• The group is preoccupied with making money.
• Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.
• Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

‪Instead, educate yourself about them using information on the Internet and from ex-members. Bringing your mother out of it is possible though: don't give up on her! Don't shove all the anti-cult info in her face the moment she comes over to visit, though. That's one of the worst things you can do: it will make her instantly close up to you and probably cause her to disconnect (cut off contact with you).

Just stand by her and be her anchor to reality. Avoid the subject of the cult until she starts to see the contradictions and lies put out by the leadership. She'll probably come to you, someone she trusts, just for the company as she tries to reason it out. This is where you need to broach the subject, but take it slowly and delicately. Too much anti-cult information at once can still trigger rejection.

Hope that helps,

-Mykael

She's not my mom. She's my friend's mom.

 

[HumbleServant94]

Continue to witness to and pray for your friend and his mom, the Gospel is the only thing that can bring them to Spiritual Life, their problem is not that they are in a cult, their problem is they are spiritually dead, which is why they are in a cult. Don't bother battling their deacons, they are dead too. Talk to your Pastor about all this if you haven't yet......................

Does that mean that they are unsaved or carnal Christians? I asked if they accepted Jesus as Savior before, and they told me they did. Besides, I have given all the proof in the world from the Bible and theological common sense. It's like talking to a brick wall.

 

[Phileoeklogos]

They believe in a false christ, they have been deceived, Ask them who Jesus is, and then ask them if the Christ of the Gospels is the same christ that their group follows. It's almost the trademark of a cult to swap out the real Jesus for an impostor, so when asked if they believe in Jesus, they say yes, but it's not the real Jesus Christ. A false christ= a false gospel, read Galatians 1.

 

[HumbleServant94]

They believe in a false christ, they have been deceived, Ask them who Jesus is, and then ask them if the Christ of the Gospels is the same christ that their group follows. It's almost the trademark of a cult to swap out the real Jesus for an impostor, so when asked if they believe in Jesus, they say yes, but it's not the real Jesus Christ. A false christ= a false gospel, read Galatians 1.

They'll say that Ahn Sahng Hong is Jesus witha new name.

 

[sablehalloway]

wow, thats crazy