"God the Mother" - the religious group "hunting" for followers in Romania: "I was put in a bathtub and had water poured over my head"

A religious organization originating from South Korea, known as "God the Mother," is drawing attention in Romania for its persistent recruitment tactics. Reports on social media indicate that members of this group have been approaching individuals, particularly in Bucharest near universities, metro stations, and shopping centers, but also in other Romanian cities.

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I saw all sorts of videos on this subject in the last few days. I haven't had such an experience and I don't live in the Capital, but I'm curious what you think, if anyone here has experienced it or if you think measures will be taken. Honestly, it scares me very much.

These encounters often begin with invitations to discussions and biblical studies, where the concept of a "Mother God" is introduced. Potential recruits are asked for their contact information to continue the conversations, and as trust builds, they are invited to be baptized. Some individuals have shared their experiences online, expressing concern and curiosity about the group's activities.

One social media user urged those with similar experiences to speak out, noting that the group's methods can be insistent. Some accounts describe members following people or trying to lure them to meetings in apartments or private spaces. One former contact recalled being approached with a "questionnaire" by individuals claiming to represent an association and posing as foreign students.

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They came to me and a college classmate with a kind of questionnaire. They said they represented an association and were foreign students. Under one pretext or another, we went from the street to an apartment, then we exchanged contact details and they invited us to more events.

This contact eventually found himself and a colleague invited to an apartment, leading to an exchange of contact details and further invitations to events. These events included volunteer activities, cultural exchanges, and gatherings for foreign students, before the discussions began to incorporate religious elements. The individual noted that while the group discussed philosophies without heavily using the term "religious," it seemed to be establishing a cult in Romania, though this was not apparent at the time.

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At one point, they showed me the photo of a person they said was a kind of spiritual father and talked about different philosophies, without using the term "religious" much. I didn't find out exactly what the purpose of that association was, because, from a certain point on, I didn't hear anything from them anymore. Looking back, it seemed like an organization that was trying to lay the groundwork for a cult in Romania, only I didn't realize it at the time and it wasn't very obvious.