Classy Living

Frequently Asked Questions

What is your name?
Francis, but I grew up Hye Sung and plenty of people call me that. No worries if you want to stick to that name.

Where do you live?
As of now, I am in Michigan, but I am from New Jersey.

What college are you attending?
Calvin College

What is your ethnicity?
My mother is Japanese and my father is of French and German descent.

When and how did you come to Jesus?
That’s a complex question. I cannot give you the exact date of my conversion but it was sometime around September-October 2009. I came to know Jesus after much soul-searching that included investing the Mormon Church, trying to reconcile myself with my parents’ religion (the Unification Church), and several broken relationships. After trying to walk away from religion completely, something kept telling me to repent to Jesus. After a few weeks of this conviction weighing on my heart, I could not help but fall on my knees and I repented and spoke to Christ. For the first time in my life, after years of praying and seeking spiritual experiences, I finally felt God interacting with me. I finally knew I was speaking to God.

Are you Pentecostal?
Kind of, but not really. I am charismatic, like Pentecostals, in the sense that I believe that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12) have continued into this age and did not cease. I also believe Christians ought to pursue these gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1). Like Pentecostals, I do believe in healing in the atonement and the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an empowering work subsequent to salvation. There are some aspects of classical Pentecostalism, though, that I do not agree with, such as Arminianism, pre-tribulationism, and other secondary (and even more minor) doctrines. I do not tie myself down to a denomination, but I suppose I am a Reformed-Pentecostal hybrid that likes hanging out with everybody in the universal Church.

Why did you leave the Unification Church?
I began distancing myself due to the corruption I came across and the hypocrisy I encountered with many of the leaders. Reading the book “In The Shadow of The Moons” by Nan Sook Hong, ex-wife of Hyo Jin Moon, changed my life. Despite already knowing much of what was said in the book, the book confronted me and did not let me simply excuse the sins of Sun Myung Moon and his family. When I came to know Jesus Christ, though, I gained the courage to completely cut myself off from the Unification Church. I could not at all associate with an organization that proclaims that my Savior is a failure.

What does the Unification Church believe?
The Unification Church has a complex theology that denies the Trinity and recognizes the Cross as a failure. They believe Jesus was to marry, have children, and create a political kingdom that would consume the Earth. Since Jesus was put on the cross before these things could occur, they believe Jesus did not finish his work. Sun Myung Moon claims to be the Christ and started the Unification Church to fulfill the unfinished work of Christ. There is of course much more to their belief system, but this is the core doctrine.

How is the Unification Church evil?
Not only is their doctrine an offense to God, but there are various forms of corruptions in the Unification Church.

First of all, the Unification Church system thrives on lies. Deception is very much a part of the church’s past recruiting tactics and is still being used today in various forms. Many members were drawn to the UC not knowing it was the UC, and if being told the group they were a part of had nothing to do with the UC when they asked. The fundraising tactics also require lying. In the past they claimed to be raising money for drug rehabilitation centers or for orphanages in Africa, and nowadays members often claim to be a part of a Christian organization. I can testify that a leader told me to lie when fundraising door to door.

The church is constantly creating money-making scheme that drain members of money. It is quite difficult to be financially stable if you are faithful to each donation “request” the UC makes of members. There is much pressure to donate to these schemes. An example of this when members all over the world donated millions to build Sun Myung Moon a literal palace in South Korea. Members were told that their ancestors would be upset if they did not and that they would receive great blessings if they donated. Many members gave over $10,000 and were driven to intense debts. Also, the UC has created an indulgence system where you can pay to get your ancestors out of Hell. I know many, including my own parents, who have paid thousands to liberate generations of ancestors out of Hell. Other examples can be seen here and here.

How did your parents join?
They were idealistic in their twenties and were impressionable and were desperate to live out their idealism. They did not know what they were getting into when they were recruited. Over time submitted their ability to think for themselves to Sun Myung Moon and leaders of the Church. I would say my parents are logical people, but their young minds were molded by the Unification Church and it has skewed much of their thinking. They gave up everything they had to live with the Unification Church, where they spent most of their time in lectures, fundraising for the UC, and going through conditions (which often consists of fasting). Eventually, Sun Myung Moon matched the both of them together for marriage.

Are your parents still members?
Yes, they are.

Why should a Christian support Ron Paul?

He is strongly against Roe v. Wade. The man loves life. I mean, he delivered thousands of babies in his career as a doctor! He has never voted contrary to his belief in life and has never softened his view. He even left the Episcopalian Church due to it’s belief on abortion rights. He has a strong conviction in the pro-life message. (His pro-life convictions are so strong that he is against the death penalty and war.)
He is an honest man of integrity. Don’t believers desire this as a leader? His voting record is rock solid and I encourage people to check it out. He has always been upfront about his plans for his district as a congressman.
He has been married to the same woman for 50 years and strongly believes in family values.
He has the strongest stance against the War in Iraq and Afghanistan among the Republican candidates and even compared to Barrack Obama. He recognizes that the US has killed over 100,000 civilians in Iraq and recognizes the many injustices of the US occupations and is pushing for the troops to be pulled out immediately.
He truly does love the Lord Jesus Christ but is not tied down to the corrupt Religious Right.

Who are some people that influence you?
John Wimber, founder of the modern Vineyard movement, is one of my biggest inspirations. He was a man of solid Evangelical theology who was confronted by the power of the Holy Spirit after years of denying the continuation of the spiritual gifts in this age. He inspires me to live a “naturally supernatural” life and his teachings have guided me in my pursuit of more of the Holy Spirit.

Terry Virgo comes from a unique stream of the Church that strongly believes in the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the founder of the New Frontiers church network and is also a man blessed with strong preaching abilities and he also moves in power. His desire to see the Church be restored in all the qualities of the New Testament Church is something that has greatly impacted me.

John Piper is a Reformed Baptist pastor and theologian that has been very influential on my walk with the Lord. When I first came to know Christ, his resources helped me come to walk on solid ground. His passionate and sound preaching has been a huge blessing to me and one cannot deny that he is a rare breed. His love for the Lord is very evident in all of his resources.

Heidi Baker, missionary in Mozambique, is always a blessing to listen to. I do not turn to her for theological teachings but for profound testimonies to the faithfulness and mercy of God. I have never come across somebody who is so joyful to suffer for the Lord. She is a fearless preacher of the Gospel and is no stranger to the healing power of God. Her ministry has been used to heal thousands. Her ministry also takes care of thousands of orphans and homeless people. I probably disagree with a lot of her theological views (and I wish she would not break out in tongues in the middle of preaching), but she is a woman that is truly intimate with the Lord and I cannot help but giggle and cry while listening to her. (If you have about 2 hours, listen to her speak here.)

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is a strong Reformed theologian that has helped me understand the reality of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. His book “Revival” is something I think all Christians should read to understand the necessity of the miraculous, transforming power of the Holy Spirit in one’s life and the life of the Church.

What are your views on homosexuality?
I would say I am pretty traditional in the sense that I do not believe that God made those of the same-sex to be in a conjugal relationship. Before condemning homosexual relationships, we must first stress that the Bible makes it clear that that all sexual activity outside of marriage is a sin. To dismiss homosexuals as people who made a “bad choice” is ignorant, not compassionate, and lacks the character of Christ. Sexuality is such a huge aspect of who we are and to be unable to express your sexuality in a healthy manner is excruciating for homosexuals who have faith in Christ. We must also remember, though, that in Christ we have the grace to rest in him and he shall always satisfy. For those struggling with homosexual attractions, know that you are first married to the Lord and he, unlike any person, has an everlasting love.

When discussing homosexuality with Christians who affirm that one can be in a gay relationship and faithful to God, we must recognize that there is some validity to their arguments. There are very few verses that talk about homosexual and many scholars would say that if you look into the Greek, they are not actually talking about homosexuality. In Christ-like grace, I would recognize that there is some validity but explain that I have to disagree due to convictions developed from a systematic understanding of the Bible that only man and woman are meant to have a conjugal relationship (read about this here).

I encourage every Christian to look into the Word, study the verses that are used to condemn homosexuals, read up on this subject, and be part of the conversation so that we, as a Church, may grow in our love, mercy, and understanding for the broken inside and outside of the Church.

Since you have charismatic beliefs, what do you feel about the “Prosperity Gospel” and “Word of Faith” doctrine?

These beliefs are probably the worst things that have infected the Charismatic Movement. If you do not not know much about the Word of Faith movement, I recommend reading the resources on this site and on this site.

These two beliefs are very much connected and are very much hurting the American Church and worldwide Church. This view has brought many to understand salvation in a very superficial sense. We must understand that the Gospel is indeed good news, but that is because in our walk with Christ, we are called to submit all to God and he would lead us to delight in him despite our circumstances (Psalm 37:3-4, Matthew 11:29). In fact, we are to expect suffering as a Christian. We shall be persecuted, we may be disciplined, and we are to be refined (Hebrews 12:6, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 1:6-7), which will be painful.

Also, the belief that we are “little gods”, which Kenneth Hagin and other Word of Faith teachers propose, is unbiblical. We do not have the same authority as Jesus Christ and this belief cannot be found in the Bible. Conclusions on such a thing are due to the eisegesis of so-called “Bible teachers”, such as Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Andrew Wommack, etc.

Regarding the “Prosperity Gospel” (which can be considered an aspect of “Word of Faith” teaching), God is a provider, but he never in the Bible does he promise material riches for all faithful believers. In fact, the Acts 2 Church was one where everybody gave up all their material wealth to live in community. Jesus, the King of Kings, was a traveling preacher who only wore a crown once during his earthly life, and it was a crown of thorns.

Do you condone holy laughter?
It happens. There are often physical and emotional reactions to the power of the Holy Spirit, such as shaking, weeping, and laughing. I do not think we should aim to experience these manifestations but we should seek for more of the Holy Spirit for the sake of empowerment and being drawn closer to God. I also believe that these things are often man-generated due to one’s desire to seem spiritual or because of pressure to experience such things. Believers are to test the spirits (John 4:1) and strengthen their own discernment (Hebrews 5:11-14) so that they are sure that they are truly experiencing the grace and power of God and not something that is from the deception of man and “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.

Posted December 6, 2011 at 8:58pm in Anarchist Libertarian Christianity Charismatic Theology Pentecostal Theology Unification Church || home