Sun Myung Moon
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/* Daughter-in-law's book questions role as "True Parent" */ added detail on notability, and reference
{{Infobox Korean name
|img=Sun-Myung-Moon-Prayer.jpg
|imgwidth=180px
|caption=
|hangul=문선명
|hanja=[[wikt:文|文]][[wikt:鮮|鮮]][[wikt:明|明]]
|rr=Mun Seon-myeong
|mr=Mun Sŏnmyŏng
|birthdate = {{birth date and age|1920|1|6}}
|location = [[North Korea]]
}}
'''Sun Myung Moon''' (born in what is now [[North Korea]]: [[January 6]] [[1920]]) is the founder and leader of the world-wide [[Unification Church]] and of the larger [[Unification Movement]] which owns, operates or subsidizes many organizations involved in political, cultural, mass-media, and other activities. One of the best known of these is the ''[[Washington Times]]'' newspaper.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E5DA1238F93BA25756C0A964948260 AROUND THE NATION; Sun Myung Moon Paper Appears in Washington] from ''[[The New York Times]]''</ref>
Moon has said he is the [[Second Coming of Christ]], the "[[Savior]]", "returning Lord", and "[[True Parent]]". He teaches that all people should become perfected like [[Jesus]] and like himself, and that as such he "appears in the world as the substantial body of God Himself." He is well-known for holding [[Blessing Ceremony|Blessing ceremonies]], which are often called "mass weddings". <ref>[http://www.unification.org/ucbooks/Mspks/2003/20031015_1.html Let Us Perfect the Peace Kingdom Through the Peace United Nations<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61932-2004Jun22.html| title=The Rev. Moon Honored at Hill Reception - Lawmakers Say They Were Misled| first=Charles| last=Babington| coauthors=Alan Cooperman| journal=Washington Post| month=June 23| year=2004| pages=A01}}</ref>
Moon has been among the most controversial modern religious leaders. He and his followers have been widely criticized, both for their religious beliefs and for their social and political activism. <ref> [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sun_Myung_Moon_in_Congressional_Record_(1976) Sun Myung Moon in Congressional Record (1976)] from [[Wikisource]]</ref>
==Early biography==
===Life in Korea===
Moon was born on January 6, [[1920]] in Sangsa-ri (上思里, lit. "high-thought village"), Deogun-myon, Jeongju-gun, [[North Pyongan|North P'yŏng'an]] [[Provinces of Korea|Province]], [[Korea]] (now in [[North Korea]]) to Moon Kyung-yoo and Kim Kyung-gye. The Moon family held traditional [[Confucianist]] beliefs, but converted to [[Christianity]] and joined the [[Presbyterian Church]] when he was around 10 years old. Moon taught [[Sunday school]] for the church.<ref name="massmarr">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1997/unification_church/34821.stm Mass Moonie Marriage in the US]</ref>
On [[April 17]] [[1935]], when he was 16 (in [[East Asian age reckoning|Korean age reckoning]]), Moon says he had a vision or revelation of [[Jesus]] while praying atop a small mountain. He says that Jesus asked him to complete the unfinished task of establishing God's kingdom on Earth and bring peace to the world.
Moon's high school years were spent at a boys' boarding school in [[Seoul]], and later in [[Japan]], where he studied [[electrical engineering]]. During this time he studied the [[Bible]] and developed his own interpretation of it. After the end of [[World War II]] he returned to Korea and began preaching his message.<ref name="massmarr" />
Moon was arrested in 1946 by North Korean officials. The church states that the charges stemmed from the jealousy and resentment of other church pastors after parishioners stopped tithing to their old churches upon joining Sun Myung Moon's congregation. Police beat him and left him almost dead, but a teenage disciple, [[Won Pil Kim]], nursed him back to health.
Moon was arrested again and was given a five-year sentence in 1948 to the [[Hŭngnam]] [[labor camp]], where prisoners were routinely worked to death on short rations. Moon credits his survival to God's protection over his life and his habit of saving half his meager water ration for washing the toxic chemicals off his skin after long days work bagging and loading chemical fertilizer with his bare hands. After serving 34 months of his sentence, he was released in 1950 when [[United Nations|UN]] troops advanced on the camp and the guards fled.
Moon was jailed briefly on counterfeiting charges during the [[Korean War]] when, shortly after escaping from North Korea, he tried to spend some North Korean currency in South Korea. He was released after his former kindergarten teacher vouched for him. He was also charged with draft evasion. These charges were eventually dropped, after it was determined that Moon was in a North Korean prison camp during the war. Later he would explain to his followers that since he considered himself to be the True Parent of all people, he never wanted to be in a position where he would be required to kill his fellow men.
In 1954, he registered the 'Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity' in Seoul (also known as the ''[[Unification Church]]'').
===Marriages and children===
In November 1943 Moon married Sun Kil Choi. Their son, Sung Jin Moon, was born in 1946. They divorced in 1953 soon after Moon's release from prison in North Korea. Choi and Sung Jin Moon are now both members of the Unification Church. Choi has remarried. <ref name="sigbooks">[http://www.signaturebooks.com/excerpts/unification.htm The Unification Church: Studies in Contemporary Religion] Massimo Introvigne, Signature Books, ISBN 1-56085-145-7</ref>
Moon was still married to his first wife when he began a relationship with his second (common law) wife Myung Hee Kim, who gave birth to a son named Hee Jin Moon (who was killed in a train accident). The church does not regard this as infidelity, but rather part of God's "providential" plan.<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Talks/Feffermn/Fefferman-HeeJin.htm Hee Jin Moon and Myung Hee Kim], Unification Sermons and Talks, Dan Fefferman, December 25, 1998.</ref>
Moon married his third wife, [[Hak Ja Han]],<ref>Normally, in relaying Moon's biography to members, his second wife (common-law wife) Myung Hee Kim is counted as the second wife and Hak Ja Han is counted as the third wife.</ref> on [[April 11]] [[1960]], soon after she turned 17 years old, in a ceremony called the "Holy Marriage." Han, called "Mother" or "True Mother" by followers, and her husband together are referred to as the "[[True Parents]]" by members of the Unification Church.
Hak Ja Han gave birth to 14 children; her second daughter died in infancy. The family is known in the church as the "[[True Family]]" and the children as the "[[True Children]]." Shortly after their marriage they presided over a [[Blessing Ceremony]] for 36 couples, the first of many such ceremonies.
[[Nansook Hong]], ex-wife of [[Hyo Jin Moon]], Sun Myung Moon's eldest son, said in her 1998 book ''[[In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family]]'', that both Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han told her about Moon's extramarital affairs (which she said he called "providential affairs"), including one which resulted in the birth of a boy raised by a church leader, named by Sun Myung Moon's daughter [[Un Jin Moon]] on the news show ''[[60 Minutes]]''.<ref>[http://video.aol.com/video-detail/nan-sook-hong/1354477572 Nansook Hong interviews on local and national news, including ''60 Minutes''], where Moon's illegitimate son mentioned by name (without being asked to name him) by his daughter [[Un Jin Moon]].</ref>
In 1993 Chung Hwa Pak released the book ''Roku Maria no Higeki'' (''Tragedy of the Six Marys''). The book contained allegations that Moon conducted sex rituals among six married female disciples ("The Six Marys") who were to have prepared the way for the virgin who would marry Moon and become the True Mother. Chung Hwa Pak had left the movement when the book was published and later withdrew the book from print when he rejoined the Unification Church. Before his death Chung Hwa Pak published a second book, ''The Apostate'', and recanted all allegations made in ''Roku Maria no Higeki''.
<ref>A speech made by Pak titled "Retraction of ''The Tragedy of the Six Marys''" can be found at [http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Talks/Pak/Chung-Hwa-Pak-Retraction.htm www.tparents.org].</ref>
=== Name and titles ===
{{Infobox Korean name
| title = [[Korean name]]
| hangul = 문용명
| hanja = 文龍明
| rr = Mun Yong-myeong
| mr = Mun Yongmyŏng
| tablewidth = 265
| color = lavender
}}
In 1953, Moon decided that his birth name, '''Mun Yong Myong''' was not a suitable name for an evangelist because ''Yong'', which means dragon, might be interpreted by Christians as referring to the serpent, devil, or the antichrist of the [[Book of Revelation]] as opposed to the [[Korean dragon|benevolent creature of Korean mythology]]. So, he changed his name to ''Son-myong'' (which he spelled "Sun Myung").<ref>In a speech Moon explained that the [[hanja]] for ''moon'' (문, 文), his [[Korean name|surname]], means "word" or "literature" in Korean. The character ''sun'' (선, 鮮), composed of "fish" and "lamb" (symbols of Christianity), means "fresh." The character ''myung'' (명, 明), composed of "sun" and "moon", (which was part of his [[Korean name|given name]]), means "bright." Together, ''sun-myung'' means "make clear." So the full name can be taken to mean "the word made clear." Moon concluded by saying, "My name is prophetic." {{cite web| url=http://www.unification.net/1984/840115.html| title=Reverend Sun Myung Moon Speaks on The Necessity for the Day of Victory of Love| year=January 15, 1984| accessdate=2006-08-09}}</ref>
In the English-speaking world, Moon is often referred to as "Reverend Moon" by Unification Church members, as well as by the general public and the media. Unification Church members most often call Moon "Father" or "True Father." He is also sometimes called "Father Moon," mostly by some non-members involved with Unificationist projects. Similar titles are used for his wife: "Mother", "True Mother", or "Mother Moon". "Dr. Moon" has also occasionally been used because Moon received an honorary doctorate from the Shaw Divinity School of [[Shaw University]].
==Basic teachings==
{{main|Divine Principle|Unification theology}}
Moon's main teachings are contained in the book ''[[Divine Principle]]'' (retranslated in 1996 as ''Discourse on Divine Principle''<ref>[http://www.geocities.com/unificationism/DivinePrinciple-toc-b.html Exposition of the Divine Principle], HSA-UWC, 1996.</ref>). Arranged according to [[Systematic theology]], the book is divided into "Principle of Creation", "Fall of Man" and the "History of Restoration" (this third part makes up the bulk of the book).
The basic elements of [[Divine Principle]] were first written down in the early 1950s. The Divine Principle consists of Rev. Moon's interpretation of the Bible and Judeo-Christian history and reflect elements of [[Confucianism]], which formed the background for Moon's early education.
One of the key concepts in the Divine Principle is found in Rev. Moon's interpretation of Genesis 1:28, "Be fruitful and multiply… and have dominion over the fish of the sea…" as constituting the "Three Blessings" that represent God's command to all human beings:
:*To grow to healthy maturity in body and spirit, where the body and spirit are integrated in mutual benefit and live in relation to the creator God, and for the sake of others;
:*To establish an ideal family and expand that to instantiate true family love to all levels of social expansion, again always in relation to the creator God; and
:*To maintain responsible stewardship of the earth and all of nature, and live a joyful and abundant physical life in preparation for an even more fantastic joy and abundance in eternal spiritual life.
===Principle of Creation===
Other fundamental ideas include the principle that everything in the universe, as a reflection of God's nature, has equal and complementary paired attributes; male and female (biology), positive and negative (particle physics), yin and yang (philosophy) and so on. Reciprocal interaction between these paired elements is essential to life, survival and growth. Also, everything in creation has an internal "character" and an external "form" or manifestation. In people the analogy is expressed as the spiritual mind and the physical body<!-- let's keep it simple for this article -->, and in simpler forms of life and non-life, simpler levels of character and form.
===Fall and Restoration===
Rev. Moon teaches that before the first human beings were able to grow into a natural completion of their relationship with God they sinned through a misuse of love. Thus they experienced separation from God and from their original, pure nature.
Thus the messiah comes as "true Adam" to restore what the first ancestors should have achieved, to restore all people to a sinless state and to build the kingdom of God on earth. Largely because of the [[Unification theology#Jesus and John the Baptist|failure of John the Baptist]], Jesus accomplished only the first part of this spiritual salvation, so a new messiah must [[second coming of Christ|appear]] from Korea to finish the work.
===Philosophy===
{{main|Unification Thought}}
A systematic philosophical presentation of Moon's ideas is contained in various books on "[[Unification Thought]]".
===Political ideas===
{{main|Unification Church political views}}
Moon's teachings have political ramifications, primarily based on his idea that spiritual principles should be put into practice in the real world. He opposes atheistic [[Communism]], primarily on theological grounds. His stand on social issues is based on his interpretation of sin, and is similar to a very conservative Christian morality. He calls for the literal establishment of a kingdom of God on earth.
==1970s==
===Move to the U.S.===
In 1971 Moon moved to the [[United States]], which he had first visited in 1965, to live. He maintained a residence in [[South Korea]] and traveled between the two countries.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.tparents.org/Library/Moon/Photos/Mph-1954/TF-1965.jpg| title=Image of Moon's arrival| accessdate=2006-04-29| format=JPG}}</ref>
===Support for Nixon===
In 1974 he came to national media and public attention when he supported President [[Richard Nixon]] during the [[Watergate]] scandal, urging Americans to "forgive, love, unite."<ref>[http://www.cesnur.org/2003/vil2003_chryssides.htm Unifying or Dividing? Sun Myung Moon and the Origins of the Unification Church], by George D. Chryssides, University of Wolverhampton, U.K. A paper presented at the CESNUR 2003 Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania.</ref>
===Public speeches===
In the 1970s Moon, who had seldom spoken to the general public before, gave a series of public speeches to large audiences in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. The largest were a rally in 1975 against North Korean aggression in Seoul with around a million people attending and a speech in Washington D.C. with around 300,000 attending.<ref name="sigbooks" />
===Congressional investigation===
{{main|Fraser Committee}}
In 1977 and 1978, a congressional subcommittee led by [[Donald M. Fraser]] conducted an investigation of Korean-American relations and produced a report that included 81 pages about Moon and what the subcommittee termed "the Moon Organization."<ref>[http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/moonies/fraser-report/index.html ''Investigation of Korean-American Relations; Report of the Subcommittee on International Organizations of the Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives''].</ref> Congressman [[Robert Boettcher]] (in his book ''[[Gifts of Deceit|Gifts of Deceit: Sun Myung Moon, Tongsun Park, and the Korean Scandal]]'' published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1980) reported what they described as breathtaking financial misdoing. No criminal indictments came out of these congressional investigations.
==1980s==
[[Image:True-Parents-portrait.jpg|thumb|Sun Myung Moon and [[Hak Ja Han]]]]
===U.S. tax case===
{{main|Sun Myung Moon tax case}}
In 1982 Moon was convicted by the [[United States|U.S.]] government for filing false federal [[income tax]] returns and [[Conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]]. His conviction was upheld on appeal in a split decision. He was given a prison sentence and spent 18 months in the [[Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury|Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury]], Connecticut. Many individuals, organizations and religious figures protested the charges, saying that they were unjust and threatened freedom of religion and free speech. Based on this case, reporter [[Carlton Sherwood]] wrote the book ''[[Inquisition: The Persecution and Prosecution of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon]]''.
===Support for Ronald Reagan===
In 1980 Moon indirectly supported the campaign of [[Ronald Reagan]] for United States President. He asked the church owned New York newspaper ''News World'' to print a headline saying "Reagan Landslide" on the day of the election, before the outcome was known. This was said to influence the voting when it was shown on television being held up by Reagan.<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/unews/unws0310/book_rev_messiah_2.htm ‘Messiah’ by Bo Hi Pak<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
<!-- In 1981 Moon proposed an international highway project that would reach around most of the world.<ref>He said about it:
:"It would mean that people would come and go freely without borders. It would have no national boundaries. ... No matter what color skin you have, nothing can stop you there. There will be absolutely no racial discrimination." [http://www.tparents.org/moon%2Dbooks/sm%2Drkwp/smrkwp%2D4%2D1.htm 4 Proposals for Hastening World Peace] "The Reunification of Korea and World Peace" by Rev. Sun Myung Moon</ref> -->
===Death and "return" of second son===
The second son of Hak Ja Han and Moon, [[Heung Jin Moon|Heung-Jin Moon]], died on [[January 2]] [[1984]] from injuries suffered in a car crash in December 1983. Moon ascribed great importance to his death, and Heung-Jin Moon is officially regarded to be the "king of the spirits" in heaven, and is now said to be conducting seminars in heaven for departed souls. For several years church members "[[Channelling (mediumistic)|channeled]]" his spirit, and in 1987-8 a Zimbabwean member who became known as "the [[Black Heung Jin Nim]]" was accepted by Moon and his family as Heung Jin Moon's continuous channel, and toured the world giving speeches, getting confessions, and subjecting some members to beatings. Long-time member Damian Anderson reports seeing him [http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Talks/Anderson/Anderson-BlackHJN.htm "knock people's heads together, hit them viciously with a baseball bat, smack them around the head, punch them, and handcuff them with golden handcuffs"] and describes the "brute force applied to stop people leaving the event, or the building, and imprisoning protesters by force and with handcuffs in isolation."<ref>Anderson was particularly upset that top church officials and their assistants prevented people by force from leaving. [http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Talks/Anderson/Anderson-BlackHJN.htm Black Heung Jin Nim in DC] by Damian Anderson.</ref>
Nansook Hong recounts: "No one outside the [[True Family]] was immune from the beatings.... Soon the mistresses he acquired were so numerous and the beatings he administered so severe that members began to complain. He beat [[Bo Hi Pak]] - a man in his sixties - so badly that he was hospitalized for a week in Georgetown Hospital."<ref>Hong, Nansook. (1998). ''[[In the Shadow of the Moons|In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family]]''. Little, Brown. (ISBN 0-316-34816-3)</ref> Washington Post staff writer Michael Isikoff reported that "Later, Pak underwent surgery in South Korea to repair a blood vessel in his skull, according to Times executives."<ref>[http://www.skepticfiles.org/cultinfo/wp-mon33.htm Theological Uproar in Unification Church; Rev. Moon Recognizes Zimbabwean as His Reincarnated Son] by Michael Isikoff, Washington Post staff writer. Accessed Saturday, [[August 19]] [[2006]].</ref>
===Founding ''The Washington Times''===
{{main|The Washington Times}}
In Washington, Moon found common ground with strongly anti-Communist leaders of the 1980s, including President [[Ronald Reagan]]. Using Unification Church funds in 1982, Moon, [[Bo Hi Pak]], and other church leaders founded ''The Washington Times''. During the next 20 years Moon spent a billion dollars on the paper, most of it in the [[Washington D.C.]] area, to establish and support what he called "the instrument in spreading the truth about God to the world".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cjr.org/issues/2002/5/wash-chinni.asp| title= The Other Paper: The Washington Times's role| first=Dante| last=Chinni | year=2002| publisher=Columbia Journalism Review| accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref> More recent estimates of Moon's ongoing subsidies of Unification Church owned media, which now include ''[[United Press International]]'' and [[Insight Magazine]], have exceeded three billion dollars in the US alone.<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/122706.html| title=The GOP's $3 Billion Propaganda Organ; Sun Myung Moon's Washington Times| first=Robert| last=Parry| journal=Consortium News| month=December 27| year=2006}}</ref>
Critics assert that Moon has used Unification Church media assets as political [[propaganda]] tools, to act in support of Moon's political agenda, including Rev. Moon's stated goal of establishing the United Nations as a theocratic one-world government, with "True Parents" in the role of Secretary-General "in eternity".
===Opposition to the Soviet Union===
In 1976, Moon told church members that one day he would organize "a great rally for God in the Soviet Capital." In 1980 Moon founded the anti-communist organization [[CAUSA]]. In August 1985 the [[Professors World Peace Academy]], an organization founded by Moon, sponsored a conference in [[Geneva]] to debate the theme "The situation in the world after the fall of the communist empire." This topic was suggested by Moon. In August 1987 the Unification Church student association [[CARP]] led 3,000 young demonstrators in [[Berlin]], who asked communist leaders to bring down the [[Berlin Wall]].<ref name="sigbooks" />
==1990s==
===Visit to the Soviet Union===
In April 1990 Moon visited the [[Soviet Union]] and met with President [[Mikhail Gorbachev]]. Moon expressed support for the political and economic transformations under way in the Soviet Union. At the same time the Unification Church was expanding into formerly [[communist]] nations.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5D61F39F937A25752C1A966958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 EVOLUTION IN EUROPE; New Flock for Moon Church: The Changing Soviet Student] from ''[[The New York Times]]''</ref> Massimo Introvigne, who has studied the Unfication Church and other [[new religious movement]]s, has said that after the disestablishment of the Soviet Union in 1991, Moon has made anti-communism much less of a priority.<ref name="sigbooks" />
===Daughter-in-law's book questions role as "True Parent"===
When the Moons' eldest son [[Hyo Jin Moon]] was 19 years old, Sun Myung Moon picked a 15-year-old wife for him, [[Nansook Hong]], who bore him 5 children.<ref>''[[In the Shadow of the Moons|In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family]]'' (ISBN 0-316-34816-3).</ref> In 1998 Hong published a book about her experiences in the Moon family, ''[[In the Shadow of the Moons|In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family]]'' (ISBN 0-316-34816-3), which the ''[[New Yorker Magazine]]'' called Moon's "most damaging scandal".<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/Moon-Talks/sunmyungmoon98/SM980914-NewYorker.htm Moon At Twilight: Amid scandal, the Unification Church has a strange new mission], Peter Maass ''[[New Yorker Magazine]]'', [[September 14]], [[1998]].</ref> The "tell-all memoir"<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/Moon-Talks/sunmyungmoon98/SM980914-NewYorker.htm Moon At Twilight: Amid scandal, the Unification Church has a strange new mission], Peter Maass ''[[New Yorker Magazine]]'', [[September 14]], [[1998]]</ref> openly challenges Moon and his wife's role in church teachings as "[[True Parents]]". According to Hong, and later confirmed by his public confessions and his own statements in a court deposition on November 15, 1996,<ref>''Boston Globe'' [[December 20]] [[1997]]</ref> Hyo Jin Moon had repeated problems with substance abuse, pornography, infidelity, violence and run-ins with the law. After years of alleged abuse Hong left the Moon estate with her children, subsequently publishing the book and appearing in several interviews, including ''[[60 Minutes]]''.<ref>[http://video.aol.com/video-detail/nan-sook-hong/1354477572 Nansook Hong interviews on local and national news, including ''60 Minutes''], where Moon's illegitimate son was confirmed by name by his daughter [[Un Jin Moon]].</ref> She told ''[[TIME Magazine]]'': ''"Rev. Moon has been proclaiming that he has established his ideal family, and fulfilled his mission, and when I pinpointed that his family is just as dysfunctional as any other family - or more than most - then I think his theology falls apart."''<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/community/transcripts/chattr101398.html Life with the Moons: A conversation with Nansook Hong, former daughter-in-law of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon], ''[[TIME Magazine]]'', [[October 13]], [[1998]].</ref> For some Unification Church members, this book was a revealing portrait of the way Sun Myung Moon and his wife had raised their children, and caused a great deal of soul-searching.<ref>In a review of the book, Marcia Rudin writes that due to Nansook Hong's position within the Moon family, her story cannot simply be dismissed by [[cult apologist]]s as an [[atrocity tale]]. Rudin went on to state that: ''"The compelling credibility of this book demands that Nansook's story be paid attention to. Many Unification Church members are paying it attention, for, according to Nansook and others, the first-hand testimony delivered through this book has already caused many Unification Church members to leave the group."'' [http://www.cultinfobooks.com/bks_products/bookreviews/bkrev_shadowofmoon.htm Book Review], Marcia Rudin, ''[[Cultic Studies Journal]]'', Volume 16, Number 1, 1999.</ref> (See, for example, this [http://www.geocities.com/unificationism/NansookHongReview.html review of the book], written by a church member.)
===Son's death===
On [[October 27]] [[1999]] the Moons' sixth son, Young Jin, fell to his death from the 17th floor of a Reno, Nevada, hotel. Police reports and the coroner officially recorded the death as a suicide. Moon has said that he does not believe it was a suicide.<ref>[http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1999/Nov-04-Thu-1999/news/12288305.html LAS VEGAS RJ:NEWS: Moon's son dies in fall from hotel<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.apologeticsindex.org/an991111.html#18 Apologetics research resources on religious cults and sects - Religion Items in the News - November 11, 1999 (Vol. 3, Issue 132)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==2000s==
In 2000 Moon joined [[Nation of Islam]] leader [[Louis Farrakhan]] in sponsoring the [[Million Family March]] in [[Washington D.C.]], a follow-up event to the [[Million Man March]] held in 1995.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/10/16/million.family.march.02/ Million Family March reaches out to all]</ref>
In January 2001 Moon sponsored newly elected president George W. Bush's Inaugural Prayer Luncheon for Unity and Renewal.<ref>[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/augustweb-only/8-6-33.0.html?start=4 Why Are Pastors Flying to Moon?][[Christianity Today]] August 1, 2001</ref>
In 2001 the now [[Excommunication|excommunicated]] [[Roman Catholic]] [[Archbishop]] [[Emmanuel Milingo]] was married to Maria Sung, a Korean acupuncturist, by Moon. This attracted worldwide media attention.
In February 2003, Moon and Han reaffirmed their wedding vows after 43 years of marriage in a ceremony named the 'Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony of the Parents of Heaven and Earth.'
===Campaign to replace the Cross with a Crown===
In 2003 Moon began his "tear down"<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/UNews/Unws0304/cross_bronx.htm "Tear down the Cross" Ceremony - Bronx, New York]</ref>, or "take down the cross"<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/Moon-Talks/SunMyungMoon03/SM030516-Israel-final.htm Quotes from Sun Myung Moon relevant to the May 2003 Pilgrimage to Israel (Take Down the Cross)]</ref> campaign. The campaign was begun in the belief that the cross is a reminder of Jesus' pain and has been a source of division between people of different faiths. The campaign included a burial ceremony for the cross and a crown to be put in its place. The American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC), an interfaith group founded by Moon, spearheaded the effort, calling the cross a symbol of oppression and perceived superiority. <ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20050421164204/http://www.familyfed.org/board/uboard.asp?id=ffwpu_news&skin=board_urim_simple&color=eng&page=42&u_no=185 Rome and Israel Pilgrim Tour - Burying of the Cross].</ref>
Unification Church member and theologian [[Andrew Wilson (theologian)|Andrew Wilson]] said, "The crucifixion was not something that God loves, but something that God hates. It hurts every time he sees people glorifying the cross, which was the instrument of execution used to kill his beloved son."<ref>[http://65.127.137.224/board/uboard.asp?id=speech&skin=board_hq_v20E&color=Gray&code=&page=2&page_num=&order1=u_no&order2=desc&u_no=18 Reflections on the Breakthrough in Jerusalem], Dr. Andrew Wilson, July 20, 2003.</ref>
Michael Schwartz, a spokesperson for the Christian advocacy organization [[Concerned Women for America]], responded: "Just imagine if some misguided Christian were to suggest that the Jews have to take away their symbol and the Muslims would have to take away their symbol, not display it in public any longer. That would be identified instantly as a statement of intolerance. Reconciliation and peace do not grow out of intolerance." <ref>[http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=%5CCulture%5Carchive%5C200308%5CCUL20030822a.html Christian Churches Should Stop Using the Cross, Group Says], by Jeff Johnson, CNSNews.com Congressional Bureau Chief, August 22, 2003.</ref>
===Coronation by Members of United States Congress===
{{main|Sun Myung Moon coronation controversy}}
In 2004, at a March 23 ceremony in the [[Dirksen Senate Office Building]], U.S. Rep. [[Danny K. Davis]] (D-Ill.) wore white gloves and carried a pillow holding an ornate crown that was placed on Moon's head.
Moon delivered a long speech in which he stated that he was "sent to Earth . . . to save the world's six billion people. . . . 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."<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61932-2004Jun22.html| title=The Rev. Moon Honored at Hill Reception - Lawmakers Say They Were Misled| first=Charles| last=Babington| coauthors=Alan Cooperman| journal=Washington Post| month=June 23| year=2004| pages=A01}}</ref>
=== 120-city world speaking tour ===
On [[September 12]] [[2005]], at the age of 85, Moon inaugurated the [[Universal Peace Federation]] with a 120-city world speaking tour.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://65.127.137.224/board/uboard.asp?id=ffwpu_news&skin=board_hq_v20E&color=Gray&code=&page=13&page_num=&order1=u_no&order2=desc&u_no=1128| title=Family Federation for World Peace and Unification of U.S.A.| accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref> At each city, Moon delivered his speech titled "God's Ideal Family - the Model for World Peace".
=== Daughter on ''Survival of the Richest'' ===
In 2006 the Moons' daughter, Yeon Jin (nicknamed Kat), was a contestant on the [[The WB Television Network|WB network]] show, ''[[Survival of the Richest]]''.
=== Successor ===
In April 2008, Moon (then 88 years old) appointed his youngest son [[Hyung Jin Moon]] to be the new leader of the Unification Church and the world-wide Unification Movement, saying, "I hope everyone helps him so that he may fulfill his duty as the successor of the True Parents." <ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/26/religion.korea?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront Son of Moonies founder takes over as church leader] [[The Guardian]], 2008-04-28</ref>
==Criticism and controversies==
===Cult of personality===
Sun Myung Moon's movement is widely seen as a [[cult]], with Moon as "messiah" and the proclaimed "divinity" of his family as the focus.<ref>http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=cult+unification+myung</ref> Moon is known as the "True Father," his wife as the "True Mother," (together as the "[[True Parents]]"), and their children as the "[[True Children]]" (collectively as the "[[True Family]]").<ref>[http://www.portfolio.com/careers/features/2007/09/17/Unification-Church "Money, Guns, and God" by Christopher S. Stewart, ''Conde Nast Portfolio'', October 2007.]</ref> In her 1998 book ''[[In the Shadow of the Moons]]'', [[Nansook Hong]], ex-wife of Sun Myung Moon's eldest son [[Hyo Jin Moon]], (who lived with the Moon family for 15 years) say the leader and his family live a "lavish" lifestyle and that Sun Myung Moon is treated like a god. When greeting Moon indoors members bow "dropping to their knees and touching their foreheads to the floor,"<ref>[http://www.petermaass.com/core.cfm?p=1&mag=48&magtype=1 Moon at Twilight], ''The New Yorker'' September 14, 1998.</ref> normally followed by a sermon of several hours while most members sit on the floor.
However, [[Peter Maass]], in an article in ''[[The New Yorker]]'', wrote:
:There are, certainly, differing degrees of devotion among Moon's followers; the fact that they bow at the right moment or shout "Mansei!" in unison doesn't mean they believe everything Moon says, or do precisely what he commands. Even on important issues, like Moon's claiming to be the messiah, there are church members whom I met, including a close aide to Moon, who demur. A religious leader whom they respect and whose theology they believe, yes; the messiah, perhaps not.<ref>[http://www.petermaass.com/core.cfm?p=1&mag=48&magtype=1 Moon at Twilight], ''The New Yorker'' September 14, 1998.</ref>
===Abuse of money===
Critics contrast Moon's "opulent" personal lifestyle with that of church members who are asked to sacrifice both in their careers and in donating most of what little they have.<ref>These criticisms have been repeated hundreds of times in media reports. One such example is "Cults, Deprogrammers, and the Necessity Defense", ''Michigan Law Review'', Vol. 80, No. 2 (Dec., 1981), pp. 271-311</ref> The Moon family situation is described as one of "luxury and privilege"<ref>[http://www.portfolio.com/careers/features/2007/09/17/Unification-Church "Money, Guns, and God" by Christopher S. Stewart, ''Conde Nast Portfolio'', October 2007]</ref> and as "lavish".<ref>Hong, Nansook. (1998). ''[[In the Shadow of the Moons]]: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family''. Little, Brown. (ISBN 0-316-34816-3).</ref>
<blockquote>
Home for the [[True Family]] was a guarded 18-acre mini-castle in Irvington, New York, a tony suburb located along a sweep of the Hudson River. Named [[East Garden (estate)|East Garden]], after Eden, the estate included two smaller houses and a three-story brick mansion with 12 bedrooms, seven baths, a bowling alley, and a dining room equipped with a waterfall and pond. There were other castles and mansions too — in South Korea, Germany, Scotland, England — and few expenses were spared. The children had tutors from Japan, purebred horses, motorbikes, sports cars, and first-class vacations with blank-check spending. "The kids got whatever they wanted," says Donna Collins, who grew up in the church. "At one point, the Moon kids were each getting $40,000 or $50,000 a month for allowance. They had wads of cash. I remember once in London where [one of Justin’s sisters] spent like $2,000 a day; I saw a drawer filled with Rolexes and diamonds."<ref>[http://www.portfolio.com/careers/features/2007/09/17/Unification-Church "Money, Guns, and God" by Christopher S. Stewart, ''Conde Nast Portfolio'', October 2007]</ref>
</blockquote>
Moon controls major business enterprises, including ''[[The Washington Times]]'', the [[United Press International]], and [[Pyeonghwa Motors]].<ref>"The church, which owns Pyonghwa and such companies as the Tongil Group, the Washington Times, and UPI news service...." Cited in [http://globalpolicy.org/empire//intervention/nkorea/2005/0420moonsdance.htm Moon’s Dance], by Rory O'Connor, AlterNet, April 20, 2005.</ref> A small sampling of other operations include computers and religious icons in Japan, seafood in Alaska, weapons and ginseng in Korea, huge tracts of land in South America, a recording studio and travel agency in Manhattan, a horse farm in Texas and a golf course in California.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/cult/unification/main.htm A Church in Flux Is Flush With Cash], by Marc Fisher and Jeff Leen, Washington Post Staff Writers, Sunday, November 23, 1997.</ref>
===Theocracy===
To many people Rev. Moon's statements about the [[Kingdom of Heaven]] sound like a demand for [[theocracy]]. Church critics point to Moon's own statements: [[Steven Hassan]] says "Moon's stated ambitions include the establishment of a one-world government run as an automatic theocracy by Moon and his leaders."<ref>[http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/moonies/wash_times_20.htm Moonies use Washington Times as
Front Group to Gain Power and Legitimacy], by Steve Hassan</ref> [[Rick Ross (consultant)|Rick Ross]] asserts "When Moon talks about a 'Kingdom of Heaven on Earth' imagine a one-world government run under his 'direction,' set up as a dictatorship much like the 'cult' he rules." <ref>[http://www.cultnews.com/?p=1494 Rev. Moon uses media holdings to tout his latest ambition], by Rick Ross</ref>
Rev. Moon said,
* "I established the Women's Federation, Religious Federation, Youth Federation, and all these federations to work with the United Nations for world peace. The day that the United Nations declares True Parents' Day to the world, the entire world will celebrate. Also United Nations should invite True Parents to take the position of Secretary-General in eternity."<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/moon-talks/sunmyungmoon97/sm970501b.htm Foundation Day 1997]</ref>
His position on the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] prohibition against any law respecting an establishment of religion is unclear. Rev. Moon has frequently relied on First Amendment protections in various legal matters relating to himself or the Unification Church, but he also teaches that religion and politics are inseparable entities. Some consider his call for unity between religion and politics contrary to the principle of [[separation of church and state]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/24/politics/24moon.html?ei=5007&en=e7dfae485407b03f&ex=1403496000&partner=USERLAND&pagewanted=print&position=link The New York Times > Washington > A Crowning at the Capital Creates a Stir<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Political donations, influence, and credibility===
Some commentators, including American independent journalist [[Robert Parry]], have said that Moon, although he has never run for political office, has an extensive history of making political donations through the various organizations such as the Women’s Federation for World Peace and the Washington Times Foundation, with his money flowing through the [[Christian right]] in particular.<ref name=consortium>[http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/061406.html The Moon-Bush Cash Conduit] Robert Parry June 14, 2006. Consortiumnews.com, The Consortium for Independent Journalism, Inc.</ref>
In the mid-1990s former United States President [[George H. W. Bush]] accepted millions of dollars from Moon's Women’s Federation for World Peace to speak on Moon's behalf around the world, a fact<ref name=consortium>[http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/061406.html The Moon-Bush Cash Conduit] Robert Parry June 14, 2006. Consortiumnews.com, The Consortium for Independent Journalism, Inc.</ref> that Moon and the Unification Church have widely publicised, particularly in efforts to improve the image of the Unification Church outside the US. While discussing one of Bush's trips (a 1995 tour of Japan), [[Bo Hi Pak]] said:
:"Then George and Barbara Bush went to [[Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka]], the capital of [[Kyūshū|Kyushu]]. The people of Kyushu were flabbergasted at Father and Mother's power to tell a U.S. president what to do and plan his schedule. Incredible. This completely changed the attitude of the Japanese government and media toward the Unification community." <ref>[http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Books/Tims2/Tims2-60.htm ''Truth is My Sword, Volume II'' by Bo Hi Pak, Chapter 60: Give and Take of Love. New York, NY.]</ref>
In June 2006 the Houston Chronicle reported that in 2004 Moon’s Washington Times Foundation gave $1 million to the Greater Houston Community Foundation, which made donations to the [[George Bush Presidential Library]].<ref>[http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2006_4131960 $1 million Moonie mystery]</ref>
===Church role in munitions manufacturing===
Church-related businesses engaged in [[munitions|munitions manufacturing]] in [[South Korea]] during the 1960s, as charged in a [[United States Congressional Report on the Unification Church|U.S. Congressional Report on the Unification Church]] from 1978.
According to the same report, "a Moon Organization business" was involved in weapons manufacture and "is an important defense contractor in Korea. It is involved in the production of M-16 rifles, antiaircraft guns, and other weapons." The report also said that
<blockquote>
"[o]f particular concern is the Moon Organization’s involvement in the production and sale of M-16 rifles and other weapons provided to Korea under U.S. aid programs and subject to the Arms Export Control Act. In late 1977, Moon Organization representatives tried to renegotiate a coproduction agreement between Colt Industries and the ROK Government. The circumstances suggested they were secret envoys of the Korean Government which, under the coproduction agreement, has exclusive control over M-16 production. Although the ROK Government said it wanted to produce 300,000 extra M-16s because of the need to equip its own forces, Moon Organization tried to get Colt’s agreement to export guns to third countries."</blockquote>
Moon's fourth son, [[Kook Jin Moon|Kook Jin "Justin" Moon]] founded [[Kahr Arms]], a small-arms company based in [[Blauvelt, New York]] with a factory in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.rickross.com/reference/unif/Unif36.html | title= Moon arms factory: His father preaches peace, and he makes guns| first=Thomas| last=Farragher| publisher=Boston Globe| year=March 21, 1999 | accessdate=2006-08-19}}</ref><ref name="Kahr">[http://www.kahr.com/comp_profile.html ''Kahr Arms: The Company''] (click on "Research & Development" link in sidebar), Kahr Arms, accessed 2006-08-19.</ref>
According to the Washington Post, "Some former members and gun industry critics perceive a contradiction between the church's teachings and its corporate involvement in marketing weapons promoted for their concealability and lethality."<ref>"I see an irony, if not hypocrisy, that someone who professes peace and says he's completing Jesus's work also manufactures for profit an implement with no purpose other than killing people," said Tom Diaz, author of "Making a Killing," a new book critical of the firearms industry. "What's the message, turn the other cheek, or lock and load?" [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/march99/moon10.htm Church's Pistol Firm Exploits a Niche], By John Mintz, Washington Post Staff Writer; Wednesday, March 10, 1999; Page A1</ref>
===Prison terms===
Opponents often cite the fact that Moon has served time in prison on tax charges and was banned from traveling to some countries as proof that he is not a legitimate religious leader. Moon's supporters dismiss the prison terms and travel bans as examples of persecution, arguing in particular that [[Jesus]] himself was persecuted and ultimately executed by the Roman government.
In 2006 the German High Court reversed an earlier [[Schengen Agreement]] listing. Moon is now allowed entry into its implementing nations.
===Homosexuality===
In 1997 Moon received criticism from [[gay rights]] advocates based on comments he made in a speech to church members, in which he said: "What is the meaning of lesbians and homosexuals? That is the place where all different kinds of dung collect. We have to end that behavior. When this kind of dirty relationship is taking place between human beings, God cannot be happy," and referred to homosexuals as "dung-eating dogs." <ref>[http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=5543 Media Watch] from ''[[Windy City Times]]'' 2004-07-07</ref> <ref>[http://www.unification.net/1997/970504.html THE FAMILY FEDERATION FOR
COSMIC PEACE AND UNIFICATION AND THE COSMIC ERA OF BLESSED FAMILY] from Unification.net, 1997-05-04</ref> He also said in 2007 that "free sex and homosexuality both are the madness of the lowest of the human race," and that God detests such behavior the most, while Satan lauds such decadent behavior the most. <ref>[http://www.unification.net/peace_msgs/Peace_Message_14.pdf The Value and Significance of the Family Pledge] from Unification.net, 2007-06-13</ref>
=== Jews and the Holocaust===
{{main|Unification Church and antisemitism}}
Other controversies arose over Moon's statements about [[the Holocaust]] being (in part) "indemnity" (restitution) owed by the Jews, a consequence of Jewish leaders not supporting Jesus, which contributed to his murder by the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] government.<ref>"Stephen, for example, burned with indignation over the ignorance and disbelief of the Jewish leaders, and he condemned their actions, calling them murderers and rebels (Acts 7:51-53). Christians since then have commonly shared the same feelings as the disciples of Jesus' day. If Jesus' death had been the foreordained outcome for the fulfillment of God's Will, then it might have been natural for the disciples to grieve over his death, but they would not have been so bitterly resentful over it, nor so angry at those Jewish leaders who caused it." [http://www.geocities.com/unificationism/DivinePrinciple-toc-b.html ''Exposition of the Divine Principle''], HSA-UWC, 1996 (ISBN 0-910621-80-2).</ref><ref>Moon said: "By killing one man, Jesus, the Jewish people had to suffer for 2000 years. Countless numbers of people have been slaughtered. During the Second World War, 6 million people were slaughtered to cleanse all the sins of the Jewish people from the time of Jesus." ''MASTER SPEAKS'' (no official translation was done), 2/14/74</ref>
==References==
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==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
===Supportive views===
* [http://www.reverendsunmyungmoon.org Official Universal Peace Federation website about the Life and Works of Moon]
* Moon's Teachings: [http://www.geocities.com/unificationism/healing.html introduction] and [http://www.geocities.com/unificationism/DivinePrinciple-toc-b.html Divine Principle] (regarded as main scripture).
* [http://www.unification.org/rev_mrs_moon.html mini-bio] at US church home page
* [http://www.unification.net/ Unofficial website of the Unification Church, which contains information and past speeches by Moon.]
* [http://www.foreignlands.org/moon landSlide - The Unification Movement and/or Sun Myung Moon]
* [http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Publications/SMM-Communism-060300/top.html The Role of Rev. Sun Myung Moon in the Downfall of Communism]
* [http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Sun_Myung_Moon Article about Moon in Unification Church sponsored wiki encyclopedia]
=== Critical views ===
* [http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/moon.html Dark Side of Rev. Moon] Articles by [[Robert Parry]].
* [http://www.unificationthought.com Unificationism - 'a critique and counterproposal'] Critical site by Mark Clevenger.
* [http://www.gorenfeld.net/book/ Critical site by journalist John Gorenfeld].
=== Mixed views ===
* [http://www.geocities.com/unificationism/ An introduction to Unificationism (Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church)] including both support and criticism from current and former Unificationists.
* [http://www.unification.org/ucbooks/earlyyears/ ''Sun Myung Moon, The Early Years, 1920-53''], unofficial biography by Michael Breen, a Seoul-based author and journalist.
* [http://www.petermaass.com/core.cfm?p=1&mag=48&magtype=1 Moon at Twilight], article by [[Peter Maass]] about Moon and the Unification Church printed in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' in 1998.
{{Sun Myung Moon}}
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