- One of the primary means of gaining credibility employed
by Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church is the many conferences and
programs presented through its front organizations. These are usually presented
as if unconnected to the Church. Yet Moon or his wife, or both, will frequently
play a prominent role at the function. Typically they will bring the keynote
address, in which they will present Unification theology.
-
- Claims that such front organizations are not affiliated
with the Unification Church are empty when viewed in the light of the publisher's
statement in the church's publication, The Unification News, which reads
in part:
-
- "Many of the activities, projects and organizations
described in the Unification News as affiliated with or part of the 'Unification
Church' are in fact entities which are organizationally and/or financially
independent of HSA-UWC [the Unification Church], but are commonly considered
to be 'Unification Church' activities because they are fully or partially
funded, inspired, or staffed by HSA-UWC, its members and other adherents
of the Unification faith" (June 1996, p. 23).
-
- In this one statement the Church both denies and admits
the association of these groups with the Church. These groups are "organizationally
and/or financially independent" of the Church, yet "fully or
partially funded, inspired, or staffed" by the Church and its members!
Using such doublespeak, the Unification Church sponsors or conducts various
seminars and conferences throughout the world while denying it is the presenting
organization. Because of such claims, many are drawn to these programs
not realizing that they are attending an event sponsored by the Unification
Church or one of its "affiliated" organizations.
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- In order to ensure that these programs are well attended,
the organization will go to great expense to hire high-profile celebrities,
from various fields, to participate in the program. This also draws non-members
who otherwise would not attend. Besides boosting attendance, this enables
Moon to associate himself in the public mind with prominent business, entertainment,
and political personalities, thus lending credibility to the event, to
himself, and to his church.
-
- Current evidence of the degree to which Moon involves
himself with such personalities can be seen by the roll of speakers at
recent events sponsored by Moon's organizations. Some of these highly visible
persons are:
-
- Maureen Reagan (daughter of former President Reagan);
former President Gerald Ford; George and Barbara Bush; comedian Bill Cosby;
Marilyn Quayle (wife of former vice-president Dan Quayle); Republican vice-presidential
candidate, Jack Kemp. Even knowing the Moon connection, Kemp continues
to speak at Unification sponsored functions, (Washington Post, October
14, 1996 p. C3).
-
- Other participants include Olympic gold medalist and
speed skater, Dan Jansen; wife of the late Martin Luther King, Correta
Scott King; ABC News anchorwoman, Barbara Walters; film actor, Christopher
Reed; astronaut, Sally Ride; and former British Prime Minister, Sir Edward
Heath.
-
- Also speaking were highly visible religious and Christian
leaders such as Robert Schuller, Senior Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral;
Ralph Reed, executive director of the Christian Coalition; Beverly LaHaye,
president of Concerned Women of America; and singers Pat Boone and Family
(The Washington Post, July 30, 1996, p. E1 and August 1, 1996, p. C2).
-
- In the aforementioned lists of names, Barbara Walters
and Bill Cosby publicly expressed concern when they learned the event was
hosted by Moon. Walters has stated she will never again speak at an event
sponsored by Moon. Cosby tried to back out of his commitment when he learned
of Moon's involvement. He ended up performing after being threatened with
litigation for failing to honor his contract, but gave only a brief performance
and refused to be photographed with Moon (Ibid., p. E10). Ralph Reed and
Beverly LaHaye have privately stated that they did not know it was a Moon
related event. Reed states he has since donated his fee to a charitable
cause (Ralph Reed letter to Frederick Miller at True Light Ministry, August
28, 1996; Watchman telephone interview with Carmen Pate, Vice President,
national office of Concerned Women of America, January 5, 1996).
-
- Many of the participants listed simply refuse to take
responsibility for their involvement - unable or unwilling to see that,
at the least, their participation is helping Moon gain credibility and
recruits. A case in point is former President and Mrs. Bush. The Canadian
magazine, Maclean's, maintains Bush is the most outspoken defender of involvement
with these front organizations (October 23, 1995 p. 49).
-
- According to Bush spokesman Jim McGarth, "the former
President and his wife are aware of the Federation's [Women's Federation
for World Peace] origins and complaints by anti-cult groups and relatives
of Moon's followers, but do not intend to change their speaking plans.
They are aware that the group has some ties to Sun Myung Moon, but the
purpose of the group is not that of the Unification Church" (Houston
Chronicle, July 26, 1995, p. 12A).
-
- Despite the requests of many concerned Christians, former
Moon followers, and anti-cult organizations, that he stop lending himself
to Moon's causes, the former President has continued to speak at Moon/Unification
sponsored events. However, it appears the public outcry against this may
be having some effect. McGrath promised that Bush's fee for a recent Moon
sponsored event in Washington would be donated to charity. His fees reportedly
run $80,000 per speech (The Washington Post, July 30, 1996, p. E1).
-
- This is certainly generous of the former President. However,
he continues to speak at Moon's conferences, and has made much more than
the estimated $80,000 he pledged to give to charity. His and Mrs. Bush's
past speaking engagements at functions sponsored by Moon's Women's Federation
for World Peace were quite lucrative.
-
- Neither Bush's representatives nor Moon's group would
reveal how much was paid for their appearances. However, estimates have
run as high as one million dollars for his six appearances. In 1995 more
than 50,000 people paid from $105 to $196 each to attend a Bush speech
at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, in an event sponsored by Moon's organization
(The Washington Post, August 4, 1996, p. A30).
-
- How important these celebrities are to Moon is evidenced
by a full page ad placed by the Moon owned paper, The Washington Times,
on its own pages. The ad responded to stories run by its rival The Washington
Post, concerning Moon's recent conference in Washington. It alleged, "The
Post attempted to ridicule the conference, and by falsely implying that
the conference was connected to The Times, attempted to ridicule The Times."
The ad continues, "This conference attracted a wide diversity of speakers
and participants, including two former presidents of the United States,
a former prime minister of Great Britain and 36 one time heads of state
or governments, university presidents, the president of the Family Research
Council, the executive director of the Christian Coalition, the widow of
Martin Luther King, and other scholars, clergymen of all faiths, and prominent
political figures of all parties and ideologies. The sponsoring Family
Federation was founded by the Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon" (The Washington
Times, August 9, 1996, p. A5).
-
- The inference is clear; with a roster of such distinguished
participants, this was an important and significant meeting. Thus it seems
strange for the Times to go to such great lengths to prove it is not associated
with a conference that it obviously believes to be of great import and
credibility. One might ask, "Is the real purpose of the ad to disprove
any claims that The Washington Times was connected to the conference, or
is it to defend the conference, and put Moon in printed text alongside
these other respected participants, thus allowing him to benefit further
from this association?
-
- When those who speak or perform at such functions are
confronted or questioned about their participation at these events, the
responses vary. Many claim they had no knowledge of the connection to Moon
or the Unification Church; others admit they knew and didn't care. Some
who did not know say that even if they had known it would not have made
any difference. Still others simply refuse to acknowledge the connection
to Moon or his agenda, despite the evidence to the contrary. This is especially
ludicrous in light of Moon's personal involvement at these programs and
his rush to be photographed and filmed with other speakers.
-
- Many of the prominent figures Moon hires justify their
participation in his events by stating it is for a good and worthwhile
cause, such as world peace and the advancement of women, etc. However,
this is very naive thinking. Ex-members commonly attest to the fact that
Moon uses these celebrities and political figures to recruit new members
and to help him effectively mainstream into American life, by gaining credibility
and acceptance for the Unification Church and its causes.
-
- It is troubling enough to see prominent people of the
world who should know better being used by Moon. It is especially disappointing
to see Christian leaders like Ralph Reed and Beverly LaHaye, who have done
so much good in so many other ways, share any platform with a man like
Moon, who claims Jesus failed in his mission, and that he, Moon, will complete
that in which Jesus failed. But in Washington D.C., July 31 and August
1, 1996, at Moon's World Convention of the Family Federation for World
Peace, Dr. Robert Schuller, Pat Boone, Ralph Reed, Beverly LaHaye, Jack
Kemp and others shared the platform with both Mr. and Mrs. Moon.
-
- This was particularly deplorable since, during her speech,
Mrs. Moon taught that Jesus was, not the virgin-born son of Mary, but rather
the illegitimate son of Mary and her cousin's husband, Zecharias (tape
on file). Mrs. Moon was giving no new teaching, but standard Unification
Church theology. In his February 7, 1995 address in Washington D.C., Moon
stated, "Who was the father of Jesus? Zachariah." He continued,
"The result of the relationship between Zachariah and Mary was the
birth of Jesus Christ" (Today's World, April 1995, p. 12). There should
be no question that the Jesus of the Unification Church is not the Jesus
of the Bible.
-
- Some of those who represent Christian causes but continue
to associate themselves with Moon's organization explain their participation
as a means of presenting the gospel. However good these intentions might
be, Scripture calls upon believers, not only to present the gospel, but
also to "earnestly contend for the faith" (Jude 3) - meaning,
obviously, against error, such as is taught by Moon. If Christians are
serious about making a Christian witness at such events they would do well
to follow the example of Cal Thomas. Present at a CAUSA (a Unification
front group) seminar in San Francisco, he was asked to comment from the
floor. "Reacting to the unchristian theories put forth, he shocked
participants by standing and saying, 'I am a follower of Jesus, who said
he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father
except by him'" (Christianity Today, June 14, 1985, p. 58).
-
- Participants in Moon/Unification sponsored programs must
face the significant consequences of their involvement. Cynthia Lilley
(founder of MOMS, Mothers Opposed to Moon) expresses the view of many whose
children have been recruited into the Unification Church: "All these
people should know better. My daughter would tell me over and over how
in their recruiting films, they would show Moon with Bush to impress young
people. They use the films of Moon and Bush and other celebrities to reassure
parents that it is okay that their children are on the streets selling
flowers 18 hours a day" (The Washington Post, July 30, 1996, p. E10).
-
- This is not an issue than can continue to be dismissed.
It is time for others to take a public stand for what is right, as have
Mr. Cosby and Ms. Walters. It is particularly incumbent on those who claim
Christ as Savior to come forward and take a stand against Moon, as Paul
did against the false teachers of his day (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).
-
- It is not sufficient to make such statements or denunciations
in private correspondence when their involvement in the event received
widespread public notice. Christians who have participated in Moon/Unification
sponsored events should issue clear and public statements denouncing the
non-Christian teachings of theUnification Church and publicly refusing
any further participation in any future events sponsored by Moon, the Unification
Church or any of its front organizations.
-
- Christians are exhorted to "have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians
5:11). Likewise, Christians are told to have no association with those
who claim to be Christian brothers but who live in flagrant disregard of
the apostles' teaching (1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14).
The Scriptures warn that one of the dangers of such associations is, the
Christian's presence may be exploited for purposes other than he intends
(2 Peter 2:3).
-
- For Moon, Jesus' death was failure. For Paul, it was
the central point of the Gospel, the purchase of salvation, the guarantee
of liberty from both sin and the Law - "The cup of blessing which
we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?...the things
which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God:
and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink
the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the
Lord's table, and the table of devils." "...who hath bewitched
you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ
hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" (1 Corinthians
10:16-21; Galatians 3:1; emphasis added). To all Christian leaders who
may have been "Moonstruck" - Be swayed no longer!
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- http://www.watchman.org/cults/moonie2.htm
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