Ask questions based on what your loved one actually says
Written by Chris Vishoot · Fact checked by Bible Vaccine Center Editorial Team
Now we come to one of the most important parts of this entire process.
Your questions should come from listening to your loved one, not from ChatGPT, Reddit, YouTube, or articles criticizing Shincheonji.
We don’t want to make that same mistake with your loved one.
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Listen first, ask questions second
When your loved one explains a Bible passage, pay close attention to what they’re actually saying.
Don’t spend the conversation thinking about your next rebuttal.
Don’t immediately search ChatGPT for a contradiction.
And don’t introduce an argument you found online simply because you think it’s persuasive.
Instead, listen.
For example, suppose your loved one says:
They might say
“The book of Revelation can only be understood by someone who has seen its fulfillment.”
Rather than immediately showing them an article refuting Shincheonji’s promised pastor doctrine, you could ask:
Try asking
“That’s interesting. What makes you believe someone has to witness the fulfillment to understand Revelation?”
Then listen to their explanation.
Perhaps they refer to a particular Bible verse.
You can then ask:
Try asking
“Would you mind showing me that passage?”
After reading it together, you might ask:
Try asking
“How did you come to understand that verse in this way?”
Notice what’s happening.
Each question is building upon something your loved one actually said.
You’re not following a script designed to disprove Shincheonji.
You’re having a conversation.
And through that conversation, you’re encouraging your loved one to explain their reasoning, examine Scripture, and think independently.
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Don’t outsource your listening to AI
ChatGPT, Reddit, and other resources can be useful for learning about Shincheonji.
But they cannot replace your relationship with your loved one.
An AI tool doesn’t automatically know what your loved one believes, what they’ve experienced, or why a particular teaching is meaningful to them.
That’s why I don’t recommend simply copying a list of questions from the internet and using them during your next conversation.
Instead, let your loved one’s own words guide the conversation.
If they make a statement you don’t understand, ask them to clarify.
If they explain a Bible passage, ask how they arrived at that interpretation.
If they express uncertainty, give them room to explore it without immediately supplying an answer.
And if they ask you a question, be willing to answer honestly, including acknowledging when you don’t know something.
We can work through these conversations together
You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
At the Bible Vaccine Center, we want to help families better understand Shincheonji’s teachings, recognize patterns of undue influence, and learn how to have productive conversations with their loved ones.
As you continue talking with your loved one, you can reach out to us and share what you’ve been discussing.
We can help you examine the biblical passages involved, understand the reasoning behind Shincheonji’s interpretations, and think through possible follow-up questions.
But there’s an important distinction.
We’re not going to give you a list of arguments to memorize and throw at your loved one.
Instead, we want to help you become a better listener and a more thoughtful conversational partner.
We’ll work with what your loved one actually said, explore the questions that naturally arise, and help you encourage independent thinking.
The ultimate goal is not for your loved one to replace Shincheonji’s authority with ours.
It’s for them to develop the confidence and freedom to examine information, ask questions, and reach their own conclusions without depending on Shincheonji—or anyone else—to tell them what to think.
And that process begins with something simple.
Listen to understand, not to respond.