Moonies

Moonies

The Unification Church (known popularly every bit “the Moonies,” after its founder, Rev. Moon) is viewed amongst suspicion yesteryear the conspiracy-minded for iii reasons: its links amongst the South Korean regime together with CIA, its legion forepart organizations, together with its recruitment together with indoctrination practices, the latter of which pick out consistently drawn charges of “brain-washing” together with “mind control.”

Known officially every bit the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UCW), the Unification Church was founded inwards Seoul, Korea, on 1 May 1954. It spread through Korea over the course of education of the 1950s, was transplanted to Nippon inwards 1958, together with moved to the U.S.A. of America inwards 1959.

While the achieve of the Unification Church would ultimately hold upwards global, these iii nations stay its strongholds. The Church was relatively obscure inwards the U.S.A. of America until the early on 1970s when it made its entry onto the political scene.


Anticommunism has ever been an official role of Unification theology (the key text of which is Moon’s Divine Principle), which views communism every bit the legacy of Cain, who inwards plough is understood every bit the fruit of Eve’s coupling amongst Satan. According to this view, commonwealth is the legacy of Abel, who symbolizes humanity’s human relationship amongst God.

Thus the larn by betwixt communism together with commonwealth is seen every bit no less than the larn by betwixt the forces of God together with the legions of Satan. Moonie theology asserts that those who back upwards the HSA-UCW or reside inside its flexure are on the side of God; all others serve Satan.

More cynical interpretations advise that Moon’s anticommunist politics were but a ruse that allowed for the tillage of powerful allies. The Unification Church’s start populace together with official foray into anticommunist activism—which was to proceed throughout the next 2 decades—was amongst the founding of the Freedom Leadership Foundation (FLF) inwards the summer of 1969.

The FLF, synchronizing its activities amongst the Student Coordinating Committee for Peace amongst Freedom, organized a three-day fast inwards favor of the state of war inwards Vietnam, attracting broad media attending (Mickler).

The FLF was to hold upwards the start of many affiliated groups that would after include the International Federation for Victory over Communism, the Committee for Responsible Dialogue, American Youth for a Just Peace, the One World Crusade, together with the Council for Unified Research together with Education.

These varied groups were tied together yesteryear “interlocking boards of directors, personnel, together with clandestine funding”. Critics of Luna assert that these satellite groups were used to pursue Moon’s political agenda(s) without endangering the tax-free condition of the Unification Church.

One anticult website (www.trancenet.org) currently lists over 1,000 associated organizations or “front groups” internationally. One Luna media outlet that has drawn much attending is the District of Columbia–based Washington Times (whose nurture company, News World Communications Inc., bought out the failing media organisation UPI inwards 2000).

In the founder’s address presented on the occasion of the paper’s fifteenth anniversary, entitled “True Family together with True Universe Centering on True Love,” Luna claimed amid other things that all of the textile that Radio Free Europe uses comes from the Washington Times; that he brought most the election of both Ronald Reagan together with George Bush, Sr; together with that the paper played a key role inwards the collapse of footing communism.

Clearly such claims are debatable, but every bit back upwards for assertions regarding the paper’s influence it should hold upwards noted that sometime President Bush, speaking at the launch political party for Tiempos del Mundo (a Luna paper distributed throughout South America), commented on the Washington Times every bit “a paper that inwards my sentiment brings sanity to Washington, D.C.” (Reuters). Bush was allegedly paid an honorarium of $10,000 for his speech.

Following the populace protests of the FLF inwards 1969, the side yesteryear side entrée into politics to capture widespread media attending was the Unification Church’s exhibit of back upwards for the beleaguered post-Watergate Richard Nixon. Beginning thirty Nov 1973, the Unification Church ran Moon’s “Answer to Watergate” every bit a total page promotion inwards each of the twenty-one cities included inwards the itinerary of Moon’s Day of Hope tour.

The statement, asserting that “the crisis for America is a crisis for God” together with calling for the U.S.A. of America to “Forgive, Love together with Unite,” was ultimately to look inwards ane paper inwards every state salvage Hawaii. The argument was coupled amongst the formation of the National Prayer together with Fast for the Watergate Crisis together with Committee (NPFWC), which “organized vigils, rallies, letter-writing, together with leafletting inwards all l states”.

On 22–24 July of the next twelvemonth the NPFWC organized a 610-member, three-day fast on the Capitol steps inwards Washington, D.C. The fast received massive publicity. Luna chop-chop followed upwards on the Church’s increasing notoriety yesteryear embarking on unopen to other “Day of Hope” tour.

The Unification Church’s utilisation of questionable recruitment together with indoctrination practices constitutes a minute surface area of line of piece of job concern for conspiracy theorists. These activities helped to enhance the profile of the Unification Church dramatically, ane lawsuit of which was increased criticism.

Aside from the theological together with spiritual critiques launched yesteryear Christian organizations, unopen to of the start elements of Unification practise to come upwards nether burn were its recruitment together with indoctrination practices—inevitably referred to every bit “brainwashing” yesteryear its opponents.

It was the fearfulness of hear command associated amongst the Unification Church (as good every bit the International Society of Krishna Consciousness) that gave ascent to the practise of the abduction together with “de-programming” of cult members.

The Unification Church together with its deprogrammer döppelgangers created the impression that U.S. youth inwards the early on 1970s were increasingly dependent area to seduction together with virtual enslavement yesteryear cult organizations. In damage of recruitment, the Church has historically employed deceptive means, amongst potential recruits remaining unaware of the identity of their recruiters until several steps along inwards the process.

The procedure of indoctrination pursued yesteryear the Unification Church does include elements of “mind control,” but no to a greater extent than together with thus than other “total institutions” such every bit the state of war machine or Christian convents together with monasteries, which are unremarkably inwards a higher house suspicion.

Deprivation (minimal slumber together with diet), a constant focus on theology, the renunciation of textile wealth, isolation from the larger society, together with the utilisation of chanting are unopen to of the elements of indoctrination that pick out drawn criticism.

In add-on to charges of “mind control,” the Unification Church has drawn burn for its ongoing ties to Republic of Korea together with its continual denial of those links. In keeping amongst the Church’s anticommunist theology together with its origins inwards Korea, Moon’s teachings concur that the line separating North together with Republic of Korea is of tremendous world-historical importance: it constitutes naught less than footing null inwards the eternal battle betwixt God together with Satan.

The clearest show of ties, if non active collaboration, amongst the South Korean regime together with the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) concerns Moon’s connector amongst the Republic of Republic of Korea nether Park Chung Hee inwards the early on 1970s.

One researcher into these activities notes that during the Church’s active back upwards of the beleaguered President Nixon stateside, it was also asset massive demonstrations inwards Seoul at a fourth dimension when such rallies had been banned yesteryear emergency decree; Luna also operated “an anticommunist indoctrination middle for Korean regime employees together with military” inside Korea, an action that savage lead nether the command of the KCIA.

Pak Bo Hi, Moon’s translator together with primary aide throughout the 1970s, was retired from service inwards the Korean state of war machine together with had served every bit assistant state of war machine attaché to Washington prior to establishing the Korean Cultural together with Freedom Foundation—one of the Church’s many political forepart organizations. The championship of state of war machine attaché by together with large implies unopen to role inwards intelligence work.

Through the KCFF, the Unification Church had access to both the South Korean embassy’s diplomatic pouch together with cable channel to Seoul, which “only goes to the unusual minister, manager of the KCIA, prime number minister, together with the president”.

Pak Bo Hi is also president of New World Communications, which owns the Washington Times together with the UPI, every bit good every bit heading upwards the Confederation of the Associations for Unity of the Societies of the Americas (CAUSA), a primary political arm of the Church.

According to a Fairness together with Accuracy inwards Media report, “CAUSA was instrumental inwards providing assistance to the Nicaraguan contras”. The tilt over links betwixt Moon’s organisation together with both North together with Republic of Korea is ongoing.