LIREC signed an Appeal: Providence Church: Netflix, Usque Tandem?

Providence Church: Netflix, Usque Tandem? An International Appeal

by Bitter Winter

The leader of the religious movement has been convicted of sexual abuse. However, Netflix also targets innocent, ordinary members, exposing them to discrimination.

by Bitter Winter

“Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?” These words, part of one of the most famous speeches in ancient Rome’s history, were spoken by Cicero to criticize Catiline, a demagogue spreading false information to overthrow the Roman Republic’s leaders.

“Usque tandem,” how long will the TV network Netflix continue to unfairly criticize members of religious groups it labels as “cults”?

Netflix’s “documentaries” follow a recurring pattern. They cover a religious leader sentenced for crimes, then generalize the crimes to the entire religious organization, portraying all members as potential criminals.

Netflix aired the mini-series “In the Name of God” in 2023, highlighting various groups but mainly focusing on the Korean movement Providence. They are now set to release a sequel, “In the Name of the Survivors,” on August 15.

Providence, also called the Christian Gospel Mission, is a Christian new religious movement established in South Korea in 1978, with activities in over 70 countries. Its total membership exceeds 100,000.

President Jung Myung-seok, the founder, has been sentenced twice for sexual abuse and is currently incarcerated, with another case pending. As scholars and human rights advocates, it is not our place to comment on his legal proceedings, apart from the obvious. We condemn sexual abuse, whether committed by the leader of a new religious movement, a priest or pastor of a mainstream denomination, or anyone else. Sexual abuse is not justified by freedom of religion or belief. Victims of abuse deserve support and solidarity.

Another group of victims that Netflix overlooked, and possibly even created, includes tens of thousands of Providence members worldwide who have never faced any criminal allegations. Because of “In the Name of God” and the “Netflix effect,” many of these believers have experienced workplace and school harassment, lost their jobs, and faced public vilification solely for being Providence members.

The group includes business executives, professionals, artists, musicians, professors, and graduate students from prestigious universities. Following the 2023 Netflix series and “revelations” of their affiliation with Providence, many faced discrimination. Some had to endure the complex process of starting new careers. The second Netflix series will once again put them at risk.

We uphold freedom of speech and acknowledge the media’s focus on sensational stories, particularly those involving religion and sex. Nonetheless, responsible journalism must keep in mind that criminal liability is individual, and it should clearly distinguish between the position of a jailed religious leader and the innocence of ordinary church members.

Netflix contends that Providence members think their leader is innocent. They probably do, but in a democratic society, freedom of expression also encompasses the right to critique court decisions and to respectfully propose that judges might be mistaken, regardless of whether the criticism is justified.

Some of us have attended Providence services in different countries after the leader’s imprisonment. We observed resilient communities that continue praying, singing, and discussing biblical interpretations, focusing more on their faith than on President Jung’s court case. Providence remains active through various charitable, cultural, sporting, and artistic projects that have received praise internationally. However, these efforts now face new challenges due to the so-called “Netflix effect.” Portraying Providence as a community inherently and collectively abusive is a gross caricature and hateful in its distortion.

While freedom of expression is a core human right, it has its limits. It does not cover the freedom to defame entire communities or to endanger the human rights of others.

We recognize that courts will now review the matter. We advise caution in permitting Netflix to broadcast parts of its new show that would depict all Providence members as criminals or responsible for actions only the church’s President and a few leaders have been convicted of.

Alessandro Amicarelli, President, European Federation for Freedom of Belief, London, UK

Raffaella Di Marzio, Managing Director, The Center for Studies on Freedom of Religion, Belief, and Conscience (LIREC), Rome, Italy

Willy Fautré, Director, Human Rights Without Frontiers, Brussels, Belgium

Holly Folk, Professor and Major Advisor on Religion and Culture, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington

Hung Tak Wai, Assistant Professor, The Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

Massimo Introvigne, Managing Director, Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), Turin, Italy; former Representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for combating racism, xenophobia, and intolerance and discrimination against Christians and members of other religions

Lee Po-Han, Associate Professor, Global Health Program and Institute of Health Policy and Management, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

Li Yu-chen, Professor and Director of the Graduate Institute of Religious Studies, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan

Camelia Marin, Deputy Director, Soteria International, Copenhagen, Denmark

Bernadette Rigal-Cellard, Professor Emerita of North American Studies, Science of Religions and Societies Studies, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, Bordeaux, France

Rosita Šorytė, Scientific Board Member, European Federation for Freedom of Belief, Rome and Turin, Italy

Tseng Chien-Yuan, Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Hakka Language and Social Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

Thierry Valle, President, CAP-Liberté de Conscience [a United Nations ECOSOC-accredited NGO], Paris, France

María Vardé, Researcher, Institute of Anthropological Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Catherine Wessinger, Professor of the History of Religions, Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana

Peter Zoehrer, Executive Director, Forum for Religious Freedom Europe (FOREF), Vienna, Austria