The murder of innocent people by six "Almighty God" cult members, which occurred on May 28th in Shandong Zhaoyuan, triggered widespread public outrage. The flagrant violation of the social order and personal security of citizens, perpetrated by cults, have once again drawn significant public attention and concern. A few years ago, the "Falun Gong" cult created several incidents which endangered public safety, including the "Tiananmen self-immolation incident." The "Almighty God" cult has repeatedly deployed vicious assaults which have threatened social stability and public safety, in recent years.
In addition to "Falun Gong" and "Almighty God," what are the other cults that currently affect social stability and endanger the safety of Chinese citizens? How can people identify them and prevent the harm they cause? Recently, the China Association For Cultic Studies informed kaiwind.com about the current active cults within China.
1. Falun Gong
"Falun Gong" emerged in the early 1990s in some areas of China. By making up fallacies, its leader Li Hongzhi has been able to manipulate Falun Gong practitioners through spiritual control and has committed many criminal activities in China. The major harm caused by Falun Gong is as follows: First, human rights violations and ruining lives. Under the influence of Li Hongzhi’s teachings, more than 1000 "Falun Gong" practitioners who were suffering from illness refused medical treatment and lost their lives; hundreds of practitioners committed self-mutilation or suicide and more than 30 innocent people have been killed by "Falun gong" fanatics. The second is damaging society security and violating the rights of other citizens. Such acts include an attack on a civilian communications satellite, the destruction of radio and television facilities, and a massive campaign of telephone harassment, intimidation, and sending spam through the Internet. Thirdly, Falun Gong has violated citizens' right to speech by attacking any individuals and organizations holding different opinions. In addition, Falun Gong conducts anti-China political activities under the guise of religious activities. "Falun Gong" practitioners often seek refuge with the Western anti-China forces trying to discredit the image of China. In recent years, it has conspired with anti-China forces to spread many false rumors outside China such as claims that "the Chinese government takes organs from living Falun Gong practitioners" and, "a large number of Chinese spies have been deployed in Western countries," etc.
2. “Almighty God”
Also known as the "Eastern Lightning" or "Real God," they were an offshoot from the early 1990s cult called "Shouters". Zhao Weishan, the leader of the Almighty God cult, was formerly a core member of "Shouters". Zhao distorts the "Bible" and claims that "Almighty God is the only true God and has been reincarnated as an oriental woman". The cult established a "female Christ" as their figurehead, spread secretly and gradually took the shape and form of the Almighty God cult. Zhao fled to the United States in 2000 in the name of "religious persecution" and was granted political asylum. In recent years, on the pretext of "Mayan prophecy", the Almighty God cult spread "doomsday" panic and pulled people into the cult through meetings, processions and the pounding of drums. In recent years, the Almighty God cult has committed acts of murder, assault, blackmail and kidnapping throughout the country.
3. "Shouters"
The Shouters conduct their activities under the banner of Christianity. The name comes from their practice of shouting loudly during gatherings to shout loudly to make members excited.about the cult. The Shouters infiltrated mainland China in 1979 and developed rapidly. The cult has also spawned several offshoots such as the cult of the Almighty God.
4. “Disciples”
Also known as the "Three Redemption Christ", "Three Redemption Church", "Wilderness Narrow Gate", "Wilderness Church", "Twenty-Two Food Church", "Hooded Church" or "Hooded Council." and the cult was established in 1989 by Ji Sanbao (formally called Ji Zhongjie), an ordinary farmer from Yao County, Shaanxi Province. The organization claims to be Christian and labels their illegal activities as "gospel." "Disciples" claim that the world today is a society with reversed morals and called for its followers to unite and seize power. The first fallacy of “Disciples” is its “healing prayer” which caused many deaths of followers who refused medical treatment. The second is the "cure by casting out demons" movement which advocates violence. The third is the implementation of spiritual control which has caused mental disorders, broken families and death. The fourth is spreading heresy, creating social panic and undermining the people’s productivity and life. The "Disciples" preach eschatology and the fallacy of "eat the bread of life". The cult teaches its followers that one can eat only two pounds of rice a day and do not need till the land. Followers also believe that they are waiting for a deluge and that they must only prepare themselves to “rise to heaven." The fifth is deceiving its members and amassing wealth illegally. The Disciples have distorted the Bible by replacing Jesus with the "Three Redemption” (referring to Ji Sanbao). The followers are forbidden from reading materials other than those published by the “Disciples,” such as "Flash Spiritual Journey", "Kindness of Motherly Love", "The Holy Spirit and Messenger" "Resurrection Road", "Meetings Arrangements" and so on.
5. "Unification Church"
The full name is the Unification of World Christianity Holy Spirit Association by the Korean, Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012). The cult was founded in 1954 in Busan, South Korea and renamed the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in 1999. In April 2008, Sun Myung Moon and his wife Han Hezi appointed his son Hyung Jin as the president of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which is the successor of the Unification Church.
Unification Church, in the doctrine of strict control of believers and to establish a so-called "ideal family," specifies random marriages of male and female followers of the cult, in order to achieve personal control over believers. Since China's reform and opening up, the Unification Church has sponsored investment, tourism and visits to China in attempt to infiltrate the contry and gain a foothold to expand its influence. In recent years, the Unification Church’s infiltration activities have become more prominent. Its subsidiary body, International Education Foundation was set-up in the name of cultural and educational cooperation, but was in fact designed as a mechanism through which the cult could carry out infiltration activites. The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification made attempts to establish branches to carry out illegal missionary activity in major cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Xi'an. Sun Moon University is also attempting to work with Chinese universities to draw students into the church and Qingxin International Hospital seeks ways to cooperate with domestic medical tourism agencies to penetrate China.
6.Quanyin method
It was founded by Suma Ching Hai in Taiwan in 1988 and was registered as the “Republic of China Meditation Association.” Suma Ching Hai was born Hue Dang Trinh to a Vietnamese mother and an ethnic Chinese father, on 12 May 1950. She was born in a small village in the Qu?ng Ng?i Province of Vietnam. She claims to be Supreme Master Ching Hai and equivalent to Buddha, Jesus and Allah. Quanyin method cult group was very active outside of China. High ranking members in China spread cult materials and frequently cheat money from victims. Its main activity claims to ‘save the Earth as vegans’ and includes the establishment of a chain of vegan restaurants as well as selling trinkets and clothe lines to support the cult. Some Western media has also exposed its cult activities.
7.The blood,The water ,The spirit
Its full name is "the blood of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit Full Gospel Mission", also called "the Holy Spirit to rebuild the church" and is headquartered in Taiwan. It was founded by Zuo Kun who was born in October 1930. The authorities in Taiwan identified it as a cult and suppressed it in the early days after they set up the group but Zuo Kun later escaped to the US from Taiwan. In recent years, the cult has infiltrated the mainland and actively expanded itself. It defrauds members of their money and Zuo Kun is well known for being obsessed with money and women.
8．"Full Scope Church"
The Full Scope Church was established by Xu Yongze (fled to the United States in April 2000) in April 1984. The organization spread rumors and heresies which interpreted “full scope” as being "big, wide and deep": meaning the rebirth of the Earth including all people saved by the church. The organization took Xu’s book “The Draft of the Basic Construction of the Church” as their guiding principle and put forward their goal of “the realization of Chinese Christian culture, achieve national evangelization, to establish the Kingdom of Christ and to rule the country together with God.” It strongly promotes that "believing in God is not equal to the salvation of souls," and one should cry loudly at meetings to make confession to God so as to get rebirth and salvation. Meanwhile it spreads the fallacy that the world will come to an end and a disaster is coming. They claim that only those who believe in “God” can be saved.
9．"Three Grades of Servants"
Also known as the Truth Church, the cult was established by Xu Wenku in 1986 (he was formerly named Xu Shuangfu and has also used the pseudonyms Xu Shengguang, Xu Mengsheng, Cheng Mouzi, Wang Encun and Sang Mengliang). As a Christian sect under the name of the Truth Church, he claimed himself as "a servant of God," "Christ's incarnation" and went to the northeast of China to conduct missionary activities and develop his organization. The cult has often cited the story Matthew related about a man who handed out different amounts of money to his servants according their talent (one thousand, two thousand and five thousand pieces of silver) for them to manage their property. The cult interprets this story as meaning that in today’s church God will give different levels of power and authority to different levels of people to manage the church. This is known as the “Three Grades of Servants.” In order to achieve the development of the organisation, control members and amass wealth, the Three Grades of Servants has perpetrated 17 incidents in a dozen provinces and cities within China. A total of 21 people were killed, 4 were injured and the cult has caused great harm to society.
10. "True Buddha School"
Also known as "True Buddha Main Church," it was established in Taiwan in 1979 by Chinese-American Lu Shengyan (Taiwan Jiayi County, settled in Seattle, USA in 1982) and headquartered in Seattle Leizang Temple. Under the banner of religion, Lu Shengyan has claimed himself to be a "living Buddha" and "Lord Buddha." The organization held the principle of "Heaven law, Land law and Person law” and has mixed with the notion of "secret societies" and "Lingji Fortune" since the Ming and Qing dynasties to deceive and confuse the public. The "True Buddha School" worships "Buddha for Ten directions and three lives” and “Almighty Buddha”. It advocates reaching the so-called "beyond all the trouble, beyond their own desires, beyond all" realm through real practice and enlightenment.
11．"Chinese Mainland Administrative Deacon Station"
"Chinese Mainland Administrative Deacon Station" was established by Wang Yongmin (an original "Shouters" follower) in 1994. Wang himself acted as "the only deacon" and formed a core leadership group with five other important members. Wang Yongmin declared that the purpose of establishing the Chinese Mainland Administrative Deacon Station was to expand the administrative staff, empower the commonwealth of God, tear down Satan's administration and finally to establish the kingdom of the Lord. Meanwhile, he spread the doomsday fallacy that “the world will come to an end in 1999 and God's kingdom will be established”.
The China Association For Cultic Studies also emphasises that there are still many other cults practicing in China, including "Lingling Church", "South China Church", "Being a king", "Church of the Lord", "World Gospel Evangelical Church of Elijah", "Yuandun Dharma" "New Testament Church", "Damien Evangelical Church," "Children of Heavenly Father's." These cults have organized missionary activities, gatherings, and other dangerous activities within China. The public should be alert to prevent the harm that cults cause.
