Slanderers tell a lie without hesitation that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology. With impure intention to defame the Church of God, they propagate fabricated and exaggerated false evidence. Recently, an American has been confusing people by distorting a court ruling from South Korea – the case of “Northern Seoul District Court 2003Gahap6020 Damage Compensation.”
He insists that this court ruling is evidence that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology. His argument is absurd and it is a lie. The explanation below will help you to easily understand how the ruling was distorted by someone without any knowledge of the story.
In order to understand correctly, first, we need to examine the criminal trial process – the first, second and third criminal trials. For reference, the case of “Northern Seoul District Court 2003Gahap6020 Damage Compensation” was a civil trial that was judged on the basis of a second criminal trial. We will explain it hoping that anyone who reads this will not be confused by the allegations against the Church of God.
1. The reason for which the court ruling on Tak, publisher of “Modern Time Religion Publishing Company,” was used as false evidence
The cause of the trial
The incident began when Tak, who is the publisher of The Modern Time Religion Publishing Company (“Hyundae Jongkyo” in Korean), published about 500 books in 2002 where he insisted that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology.
At this, the Church of God filed a lawsuit against him on the charge of libel [defamation through publication], and he was indicted by the prosecution. In the first trial, he was found guilty of defamation through false information, but in the second and third appeals trial, he was found guilty of defamation for using false information. However, in the second and third appeals trials, he was found innocent. At that point in time, the court could not verify if the evidence provided was true or false and therefore suspended its judgment on whether or not his allegation was true.
Fountainhead of false rumors
Readers must pay attention to some peculiar points of the slanderers’ insistence.
First, the Internet slanderers do not mention the false evidence Tak submitted at all.
Second, the ruling saying the publisher was found innocent, to make a false conclusion that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology.
Slanderers are proliferating every kind of unsubstantiated rumor on the Internet, exluding the two aforementioned points. For reference, Korean members of the Church of God do not waver in faith as a result of these rumors because they already know the truth of these trials. The slanders are crafty; they are spreading these lies to people in other countries, who do not know anything about what happened during these trials.
Their deeds remind us of the prophecy in the Bible.
1 Pe 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Mt 23:15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”
2. In dubio pro reo
Let us examine the false evidence of the Modern Time Religion Company, which Internet slanderers do not mention at all
In the first trial, the publisher was found guilty of defamation by using false information, but in the second and third appeals trials, he was found innocent. The court was unable to conclude whether or not his argument was true. The ruling says, “There are some incorrect expressions and exaggerations, but it cannot be concluded that they are all false.”
In other words, the first trial concluded that it was definitely false, but the second and third trials found it difficult to conclude that it was definitely false.
Why was the ruling changed?
What kind of evidence did the Modern Time Religion Company submit to the court in the second trial that the court found it difficult to judge whether or not Tak’s allegation was true? Six informants submitted false evidence that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology. This made it difficult for the court to judge whether the allegations were true or false in the second and third appeals trials. That is why the court declared Tak innocent according to the principle of presumption of innocence; a principle to judge for the benefit of the defendant when in doubt, which is called “In Dubio Pro Reo.”
“In dubio pro reo” (Latin for “when in doubt, for the accused”) is a dominant principle of the criminal procedure code which most countries of the world, including South Korea, have adopted.
Ref) Principle of Presumption of Innocence
The defendant or the accused in the criminal proceedings is considered innocent until proven guilty. In Anglo-American law, even if the accused is the real criminal, if there is no evidence, he or she is given the verdict of innocent. In the Continental law, “In Dubio Pro Reo (when in doubt, for the accused)” refers to this principle. Such principle is to protect the rights of the accused.
Let us see a precedent where this principle was applied.
The Case of O.J. Simpson in 1994: The former American football star O.J. Simpson was accused as a murder suspect, which was news that astounded the whole world. A glove stained with blood of the victim was found at Simpson’s house, and the scene of his racing 100km [60 miles] to avoid police officers who came to arrest him was broadcast live across the US. Though it seemed he was definitely guilty, his defense team, the “Dream Team,” brought forth the verdict of innocent after a fierce battle in the court for 372 days.
The defense team insisted that the glove did not fit Simpson, and also brought the fact that the criminal investigator was a racist into view. As well, a false witness appeared. Then the trial fell in a state of confusion. Ultimately, the jury found it difficult to decide whether or not he was guilty, so he was found innocent in the criminal trial.
Simpson’s case is a good example of the judgment on which the principle of “In Dubio Pro Reo” was reflected. At the time of his criminal trial, some evidence was confusing, so it was difficult for the judging panel to decide whether Simpson was guilty or innocent.
However, in the follow-up civil trial, the court acknowledged that Simpson inflicted serious damage on the victim, so he was ordered to pay 8,500,000 USD in damages and 25,000,000 USD in punitive damages to the bereaved family, and he ultimately went bankrupt.
The principle, “In Dubio Pro Reo,” functions differently according to the situation of a defendant.
If a defendant is in fact innocent, the principle plays the role of a shield that protects his or her human rights. On the contrary, if the defendant is actually guilty, all damage remains on the plaintiff.
In the world, there are people who try to cover their crimes, abusing the law.
Beyond what we see, how many hideous deeds are they doing to make false evidence?
The prevalence of such false testimonies in the courtroom people’s interest and such situations have even been made into movies, such as: The Devil’s Advocate (1997) directed by Taylor Hackford, A Few Good Men (1992) by Rob Reiner, The Rainmaker (1997) by Francis Ford Coppola, Primal Fear (1996) by Gregory Hoblit, In the Name of The Father (1993) by Jim Sheridan, The Firm (1993) by Sydney Pollack, A Time to Kill (1996) by Joel Schumacher, High Crimes (2002) by Carl Franklin, The Accused (1988) by Jonathan Kaplan, etc.
Many of you may have seen one or more of these movies. You are probably reminded of the suspenseful scenes when the false evidence and testimonies were considered true and the antagonist was almost victorious. Well, such a thriller occurred in reality. That was the ruling on Tak.
3. The reality of the false testimonies submitted to the court
The testimonies of six informants who supported Tak
The six informants suddenly appeared in the second trial and alleged that “the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology and instigated the members to spread it, which caused problems like family breakup, running away from home and divorce and so on.” Their testimonies were submitted to the court as the evidence of eschatology victims, and helped Tak to be found innocent. It was just because the principle of “In Dubio Pro Reo” was applied to the ruling.
The testimonies of the six informants were all fabricated false evidence
After the Supreme Court had handed down the verdict of innocent on Tak, there was the follow-up trial for each one of the six informants on April 14, 2006. The six informants, who had helped Tak to be found innocent, were accused by the Church of God because they claimed that they were the victims of the time-limited eschatology of the Church, and they were all indicted by the prosecution.
Most of them appealed to the Supreme Court, but they were all found guilty in the first, second and third trials.
Aren’t you curious about this part?
The six informants’ testimonies turned out to be false, then why was it that their testimonies were accepted in the Supreme Court and the principle “In Dubio Pro Reo” was applied to the judgment on Tak?
Tak was declared innocent during the third trial on April 14, 2006; but the six false informants were not declared guilty until seven months later in November 2006.
If the decision on the false informants had been made before April 14, 2006, Tak would most certainly have been proven guilty of defamation through publication.
The process of the trial on Tak and that of the six informants are as follows:
Tak was found guilty after the first trial on August 14, 2003, The second trial took place four months later on December 16, 2003. And the third trial took place on April 14, 2006. In total, it took three years and four months.
During this period of time, all the informants, who had helped Tak to be found “innocent” were accused and found guilty in the first and second trials. Jeon S.M. was found guilty in the first trial on September 3, 2004; and Kim O.J. was found guilty in the first trial on June 8, 2005.
Unfortunately, Tak’s verdict as innocent after the third Supreme Court trial occurred before these false informants were found guilty.
The decision on Tak in the third trial in 2006 was made without reflecting the fact that the informants’ testimonies were false.
4. What does the verdict of innocent on Tak mean?
As the slanderers insist on the Internet, does the verdict of innocent on Tak mean that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology? Absolutely not!
The trial on Tak, the publisher of the Modern Time Religion Company
Some people say that since the book published by the Modern Time Religion Company, which alleged that “the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology,” was found innocent, it must be true that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology. If we understand the principle of “In Dubio Pro Reo,” we can soon realize that they are wrong.
As we mentioned at the beginning, slanderers stretch the meaning of a certain part of the ruling without seeing the whole story.
The verdict on Tak in the third trial of the Supreme Court is not the decision acknowledging that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology.
The follow-up judgment on the six informants
The six informants, who defamed the Church of God together with Tak, affected his trial; they succeeded in making a fact unclear as they had intended. But they were all found guilty in the follow-up trials, and ultimately their fabrication was exposed.
Since the trials deal with the same incident, the follow-up trial on the six informants is the most recent decision of the court.
Then, is the claim, “the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology,” true or false? It is false.
Using the court ruling, slanderers have insisted that “the court judged that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology.” However, their defamatory remarks are not true and the court’s rulings are as follows:
1. The court decided that it is false to allege that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology
2. The court decided that it is breaking the law to allege that the Church of God spreads a time-limited eschatology.
A newspaper report
As the truth was revealed after all the trials on Tak, which took several years, and the six informants came to an end, the issue had a great resonance in the Christian world, and became a warning against denouncing other denominations as heresy through fabrication, and became headlines in the Christian Press.
In order to help the readers understand, we posted the original Korean newspaper and its English translation.
5. Fabrication to brand other denominations as heresy
Party interests
The fight for rights in the political arena is not a recent occurrence. From the passage of a bill to the policy-writing process, we often watch politicians strive for the benefit of their party. The confrontation among different political circles looks different from the outside depending on the country, but each party puts in a great effort to hold a prominent position in policy-making. Sadly and unfortunately, all sorts of trickery and corruption scandals are revealed in the process.
It is the same as Judaism 2,000 yeas ago. Judaism, which had the vested rights, spread malicious rumors to pin Christianity as a heresy and to persecute Christians. At that time, the high priest bribed Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples. The high priest also slandered Jesus’ resurrection by spreading a false rumor that Jesus did not rise from the dead but that His disciples stole His body. (Mt 26:14; Mt 28:11).
Modern Time Religion Company’s branding others as heresy; like father, like son
Modern Time Religion Company is Korea’s representative leading group that brands other denominations as heresy.
People in other countries may find it difficult to understand the words, “Branding other denominations as heresy,” but the denominations which are once targeted by the Modern Time Religion Company are classified as heresy. (What is funny is that it never reports the corruption of large churches that have vested rights, which are related with it.)
There are many things to say about the Modern Time Religion Company, but we will omit the long explanation. Besides this trial, the Modern Time Religion Company is famous for constantly making trouble in society. Even a gathering of Modern Time Religion Company victims was organized. [Gathering of Modern Time Religion Company Tak Ji-won Victims, HANARM]
Before the first trial, Tak the publisher of Modern Time Religion said at the time of cross-examination,
“I have never confirmed objective facts about the time-limited eschatology of the Church of God. I believed unconditionally what my father had said and put his allegation against the Church of God in my book.”
Tak himself said that he put the content in the book without objective and proven facts. Does it make sense that a publisher who runs a publishing company did so? What he did was something shameful as a Christian, and as a publisher.
Tak made an excuse that he posted that kind of content because he trusted his father. Then, who is his father?
His late father, who was also named Tak, was notorious for branding other denominations as heresy. His phone conversation with a certain Pastor Choi was once tapped and his fabrications and conspiracy were exposed and became headlines in many newspapers.
Page 5 of Christian Today, November 4, 2009
Original article Link Christian Today A / Original article Christian TodayB
The information below is a translation of the article.
Pastor Choi’s conspiracy to brand others as heretics is exposedMain conversation on the phone between Pastor Choi and Tak
Choi: We should quickly make material to brand Park 00 as a heretic, and spread it among students in Jeolla Province. This meets the strategy. <Fabrication>
Tak: You mean Chongshin Theology School students? Choi: I will conspire with Professor Yoo and spread the material among the students without putting up the professor in front, so that students will rise to protest against Park 00. <Conspiracy, Instigation> Tak: We should do this strategically, not emotionally. Since we are to start with the Presbytery in Yeongdeungpo, if we say to elder Park 00 that we will present bills to the headquarters, he will post it as a major issue on the 00 bulletin. <Playing the media> We should gather together quickly, (calling the Heresy Measures Committee). Tak: Yes, yes! And I will mobilize the Holiness Church. That church also wants to decide … We will do first, and mobilize all the other churches. I need to be political …<Using ecclesiastical authority> Choi: But it is very gloomy about the Habdong denomination. I’ve become the head inspector . . .
Tak: I will ask elder Park 00 to post it in a large title on the 00 bulletin. <Conspiracy><Instigation>
Choi: Do not talk much, but just say that he causes many troubles in society. What we are going to decide is that each Presbytery Heresy Measures Committee can inquire into the matter of heresy, and consult about it at any time through the headquarters heresy organ and to post it on the 00 bulletin. Let us call the head of each Presbytery Heresy Measures Committee to the head office and take measures together (using 00 bulletin). First of all, Joo the general affairs manager opened his closed mind to me, so he compliments and boasts about me wherever he goes. I will serve him well so that we can enter it through the 00 bulletin. <Collusion with ecclesiastical authority>
|
Front page of the Church Association News in Aug. 21, 2005
The information below is a summary of the article.
| . . . 15 years ago, there was a similar wiretap scandal. At that time, the office line and home phones of Tak Myung-hwan [father of the present publisher Tak] who was called a religious problem analyst were tapped for about six months. It recorded the conversation between Pastor Choi Sam-gyung and Tak Myung-hwan, who began in earnest to brand Park Yun-sik as a heretic by establishing an organization, “Research for Park Yun-sik’s Heresy”; and it also recorded the private life of Tak who was an editor of Modern Time Religion Company at that time. Their conversation gave a shock to the Christian world. When Tak criticized Park Yun-sik the pastor of the Daeseong Church as a heretic, there was no positive response in the Christian world. Then he began to conspire with Pastor Choi Sam-gyung, but their conversation was completely tapped and exposed to the world.. . . |
The Modern Time Religion Company has habitually branded other denominations as heresy by fabricating evidencestarting from the Senior Tak. Do you, as readers, think that the materials fabricated by such people are trustworthy?
This is the source of unsubstantiated rumors and defamatory remarks on the Internet.
This is the source of unsubstantiated rumors and defamatory remarks on the Internet.
The Church of God does not spread a time-limited eschatology
The Bible clearly says that there will be the end of the age (Isaiah 24; Matthew 24).
So the Church of God is preaching the Passover of the new covenant, through which people can be saved from all disasters. By doing that, the Church of God is testifying about Christ’s love to all human beings (Rev 7:1-3).
So the Church of God is preaching the Passover of the new covenant, through which people can be saved from all disasters. By doing that, the Church of God is testifying about Christ’s love to all human beings (Rev 7:1-3).
Listen, all you slanderers! Stop comparing the Church of God with weird religious groups that cause trouble in society. The Church of God has never done any such evil deeds. Why do you belittle the Church of God and scare people by craftily making the evil deeds of cults look like those of the Church of God?
The Church of God received the orders of merit and citations from two Korean presidents, and received the President’s Call to Service Award and the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the US president by carrying out the role of the salt and light of the world according to the teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother. If you want to know more about the Church of God that contributes to society and nations, click the linksbelow.
1- Awards Received
2- Awards Received
It is definitely true that the Church of God has been doing good for the happiness of families, neighbors, nation and all humankind. However, slanderers hide all our good deeds and spread unsubstantiated rumors. The true judgment on these people who do evil will be done by the God of Justice soon (Rev 21:8).
1- Awards Received
2- Awards Received
It is definitely true that the Church of God has been doing good for the happiness of families, neighbors, nation and all humankind. However, slanderers hide all our good deeds and spread unsubstantiated rumors. The true judgment on these people who do evil will be done by the God of Justice soon (Rev 21:8).
Thank you for reading this lengthy article. We wrote this hoping no one will be a victim of the malicious rumor of a time-limited eschatology. If you would like to know more about this in detail, please e-mail us at.
The cartoon below is the summary of the above contents.
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