I once had freedom of body and mind and a family of three people. We were not wealthy but lived a content life. However, all of this changed when I misplaced my faith in the cult of“Church of Almighty God (CAG)”. I left home without a word to my family, only wishing to be "saved". I abandoned my husband and daughter for eight years, resulting in a shattered family and losing my health as well.
Angry with Husband, Starting to Believe in "God"
My name is Lin Li (pseudonym). I am 43 years old, born in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong. My husband is considerate, my daughter is well-behaved, and my mother-in-law is kind. However, growing up in an environment that favored boys over girls, I became sensitive and insecure. I always felt that my husband's family would despise me for having a daughter, thus desperately wanting a son. I even prayed to various gods and Buddhas, hoping for the "Goddess of Mercy to grant me a son", but to no avail. However, my husband refused to cooperate, not going to the hospital for relevant checks. This led to a rift between us.
One day in 2008, I overheard my husband and mother-in-law happily discussing his ex-girlfriend giving birth to a big fat son, which deeply hurt me. The long-suppressed displeasure in my heart erupted. I felt increasingly despised, harboring resentment towards my husband and mother-in-law. I was no longer eager to go home after work, using the excuse of having to work overtime to wander outside. My husband couldn't understand this and argued with me, leading to a deeper rift between us. Even when we were in the same room, we often had nothing to say to each other. This family atmosphere was very oppressive, making me feel like an unnecessary person in this home. No one could understand my inner torment, so I could only swallow my bitterness alone.
My distress was noticed by my coworker Ayan, who kindly approached me for a chat, asking if I believed in "God". She kept telling me, "Humans are created by God, and everything about humans is arranged by 'God' .'.. God' has incarnated for the second time as the 'Female Christ' to work among humans...Believing in Jesus only saves the soul, but believing in the 'Goddess' saves both soul and body'..." Having grown up in an environment deeply rooted in worshiping gods, I've always believed in the existence of "God”. Thus, hearing Ayan's testimonies and some "divine" stories, I became more and more convinced by her words that "only by believing in the 'Female Christ' can one be blessed; only by worshiping the “Almighty Goddess” can one and her family be saved from disaster”. At the same time, I thought that since "God" became incarnate as a female, males seemed having been outdated and useless. My obsession with having a son gradually faded. I gradually believed in her theory that "the Almighty God" was sent by heaven to save humanity and only by believing in the Almighty God can one be "saved''. I started to eagerly participate in the gatherings of the Almighty God organization, 'consuming the divine words' with the brothers and sisters of the church and living a 'spiritual life'. This seemingly gave my empty spirit a new refuge. My gloomy mood was relieved, and my troubles seemed to lessen. I was completely unaware that everything I gained from the Almighty God was an illusion, with the sinister motives of this cult hidden behind.
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Abandoning Family and Career for “Salvation”
After joining the Almighty God cult for a while, I heard they said that to be "saved", one should "prepare good deeds", which essentially meant contributing money if you had money, and effort if you had strength. They said that, the more “good deeds" you prepared, the closer you got to the Almighty God and the more likely you were to be "saved" when disaster strikes, so as to enter the “Kingdom Era". I was arranged to donate two hundred yuan a month at first and then to "spread the gospel". Later, they had me rent a house for the use of brothers and sisters' gatherings, assigning me to fulfill the “hospitality duties…”
As I devoted more of myself to the Almighty God, my time became increasingly occupied. Especially, bound by my duties of hospitality, I was often unable to return home for many days. My husband was busy with work, while struggling to pick up and drop off our daughter from school daily. She would sometimes cry for her mother in late pickup. After learning of my belief in the Almighty God, my husband, along with my mother-in-law, earnestly tried to dissuade me. Seeing my stubbornness, they joined forces with my parents and brother and sister-in-law to persuade me, even going as far as to help me quit my job and taking turns to "guard” me from those who believed in Almighty God. However, all I could think about then were the fallacies and heresies of Almighty God, such as "Believers and unbelievers are not compatible... Those who hold money, family, and children in one hand and the truth and belief in God in the other hand will finally get nothing; instead, sacrificing marriage for truth is God's approval." Finally, in order not to be hindered by my family and not to be abandoned by "God" when disasters came, I resolutely left home to "do my duty".
When I just left home, I often couldn't help but miss my young daughter, sneaking back home to see her. However, when the sisters found out about my visits, they specifically cited "divine words" to "communicate" with me, giving various so-called testimonies about how other sisters were punished by "God" for indulging in emotions. They also took out the oath I wrote when I joined the cult to intimidate me, saying that if I didn't fulfill my duties properly, I would be expelled and eliminated when the great disaster came. Worrying about truly offending the Almighty God and being damned to hell, I ultimately gave in, deciding to completely abandon my family and steadfastly follow the Almighty God.
In the next eight years, I lived a life as if my family and I were different worlds apart, although my hidden place was very close to home. I deliberately concealed my whereabouts, never meeting with my family or inquiring about them. I believed that the more I shed human concepts and emotions, the more I submitted to the will of the Almighty God and received its protection. In 2020, I was chosen as a "church leader" within the Almighty God organization. I was overjoyed, feeling closer to the Almighty God than ever. I was completely oblivious to the fact that I was becoming ever more distant from my home and loved ones.
I Was Filled with Regret for One Mistake after Another
In May 2021, I was legally detained for the suspected crime of organizing and using a cult organization to undermine the implementation of the law.
When the police showed me my medical report indicating that I had severe anemia, I was shocked and refused to accept the reality. I believed that by living frugally and running around for years to serve wholeheartedly the Almighty God, I, together with my family, would be protected by the Almighty God from any troubles. Later, when the police verified my identity and informed me about the living conditions of my husband, children, and parents, I was shocked. It turned out that in the first two years after I ran away from home, my husband took our daughter with fliers everywhere to find me. He once rode a bike to search me in heavy rain. In his haste, he and his bike fell into a ditch, injuring his leg. My daughter cried until her voice was hoarse. After numerous unsuccessful searches, he gave up hope and unilaterally filed for divorce in court. Due to my "disappearance", the divorce decree was legally announced and had taken effect years ago. My marriage could never be salvaged. Although my daughter was admitted to university, the lack of maternal love from a young age and the gossips around her put a lot of pressure on her, making her gloomy and joyless. What pained me even more was that my father, who always loved me dearly, became extremely anxious after I left. He led my brother and sister-in-law to search me everywhere. Unable to find me, he became so enraged that he suffered a stroke. Later he became hemiplegic, bedridden, and eventually left this world forever with endless worries about me.
Photo from the Internet
The cult Almighty God claims that believing in God can not only “save oneself", but also bring happiness and well-being to his family. Why have I ended up losing my health, my marriage, my family, and my father after more than a decade of wholeheartedly aligning with the will of Almighty God, sparing no effort in spending for Almighty God and fulfilling my duties, and enduring physical pain and the agony of missing my family? Is this the blessing of Almighty God to me? Almighty God tells us to think of and obey "God's words" when something happens, to abandon our families for the sake of blessings and “salvation", to endure the pain of separation from loved ones, to leave home for duties, and even to face legal punishment to stand witness for Almighty God in hopes of being protected. Is this a true God? I deeply reflect that all of this stems from my misplaced faith in the Almighty God cult. I shouldn’t have placed my hopes of changing my destiny in the hands of two frauds, Zhao Weishan and Yang Xiangbin. Fortunately, with the patient help and teaching of the police and volunteers, I have finally recognized the true nature of the Almighty God cult, confronted the cost of my blind devotion to the cult, deeply regretted it, and completely distanced myself from the cult towards a new life.
“You've already missed my growing-up. Do you also want to miss my wedding?” my daughter pleaded for my return. Now, whenever I recall my daughter's words, my face is wet with tears. I want to remind those who are still obsessed with the Almighty God cult and have left their homes to come back soon. Don't let your family’s waiting turn into a lifelong regret, just like what I have experienced!
(Source: https://www.chinafxj.cn/n174/c853038/content.html )hin
