So against my better judgment, I went (after doing a lot of research) with the goal of learning more about their religion from an anthropological point of view (which I made explicitly clear to them via text). I also mentioned that I was church shopping (which is also true). When I arrived I was brought upstairs to this room with long tables where EVERYONE was wearing extremely formal blazers and suits (including the women) where I met a woman who looked like she saw a ghost when I pointed out my Mother Mary pendant. I was then taken to a small room with a whiteboard. I was told a Bible Study was going on, but it turns out the Bible Study group was just me and the two girls who had stopped me on the street, which set off alarm bells in my head.
I might write up a long thing about it later, but to tl;dr it I was escorted off the premises and verbally assaulted because I dared to asked questions (although they originally told me that I was allowed to ask questions). These offensive questions included:
How is the Bible not open to interpretation? / How do you know your church's view on the Bible is accurate?
How did you come to get involved in the church personally? What is your personal relationship with God?
Every single person responded by saying “I learned about the prophecy.” Every. Single. Person.
How do you feel about others having a negative view of your church/viewing it as a cult? (I made it clear I wasn’t calling them a cult, just asking if it was difficult to be in a stigmatized religion)
And then when it was clear that I was going to be kicked out: Why don’t you tell people about the old man and woman in Korea that you worship as God?
Fun answer to this one: she said when I was ready I would have heard about the mother goddess but I clearly would never be ready
While originally very friendly, the head woman turned on me immediately and said that it was not the time for these questions. Also, very weirdly, only one of the women spoke to me the entire time and the other one just stared at me and said nothing, even when I spoke directly to her.
After I was escorted out of the church I asked a few church members who were outside about why they joined the church. No offensive questions, literally just “how do you feel about the church? how did you come to be involved” type questions. All of a sudden the girl who had led my “Bible Study” stormed out of the church and screamed at me to get off the property (not even allowing the church members to respond themselves ) and started yelling about how I didn’t even believe in the Bible to which I yelled back “I GUESS YOU REALLY ARE A CULT” (which I’m not proud of but honestly my heart was racing and I was being yelled at)
When I was in my car outside the church calling my friend to tell her what happened, a group of them gathered outside and stared at me and I also saw them placing calls. I’m not sure what I expected but holy shit these people are toxic and dangerous and I was genuinely concerned for my safety when I was in that little room and they turned on me. I’m writing to the university now to ask them to reconsider allowing them a space on campus.
annaxmalina
pixelskylines
jacobvanloon
kianamaiart
2087
jbbartram-illu
yousharknotpass
