Christians in China warned of foreign cult influence

Christian churches in China have been calling on the faithful to pay attention to cult penetration from other countries amid the COVID-19 outbreak, during which having religious activities online is encouraged for disease prevention.

Experts and churches say distinguishing the sources of online religious materials is the key at the moment.

“Cult issues have drawn much attention during the COVID-19 outbreak… so we enhanced management and publicity work,” an employee surnamed Wang at the administration office of the Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches and the Christian Council in East China’s Shandong Province, told the Global Times on Friday.

Since the outbreak, churches in Shandong have been using online platforms such as DingTalk to conduct religious activities, Wang said.

He noted that because of the connections between Shandong and South Korea, Shincheonji has influenced churches in Shandong. “Pastors in Shandong had known about preventing cults or heresies, but many believers might not.”

The South Korean Shincheonji Church has been linked to at least 2,000 COVID-19 infections in the country, accounting for more than half of the total number of infected in the country.

In early February, the Shandong Three-Self Churches and Christian Council issued a notice, calling on lower-level churches to defend against cults and heresies during the COVID-19 outbreak. “Their (the cults and heresies) seductive and deceptive means should be recognized, and their publications, websites, WeChat accounts, WeChat groups, videos and apps should be reported to prevent their illegal gatherings and preaching activities,” read the notice published by Shandong’s Three-Self Churches and the Christian Council.

Two notices demanding the prevention of Shincheonji Church to organize “harmful activities” were also released on February 24 and 28 by the Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches and the Christian Council of Northeast China’s Jilin Province.

“Shincheonji is active in Jilin. Local churches should educate and guide their followers to reject Shincheonji,” read the statement.

A customer shops at a store in Hong Kong on Friday amid the COVID-19 outbreak, where the shelves are lined with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers. The shortage of such products has continued for nearly a month before they were restocked.