Shincheonji: The Secretive Sect In South Korean Virus Outbreak
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published February 27, 2020 | 09:30 AM
Seoul, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Feb, 2020 ) :The secretive South Korean religious group at the centre of the country's new coronavirus outbreak is a sprawling network so wealthy it can mobilise thousands of believers to hold Pyongyang-style mass performances at Seoul's Olympic stadium.
More than half of the country's nearly 1,600 infections are linked to Shincheonji followers.
- 'Temple of God' - Shincheonji -- in full the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony -- was founded in 1984 by Lee Man-hee, now 88.
Often condemned as a cult, it describes itself on its website as "the one and only kingdom and temple of God on this earth", pledging to yield to the will of Jesus "by sacrificing our bodies like a candle".
Shincheonji proclaims Lee has donned the mantle of Jesus Christ and will take 144,000 people with him to heaven on the day of judgement.
But with more church members than available places in heaven, they are said to have to compete for slots and pursue converts.
It seeks recruits surreptitiously by dispatching its members to mainstream Protestant congregations to try to persuade their believers -- a tactic that has prompted many churches to issue warnings to keep them at bay.
- Patient 31 - At their own services Shincheonji members are forbidden to wear glasses, necklaces and earrings.
They sit close together on the floor without chairs and desks, praying extensively in what critics say creates an ideal environment to spread viral infections.
The outbreak among its followers began with Patient 31, a 61-year-old female member.
She developed a fever on February 10, but attended at least four church services in Daegu -- the country's fourth-largest city and the epicentre of the outbreak -- before being diagnosed.
- Global reach - After days of mounting public anger, Shincheonji has handed over a list of 212,000 members to authorities to enable them to be checked for coronavirus symptoms.
But reports say it has previously boasted of more than 240,000 members, raising doubts over the accuracy of the roster.
Shincheonji has 12 branches in South Korea that it calls "the 12 Tribes", each named after one of Jesus' disciples.
It says on its website it has mission centres in 15 countries around the world, including China and the United States, and that hundreds of pastors have renounced their ordinations to join it.
- Mass events -Shincheonji has been so successful that it has been able to mobilise thousands of followers to hold mass displays at high-profile venues -- such as Seoul's Jamsil Olympic Stadium in 2012, home to the 1988 Games.
Hundreds of performers enacted biblical scenes and motifs on the pitch, while -- just like North Korea's Mass Games -- thousands turned the coloured pages of books in sequence, creating an ever-changing backdrop of giant images rippling across one side of the stadium.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
2 days ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
3 days ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
4 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
4 days ago -
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
4 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
4 days ago
-
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
6 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
10 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
11 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
11 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur presents program “Eidi Shidi”
14 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur to broadcast Eid programs
16 days ago