J.Y. Park: “We’re Not a Church Without a Lineage” ... Again Addresses Heresy and Cult Allegations

[Financial News] Singer J.Y. Park has once again addressed the controversy surrounding allegations that “First Fruits,” the religious group he leads, is heretical or a cult.
On the 8th, another video of J.Y. Park explaining Christian faith and the meaning of salvation was released on the YouTube channel “First Fruits.”
That day, as he spoke based on the Bible, J.Y. Park stressed that people should not accept religious teachings unconditionally, but should examine them for themselves and take time to think them over. As an example, he described someone thinking, “They say the church J.Y. Park runs is heretical or a cult. Maybe I should listen once, just in case?” He added, “I hope you’ll give it a listen just once.”
He also argued that negative assessments of his religious group had instead helped increase public interest.
J.Y. Park said, “Our church is becoming better known. Pastors have been saying it’s dangerous, and many people who didn’t even know the church existed have now heard about it.”
He went on to explain that some people who hear allegations that his religious group is heretical or a cult become curious, seek out and listen to his account for themselves, and begin to reflect on their faith.
This is not the first time he has publicly responded to allegations that his religious group is heretical or a cult. Last September, he also addressed concerns from people around him about the religious group he belongs to, through the same YouTube channel.
At the time, J.Y. Park said, “I don’t think many of you came here feeling at ease today. Especially if you have people around you who go to church, they probably all tried to talk you out of coming. We are not a church without a lineage. Today, I’ll clearly lay out our church’s lineage.”
He also pushed back against suspicions of ties to a particular religious organization, pointing to the diverse religious backgrounds of the group’s members.
He said, “People say there are people from various churches at the church J.Y. Park runs, but our church has people from Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Shincheonji backgrounds. Just because there are people from Shincheonji in our church, that doesn’t make our church Shincheonji, does it?”
Recently, he also shared his views in response to a subscriber who asked, “Should Christians not invest in stocks?”
J.Y. Park explained, “When Christians come to understand the Bible properly, there is just one commandment we must follow: ‘Love one another.’ That means fellowshipping actively and evangelizing. We should do what helps with this and avoid what gets in the way.”
He added, “Does investing in stocks get in the way? No. Stocks aren’t evil in the eyes of the world,” making clear that Christian faith and stock investing are not necessarily at odds.
However, J.Y. Park stressed that people should be wary of the desire to accumulate wealth quickly, rather than stock investing itself. He said, “The problem is wanting to get rich in a hurry. If you have that desire to get rich quickly, that’s what you’ll be reprimanded for; investing in stocks is fine.”
He added, “From the moment I learn and understand God’s word properly and try to live by it, God will take care of my financial circumstances or my standing in this world. You just have to live normally and naturally, work hard, and be diligent.”
J.Y. Park previously appeared on MBC’s variety show “Radio Star” in 2020 and spoke about his religious activities.
At the time, he explained that he began studying the Bible in earnest after visiting Jerusalem, and that the Bible study group he had with acquaintances gradually grew and developed into the church it is today.
[email protected] An Ga-eul Reporter