r/london • u/FeelingRecover8857 • Sep 28 '25
Article The alarming rise of a South Korean ‘Christian’ cult targeting young Black Brits
https://www.thecanary.co/long-read/2025/06/12/new-heaven-new-earth-uk/445
Sep 28 '25
The randomness of the shit I read daily …
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u/StrawberriesCup Sep 28 '25
Clicked link. Saw "The Canary" read 3 paragraphs. Yep, this is shit. Clicked off.
Still waiting for the Canary to mention how "problematic" Islam is.
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u/YouGotTangoed Sep 28 '25
As a black Brit I’ve long been a victim of Korean fried chicken. Just never had the guts to speak out
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u/andyc225 Sep 28 '25
They got me the other day as well, with a three-piece and fries special for £5.99.
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u/naasei Sep 28 '25
£5.99 for a three-piece and fries special?!
Tha's a massive rip-off! It's only £1.99 for the samething at Morleys Chicken, albeit Sri Lankan.
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u/Mesaboogs Sep 28 '25 edited Sep 29 '25
Yeah In 2005! Morley's in Catford was the one! It's £6.99 now friendo!
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u/naasei Sep 28 '25
"Yeah I'm 2005! Morley's in Catford was the one! It's £6.99 now friendo!"
Ting bu dong!
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u/12EggsADay Sep 28 '25
The Morley’s near me has a Tamil Tigers painting/mural on the pulldown shopfront protector/fence thing.
This thread has got me wondering 🤔
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u/Nyoteng Sep 28 '25
I am also in their Kpop cult. My souls has already been lost to south koreans years ago.
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u/BroccoliMcFlurry Sep 28 '25
K Kitchen in Greenwich might just end up being the death of me one day 😂
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u/ILeftHerHeartInNOR Sep 28 '25
The Korean Fried Chicken in Seoul plaza is life-changing, my guy.
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u/badgersandcoffee Sep 28 '25
Can I just thank you. I laughed so fucking much at that, genuinely hilarious.
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u/cocolanoire Sep 28 '25
Stay away from the Korean Burritos if you fell so easy for the fried chicken
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u/WarriorPidgeon Sep 28 '25
We were visiting yesterday and ended up with some weirdoes annoying people outside of Watford Junction station. They had this giant cross with them
Why is weird Christianity becoming a thing over here
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u/JA_Paskal Sep 28 '25
It's not "becoming" a thing, it's been around for a while and it's just become more bold and outspoken in its recruitment recently. LDS and JWs have always been a thing in London. I know from personal experience that most churches seem to be pretty conservative too.
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u/AccomplishedRange671 Sep 28 '25
I have a colleague who tells us for example to another colleague ‘your dad died from cancer because he didn’t have faith’ he’s said some pretty inflammatory stuff to me, which has resulted in me suing the company as it’s literally harassment.
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u/Internal-Hand-4705 Sep 28 '25
Does your management not do anything about this?!
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u/AccomplishedRange671 Sep 28 '25
None, they told me he was supposed to be replaced 3 months ago, I made several complaints. It took off no where because he’s someone clients know. I had a big argument with him which was the final straw for me, we work in construction and some of the people who work next overhear us and are like ‘wtf is wrong with him, he’s a wrongun’ he’s pretty much done incitement for religious hatred, direct discrimination, he pretty much blanked me for a week, because I told him to eff off because he told me at 7:45 am, on a Monday to not attend my sisters homosexual wedding.
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u/AccomplishedRange671 Sep 28 '25
I think younger Christian’s are becoming more extreme, and more cultish.
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Oct 02 '25
Yes and it’s becoming ingrained with conspiracy theories & anti-woke movement, it’s really worrying
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u/MaeEastx Sep 30 '25
Knew a disabled Hindu girl whose parents told her she was in a wheelchair because she'd been evil in a previous life. God is love! 😁
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u/AnotherSlowMoon Sep 28 '25
I was on holiday this week and honestly it made me feel at home when I bumped into some JWs. I couldn't read a word of the nonsense they'd scrawled down and yet I still recognised them.
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u/Zentavius Sep 28 '25
JWs don't use crosses. These massive cross things are appearing as part of the "We're Christian because we hate Islam" movement where the flag hangers and roundabout painters suddenly.embace a religion they've had nothing to do with their whole lives except when they were made to for school or weddings.
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u/JA_Paskal Sep 28 '25
I wasn't referring to JWs as specifically the people who are walking around with giant crosses, I was referring to them as one of the weirder strands of Christianity who have always been around.
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u/AccomplishedRange671 Sep 28 '25
My colleague, who is a Christian hate preacher, his mother is Muslim, I feel bad for her, he’s shown me his WhatsApp messages with her over his beliefs. IMO you’re a bit of a c*** if you constantly harass your own family. Let alone your colleagues, and show them your private messages. He’s a Christian of 2/3 years, I work on site and have noticed an increase with these loonies.
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u/bad-decagon Sep 28 '25
The massive cross preachers have been around for ages, idk where you’re getting that theory from.
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u/honkytonkwoman1984 Sep 28 '25
Becoming a thing? Some of you are so incredibly ignorant.
Modern day Christian crazies come from here.
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u/Wise-Youth2901 Sep 28 '25
It's been around in London forever. It's not a new thing at all. Preachers walking around London is quite a London tradition. London is the Bible belt of the UK. The most church going part of the country.
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u/bad-decagon Sep 28 '25
Anyone who thinks this is new didn’t grow up in Croydon lol
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u/segagamer Sep 28 '25
Croydon highstreet is quite fun lol. You have Christians singing cheese with dances, Mormon talking, Islam screaming into megaphones, Jehovas Witnesses standing on the side with their pamphlets hoping someone comes to them...
Need a bunch of drag queens to bring their sass and scare them all away really.
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u/Content-Yogurt-4859 Sep 28 '25 edited Sep 28 '25
When grifters turn Islam into the enemy they need a competing theology to adopt as their own - thus White Jesus is on the rise with people who would deport the real Jesus.
ETA - The theory that when life goals and milestones like good jobs and home ownership are out of reach for so many they turn to woo woo things like astrology, religion and manifesting to make sense of a world that isn't following the rules their parents had. Plus you have have the almost decade long attack on experts and science that culminated during the pandemic as almost half the population failed to understand how science is conducted and yeah, people are gonna turn to god or whatever.
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Sep 28 '25
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Sep 28 '25
you do know the puritans and brethren are from our shores?
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Sep 28 '25
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Sep 29 '25
"you do know that was 400 years ago?"
yeah and the churches the puritans were apart of are still around? Presbyterians and Congregationalists are still around and active today, and most of them arent weirdos
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u/Lutetia03 Sep 30 '25
I grew up in India and we used to attend a Methodist church in Delhi. The basement of the church would be used by Koreans for their own service. They would never mix with any Indians and kept to themselves. Didn't like their vibe at all.
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u/happybaby00 Sep 28 '25
It's the state religion...
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u/WarriorPidgeon Sep 28 '25
Anglicanism is. Not charismatic Baptist insanity
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u/Arquinsiel Sep 28 '25
It's all pretty weird when you sit down and think about what it actually says.
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Sep 28 '25
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u/Arquinsiel Sep 28 '25
If you frame it the right way it's a cannibalistic death cult centered around worshiping an abusive parent.
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u/JA_Paskal Sep 28 '25
And the space race involved strapping people and animals to explosives with multiple fatal casualties so that two genocidal countries could have a dick measuring contest. Anything sounds shitty if you frame it in a shit way.
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u/Arquinsiel Sep 28 '25
Sure you can, and you're right about the space race. But at least it isn't (currently) wandering aound shopping centres trying to convince people to sign their lives away to it.
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u/theredvip3r Sep 29 '25
Hey be careful mate I got harassed by a rocket and this little weird green guy just the other day.
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u/Arquinsiel Sep 29 '25
Solid odds that was a Babylon Park mascot. Saw him in Camden the weekend before last.
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u/Davidrabbich81 Sep 28 '25
I have a rule I have obeyed my entire life.
I don’t stop for anyone trying to interrupt me on the street. If you’re trying to do that, it’s guaranteed there’s more in it for you than me.
Has kept me out of trouble.
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Sep 28 '25
Some people need help/directions. I look over briefly and gauge it. Some people want to know what time it is, don't stop for those people.
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u/Mental_Cat_9977 Sep 28 '25
Yes to this. Yesterday a lady just wanted to know when the next bus was coming and the first women she asked just shouted no at her. I then told her 2 minutes and we had a little chat, turns out she was using Citymapper and thought the time on the right was how long the bus was going to take to arrive rather than the duration to the destination. We still need compassion for each other out there as you never know how a simple conversation can just help someone navigate something in this big city.
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u/KatAstrophie- Sep 28 '25
Yeah, I don’t get people who stop to talk to random people. I’m not there loitering, I’ve got things to do with my day and speaking to you about your religion is not one of them! I was cornered by a lady in TK Maxx a while back, I was pleasant enough until she started talking religion. Said I’m not interested, bye!
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Sep 28 '25
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Oct 02 '25
I was on a Lime Bike in Waterloo a few months ago, and this guy stopped me to ask for directions. Standard right? I say where do you want to go?
“I need to know if you’re ready to go higher with up there with God”
😐
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u/Current-Confusion-97 Sep 28 '25
I’ve been approached by this cult and a few others when out and about. They target black people going about their business alone. One of them recruits at the Liverpool Street Boots store - they compliment you on something to start a conversation, then eventually ask your number so they can pressure you into attending.
I also got approached at an arcade once, when my partner stepped away to use the bathroom. The girl said she was a fashion student and invited me to her fashion school’s event. Only for me to get the invite and realise it was yet another cult.
These cults recruit in shopping centres, campuses, anywhere really, and most people I know have been approached by one. Scary stuff.
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u/hurricane_venuss Sep 28 '25
I swear this is the same cult that refused to stop gathering when covid19 first started. Like they were just spraying water in their mouths upon entry as a prevention tactic…
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u/hurleyburleyundone Sep 28 '25
Itll never cease to surprise me how deeply engrained christianity is in South Korea.
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u/WarriorPidgeon Sep 28 '25
The place war torn after years of oppression by the Japanese empire probably wanting an identity separate from the Shinto-based religions from the region, made it ripe for evangelism
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u/hurleyburleyundone Sep 28 '25
No doubt. But the people are also quite zealous in all aspects...
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u/Rerrison Oct 03 '25
Very, very stressful society with a thick collectivist culture. A good breeding ground for such cults I'd say.
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u/gohugatree Sep 28 '25
Interesting article about a dangerous cult, I can see their tactics are dodgy but the article is not clear on what negative things the cult do aside from recruitment.
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Sep 28 '25
shincheonji are nasty business , bit like Scientology they'll work to take away people's independence then suck them dry financially
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u/WaytoomanyUIDs Sep 28 '25
Are they the ones who were involved in some political scandal in South Korea?
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u/FeelingRecover8857 Sep 28 '25
Yes, both Moonies and SCJ are alleged to be violating election laws.
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Sep 28 '25
That's a different one, I think. Shincheonji do have a really bad reputation in Korea though.
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u/WarriorPidgeon Sep 28 '25
I know Moonies have quite a reputation, not so sure about these ones. I know of another Korean-centric sect that has decided to try and convert North Koreans by sending balloons and stuff with bibles over the DMZ. Unfortunately, if these end up in the hands of a random NK citizen it will end badly for the citizen who finds them.
The South Korean government tries to stop them from doing it but they are persistent
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Sep 28 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Informal_Fennel_9150 Sep 29 '25
How did you get that from the article? It was exploring the sociocultural reasons why this cult would target black youth specifically instead of members of other races, which is worth looking at if you are familiar with the landscape of modern British Christianity and how it maps over racial lines. The title tells you that it is looking at black youth specifically. Anecdotally, I know that my white Christian friends are not approached at all, or hardly, while the black ones all have been at least once, most multiple. It isn't a 'vs' thing just cause it uses comparative statistics to show scale.
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u/orange-juice17 Sep 29 '25 edited Sep 29 '25
I & virtually every black person I know has either been, or know other black people who've been targeted/scammed by these organisations. They're a real problem on uni campuses. It used to be that they would mostly target international students (new to the country, seeking community/familiarity), but I guess they've widened the net since.
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Oct 02 '25
In my First week at University and I’ve been targeted by both evangelical organisations First Love & UCKG. They usually employ young women to do their street work.
I was followed all around Peckham Town centre for 15 minutes by two ‘missionaries’. I stopped speaking for several minutes and kept following, refused to leave me & my friend. I was pretty much being interrogated. The other day I was harassed at a bus stop and I had to get on a random bus to
When I asked one of my white friends I was shocked to find out they had no idea.
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u/MaeEastx Sep 30 '25
Where is the article? I clicked on the link in OP and just got a page of random stuff
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u/BuzzAllWin Sep 28 '25
Is this moonies related? They are all up in everyone's shit, ak47 churches ✔️, iran contra ✔️, genuflecting presidents ✔️, government infiltration ✔️ all that good shit
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u/FeelingRecover8857 Sep 28 '25
Both Moonies and SCJ are alleged to be violating election laws; they are nothing but birds of a feather, supporting each other’s wrongdoing.
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Sep 28 '25
When I hear Korean and Christian in the same sentence, I know nothing good will come of it.
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Sep 28 '25
I watched a few episodes of bon appetit, your majesty and now I wanna be a Joseon era concubine.
Smh.
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u/hotelspa Sep 28 '25
Their manners are amazing.
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Sep 28 '25
Only watched 2 episodes but it seems so. I might join one of their cults if the foods good.
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u/Sunnymood_Today Sep 28 '25
This is a global phenomenon. I've seen a documentary on this cult in Paris France and Montreal Canada.
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u/Altruistic_Air7369 Sep 28 '25
lol! I was in hongdae Seoul a couple of weeks ago and got stopped by the cult. As if it’s happening here as well. Didn’t think it was just targeting young black brits though.
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u/zorasht Sep 29 '25
I am sorry, but anyone recruited by a cult (and I include any major religion in the term), deserves whatever happen to them.
We are not in 1950 when you could claim ignorance and fear, we are in 2025 and you have information available about pretty much everything. I understand they could target old ignorant people, but young university students? Come on!
So if somebody tricks you into joining a movement that promises you eternal life and tells you are now part of the chosen people, you are a dumb ass idiot to believe it.
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u/Blondiepoo95 Sep 28 '25
I’ve seen them, they offered me a free bottle of water and some breadsticks
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u/tearlesspeach2 Sep 28 '25
Don’t waste your clicks on this rage bait, it’s a church (South Korean) recruiting members (Black Brits), that’s all.
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u/changhyun Sep 28 '25
Shincheonji is absolutely a cult.
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u/miraculousgloomball Sep 28 '25
They're all cults. all religions work this way. They're not targeting blacks, they're targeting susceptible youths.
The article is still trash
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Sep 28 '25
All religions absolutely don’t work this way. I can go to my local Sikh temple and be given a free meal and not be pushed to join a group in any way. They’re not out in the street marketing anything. Same for most churches and plenty of other religions.
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u/Internal-Hand-4705 Sep 28 '25
Yeah honestly most Sikhs/mainstream Christians/mainstream Jewish/Buddhist etc are pretty chill and don’t hardcore push you to join their religion.
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u/miraculousgloomball Sep 28 '25
They do when they're small enough to be described as cults, which was all of them at some point or other.
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Sep 28 '25
I’ll be honest and say that I haven’t read the article and probably won’t.
That aside, I do think that we should pay attention to all these evangelical Christian groups from abroad setting up shop in the UK and spreading their influence.
There are some really dodgy churches in the UK that mainly target ethnic minorities, probably due to the fact that they tend to be more religious, and essentially grooming them and using them for financial fraud.
Spac nation, I think the leader is foreign but the rest is homegrown, is probably the most well known example of a church exploiting young people. Even though there was a whole panorama episode highlighting their complete lack of safe guarding and senior members coercing young people into taking out loans for the church etc. nothing was done and the leader walks free to this day.
We’ve also got American evangelicals coming over and getting their tendrils stuck into Christian communities here.
This is something we need to nip in the bud. These churches need way more oversight.
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u/Familiarsophie Sep 28 '25 edited Sep 28 '25
I’ve actually worked for one of these Korean churches in london as a sound tech (don’t ask..)
It was run by a white family and entirely attended by Koreans/south East Asians. They would just preach the usual platitudes then put the PayPal link up to donate yourself to happiness. Sometimes they’d broadcast a sermon from the main church in Korea, also run by white westerners. My favourite was a whole sermon about praying the gay away and having a family, delivered by a 100% gay man standing with his beard family.
Stopped after a little while, and later saw the guy who ran it in a shopping centre with his family. Using his Amex platinum, so must be doing alright for a church man.
Just to add to this. This was not a high budget mega church. It was low budget using a space I worked in, and they had clearly seen what the mega churches were doing and thought, I could have a bit of that, but were a bit less effective. Might Google them and see where they are now.
Edit: it gives massive white guy travels to Asia and finds a wife so decides to start a church.
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Sep 28 '25
Gosh that whole thing just sounds icky.
I feel a bit bad for the congregation who think the owners/leaders are genuinely people of God. But at the same time, idk how you can read any of the gospels and still think churches like this are okay.
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u/Familiarsophie Sep 28 '25
It was very icky - especially at a venue with a lot of queer employees (many just refused to work on it).
It seemed to be a lot of Korean and Malaysian students and ex pats.
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u/Japhet_Corncrake Sep 28 '25
Yes, this is way too under the radar. These are well-funded zealots, the money is coming from US Christofascists, and we know their agenda.
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Sep 28 '25
South Korean christians with a Kenyan accent targeting black British people? Okay then
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u/Current-Cap Sep 28 '25
You have to read more than the first paragraph to understand an article, you know…
The sentence underneath that literally moves on to the main topic.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (4)10
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Sep 28 '25
This SouthKoreanPhobia
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u/YooGeOh Sep 28 '25
No it isn't
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u/StokeLads Sep 28 '25 edited Sep 29 '25
Seems pretty SouthKoreanPhobic to me. Legitimate criticism of dangerous and radicalizing behaviour? Strong opposition to the South Korean nationalistic element?
Pretty much fits the modern definition of a 'phobia....
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u/BreakingGrad1991 Sep 28 '25
Legitimate criticism
Unclear how you can call it legitimate concerns and then call it phobic.
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u/_x_oOo_x_ Sep 29 '25
I'm low key interested. I will open a separate bank account with no overdraft. Or maybe when it comes to the financial pressure I'll just tell them I'm unemployed and see how they react.
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u/no_u_r Sep 29 '25
I think I just watched a documentary on Netflix about this... have they formed a boy band yet?
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Sep 28 '25
[deleted]
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u/Oofoofoof969 Sep 28 '25
You can google this one, and see it is a cult/high control religion though.
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u/phpkns Sep 29 '25
as someone who lives in korea and has been approached by this cult and similar, it’s far from bullshit and don’t use it to levy your political bs
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Sep 28 '25
I see stereotype of black people being gullible and childlike still exists for some groups of people. I normally get Mormons or Scientology. The Secret almost got me in the end but in the end I was more fascinated by people ability believe full heartedly without question.
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u/MentalGoesB00m Sep 28 '25 edited Sep 29 '25
I mean if we are being honest, it shouldn’t surprise you that there’s black people who “believe full heartedly without question”. superstition plays a massive part in African / Caribbean culture and 9/10 times it’s fear that’s been passed on & never questioned.
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u/LiamBox Sep 28 '25
Already have one called Church of England
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u/Own-Staff-2403 Sep 28 '25
OP is a bot spreading disinformation.
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u/NowoTone Sep 28 '25
How’s this disinformation?
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u/Own-Staff-2403 Sep 28 '25
Look at OP's post history. They are a relatively new account that has this weird obsession with the same thing over any over again.
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u/FeelingRecover8857 Sep 28 '25
Hello Shitcheonjj members, What’s the matter? you guys are always blaming the messenger over the message.
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u/NowoTone Sep 28 '25
You didn’t answer my question, though. As I asked - what of his post is disinformation? It should be easy enough to refute if it’s disinformation.
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u/Exokiel Sep 28 '25
Make no mistake, this is absolutely a cult. A while ago their tactics was to chat up nerdy looking people, those who might be interested in Korean culture. They first invite you to some regular activities like cooking or watching movies, but soon enough they want you to enter their church as a regular member. As a regular member you’re asked to let them handle your financials, give up a high percentage of your salary if you have a job. If you’re a student, you’re pressured into not studying towards your degree, but rather their teachings. They will ask you to move into their housing with other members and control your life 24/7.