Unification Church

The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded in Seoul in 1954 as the “Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity” by Sun Myung Moon (b. 1920), a Korean who claims to have been asked by God to assume the role of the Messiah and restore the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. This, often contentious, movement (officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification since 1994) spread throughout the world, attracting the cooperation, admiration, and antagonism of notables in the worlds of religion, politics, academia, the media, business, the arts, entertainment, and sport. Among the more publicized features of the movement have been Moon's support for President Richard Nixon and the mass weddings where thousands of couples are “blessed” by Moon and his wife, known to their followers as “True Parents.”

The Unification Church has an elaborate theology based on Moon's interpretation of the Bible and his own role as Messiah. The basic beliefs are outlined in the Divine Principle, which explains that humankind's fallen nature is due to Eve, who after being spiritually seduced by Lucifer, had a physical relationship with Adam before they had matured sufficiently to be blessed by God in marriage. Various key figures throughout history have been meant to contribute to the restoration. Jesus was unable to complete his mission because he was murdered before he could marry and set up the ideal, God-centered family, but this, it is claimed, was accomplished in 1960 when Moon married his present wife. A vast collection of talks by Moon contain further revelations of how he and his family have established numerous “foundations” from which [Page 1319]the futures of the physical and spiritual worlds have been developing according to God's plan.

Moon has always been a controversial figure, evoking extremes of adulation from his followers and intense detestation from his opponents. He has been imprisoned in Korea and, later, in America for tax evasion. He and his church first received international publicity through a series of revivalist rallies after he moved to the United States of America in the early 1970s, when the appeal was disproportionately made to welleducated, middle-class adults in their early 20s. Popularly known as “Moonies” (a term Unificationists now consider offensive), the converts became a familiar sight, selling flowers, candy, and literature in public places and inviting students and backpackers to meet friendly groups of idealistic young people eager to share their vision of how to serve God and/or make the world a better place. This could involve abandoning promising careers to work up to 18 hours a day, living in relatively primitive conditions, severing ties with relatives and friends, and letting Moon choose their marriage partner, who might not even speak their language. Concerned parents frequently became convinced that the only plausible explanation was that their offspring had been “brainwashed” and, in some cases, resorted to kidnapping in order to “deprogram” them.

Although details of the movement's finances are shrouded in mystery, it is clear that billions of dollars have been involved in the purchase of real estate (including land for a new “Garden of Eden” in Brazil), the running of businesses (including the loss-making Washington Times), and the promotion of Moon's many political ventures, supported by prominent figures such as George H. W. Bush and Louis Farrakhan, who, with other celebrities, are not infrequent guests at Unification conferences and dinners. In 2004, several congressmen found themselves witnessing Moon's “coronation” as “King of Peace” in a Senate Office Building. There are more than 1,000 organizations, institutions, and businesses associated in some way with Unificationism. These include Ambassadors for Peace: Bridgeport University; CARP; Il Hwa; International Cultural Foundation; Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace; Professors World Peace Academy; Tong Il; and Women's Federation for World Peace. Unification businesses range from manufacturing armaments to fish restaurants; one lucrative Japanese enterprise is the “spiritual sales” of objects such as marble urns or statues for millions of yen on the understanding that they bring benefit to and from deceased relatives in the spirit world.

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