CGM Taiwan’s statement and some specific cases of discrimination.
by Yowting Shueng*
*A paper presented at the conference “Nation Building and Cultural Diversity in East Asia: Challenges, Narratives, Perspectives,” October 18–19, 2024, Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas, Lithuania).
Article 3 of 3. Read article 1 and article 2.
Appendix 1
“Strong Condemnation of Netflix for the Severe Harm Caused by Misinformation to CGM Members”: Statement by Taiwan CGM
Recently, CGM has faced severe misinformation from a so-called Netflix documentary and malicious portrayals by a few individuals, leading to societal misunderstandings of the church as a “cult” or even a criminal organization. This has resulted in violent threats, online bullying, workplace discrimination, and severe stigmatization of female members. The violations of basic human rights and the deep harm inflicted are strongly condemned by CGM members worldwide, who will also pursue legal actions to protect their basic rights to live free from fear and discrimination.
CGM members have always participated in church activities seeking goodness and living a simple life of faith. The church has consistently upheld Christ-centered teachings, condemning sexual violence and any violation of sexual autonomy. CGM respects members’ freedom of thought, personal liberty, freedom of speech, and the right to join or leave the church, rejecting any claims of brainwashing or cult control as malicious rumors.
Although Pastor Jung Myung-seok has been highly respected within the church, especially among members outside Korea, he is regarded primarily as a theological and spiritual leader due to his advanced age, having stepped back from practical leadership, focusing mainly on biblical interpretation and sermons. However, malicious individuals have exploited the media influence of Netflix’s so-called documentary to fabricate various unfounded rumors, accusing CGM of being a cult or criminal organization, and defaming individual and collective members as accomplices in sexual crimes. These baseless accusations have been widely condemned by international human rights organizations and scholars.
Particularly egregious are the malicious rumors portraying female members as brainwashed or suggesting female ministers gained their positions through sexual relations with the so-called cult leader. These claims, entirely unfounded, severely harm CGM’s long-standing efforts to promote gender equality in religious vocations and deeply wound female members, reducing their agency, and infantilizing them.
The malicious comments and online bullying directed at CGM members, especially women, are unmistakably misogynistic, directly contradicting the claim of “acting in the name of God” while severely undermining the church’s advocacy for women’s rights in religious settings. East Asian societies, due to historical residues, have yet to fully recognize religious freedom as a fundamental human right. Patriarchal ideologies and misogyny, belittling women’s rational capabilities and subjectivity, persist under various guises. CGM earnestly urges malicious individuals to cease all defamatory actions and hopes the media and the public will rationally and calmly consider the controversy, avoiding being manipulated and contributing to irreversible harm to CGM members, especially women.
Appendix 2
Some Specific Cases of Violations and Threats Faced by CGM Members
The following cases illustrate the significant disruption and threats faced by CGM members in their lives, from children to adults, individuals to families, and work environments:
Case (1): Verbal abuse and body shaming of a female pastor by an ex-member on a YouTube channel, causing severe discomfort and a sense of violation.
Date and Platform; Since March 3, 2023, on Dcard.
Description: The ex-member posted personal attacks on appearance and body, using derogatory language like “lying down to receive favor to become a pastor” and other slurs, severely undermining the pastor’s dedication and causing psychological trauma.
Case (2): Personal photos used in malicious, violence-filled online articles.
Date and Platform: March 14, 2023, on platforms like SETN, Storm Media, Yam News, and Dcard.
Description: Personal photos were used in articles falsely describing a modeling class as a “selection event,” attacking participants with violent language.
Case (3): Company operations threatened by misidentification as a Providence Church affiliate.
Date and Platform: March 10-14, 2023, on Dcard.
Description: A company was falsely labeled as a Providence Church propaganda platform, leading to calls for a boycott and severe operational impacts.
Case (4): Elementary school teacher showing inappropriate film to children, causing emotional distress.
Date and Location: March 9, 2023, in an elementary school in Taoyuan District.
Description: An elementary school teacher showed the trailer for “In the Name of God” to third-grade students, clearly inappropriate for them, causing significant emotional distress.
Case (5): Personal information, including home address, exposed online.
Date and Platform: March 7-14, 2023, on Dcard.
Description: Personal details were exposed online, leading to severe fear for personal safety and causing the targeted individual to temporarily shut down social media accounts.
Case (6): Impersonation and publication of false statements under the individual’s name.
Date and Platform: March 16, 2023, on a YouTube channel.
Description: Personal photos and name were used to create a fake YouTube channel, posting false statements, causing significant psychological distress.
Case (7): Posting obscene comments and false accusations against volunteer groups.
Date and Platform: March 11-12, 2023, on Facebook.
Description: False comments accusing volunteers of assisting in sexual crimes were posted, severely damaging their reputation and efforts.
Case (8): Unauthorized use of personal photos with obscene and false descriptions.
Date and Platform: Since March 15, 2023, on Dcard.
Description: Personal photos were used online with obscene and false descriptions, causing severe reputation harm.
Yowting Shueng is a Ph.D student at Taipei’s National Chengchi University, Graduate Institute of Religion.
