Church Criticizes Newspaper for "Extreme Bias"
NEW YORK, NY, April 18, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Shincheonji Church of Jesus in France released a statement criticizing a French daily newspaper for publishing an article that the church describes as biased.
The statement issued by Shincheonji Church alleges that a report published by Le Parisien on April 7 severely damaged the honor of the church and its members. While the article concentrates on the complaints of a former member, it includes only two lines of the church's response.
"We sincerely submitted a detailed written response, amounting to several thousand characters, addressing the 12 questions the journalist had sent in advance. Yet, only two sentences from our response were included in the article," said a Shincheonji Church representative. "That accounts for less than 1% of our full response, severely limiting readers' ability to gain a balanced perspective."
The article headline, "They Treated Us Like Animals," was also upsetting for the church and its congregants.
"That expression deeply shocked and confused our members. No one has ever been treated in such a way, nor does anyone feel that way. It was clearly used as a sensational headline to attract attention," Shincheonji Church explained.
Shincheonji Church also notes that the article mentions circumstances that were never personally experienced by the individual interviewed for the article.
"A photo showing someone with their feet on a radiator was described as a form of 'punishment,' but this image had nothing to do with any punishment and was taken even before the interviewee joined the church," Shincheonji Church stated. "The person in the photo is still an active believer in the church. At the time, he simply struck that pose as a joke to show he could do it, and someone else took the photo for fun. When he saw the article, he was shocked."
Shincheonji Church of Jesus in France has called on media outlets to engage in ethical reporting practices.
"Biased reporting on a specific religion or faith community can lead to stigmatization and prejudice against innocent members, ultimately infringing on their religious freedom and human rights," a Shincheonji Church representative added. "The media must move away from sensational, hate-inducing narratives and instead strive to present balanced information that embraces diverse voices with mutual respect."
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