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<blockquote>Emperors, kings and presidents... have declared to all Heaven and Earth that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is none other than humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent.</blockquote>
<blockquote>Emperors, kings and presidents... have declared to all Heaven and Earth that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is none other than humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent.</blockquote>
<blockquote>The founders of five great religions and many other leaders in the spirit world, including even Communist leaders such as Marx and Lenin... and dictators such as Hitler and Stalin, have found strength in my teachings, mended their ways and been reborn as new persons.</blockquote>
<blockquote>The founders of five great religions and many other leaders in the spirit world, including even [[Communist]] leaders such as [[Marx]] and [[Lenin]]... and dictators such as [[Hitler]] and [[Stalin]], have found strength in my teachings, mended their ways and been reborn as new persons.</blockquote>
<blockquote>In the context of heaven's providence, I am God's ambassador, sent to earth with His full authority. I am sent to accomplish His command to save the world's 6 billion people, restoring them to heaven with the original goodness in which they were created.</blockquote>
<blockquote>In the context of heaven's providence, I am God's ambassador, sent to earth with His full authority. I am sent to accomplish His command to save the world's 6 billion people, restoring them to heaven with the original goodness in which they were created.</blockquote>
Certain prominent politicians took part in the ceremony, stating afterward that they were misled.<ref>The Washington Post, Wednesday, June 23, 2004; Page A01</ref><ref> http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38947</ref>
Certain prominent politicians took part in the ceremony, stating afterward that they were misled.<ref>The Washington Post, Wednesday, June 23, 2004; Page A01</ref><ref> http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38947</ref>
==Theological development and form==
Moon's theology is seen to be similar to, or influenced by a variety of sources. Moon's parents had followed a blend of traditional Korean religions - Confucianism, Buddhism and folk shamanism before choosing to convert to Presbyterian faith. Early on in his departure from Christian theology, Moon was influenced by "Paik Moon Kim, a self-proclaimed messiah",<ref>Encyclopedia of American Religions, Gordon Melton, Vol. 2, p. 226</ref> whose teachings Moon is seen using. Moon also cited a cult text from the fifteenth or sixteenth century, the ''Chung Kam Nok'', which supported his claim that Korea would bring forth the messiah.<ref>The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions, p. 776</ref>
One of Moon's early converts, Young Oon Kim, is understood to be a further influence in the development of Unification theology. Also known as Miss Kim, she tended to see visions, hear voices, and have hallucinations in her youth, and become deeply influenced by the writing of occultist Emanuel Swedenborg, whom she said appeared to her in visions. Having rejected much of her early [[Methodist]] training, Kim sought to be ordained in a small organization called the ''Universal Church of the Master'', and also combined various ideas from other religions. Miss Kim would later be particularly influential in its growth of Unificationism in the [[United States]], as its the first missionary there. Kim also worked in translating the Divine Principle into English.<ref>http://www.religionfacts.com/unification_church/index.htm</ref><ref>George D. Chryssides, ''Unifying or Dividing? Sun Myung Moon and the Origins of the Unification Church'', University of Wolverhampton, U.K.</ref><ref>http://www.letusreason.org/moon2.htm</ref>
The primary doctrinal authority for the Unificationismm is the 536 page work, ''Divine Principle'', which was was published in 1957. This is considered to be divinely inspired scripture, though it is stated to be "only part of the new truth. ...as time goes on, deeper parts of the truth will be continually revealed" <ref>Today's World, September 1992, p. 16</ref>
According to Unificationism, God is both masculine and feminine, according to the concept called ''polarity'', and is based on finding the characteristics which are common to all entities in his Creation." <ref>Outline of the Principle - Level 4, p. 10</ref> being similar to the idea of deity seen in [[I Ching]], [[Confucianism]], [[Taoism]], as well as the [[Hindu]] worship of a Mother Goddess.<ref>Unification Theology, p. 56.</ref>
The purpose of creation is to perfect relationships of love between God and man and each other, and to have dominion over creation, which constitutes a tri-fold process called the ''Three Blessings''. This includes the requirement that perfect families be realized and replicated. However, [[Adam]] and [[Eve]] are held to have sinned by fornicating, with Eve being sexually seduced by [[Lucifer]], followed by Adam having marital relations with Eve, which according to Moon was not to have taken place until they had reached a stage of perfection. Due to their failure, "they multiplied selfishness and corruption. As a result, we have never seen "true parents" who could raise sinless children and create a sinless lineage."
In seeking the restoration of God's plan and establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, Moon's theology mandated that ''indemnity conditions'' be met, and that someone would restore the ''Foundation of Faith'' and the ''Foundation of Substance'', and achieve perfection, have an ideal marriage, raise sinless children, and then propagate this perfection till the kingdom comes. God’s efforts at restoration are stated to have included [[Cain and Abel]], [[Noah]], [[Abraham]], [[Moses]], [[John the Baptist]] and [[Jesus Christ]], but all of whom Moon claims failed.
Jesus is held to have provided a spiritual salvation, while His bodily physical resurrection is denied, and He is rejected as having completed God’s plan, due to Him having died without marrying and raising perfect children, which would have provided physical salvation. In contrast, Sun Myung Moon is stated to have fulfilled all the conditions necessary to be the Messiah (which was officially proclaimed in 1971), and to have enabled salvation for mankind.<ref>[http://www.religionfacts.com/unification_church/index.htm ReligionFacts: ''Unification Church''].</ref><ref>James A. Beckford, ''Cult controversies: the societal response to new religious movements'', pp. 44-48.</ref>
In 1960 Moon married 17 year-old Hak Ja Han, his third and present wife. This year was when ''the marriage of the Lamb'' prophesied in the book of Revelation took place, and (Moon) the Lord of the Second Advent and His Bride became the True Parents of mankind, according to Moon.<ref>Bjornstad, ''The Moon Is Not The Son'', pp. 62-63.</ref> Being held as the first couple to be able to bring forth children with no original sin,<ref>http://www.carm.org/religious-movements/-religions-list/unification-church</ref> Hak Ja Han is reported to have borne 14 children.<ref>http://www.letusreason.org/Moon.htm</ref>
Sun Myung Moon also asserted that Jesus now serves his dead son, Heung Jin, in heaven.
<blockquote>
He does not have the heartistic bond with True Parents that the True Children do. Therefore, Heung Jin takes the position of first son in the spirit world. It is correct that Heung Jin is called Lord there. He went there instead of Parents, which means that the birthright is restored in the spirit world. That is why Jesus must serve him absolutely.<ref>Sun Myung Moon - 1987-12-4. Hannam-dong House - The Tribal Messiah - Sermon 2 - Establishment of The Birthright</ref>.<ref>http://www.moontribune.com/cult/2008/11/24/christian-church-leaders-call-sun-myung-moon-the-devil-and-anti-christ</ref></blockquote>
Moon had completed the ''Original Palace for the Attendance of True Parents'' by 2004, in South Korea. Before its completion, Moon’s medium, Dae Mo Nim, described it as the place “where God and True Parents can work together".</ref><ref>[http://www.moontribune.com/cult/2008/11/24/christian-church-leaders-call-sun-myung-moon-the-devil-and-anti-christ Christian Church leaders call Sun Myung Moon the “Devil and Anti-Christ”]</ref>
Sun Myung Moon is seen as an object to whom faith and obedience is to be rendered by his followers, even as an often recited promises, "I will become a dutiful son and a child of goodness to attend to our Father Moon forever.<ref>Ronald Enroth, ''Youth, Brainwashing and the cult extremists'', p. 19.</ref>
==Opposition==
==Opposition==