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