Unificationism

The Unification Church was founded in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, a religious minister who was raised in a Christian household. Moon was originally from northern Korea and founded The Washington Times, a conservative newspaper. The church's adherents were known colloquially as "Moonies" until the late 1980s or early 1990s. The church 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.

Mass suicide rumor

In the aftermath of the Jonestown Massacre, rumors circulated that Unification Church members were of like mind to members of the People's Temple. However, basic differences include a prohibition on suicide (classed by the church as a worse sin than murder), an international base (as opposed to one large, local community); minimal pressure to maintain membership, resulting in a 94% voluntary dropout rate in the years 1975 to 1995, a repudiation of the doctrine of Reincarnation, and an God-centered ideological opposition to Marxism.

Anti-semitism charge

Despite its large percentage of Jewish members, 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", asserting that "every time Rev. Moon mentions Jews or Israelites he portrays them collectively as reprobate, with evil intentions."

Unificationists deny that they are anti-Semitic, regarding Judaism as an "older brother" and recommending that the US defend Israel militarily against Arab aggression.

• And yet, in spite of this clear and explicit statement, we were attacked repeatedly and accused of anti-Semitism. Our views were distorted, our struggle, its meaning and objectives misrepresented.
• The Unification Movement categorically condemns anti- Semitism, the most hideous, abject and cruel form of hatred. We regard the murder of six million Jews in Europe the result of political short- sightedness and lack of moral responsibility on the part of Germany's political and religious leaders, and statesmen from among other nations, in the period between the Two World Wars.
• Ignoring the basic teachings of the Scriptures, they acted too late to block Hitler's ascent to power, they postponed the action for his downfall, and they did nothing to rescue the victims who were the captives of his satanic plans and designs.
• Only a unified front of all Christian and Jewish forces, inspired by the principles of the Divine Commandments and guided by the concept of human brotherhood, would have been able to prevent the Holocaust, the implementation of the "Final Solution," -- a Cain-inspired action, carried out by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945.
• The Unification Movement recognizes the divine and natural right of the Jewish people to physical survival and preservation of its specific religious traditions, the marks of its distinctive historical entity. These fundamental human rights must be secured everyhwere, especially for Jews living in the lands of the Diaspora.

In 2003 Moon gave a sermon at Arlington, Virginia, describing the death of six million Jews in the Holocaust: "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." This sentence has been taken out of context, and the key point that it was Satan rather than God who acted has been ignored. The Divine Principle interprets the Old Testament in terms of God's love for the Jews as the chosen people. When they acted righteously, they were blessed and protected; when they fell into sin they were scattered. This view is in accord with Western thought.

Moonies are also accused of separating members from their families, and pressuring members to work long hours and hand over what they earn to the "Church".