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RELS 225 2009-02-04: MooniesRELS 225 2009-02-04: Moonies

Attendance

Announcements

Review of last classJoining NRMs

The Unification Church

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ReviewReview

Joining NRMs: Who and Why? Not: Gullible, Losers, EveryoneOne early theory: overlap between lack and offerThen: the 60’s NRMs: Glock’s Relative deprivation1965 Lofland & Stark: Tensions, Religious orientation, Seeker; Encounter, Bonds-making, Bond-breaking, InteractingWho joins?: socially connected; no ideological alignment or other commitmentsCharacteristics: Young, Middle-upper middle class, Higher educated, more secular religious backgroundsBarker: Respectable families, Overachievers, Disrupted at universityLevine: normal psychopathology, Overacheivers, frustrated, Identify with parents, No adolescent romance. 90% left in 2 years.

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MooniesMoonies

Reverend Sun Myung Moon

Most prominent

Most persecuted

Fast rise & decline in America, but still strong in Asia, South America, etc.

ControversyWhy? Beliefs seem somewhat normal.

8 reasons.

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Controversy over Unification ChurchControversy over Unification Church

1. Extremely aggressive recruitmentPlunging into American public life (speak out)

2. Engaged in fundraising campaigns, occasionally a bit deceptive (as to who they are)

3. Mass weddings every couple of years1000’s of peopleAugust 1995: 36,000 in various cities by satelliteFebruary 8, 1999: 12,000

4. Plunged right into American politicsSupported conservatives (e.g., Nixon)

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Controversy over Unification ChurchControversy over Unification Church

5. Created a newspaper: “Washington Times”respectable, right-wing paperBought journalists

6. Bought many businessesDrycleaning chainShrimp vessels – Time magazineBought towns – revitalized them

7. Moon lives a lavish lifestyleJets, yachtsMoon is a successful businessman (multi-millionaire) and a religious founder.Blurs religion and finance, religion & politics.

8. Convicted for tax evasionSpent time in jailNCC – 154 churches all wrote letters of protest against the enforcement of law.

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Korea and AmericaKorea and America

Moon doesn’t speak English. Korean.Christianity went to Korea.Presbyterians converted Moon’s parents.Korea is about ½ Christian;

compare Japan 1%; China <10%.

USA is the “promised land” with an instrumental role in religious future.

Americans have wandered from the true Christian way.

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NameName

“Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity” May 1, 1954

Now: “Family Federation for World Peace & Unification”

Not displacing Christianity, but bringing the factions together.

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MoonMoon

Born in 1920 in what is now North KoreaParents: conservative PresbyteriansEaster 1936, had a religious dramatic revelation:

Jesus gave him a mandate to complete my mission.(Jesus was establishing Kingdom of God on earth)

Followed by many other revelations:Visions of Abraham, God, Buddha, Moses

Struggled with Satanic & other temptations for 9 years.Married & divorced during this periodThen, had a revelation: what he needed.

Discovered the “Secret crime of Adam & Eve”His job is to reverse it.

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Divine PrincipleDivine Principle

1945: Started his churchend of World War 2Communists in North KoreaArrested, tortured, imprisoned (very primitive; tiny hut for 4 years)

1950’s: Korean WarUN won.He was liberated and went south. Gained a following1954: Established Unification Church

His interpretation of the Bible + new revelations1 million followers there now.Missionaries to Japan – successful (June, 1958, Mr. Bong-choon Choi )

1959: sent a missionary (U. professor woman) to U.S.; was successful. January 2, 1959, Miss Young-oon Kim

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East-West misunderstandingEast-West misunderstanding

1970: Moon came to U.S.A.Early 1980’s: 20-25,000 members in USEastern component comes through:

Skill-in-means is employedBuddha says a wise teacher adapts teaching to context.

Divine Principle comes in several levels:1 – Kiddy2-3 – undergrad?4 – professor

Creates an impression of secret teaching

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Adam & EveAdam & Eve

Genesis story – not much changedWhat went wrong with Adam & Eve?

1. God created them as brother & sisterUntil they have spiritually maturedOnly then are they to have the physical maturity to reproduceThen to populate the earth with godly children

2. But God assigns his chief angel Lucifer to watch his humans3. Lucifer becomes jealous of God’s love for Eve4. Lucifer spiritually seduces Eve. Premature spiritual maturity.5. Eve seduces Adam physically.

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Adam & EveAdam & Eve

Therefore we need a new Adam & Eve as originally planned.Jesus (and Abraham and Moses before him) failed to complete it, so Moon must try.

Jesus didn’t live long enough to take a wife & have children.Crucifixion only effected a partial corrective (he paid indemnity).

The 3rd Adam is supposed to come from the East, born after WWI.

Moon didn’t overtly declare himself to be that 3rd Adam until August 24, 1992 (with wife).

BeliefsBeliefs

SimilarRevelation

Biblical revelation by GodGod is a God of historyCan read God through creation

Godis personalLoving fatherHad a plan for usOmniscientOmnipresentOmnipotentTranscends creation

DifferentRevelation

Revelation didn’t stop with the Bible.It continued: ongoing revelation

GodTranscendent, but hovers very close to earthVery concerned with human events.God not so much of intellect or of will / action, but of heartGod was vulnerable & subject to betrayal.God grieves over his children.

BeliefsBeliefs

SimilarHumanity

Made in God’s imageThis changed with Fall not because of sex.God helps those who help themselves.God created humans, to love & be loved; to be free agentsAdam & Eve were cursed, with suffering

DifferentHumanity

Intended to occupy a position higher than angelsPerfection requires balance of mind-body. Balance shifted to physical nature. Absence of spiritual component: love.If we restored the balance, we would live in direct dominion of the world. (Now we live in indirect dominion.)Only with God’s assistance can we return to direct dominion; but we must do our part.The lord can only help those who help themselves.God is much more injured than we are.Our job is to alleviate God’s pain.

i.e., establish the Kingdom of God on earth, the kingdom of love.

Like Christ, we must pay indemnity.We must be willing to take on suffering now, to bring love back later.

BeliefsBeliefs

SimilarDeath & Afterlife

Death is not to be fearedWhen you die you go on to live

DifferentDeath & Afterlife

A cycle of life is going on.Fall brought on spiritual death (loss of spirituality).Resurrection not bodily; was to resurrect God’s plan.Go in one of 3 mostly spiritual worlds (the further you are along the path) where life goes on much like here:

High – followers of MoonMediumLow – most of us

But to maintain a physical contact, a lower level dead person must connect with a living Moonie (like a guardian angel). This explains special powers & miracles.

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FamilyFamily

Son (heir) died in a car accidentVarious churches claimed to connect to son.

For 1 year, this Zairian man had a message against slackness & physically beating people.

Wife15 years younger, pushed to forefront.

Groomed to take over.

3rd son being cultivated.

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BeliefsBeliefs

Ultimate End of TimeNot apocalyptic, but progressive

One we all see the light & find balance, the world will be more perfect & it will become paradise.

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BeliefsBeliefs

The Good life & how to lead it.Highly prescriptive.

Concerned with appearanceShort hair, suits, ties.

Modest.

Before married, live in group communal home.

Once married, move out on own, close to centre.

Role of women traditional, subservient, conservative policy.

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Central ethical points concern sexualityCentral ethical points concern sexuality

Absolute celibacy before marriage, & demonstrate it.Marriages are arranged (Moon himself used to arrange them)

Interracial, to produce unificationAfter marriage, 40 days celibate (upon church approval)Once married, dedicated primarily to God, so separated a lot.No objection to birth control.

As many as you know you can fully love.Divorce: not supposed to happen.Mass marriage: why?

$400 paid, but provided with fitted gown, tuxedo, photos, banquet, venues.No homosexuality

HomeworkHomework

For Monday:Read chapter 5 in Cults and New Religious MovementsWrite online assignment on Chapter 5

For Wednesday:Read

Scientology, at Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance file “Scientology” (on Moodle)

Write “Reading Quiz: Scientology”