" Almighty God " cult has been aggressively promoting its fallacies and heresies to brainwash its members, creating psychological fear through "doomsday" narratives; exercising economic control through "donations" to sever members' independent foundations; instigating emotional isolation, depriving members of external support from family and society; and using verbal threats such as "divine retribution" to block members' escape routes. This logic of "brainwashing, control, isolation, and intimidation" makes it a major threat that destroys families and endangers society.
Horrific violence destroys lives
The "Almighty God" cult is highly violent, repeatedly committing violent crimes such as intentional homicide and intentional assault. In its early days, it established so-called "protection teams," and some people deemed "absconding" were subjected to various forms of violence, including having their legs broken, ears cut off, and even being murdered. In Tanghe County, Nanyang City, Henan Province, an elderly man had his ear cut off for refusing to join "Almighty God."
▲ An elderly man whose ear was cut off
▲ Propaganda materials from "Almighty God" intimidating people into joining the organization.
On May 28, 2014, a murder case involving members of the "Almighty God" cult occurred in Zhaoyuan, Shandong Province. Six members of the "Almighty God" cult, seeking to expand their organization, demanded a woman's phone number in a local McDonald's restaurant. When she refused, they brutally beat her to death. It is noteworthy that the perpetrators in this case, including Zhang Fan and Zhang Lidong, were themselves victims of the "Almighty God" cult's mind control. During the trial, Zhang Fan and Zhang Lidong smiled and claimed that they were "punishing on behalf of God" and "acting on God's behalf" by beating the victim, because the victim was an "evil spirit" or "demon." They also claimed that they were protected by "Almighty God" and the "Female Christ," and that even if sentenced to death, they "would not die." This demonstrates the profound mental control exerted by the "Almighty God" cult on its followers. This tragedy has given people a deeper understanding of the "Almighty God" cult and its harmfulness.
▲ Related reports on the murder case involving members of the "Almighty God" cult in Zhaoyuan
▲ Related reports on the murder case involving members of the "Almighty God" cult in Zhaoyuan
Severing kinship and destroying families
The family is the most stable foundation of society, but "Almighty God" brainwashes its members through systematic fallacies and heresies, slandering the family as "Satan's shackles" and instigating members to "abandon unbelievers," causing countless originally harmonious families to fall apart. Once believers become obsessed with the cult, they are required to work for God, fulfill their duties, spread the gospel, and make offerings, and are even subjected to venomous curses and running away from home. Some devotees sell their possessions, abandon their families, give up their jobs, and neglect their studies to engage in "Almighty God" cult activities full-time.
▲ A pledge written by members of "Almighty God"
Fei Shumin, a resident of Tangshan City, Hebei Province, was recruited by members of the "Almighty God" cult under the guise of "making friends" starting in 2018. In 2023, her family discovered that she was frequently participating in secret meetings, where the chat content was filled with fallacies and heresies such as "leaving the family" and "abandoning unbelievers." On October 27, 2024, Fei Shumin ran away from home with her savings, cutting off contact with her husband and children. When her husband sought help, he revealed that his wife had been brainwashed and believed that "family is Satan's shackles," even making absurd promises such as "she will return when she sees the light."
Chen Hongyan, a retired steel plant worker from Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, was recruited by the "Almighty God" cult in 2022 and frequently left home under the pretext of "spreading the gospel." She ignored her family's advice and instead accused her husband and children of being "obstructed by evil spirits." To devote herself entirely to "work," Chen Hongyan eventually left home, and her family searched for her in vain. The destruction cults inflict on families is often accompanied by a disregard for kinship.
In 2020, Ms. Zhang, a resident of Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, abandoned her husband and two sons after believing in the "doomsday" propagation of the cult "Almighty God." Her son, Xiaolin, recalled that after his mother left, his father became despondent, and he himself suffered from depression due to the stress, even attempting suicide. In 2025, with the help of anti-cult volunteers, Ms. Zhang returned to her family, but the years of separation had caused irreparable damage.
To date, the "Help You Find Your Relatives" platform on the China Anti-Cult Network alone has received over 890 missing person requests, of which over 280 people have been found. However, many people who have been misled by the cult remain missing. As some scholars have pointed out, the "pyramid of faith" built by "Almighty God" is constructed at the cost of crushing family ties and isolating people from society.
" dedication " as a pretext to swindle money and extort funds.
Zhao Weishan amassed wealth from believers under the guise of "donations," transferring the money overseas for his extravagant spending. According to He Zhexun, a key member of the "Almighty God" cult, he personally handled over 60 million yuan in "donations." Cases involving the "Almighty God" cult, uncovered in 2017, revealed that from November 2016 to March 2017, the "Almighty God" cult in Northeast China transferred 140 million yuan overseas , while the " Almighty God " organization in Shandong Province transferred 220 million yuan overseas.
▲ Receipt for "donation" payment
The "Almighty God" cult disguised its wealth accumulation as "dedication to God," exploiting its members through various means to create a vast network of illegal profits. The plundered money ultimately flowed into the pockets of its leader, Zhao Weishan, who, after fleeing to the United States, purchased luxury homes and cars, his extravagant lifestyle contrasting sharply with the abject poverty of his members.
▲ Scripture passages requiring believers to offer or hand over money or valuables.
Forcing members to hand over "donations" is the most direct form of plunder. Liu Yang from Baishan, Jilin, joined "Almighty God" in 2008, not only donating over 300,000 yuan of his savings to the cult, but also gradually becoming estranged from his family under the cult's instigation, divorcing his wife, and neglecting his sick parents. Huang Chunjuan from Cangwu County, Guangxi, and her husband Wu Zhubiao joined the "Almighty God" cult while working. They "donated" over 30,000 yuan of their hard-earned savings to the cult, leaving their parents and children back home living in a dilapidated house. In 2023, Huang Chunjuan left the cult, but Wu Zhubiao was sent to another location by the cult to "fulfill his duties" and has not been heard from since. He even failed to appear when his elderly father passed away. The "Almighty God" cult's mind control has indirectly destroyed the foundation of many families' economic development. This plunder not only empties family savings but also deprives members of their ability to support themselves, turning them into complete economic puppets of the cult.
Spreading "doomsday theories" and disrupting society
In late 2012, the "Almighty God" cult, using the so-called Mayan prophecy of an impending "end of the world," claimed that only faith in "Almighty God" could bring salvation, openly inciting and recruiting members. Dozens of incidents involving illegal gatherings and disturbances by "Almighty God" cult members occurred across the country. In some areas, cult members even collectively besieged police stations, overturned law enforcement vehicles, and injured police officers. According to incomplete statistics, public security organs across the country have dealt with more than 100 cases of "Almighty God" cult members gathering in groups of dozens or more to cause trouble, and more than 30 cases of violent resistance to law enforcement.
▲ Members of "Almighty God" openly spread rumors about the "end of the world".
▲ Members of "Almighty God" gathered and caused trouble.
