BY CHRIS HARRIS
UPDATED 12/12/2015 AT 09:00 AM EST
•ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED12/10/2015 AT 01:40 PM EST
For two years, Michele Colón believed with complete conviction that the end of the world was imminent and that an elderly lady from South Korea was God. For those same two years, Colon, a nurse, attended services at the World Mission Society Church of God in the New Jersey suburb of Ridgewood.
Colón tells PEOPLE she defected from the World Mission Society Church of God more than four years ago. She says she did so because she believes she had been brainwashed into what she alleges is a doomsday cult.
Colón further claims in a civil suit she filed against the 50-year-old World Mission Society Church of God, a copy of which was obtained by PEOPLE, that the group is a “profit-making” cult that “uses a number of psychological control tactics…to prevent its members from exposing its criminal and tortious behavior.”
In its motion to dismiss Colón’s complaint, the church called her allegations “entirely fabricated.” The motion states that Colon’s claim is part of a larger effort by her to “position herself as a veteran of the ‘cult war’ and build a career as ‘cult expert’ to the detriment” of the World Mission Society Church of God’s reputation.
https://www.people.com/article/former-members-call-south-korean-church-a-cult
All religions are cults nothing new here.
Village officials should begin looking into the possibility of challenging tax exempt status application. Supposedly there are problems with the church’s application to the IRS. If not tax exempt this could be a nice additional taxable lot.
Right after Valley Hospital
Then why not all churches?
Valley First then we will talk
They may be a cult but I have never had any contact with members. None have ever contacted me. They are pretty low key. Like a church.
Evangelicals are more agressive and they are considered a voting bloc to be wooed.
I do agree that all forms of organized religion are cults, ranging from mainstream religion which is the relatively mild variety, and the likes of this one and Scientology, which are at the further end of the spectrum. It’s all about human ego and our unwillingness to accept the finality of death.
8:57 – very cute, got it, you don’t believe in God, good luck with that.
Religion aside, if you would just google this group you will see that they are under investigation in several countries, they use sleep deprivation and separation from family and friends as their major recruiting techniques. They prey upon the lonely, confused and desperate. If this sounds like the type of group you enjoy as neighbors I encourage you to go say hello —- just see how welcoming they are then, with their blocked driveways and lack of published service times.
Compare that to any organized religion in Ridgewood (even the Unitarians) and you’ll see the difference!!
When this group was in front of the Ridgewood Planning Board there was no end to the questions about their very peculiar plans fpr that property. The neighbors on all sides of the property constantly complained of 24 hour activity in the building and their utter disregard for local ordinances. Some people – former members- traveled for hours to attend meetings and tell the Board that they believed they were a cult. I’m sure the meeting minutes reflect much of those discussions.
Growing up we were afraid of the Moonies.
Remember this 8:57
The statement “There are no atheists in foxholes” is an aphorism used to argue that in times of extreme stress or fear, such as during war (“in foxholes”), all people will believe in, or hope for, a higher power (and there are therefore no atheists).
There are no atheists in foxholes
631… lets face it, religions are cults… that’s why most of the founding fathers were Deists… you can believe in a Supreme Being without being a member of a church … and for those who belong to churches, more power to them…