Unificationism

The Unification Church was founded in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, a Christian minister from northern Korea and the founder of the Washington Times. The church's adherents are commonly known as "Moonies." It preaches a universalist doctrine of salvation based on a doctrine called the Unification Principle. Rev. Moon, calling himself the Lord of the Second Advent, believes he is the new messiah, sent to complete the elimination of evil, the establishment of a perfect society on earth and the cleansing of mankind of Original sin. Moon, who has been accused of serial adultery and fornication, has stated "Even God lies very often."

Controversy

The Church has been dogged by charges of anti-Semitism for many years, and in 1976 the American Jewish Committee published the report Jews and Judaism in Rev. Moon's Divine Principle, noting "every time Rev. Moon mentions Jews or Israelites he portrays them collectively as reprobate, with evil intentions." As recently as 2003 Moon stated in a sermon at Arlington, Virginia that the death of six million Jews in the Holocaust was a form of divine retribution: "Through the principle of indemnity Hitler killed 6 million Jews. That is why. God could not prevent Satan from doing that because Israel killed the True Parents."

The movement has also been dogged with allegations that their followers are brainwashed, and that the movement preys "on the discontent, anger and disenfranchisement of the young, transforming their youthful concepts and values into the dogma of Reverend Sun Myung Moon."

In Gift of Deceit Robert Boettcher states: "The American System is ill-equipped to deal with Moon. He knows this and benefits from it. He can break some laws and use others for protection. By perverting freedom of religion, he can keep thousands of people in brainwashed captivity while he intimidates and manipulates the non-Moon world." The book further states, "The United States government believed brainwashing was real enough in the Korean War. Apparently that was different because Communists were doing it to American soldiers. When Moon does it in the name of God he gets away with it."

Views of other religions

There is no room for Christianity within Unification Church doctrine, and Moon warns Christians that they will be "swept away". "Innumerable Christians of today are dashing on the way which they think will lead them to the Kingdom of Heaven. Nevertheless, the road is apt to lead them into hell." He says: "Christians must accept the revelations within [his] Divine Principle and [accept him as] the Lord of the Second Advent or be damned."

"Moon teaches his followers and captives that Jesus' mission was foredoomed by John the Baptist, who spent his time baptizing people instead of becoming Jesus' obedient disciple for influencing the politics of the Herod regime, and even killing the enemies of Christ. Though Christian beliefs portrays the Virgin birth. Moon teaches that Jesus was a child of adultery, not immaculate conception. "Mary was impregnated by Zachariah (John the Baptist's father). Jesus had an unhappy home life because Joseph was jealous of Zachariah and resented Jesus."

"Moon also states, "When Jesus grew up he failed as a leader because he was unable to love his disciples enough to motivate them to kill for him or die in his place." Moon says that his love is not weak, like he portrays Jesus. "Since Jesus was incapable of perfect love, owing to his unwholesome upbringing, he was also unable to marry as intended by God," Moon said. "The reason why Jesus died was because he couldn't have a bride. Because there was no preparation of a bride to receive Jesus, that was the cause of his death."

"Moon sees Christian churches as furthering Satan's power. "Israel was God's chosen nation, but the Jews, falling prey to Satan's power, rejected Jesus. God punished them with centuries of suffering, and finally cleansed them by killing six million in World War II. But the Jews had missed their chance. God had to find a new Messiah and a new Adam nation because it is God's principle not to use the same people and the same territory twice," Moon teaches. "Korea was ideally suited for several reasons [for example] it is a peninsula, physically resembling the male sex organ."