World Mission Society... how to respond?

[TarkanAttila]

Anyone else heard of these guys, the World Mission Society Church of God? I have a member of this group in my Humanities class. He’s fresh meat, all of one year inside this church, so not well educated. He’s about my age, roughly 20ish. He used to be a Catholic before he joined them.

I did some research on the World Mission Society. Seems they have some strange beliefs such as that there is a “God the Mother”. I don’t understand completely what that means theologically - except that God the Father and this “God the Mother” are a Korean couple, the “Father” having died a while ago, leaving this church to his “God Mother” bride.

Anyway, while I am fairly sure they have no basis for their authority other than some Scriptural hocus-pocus (not unlike many Protestants and most nontrinitarians) and their own word of mouth, I want to be completely sure: where do they think they get their authority to teach that this Korean guy and his wife are the Second Coming? Or to reinstate Levitical law? Clearly their authority rests on this dead Korean fellow being the Second Coming, but how can we know he is not? Somehow I feel pointing out this guy is dead isn’t going to be enough.

Should I just focus on, when speaking to this guy in my class, informing him on what the Catholic faith actually is? My guess is he probably left because he was not well educated and never read the Bible much (as usual).

Basically I am trying to get some objective intellectual firepower to attack his position and reinforce my own.

 

[Julia_Mae]

Basically I am trying to get some objective intellectual firepower to attack his position and reinforce my own.

You think “intellectual firepower” is going to be effective with someone who isn’t well-educated? Or attacking someone is the best way to evangelize them? Ask him more questions and listen quietly and then just ask him things. Because he doesn’t understand the basis of this group, either, I am sure.

If he isn’t that educated or very bright, how much do you think he hates having people trying to prove to him how wrong he is? So, what’s your real goal? To prove to him you are right? Or to bring him to the Truth?

Just go share your Faith with him and pray for him. Be his friend and be steadfast. If it doesn’t get him away from them now, it will plant seeds that can flourish in the future.

 

[SteveVH]

Clearly their authority rests on this dead Korean fellow being the Second Coming, but how can we know he is not? Somehow I feel pointing out this guy is dead isn’t going to be enough.

Well, being dead is a pretty big issue and if it isn’t enough for your friend then I would say he’s pretty hopeless. I mean please… Was Jesus suppose to return only to die (and remain dead)? Does the Korean fellow have nail holes through his hands and feet? Did he come on the clouds of heaven with a trumpet blast and myriads of angels? Has anything changed since he came? Wow.

 

[TarkanAttila]

Ask him more questions and listen quietly and then just ask him things. Because he doesn’t understand the basis of this group, either, I am sure.

The only real question I have at this point is: where do you or your church think you get the authority to teach things like, that Christ has come back?

I would love to ask him.

If he isn’t that educated or very bright, how much do you think he hates having people trying to prove to him how wrong he is? So, what’s your real goal? To prove to him you are right? Or to bring him to the Truth?

Honestly… both.

He is a foreigner from, I think it is, El Salvador. And in speaking I can be a very eloquent speaker, when I’m not getting flustered (which is rarely). We’ve talked once already and I think he can already see I’m not convinced, and have good reason not to - or at least reasons he can’t combat. I pointed out Matthew 16:19, and he hesitated at it.

Just go share your Faith with him and pray for him. Be his friend and be steadfast. If it doesn’t get him away from them now, it will plant seeds that can flourish in the future.

He has invited me to go to his “church” to talk with his leaders. He seems unwilling to speak with me in any other context about this. I do have some Scripture and history quotes - namely, on the Pope, and how Peter is the Rock. But somehow it just doesn’t seem like a wise idea to go walk into the church and talk with them about it.

Well, being dead is a pretty big issue and if it isn’t enough for your friend then I would say he’s pretty hopeless. I mean please… Was Jesus suppose to return only to die (and remain dead)? Does the Korean fellow have nail holes through his hands and feet? Did he come on the clouds of heaven with a trumpet blast and myriads of angels? Has anything changed since he came? Wow.

The people who will follow false messiahs are, frankly, really baffling to me. On what grounds are we to believe so-and-so is the Messias? The thing I like about our church is that we have a basis for our kooky rituals - we have The Rock.