The Unification Church

The Divine Principle

Meet Your New Messiah

A Red-Letter DayAugust 20, 1985

The “Moon-Magic”

My victory at Danbury also has meant my own resurrection,

both physically and spiritually. I am now in the position of

Lord of the second Advent to the world… Much confusion and chaos

prevailed before I entered prison. But with my emergence as the

victorious Lord of the Second Advent for the world, a new order has

come into being.

(Moon, “Causa Seminar Speech,” 8-29-85, 7-8.)

Welcome to the world of the “Moonies”

Who are the Moonies?• Official Names

– Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity

– Unification Church

– Family Federation for World Peace & Unification

• Increasingly a secularized social – political movement

– Intentional cultic spectrum migration

• Trend toward New Age beliefs

– Appeal to middle class educated young people

– Conduct business under multiple pseudonyms

– Westernization of eastern religious ideas

– Misinterpretation of scriptures to force compatibility with eastern

religious orientation

– Intense psychological pressure on membership conformity/loyalty

Who are the Moonies?

• Synopsis of UC message

– Dynamic, loving group following a powerful,

influential, religious visionary

– Moon presents a message of social

improvement/cooperation for betterment of

mankind

– Hybrid of Eastern philosophy (Taoism),

democratic idealism, and Christianity

– Dualistic philosophy (Taoism) • Key to his “new truth” in the Taoist Book of Changes

(I Ching)

Who are the Moonies?

• Two Popular / Historic Features

– Mass Weddings – “The Blessing Ceremony” • Large spectacles uniting couples in Divine unions

• Meaning/purpose? – Completion/harmony of life

– Recruitment/funding: “heavenly deception”• Practice of “justified lying”

• How are we to regard the Unification Church

movement? – Unificationists accustomed to controversy

– Consider themselves an “ecumenical” movement

Essential Elements of Moon’s Life

• Bio Data of Sun Myung Moon (1920-)

– Born Yong Myung Moon (Shining Dragon)

– Reared when North Korea was a colony of Japan

– Studied at Waseda University in Japan

– Spiritual quest: “Nine Year Struggle”

• Revelation from JC in 1936

• New ideology to world – Unification Theory

– Divine Principle (theological expression)

– Unification Thought (philosophical expression)

– Victory of Communism Theory (political expression)

– The Divine Principle produced in 1952

• Considered authoritative writing for UC

Essential Elements of Moon’s Life

• Suffering for his faith / courage (1940’s - 1950’s)

– Taking message first to South then North Korea

– Married first of several (four?) wives and had a son

– Peculiar Pentecostal associations

• Discovering “Nine levels of spirit world”

– Complications soon revolving around irresponsible

sexual activities

• practicing a “Blood Cleansing” doctrine

Essential Elements of Moon’s Life

• Suffering for his faith / courage (1940’s - 1950’s)

– Additional Troubles

• Arrested by North Korean authorities (1948 )

• Excommunicated from Presbyterian Church – 1948

• Married second wife (without divorcing the first) -- 1949

– Arrested again – sent to Prison Camp in North Korea

• Liberated from prison camp (1950)

– Began ministry in Pusan (South Korea) in 1951

• Well on way to becoming true movement

Essential Elements of Moon’s life

• Founding events of the Unification Church

– Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of

World Christianity (1954 in South Korea)

– Again facing troubles over “religious

teachings” (arrested)

– Mission to Japan launched – 1958

– Young Kim (UC theologian) sent to USA (1959)

• Unification Theology presents doctrinal views

Essential Elements of Moon’s life

• Marriage to Hak Ja Han – March 1960

– Divine fulfillment of “Marriage of the Lamb” in

Rev. 21:9

• Cosmic Era as first “True Parents”

• Power to bless other marriages with pureness and

sinless offspring

– Marriage produced 13 children

• Firstborn died in car accident at age 17

• Other children faced multiple public scandals

Essential Elements of Moon’s life

• Worldwide attention: Moon came to USA in 1970’s – High Publicity Events

• Mass Weddings: e.g. Madison Square Garden

• Public Demonstration Marches: e.g. Washington Monument

– Public defense of Richard Nixon (during cold-war era)

– Promoted powerful Coalitions and Conferences

• American Freedom Coalition

• CAUSA International (1980)

– Insured influence through multiple structures

• Religious Organizations / Political Groups / Businesses

– Media Blitzkrieg: Washington Times

– Educational Emphases: Conferences / Seminary

– Public Challenges: The IRS case: 1983 Tax Evasion Issue

Essential Elements of Moon’s life

• The “Moon Magic” – a Cautionary Note

– Easy to be seduced by rhetoric of success

• Moon’s life is made to sound like a fairy tale

• Facts: Massive influence in global business and

politics

– Controversy / media attention often hide fact

that Moon has limited religious support

• Church growth has subsided in recent years

• Public popularity of 1970’s waning

– Deportation attempt

Nine Central Unification Beliefs

• A new revelation – Bible is scripture, but superseded by Divine

Principle • Three “testaments” (Old, New, “Complete”)

– Denies Bible’s ultimate authority

• A new Messiah – Extreme form of dispensationalim

– Rev. Moon is Messiah for the Completed Testament Age

– God has chosen “nation of east” to become the “third Israel”

– Rev. Moon to complete failed mission of Jesus

Nine Central Unification Beliefs

• A new understanding of God/Trinity

– God described in “dual essentialities”

– Panentheism – God is “in” everything

– “Trinity” is various groups of 3 beings

• A new understanding of Jesus

– Zechariah fathered Jesus (tension)

– Not divine, simply sinless man on earth

– Cross brings only spiritual salvation

– Denies bodily resurrection

Nine Central Unification Beliefs

• A new view of the Holy Spirit

– Female aspect of God / spiritual bride of Christ

(2nd Eve)

– The “mother spirit” who along with JC,

cleanses sins & gives spiritual rebirth

– Not a person, but a divine energy

Nine Central Unification Beliefs

• New view of the Fall of mankind

– Taoist: Adam/Eve fell in two ways

– Spiritually: Eve seduced into sexual

intercourse with Satan

– Physically: Eve then had relations with Adam

– Subsequent history is reflection of this

horizontal fall

– God’s purpose in Creation, thus frustrated

– Duty of Rev. Moon…To indemnify (pay for) all

the past sins of mankind

Nine Central Unification Beliefs

• A new view of salvation

– JC is not the final and ultimate savior of the world

– For full salvation, God has sent a third Adam (Moon)

– Divine Marriage: Hak Ja Han

• Through their family, the kingdom of heaven will be

brought to earth

• Moon is known as True Father and his wife as True Mother

– System of Indemnity: Resettling divine debt -- A

salvation that is by works

• Similar to concept of karma

• Salvation is restoration of original created order

• Salvation also linked closely to spiritism

Nine Central Unification Beliefs

• A new view of eschatology

– Postmillennial view

• Denies JC will return / Moon completes

• Date of millennium (postponed!)

– Pluralistic: But UC holds ideal truth

• To defy Moon is to defy self, posterity, one’s country,

the world and God

– Nature of eternal existence in Heaven

• Eastern ethnocentrism glorified

– Universalist – deny eternality of hell

Nine Central Unification Beliefs

• A new ritual in worship / religious life

– Nature of the church • Church does not ordain ministers

• Membership process?

• See church as global movement, not sectarian

worshippers

• Temporary institution

– Religious life• New liturgical calendar of holy days

• Distinctive elements for securing holiness

– Holy candles / attire / bowing / Moon’s photo

• Esoteric rituals as well

– Holy salt / Holy wine / Holy grounds

Reaching the Moonies

• Points of Contention / Confrontation

– Unification theology is unbiblical

• Distortion of creation narratives

• Distortion of virgin birth & infant narratives

– Unification theology denigrates person of Jesus Christ

• Intentionally displaces Christ as exclusive and unique

savior

– Unification prophecies are speculative and incorrect

• Erroneous predictions about himself, his followers, and

world events

– Moon’s egocentric and implausible views

• Bombastic claims warrant scrutiny for their rationality and

sustainability

Reaching the Moonies

• Some practical strategies

– Address in loving manner

• Will not respond to those who cannot emulate high-

quality care they are accustomed to

– Affirm their freedom of religion

• Defend their right to believe in Rev. Moon and to

accept teachings of Divine Principle

• With confidence and trust built over time, you can

then question the validity

– Treat them as individuals

• Not all members are alike – great diversity within UC

Reaching the Moonies

• Some practical strategies

– Commend them for every good/decent reality in their

faith/lifestyle

• Moon has produced ideas worthy of audience and respect

on some issues

– View them as sincere followers of their faith

• Nothing gained by assuming they are all crazy or insincere

• Many offer strong personal testimonies of passionate, life-

changing devotion

– Appealing Strategy: Invite them to the true Messiah

• Members labor under a heavy burden from false messiah

• Invite them to consider liberating claims of Gospel of Jesus

which truly transforms