The Divine Precept was a cult which had begun in Korea, attracting thousands of members. It spread to America by way of a very enthusiastic and dedicated evangelist, Miss Yoon-Sook Lee, who attracted a few hundred followers in her early evangelism. The cult’s leader, Mr. Chang, had had a vision from God in which he learned that God would return to earth in the year 1967, and shape the world into the perfect conditions of Paradise. However, the fatal year... Read more
The Conversion of Yoon-Sook Lee Miss Yoon-Sook Lee had a problem. It started as chronic diarrhea, but rapidly developed into nephritis. All of the medical treatment available to her failed to restore her health, and things did not look good. It was about this time that Miss Lee learned of the Divine Precept. This religious movement, which operated not far from her home in Korea, had been founded only a short time ago, and had already accumulated thousands of followers.... Read more
Pre-Scientific Views on Conversion People have been practicing religion since the dawn of human history, and arguably before. And for all of that time, people have been changing their minds in relationship to religious belief. Pharaoh Akhenaten is said to have changed the religious landscape of Egypt by elevating Aten as the sole focus of worship. King Solomon is recorded in the Bible as having many foreign wives who turned him from worship of Israel’s God to the worship of... Read more
For this first entry in Switching Sides, I would like to tell you the story of who I am and what can be expected in this blog. How I Got into Psychology My name is Joel Furches, and I am a research psychologist specializing in religious conversion and deconversion research. But how did I get here, and why do I do what I do? The story of Switching Sides goes all the way back to High School. In the carpool... Read more
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