(Originally posted on the comments page of the Diamondback Online article on UBF.)
Chris
posted 6/29/07 @ 1:52 PM EST
Based on my experiences, I have a lot of trouble agreeing with the comments posted by those defending UBF. I guess I'm not surprised because, after doing some googling, I found that one characteristic of cults is that they are overly defensive. I recall, during my freshman fall semester, a recruiter (not Korean by the way) approaching me about UBF, and with an open-mind, I decided to check it out. Well, it turned out to be a regrettable experience. When I began the Bible studies with the leader, he became increasingly more pressuring. His demeanor was a bit intimidating when I interacted with him: I felt like what I had to say wasn't important or didn't fit his moral standard, the study was solely about his interpretation and not so much my questions or feedback, he warned me about many other fellowships not being correct, he seemed to hold a strict standard of how to live life that I felt judged and compelled to follow, and that the other activities in my life weren't as important as meeting up with him for the study. I don't believe his intentions were wrong. I also felt like he invested too much attention and time in leading me in an overly serious way that was a bit creepy. I consider myself a Christian and I have had experiences with a number of churches throughout my lifetime. I would say that UBF stands out closer to a cult than a loving and solid church community. I've heard that there are several other cults on campus, it would be interesting to hear about people's experience with those.
