5/4/10

Could the UC possibly be a cult?

Sometimes Moonies joke about being in a cult because they believe they could not possibly be in one. Most of the time, the word cult angers them. If you are conditioned your whole life to support of oppose something, it is hard to break free from the way of thinking itself. BC’s are conditioned throughout their life in many ways. Whether it is intentional or not, second generation members have been molded to react a certain way toward words such as deprogramming, brainwashing, and cult. If you at all imply that they are apart of a cult they will backfire with, “We’re normal people” or “We’re not like we used to be” or “Every new religious group is considered a cult”. Let us look at the definition of cult, though.

Cult - a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.

Now we can argue if this sect is false, but it is considered false by about 6 billion people. That is a pretty substantial amount of people. Not only that, but it is considered extremist, with the “heavenly deception” techniques and the belief in ansu exorcisms/healings and other strange/unorthodox practices that are clearly abusive and deceitful. Now, most Moonies do live in conventional society (though there are many who live in centers and at one point most members did live in centers) but are under the direction of Reverend Sun Myung Moon in each aspect of their life. Do not deny this. The prayer of a Moonie is sent to “Heavenly Father and True Parents”, and there is an emphasis to have a spiritual relationship with Rev. Moon and to report to him in a reverent, prayerful manner throughout the day.

International Cultic Studies Association has a check list to see if an organization is a cult. Let us go over it.

1. The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.

• As we’ve gone over, there is an unquestioning commitment towards Reverend Moon by most members. Many will not even consider that the affairs of Moon actually went down, despite it being solidified as a fact by several elders, leaders, and even the “True Family”. Others will brush this fact aside and will not even try to understand that it contradicts Moon’s position as a messiah and in the state of perfection, unable to sin.

2. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

• The fact that Dave Hunter has warned members about this blog and there has been a great push to get rid of it is quite an example of this. Members also became quite emotional if you say anything “negative” about the church and its people. These same people forget that without honest criticism, there cannot be any improvements. This has led to blind believers and broad ignorance in the movement.

3. Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

• Is ansu not a great example of this? You are put in a room with thousands of people singing the same song dozens of times while clapping and hitting yourself (and others). Many times, people get lost in a trance-like state during ansu. This does not at all support the belief that it is a supernatural or spiritual experience, but plainly proves that it is a psychologically manipulative one. In Cheong Pyeong, this practice is done twice a day for over an hour for 40 days straight. Is that not in excess?

4. The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

• In the Cheon Seong Gyeong, Moon instructs to which side a man should part their hair. Is that not a bit much? The Cheon Seong Gyeong repeatedly has instructions on the tiniest details of life. The fact that marriage is not completely one’s decision, though this tradition is dying out in the Unification Church, shows how much trust members have for Moon and how much they are willing to yield to their master. Though the lives of members were much more dictated in the 50s-80s when members were under the complete control of “central figures”, this still applies.

5. The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).

• Well, the Unification Church do consider the members the model to humanity and the chosen people, such as those of Israel. One cannot attend a single youth workshop without hearing the great hope the BCs are for the sake of the providence of restoration. And well, Moon is leading this chosen people as the Messiah, King of Kings, Lord of the Second Advent, etc.

6. The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

• Let us not even pretend this does not exist. Many members do not like holding close relationships with non-members and feel as if they cannot have relationships of depth with “outsiders”. It is normal for non-members to be called “outsiders” and the world around them the “outside world”. Dae Mo Nim even spoke out against children having sleepovers with outside children. Such advice must confuse and complex the Unificationists’ ideas on relationships with non-believers and cause tension between the two. This certainly cannot be good for the “One Family Under God” motto.

7. The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).

• Moon definitely believes he has the most authority. Let us look at several quotes of the self-proclaimed sovereign Sun Myung Moon:
  -“Any politician who wants to run for president will come to me in a few years.”
  -”Am I foolish and insignificant or am I great? I gave all the individuals in the world cause to kneel down in front of me.”

8. The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members’ participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).

• STF, the youth missionary efforts of the Unification Church, would fundraise and say they were apart of a non-denominational Christian youth group. This tactic of lying when fundraising has been done all throughout Unification Church history. This so-called “heavenly deception” is still practiced throughout the world by missionaries of the Unification Church.

9. The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

• The fact that Mrs. Kim and other campaigns of leadership were done in the US to discourage members from cooperating with the Global Peace Festival and Hyun Jin Moon is a recent example of such a practice. Hyun Jin was said to be a criminal and straying from the way of the Providence. This tactic has also been done to members in Japan to restore their ancestry and beloved family members, as well as throughout the world.

10. Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

• This practice has been modified and altered to a great degree, but when members joined in the 70s and 80s in the US, they were asked to call their parents and to cut communication with them. Many parents of members had no idea where their children were and did not understand that their children were involved with the Moonies. This practice continues for new members in smaller nations such as Thailand and the Philippines.

11. The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

• Nowadays, there are desperate attempts of evangelism (ex. Lovin’ Life Ministries) but when the Church began in the US there was an intense air of pressure to bring in new members and have “spiritual children”. Hours and days of straight witnessing on the streets of New York and San Francisco and all throughout the US. After members began to settle down, such a pressure died out but continues among programs like STF.

12. The group is preoccupied with making money.

• When the palace was being built, there was incredible pressure to invest thousands into it’s construction. Certain members in each community would check up on local members and talk to them about donating. Even recently there was pressure during church “town hall” meetings to donate to the construction of the new temple in Korea, though the meeting was unrelated to this plea. Such pressure has flooded the history of the UC and is incredible in Japan, where most members are thousands of dollars in debt.

13. Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.

• In nations in Southeast Asia, members are to live public and many times communal lifestyles where they spend hours fund raising and witnessing. This was of course the norm of the early church throughout the world.

14. Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

• This is similar to the elitist ideas that the Unification Church holds.

15. The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

• Even non-believers in the Church are scared to leave and cannot see themselves outside the UC due to building all their dreams and hopes within the Church and their social network being mainly in the church. I know that I once believed that my life would be futile if I were not in the Church.

So we’ve gone through the whole checklist and it looks like each description can apply to the Unification Church. Though other mainstream religious groups can check a few of these, the UC can check them all, though maybe not to an extreme for each. Yes, the church has changed and has evolved in certain areas. The fact still stands that it can check them all and continues to be a negative power in the world. So, are you part of a cult? From the deceptive tactics, the abuse of members, the mind-control… you can decide for yourself.