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Providence (religious movement)

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Jung Myung-seok, founder of Providence

Providence is a Christian religious movement founded by Jung Myung Seok.[1] The movement began as a splinter group from the Unification Church[2] in South Korea in 1978 where it still has the most members. The organization has been widely referred to by the media as a cult.[3][4]

After rape allegations were made against Jung, he fled Korea in 1999. Jung was finally captured by Chinese police in May 2007.[3][4][5] In April 2009, the Supreme court of South Korea sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment.[6]

Other names for the church include Jesus Morning Star (JMS) (the most known name in South Korea), Christian Gospel Mission (CGM, official name in South Korea), Setsuri ("providence" in Japanese), International Christian Association (ICA), Morning Star Church, The Bright Moon Church, Ae-chun Church, Young-dong Church, Nak-seong-dae Church, and Seoul Church.

Media broadcasts and news reports

Japan

Providence was first reported in Japanese media in late July 2006.[7] While most reports were about the sexual allegations, the Asahi Shimbun commented on the Providence group (known in Japan as Setsuri) in their August 19, 2006 editorial. It reported that Providence is "causing serious social problems in Japan", labeling it as a "cult" and "sect". It reported that the organization was pressuring members to live together, make regular donations, marry within the organization, and follow the strict guidance of its founder.[8]

Police raided eight Providence facilities in Chiba, Japan on suspicion a senior member illegally obtained residence status. They also searched a facility in the city's Chuo Ward.[9] The senior member, a Korean, was arrested for overstaying her visa. It was learned that Providence recruited "high class, high income" men and selected women for "style and looks".[10]

Hong Kong

The religion has been reported about in Hong Kong, known as "月明教會" (The Bright Moon Church) there. In October 2006 a former member, under pseudonym "Geung"(阿強), told Oriental Daily News that the church has about 100 core members in Hong Kong, many of whom are medical graduates, while some are assistant professors. Though the church has been in Hong Kong for years, the slow development made it fairly unknown until its media exposure to the public. To attract youth, the church temporarily created an organisation to run various community activities, known as the United Culture and Arts Network (UCAN).

Taiwan

The organization's earliest activity in Taiwan was in 1988.[11] The organization is commonly known as Jesus Morning Star church (JMS), Chinese: 晨星會; Hanyu Pinyin: Chéngxīng huì; Tongyong Pinyin: chéeng sīn hùei; lit. 'Jesus Morning Star church'), "攝理教" or "攝禮教" (shè lǐ jìao).

The organization itself rejects these common names, officially registered as "中華基督教新時代青年會" (China Christian Youth Association, CCYA), and sometimes calls itself "攝理教會", and Providence Church.[12]

In November 2001 the Taiwanese version of Next Magazine published the article "Korean cult leader raped over one hundred Taiwanese female college students". Allegedly involved National Taiwan University, Fu Jen Catholic University, and National Chengchi University all denied the report, stated that there were no cult activities in their campuses at the time. NCCU acknowledged that there had been such activities many years ago. There had been similar reports in 1997.[13] Members of EXODUS soon came to Taiwan and held a press conference with an involved woman.[14]

In October 2005 Apple Daily (Taiwan) reported that many student clubs in National Central University and other campuses are recruiting for Providence Church. These clubs hold a wide variety of activities including the "Eagle Cup" soccer tournament in Taipei city and regular model training. The paper quoted an undisclosed former church member, that the church's "modeling department" is in fact a channel of recruiting sexual partners for Jung. The paper obtained three audio recordings of dialogs of some female members, which say that Jung have had sex with ten female members by mutual consent, most of them college students from the modeling department.[15]

In June 2006 Jung commissioned a friend to file a private prosecution against a former church member named Wang Wen-yi (王文益) along with many media in Taipei. During the trial Wang admitted that he released three unverified audio recordings to the media. Keelung District Court's judgment is that Wang's statements of "Jung sexually violated female college students" are defamations, media's reports during 2005 October 13 to 16 are untrue, and Wang was sentenced to 30 days of detention with two years of probation. [16]

References

  1. ^ "Seoul: Former JMS cult members tell their stories". Asian Correspondent. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  2. ^ Chunichi Shinbun. 17 February 2007. 監禁、傷害での立件視野. "世界基督教統一神霊協会（統一教会）を脱会した韓国人の鄭明析教祖が１９８０年ごろに設立した宗教集団。"
  3. ^ a b "Asian Cult Leader Arrested". The Australian. 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  4. ^ a b "Alleged South Korean Rape Cult Leader Arrested in China". Fox News. 2007-05-16. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  5. ^ "South Korean religious sect leader jailed for rape". Reuters. 2008-08-12. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  6. ^ "Cult head jailed for sex crimes". AFP. 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  7. ^ "South Korean cult merges sex with prayer". Kyodo News Service, Japan. 2006-07-27. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  8. ^ Another Problem Cult. "Another problem cult". Asahi Shimbun.
  9. ^ "Setsuri cult facilities raided over immigration suspicions". The Japan Times. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  10. ^ Weekly Fuji, January 19, 2007. カルトＳＥＸ教団に強制捜査…教祖にせっせと女性貢ぐ
  11. ^ "總會長的點點滴滴--海外宣教". 總會長的點點滴滴 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 中華基督教新時代青年會CCYA（攝理教會）. Archived from the original on 2006-03-28. Retrieved 2006-04-22. 台灣的宣教活動自從1988年開始
  12. ^ "立案證書" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 中華基督教新時代青年會CCYA（攝理教會）.
  13. ^ 李美嬅, 陳洛薇 (2001-11-09). "宗教染指　上百女生受害？某周刊指韓國攝理教會教主涉嫌引誘非禮　遭點名臺大、政大、輔大否認" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Central Daily News. p. 8.
  14. ^ 陳志東 (2001-12-10). "攝理教韓受害女性控訴教主　記者會火爆口角衝突" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). ETtoday.com. Retrieved 2006-04-22. [dead link‍]
  15. ^ 黃白雪 (2005-10-13). "踢爆邪教魔爪校園再現" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Apple Daily (Taiwan).
  16. ^ 楊惠琪 (2006-06-22). "攝理教主性怪癖 ？ 教友亂爆料" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). United Daily News. p. C4/北市綜合. (Membership database)
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