I recently asked a World Mission Society Church of God member if she thought that the organization was a cult. Here is her paraphrased response:
The Church of God is not a cult. If you look up the definition of a cult in the dictionary it says that a cult is group of people that gather to worship so I guess every religion is a cult. Even 2000 years ago, followers of Jesus were considered a cult too.
What is the Definition of a Cult?
Although the dictionary definition of a cult does include something similar to what the WMSCOG member claimed above, when you read further, the definition also includes:
a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
The rest of the definition of a cult, as stated above, can be subjective. The simplistic definition of a cult found in the dictionary does not quite provide a definitive answer. Thus the question then becomes, does the WMSCOG fit a more complex definition of a cult?
What Do the Experts Say?
In order to determine whether or not the WMSCOG is a cult we need to look to the experts in the field that have spent years studying various cult groups. Steven Hassan has studied cults for over 30 years, and is a former member of the Unification Church (Moonies). In his book “Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs“, Steven Hassan explains:
“A group should not be considered a ‘cult’ merely because of its unorthodox beliefs or practices. Destructive cults are distinguished by their use of deception and extreme influence.”.
Steven goes on to explain that mind control is a tool that destructive groups use in order to manipulate members and create a new identity where the “locus of control” is no longer within the individual. Through his many years of research, Steven developed a tool called the BITE Model which is used in order to help determine if a particular group is a destructive mind control group. (For more info on Steve Hassan’s BITE Model click below to watch his lecture on Vimeo).
In order for destructive mind control to be successful, the following four key elements need to be controlled: Behavior, Information, Thoughts, & Emotions. Let’s examine how each of these elements is controlled in order to determine whether or not the WMSCOG fits cult expert Steve Hassan’s definition of a destructive mind control group. I will use information that I obtained while speaking with both current and former WMSCOG members. I recognize that individuals’ experiences with the WMSCOG may differ, and I invite any current or former members to comment on the following analysis, and whether their experience was similar.
I will now examine cult expert Steve Hassan’s BITE model in detail and compare it with my own and others’ experience with the WMSCOG. The blue text is taken from Hassan’s BITE model available online here.
Behavior Control
–Where, how and with whom the member lives and associates with
One former member told me that when she was involved in the WMSCOG, she rarely spent time with family and friends that were non-members because she was always so busy studying and preaching. I’ve also heard members say that they are told to avoid anyone trying to “speak against” the church because Satan will use the people closest to you to try to “kill your spirit”. Destructive mind control groups gradually pull members away from their support systems by keeping them excessively busy.
–How much sleep the person is able to have
A former member that I spoke with explained to me that she was always exhausted. While in the WMSCOG, she was encouraged to wake up at 5 am to pray every day and even received phone calls from other members to make sure that she was awake. During feast celebrations, members were required to attend 5 am and 7:30 pm services. Destructive cults keep their members sleep deprived so that they are not allowed to think clearly. Certainly in my own experience, sleep was considered an “idol” if it kept me from going to the WMSCOG.
–Little or no time spent on leisure, entertainment, vacations
One woman told me that her husband would not go on vacation with her because all of the days off allowed by his job were reserved for feast days and preaching missions with the WMSCOG. She said that even if he did have the available time off, that he would only agree to go where there was another WMSCOG in the area. She also mentioned that he spent every day during the week at the church and would often arrive home after midnight. Neither was this was not particular to this woman’s husband alone, but in my own time in the WMSCOG, it was my impression that most members fell into this category. There were a few folks who did not partake of all the activities, but they were considered to have “less faith”.
Where I attended the WMSCOG, they actually gave their a members a letter for their employers to request time off for religious activities. The letter stated that the employee would need approximately 10 days off a year to attend certain “feast days”.
Information Control
–Use of deception, deliberately holding back information
One former member told me that when he would go preaching with other members, they would represent themselves as a group of students, Bible study students, or students from the “Elohim Academy”. He said that he would never mention that he represented the WMSCOG because people would be less likely to listen to him if they had previously heard anything negative about the group. Has anyone that has come into contact with the WMSCOG been told up front that they believe that a man named Ahn Sahng Hong is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, or that the mother in the Bible that they speak of is Zhang Gil Jah and that she is living in S. Korea, or how much time and financial commitment is required of members, or why the WMSCOG books are unavailable to the public?
–Access to non-cult sources of information minimized or discouraged
I once asked a current member if she had ever done any research on the Internet regarding the WMSCOG. She answered that this was strictly prohibited by “mother” (Zhang Gil Jah) because the Internet was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When I asked how so, she explained that the tree of knowledge of good and evil caused Adam and Eve to experience death in the book of Genesis and members who researched the group on the Internet frequently ended up “spiritually dead” because they subsequently left the WMSCOG. For me, I wondered, if the Internet is the tree of knowledge of good and evil, then why does the WMSCOG have so many websites?
Thought Control
–Need to internalize the group’s doctrine as “Truth”
By automatically calling their doctrine “the truth”, the WMSCOG discourages any critical questions. After all, who doesn’t believe “the truth” right? On preaching missions, if people did not listen to us, the members would say that they “did not want to hear ‘the truth’”, or that someone was “too arrogant to accept ‘the truth’”.
–Adopt “loaded” language (characterized by “thought-terminating clichés”). Words are the tools we use to think with. These “special” words constrict rather than expand understanding. They function to reduce complexities of experience into trite, platitudinous “buzz words”.
From my experience within the WMSCOG, outsiders that rejected the doctrine were automatically labeled as “arrogant”, “spiritually blind”, “not having spiritual eyes and ears”, and “spiritually dead”. I remember members mocking the rest of Christianity because they were “deceived” or “blind” and did not have the blessing of “knowing father and mother”. This seems like a perfect example of the “us vs. them” mentality that mind control groups use in order to create an elitist mentality among members within the group.
–Thought-stopping techniques (to shut down “reality testing” by stopping “negative” thoughts and allowing only “good” thoughts); rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism.
I once asked an ex-member what he would do if he ever experienced any doubt about what he was taught, heard, or saw at the WMSCOG. He plainly stated that doubt was normal in the beginning but he was encouraged to immediately start praying to “father and mother” to stop satan from putting the doubt into his mind. My question is, what if that is God trying to tell you something?
–No critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy seen as legitimate
In a situation where mind control is successful, the leader is viewed as perfect and any doubts about the leader or the organization are viewed as weaknesses within the members. I remember having questions about Ahnsahnghong and the lack of evidence in his own writings of any claims of divinity. Instead of addressing my question directly, I was told that I needed to “study more”. Therefore, the problem was me and not the fact that I could not find a single instance where Ahnsahnghong ever claimed to be the second coming of Christ in any of his books that I had purchased at the WMSCOG bookstore.
–No alternative belief systems viewed as legitimate, good, or useful
I asked a current member if she had read any literature on cults in order to determine for herself whether or not the group she belongs to is in fact a cult. She very quickly answered that she has no interest in any “worldly knowledge” or books written by people outside the church because she only has to look to the Bible (through the interpretation of the WMSCOG of course) for answers about the most important thing, which is her salvation. My question to her then was, “How does anyone determine if the group that they belong to is the right group?” If other groups like the Mormons or the Jehovah’s Witnesses could twist the Scriptures in order to lead people astray, how could members of those groups figure out if they are in a cult or not? Her answer was that she knew that she was in the right group because the WMSCOG “follows the Bible”. Couldn’t Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons give the exact same answer? Does that answer make any group right? Would another WMSCOG member like to comment on this?
Emotional Control
–Excessive use of guilt
Guilt is one of the most powerful motivators that a destructive mind control group can use in order to produce obedient followers that can never do enough for the leader. I once asked a WMSCOG member why they put all of their free time every day after work into church related activities. The member explained that he realized the huge sacrifice that “father and mother made by coming to the earth to save us”. He went on to say that he needed to “do more, study more, and learn more” because their “sacrifice was so great” that he had to show how grateful he was by making sacrifices and letting go of his prior “sinful nature”. By his “sinful nature” he meant letting go of his prior interests, hobbies, and career aspirations.
A person under mind control cannot visualize leading a positive and fulfilled life outside the group. I once asked a member if he ever envisioned himself leaving the group. He immediately answered “No… absolutely not”. I asked why and he answered that it was not an option because he would “risk getting into a car accident, becoming ill, or even physically dying”. Since he wouldn’t be observing the Passover, Sabbath, and other feasts, he would lose his protection from disasters and ultimately his salvation. Are there any current WMSCOG members that disagree with this?
Conclusion
I certainly understand that everyone’s experience in any organization can vary greatly. I do not know how the WMSCOG functions as an official organization, or in other places. I can only speak from my and other member’s own personal experience, what I witnessed, and was involved in. Based on my experience, if I measure the WMSCOG against cult expert Steve Hassan’s BITE Model, each of the components Hassan lists are present within their organization.
The teachings of the movement mark it as, theologically, a cult of Christianity.
Sociologically the movement has cult-like elements as well.
Note the differences between theological- and sociological definitions of the term ‘cult.’
Earlier one of members of wmscog invite me on their service, I told him no thanks because I already heard enough all the stuff on their last service and i told him that I will never turn back on my on religion and beliefs,he keeps saying that devil is using humanity and all religions are evil which I disagree, and then he keeps texting about the scriptures which there is a lot of contradiction on it and I told him that not all human were being used by the devil and not all religion are evil and also I told him that God create us to have our own free will to change our beliefs but he is a little bit stubborn and still sending me some passages, I dont know if he is trying to control me because if he is its not really working because I believe our God the Father and our lord Jesus.
I have recently been baptized into the Church of God, myself my husband and my 2 kids, at the moment i have been going to Bible study sessions where my husband and i study together with the Pastor. I have not been taught about Ahn Sung Hong so im not quite sure what to think, i have asked them who the Father and Mother is but they said that is another lesson me and my husband will learn together. I was really happy to join this church because we study straight from the Bible but im quite shocked to have found this website and im also really not sure about who this ahn sung hong is that they keep mentioning in prayer, i thought he was just founder of there church but now im hearing he is the 2nd coming Christ and im very confused now, i dont know what to do. Someone please help me, the day i became a born again Christian i asked God to help me with my journey and the next day the WMSCOG showed up at my door wanting to teach and help me, i thought it was a sign from God or something cos it was so coincidental now im just not so sure if they were sent as a sign to help me or a test to overcome false teachings from people. Please help, im very confused and so lost.
hi Laykit,
i am very sorry to hear that you were not better informed about who Ahn Sahng-Hong is. He was a Korean man who split off from the SDA movement to form his own flavor of church. He never claimed to be Jesus, but the WMS claims he was. The WMS themselves are a split off of the NCPCOG ( http://www.ncpcog.co.kr ). The “mother” is a Korean woman named Zahng Gil Jah. This sort of new religion seems very common in Korea. I am sorry you have been misled by these false prophets.
The Lord is so good that He brings great good out of bad. While this religion is blasphemous to Our Lord Jesus Christ, you can certainly return to Him, ask His forgiveness, and use this experience to seek more closely after the truth of His church.
I’m so sorry that you’re so lost and confused. Keep reading the Gospels and saying simple prayers, for God to show you who He is….I don’t want to overwhelm you with information, but for now here is a Christian encyclopedia that discusses God and who He is http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm
If you have any other questions I would be happy to answer them. I am a Catholic Christian.
Laykit,
I have only just begun studying about this group as I have begun to encounter its members. I, too, am Christian. Scripture is essential, but I would remind you that even the devil quotes scripture (as he does in Luke 4 referencing the Psalms while he tempts Jesus). Quoting scripture, as this group does, does not necessarily mean they are of God. They take many, if not all, verses they use COMPLETELY out of context. I encourage you to do some study on your own, without their influence. Read the context of the scriptures they are quoting, and you will see what the scripture is actually saying.
Always remember, the scriptures teach us that Jesus comes to free, not to bind. Sure we have rules we should abide by (just like children do from their parents), but He will always allow us to make that choice freely. A group which leads by fear, force or manipulation/deception is not of God. And that includes any group that is not willing to share with you their true teaching before you commit.
I can only imagine what a trying time this is for you! I will keep you in my prayer!
God Bless
I talked with a member today, and he gave me lesson one and lesson two. Lesson 1 taught that God’s redemptive plan has been divided into 3 eras over a period of 6000 years. Lesson 2 talked about Christ coming in the clouds which the member said meant “body.” When I asked him about god the mother and the second coming of Christ (which he believes already happened), he replied that I was not ready to hear that because he hadn’t explained the prophecies concerning the second coming. I might talk with him again next week, but this time I hope to be a little bit more prepared.
His explanation of “clouds” actually meaning “flesh” can be refuted with Acts 1:9-11. Christ will return in the same way he ascended. NOT born in flesh, but coming literally in the clouds. http://www.trektorome.com/clouds-means-clouds/
After a week of participating in Bible study at the church, I was baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit, Ahn Sahng-Hong, and I entered my name and address into their “Book of Life.” As soon as I Wiki’ed the WMSCOG and realized who they were worshiping, I promptly texted my tutor and said I did not want to continue attending Bible study with her. She begged me to meet her for one more session to show me some verses from the Bible, and “for the sake of our friendship.” I said I would think about it over the next few days. A few days later, she texted me in the morning asking if I wanted to meet her that night. I didn’t reply because I was still thinking about it, so what did she do? She took my address from the Book of Life and SHE SHOWED UP AT MY HOUSE UNANNOUNCED, saying “I was worried because you didn’t answer my text.” WTF?! Now that I’ve read on this site about how the members are required to recruit ten “talents” to get more tithing to the church, I’m even more pissed that she came to my house uninvited.
This is so ridiculus!!!!!! The B.I.T.E model is more influencial then the Holy Bible?
you are all so week in faith…[this comment was moved to the forum for further discussion]
first of all, do not believe anything the wms have to say about “sake of a friendship”, there is no such thing as friendship in wmscog, if you are not deemed profitable enough for them or shown signs that you are not that easy to coax or dupe… they WILL leave you just like that.
this is, unfortunatly, true. In my personal experience. And it actually hurts my feelings since I gave up friendship I had previously because they refused to “listen to the truth” I have completly lost contact with my father for the same reason, I left a great career and am struggling to find my way back in since I left so irresponsibly. The longer I am with them, the closer I thought I was to m “real” brothers and sisters. But when real life issues erupted in my life, I was ignored. When two of us members were trying to let each other “vent” about life, my deacon pulled me aside and rebuked me saying, “don’t get caught up in members personal lives. That is satan’s way of attacking the church.”
KC, that so true. That is exactly what I am going thru now
just wait for the judgement to come. & we’ll see. ’cause only few will be saved and it will be those who are in the side of The Truth.
Hi. I just want to share my experience as I was approached by a few Elohim Academy students about 2 weeks ago. As I was walking on some street, they approached me and one of them handed me a Tablet (as in electronic device) and asked me to answer 7 questions in their survey. As I answer the questions, some of the other members of the Academy were preaching the gospel to an unbeliever next to me. I knew the person was an unbeliever as she answered “no” to all the questions they asked her about — like whether or not she knows the existence of Mother God and Father God etc..
The questions in the survey(paraphrased)include:
1. Do you have a religion?
2. Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
3. Do you know about the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit?
4. Do you believe in the second coming of Christ?
5. Have you heard of Mother God?
and others.
Then two of them (college or university girls) showed me a video about water of life and the water can only be given by God, and specifically Mother God. they then referred me to Revelation 22:17 which says that “the Spirit and bride say, “Come!”and let the one who hears say….. let the one who wishes take the free gift of water of life.” It’s a video full of catastrophic events and saying only God can give water of life.
I was skeptical, as I am a Methodist Christian and attends a Methodist church, I trust only God’s Word, Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity. I’ve never heard of Mother God. Something even weird is that they say Mother God is in South Korea right now.. I was like “What??” I was thinking, ” if the so called mother god is a god, wouldn’t she be everywhere? why specifically and only South Korea.”
But I didnt rebuke them, I just listen to what they all have to say..
So, I went back home after that and did my research.
so here’s what I found, an article talking how a person rebukes the WMSCOG’s members.
http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=5110
Now, back to the Revelation 22:17. The verse mentions about the bride. I asked them, who is the bride? they tole me immediately the bride is the Mother God. But in the video I heard it was said, “the bride is the CHURCH” !
Their own video contradicts the message they are conveying if I have not mistaken what the video said.
Anyway, it’s for you to decide whether or not to believe in the Elohim (which means Gods)– Father God AND Mother God concept.
WMSCOG uses history & science to prove everything they believe in…[this comment has been moved to the forum for further discussion].
My ex is involved in this cult and trying to brainwash my 10 year old daughter. It’s crazy the things they [and she] do and say to children and the guilt they use. As I’m reading this, I realized that many of the things she was saying to me are the exact same things you are quoting them as saying to discourage discourse and are obviously just regurgitated immediately, to defend their beliefs.
Crazy, crazy, crazy…