My name is Cha Qiangmin (pseudonym), born in November 1955, and I have lived in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, with an elementary school education.
Life's hardships led me astray into a cult's trap
My life has always been difficult; I had many siblings at home, and we often went hungry. I dropped out of elementary school to work on the farm to earn “work points.” After much effort, I got married and had a son, but when my son was five years old, my wife suddenly passed away due to illness, which deeply affected me. Later, through an introduction, I met Qian Ying from the neighboring village. Her husband had died from illness, leaving her with a two-year-old son. We sympathized with each other's plight and formed a new family. Qian Ying, though weak and sickly, is gentle and kind. Together we strive to support this impoverished farming family, slowly raising our two children.
In July 2012, someone in our village spread the distorted and evil teachings of Almighty God, claiming that a “goddess” had descended to save humanity, and that believing in her would ensure peace and safety for the whole family. At that time, I thought about how my spouse had always been weak and sickly, taking medicine for years. If believing in this god could ensure safety, that would be the best outcome, even saving the money spent on medicine. With this thought in mind, I actively joined Almighty God, participating in activities as required, “spreading the gospel,” recruiting people, distributing books and CDs, and transporting food and donations from believers. In October 2012, while I was engaged in “task group” activities with three other so-called “brothers and sisters” in a rented room in the county town, we were arrested by the Public Security Bureau and later sentenced to one year and three months in prison. During my time in prison, although the guards earnestly tried to educate me, I stubbornly believed that the “goddess” was here to save people, and that anyone who did not believe or resisted would end up in hell.
After being released from prison, I returned home to continue farming, but my wife remained chronically ill and on medication, and my faith in the divine did not bring her health. Although my family strongly opposed my belief in God and tried to dissuade me, at that time I didn’t listen at all; instead, I thought I was doing good for the whole family. They don’t understand now, but they will eventually understand me.
My long-term ill wife has been taken by our son to live where he works, and the dilapidated home is overgrown with weeds, leaving me all alone in misery. At this time, the Almighty God cult organization required believers to leave home to fulfill their “duties” and “prepare good deeds,” so I unhesitatingly took out the only 5,000 yuan in savings from my home and left. I have never learned trades like bricklaying or carpentry, and relying on physical labor is exhausting; in the first few months after leaving home, I could only make a little money by scavenging for scrap to fill my stomach. Later, I discovered that selling scrap could also earn money, so I rented a low, damp small house in a suburban village, bought an electric tricycle, and began to collect and sell scrap while also fulfilling my “duty.” In the small house I rented, I fulfilled my “duty” as a “hospitality family,” often hosting people sent by the church for accommodation, regularly holding meetings and “communications” to discuss work arrangements and distribute cult propaganda materials. During the days of fulfilling my “duty” away from home, I lived in a state that was neither human nor ghostly, dressed in rags and disheveled, whether I was out collecting scrap or “hosting” at home, I was always on edge, fearing being reported by the local people. I usually couldn't bear to buy myself something good to eat or a new piece of clothing; the little income I earned from picking up and selling scrap was either handed over as “donations” or spent on “hosting expenses.” Even the gold and silver jewelry I occasionally found while collecting scrap was offered up without reservation as a “sacrifice” to God...
Looking back on the path of “faith,” I burst into bitter tears
In July 2022, my illegal activities were discovered by the Public Security Bureau, yet I still did not repent; instead, I believed I was undergoing a test from God, bearing witness for Him. Later, through the insightful education provided by anti-cult volunteers, I came to understand things I had previously not comprehended or dared to think about. For instance, Almighty God claims that believing in God ensures peace, so why, after believing, did my spouse continue to suffer from illness without improvement? With the patient help of the anti-cult volunteers, I finally learned to think deeply and realized that Almighty God is actually a cult organization that, under the guise of Christianity, is entirely focused on deceiving and harming people! Reflecting on the years I spent saving and sacrificing for God, giving so much in “offerings,” and those days spent collecting scraps away from home, I deprived myself of everything, trying to save money to fulfill my “duty” and make “offerings,” while also engaging in “hospitality.” For this God, I faced legal punishment and endured so much suffering and hardship, all of which ultimately amounted to nothing but a handful of bitter tears...
Now I hope to make more people aware of the dangers of the Almighty God cult through my own experiences. I want to say to those who are still obsessed with the Almighty God cult and have left home: Wake up! Hurry back home! Don't sacrifice your life for this money-swindling, harmful cult organization anymore. Your family is still waiting for you to return, and the end of being stubborn and unrepentant can only lead to being deceived like I was, regretting it too late...
Source：https://www.chinafxj.cn/n165/c888293/content.html
