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The noteworthy Korean evangelist/businessman renowned throughout the world for promoting his unique brand of New-Wave Christianity, a movement known as the Unification Church, has died at 92. A highly controversial figure, Rev. Moon played an essential role in the spread of New-Age religious movements internationally, with the Unification Church representing a unique mixture of eastern spirituality, commercial interest, and Christian Messianism.
NY Times Article
Mr. Moon died two weeks after being hospitalized with pneumonia, Ahn Ho-yeul, a spokesman for the Unification Church, his religious movement, told The Associated Press.
Mr. Moon courted world leaders, financed newspapers and founded numerous innocuously named civic organizations. To his critics, he pursued those activities mainly to lend legitimacy to the Unification Church, although his methods were sometimes questionable. In 2004, for example, he had himself crowned “humanity’s savior” in front of astonished members of Congress at a Capitol Hill luncheon.
![[image loading]](http://rt.com/files/news/moon-unification-church-dies-201/92-founder-unification-myung.n.jpg)
As an aside, what do TL's Korean members think of Rev. Moon? I know that most teenagers in the US with an interest in counter culture come across his name and are at least remotely familiar with the Unification Church, but I am not aware of how his homeland views him.
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On September 03 2012 05:36 farvacola wrote:The noteworthy Korean evangelist/businessman renowned throughout the world for promoting his unique brand of New-Wave Christianity, a movement known as the Unification Church, has died at 92. A highly controversial figure, Rev. Moon played an essential role in the spread of New-Age religious movements internationally, with the Unification Church representing a unique mixture of eastern spirituality, commercial interest, and Christian Messianism. NY Times ArticleShow nested quote +Mr. Moon died two weeks after being hospitalized with pneumonia, Ahn Ho-yeul, a spokesman for the Unification Church, his religious movement, told The Associated Press.
Mr. Moon courted world leaders, financed newspapers and founded numerous innocuously named civic organizations. To his critics, he pursued those activities mainly to lend legitimacy to the Unification Church, although his methods were sometimes questionable. In 2004, for example, he had himself crowned “humanity’s savior” in front of astonished members of Congress at a Capitol Hill luncheon.
As an aside, what do TL's Korean members think of Rev. Moon? I know that most teenagers in the US with an interest in counter culture come across his name and are at least remotely familiar with the Unification Church, but I am not aware of how his homeland views him.
I have a pretty bleh view of him, as he's a religious leader who ended up expanding into media (UPI and the Washington Times); always a big red flag in my opinion. Also, for decades he was a regular source of largesse for US government officials. If you're an American who dislikes how corrupt the US political process is, a large reason why lobbying got so lucrative was because the Moonies upped the stakes so much starting from the 1970s.
But, from a religious standpoint, he's fairly neutral. There's no reason to hate on him for that, it's not like he was preaching jihad.
The jury is out overall since I'm curious to see how his Church will function after his death. His family has already been in the papers (not his newspapers, other ones  ) for infighting over his inheritance. Will they tear the Church apart in their money grab?
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Pretty much a comic-book villain, in my opinion. Hard to make someone like him up. Too bad his newspapers won't go with him.
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Never really liked him, found him more of a cult leader. As far as I remember, because SK is quite the orthodox Christian country, most see MSM 이단, or heretical.
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I despise the guy. He is a major part of the reason why people despise Christianity.
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I don't know what you were expecting posting such a ridiculous figure on a website full of libertarians and socialists (along with a handful of conservatives that generally fall under liberals anyway)
He managed to take backwards ideologies like religion and make them even more ridiculous. Leave religion to "love and let love" and get these media whores buried into the ground as fast as possible.
No R.I.P. from me, the man was a joke and his legacy (if you want to call it that) sent even more people into the stone age.
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To be honest, I never got a clear picture of him from all I've learned over the years. A lot of people find Christianity to be a very welcoming message, and his organization was responsible for peace-rallies and other community-building exercises.
Then again, I can't help but look at his organization as an incredibly obvious personality cult - the ostentatious costumes, public coronation ceremonies as "the savior of mankind", personally dubbing himself "parent of all humanity", etc. Of course, I don't know whether his real motives were as divinely-inspired as he claimed. But I know I'm not terribly fond of people who lead others astray to enjoy lives of luxury.
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I can't describe how little I care.
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On September 03 2012 06:25 NeMeSiS3 wrote:
I don't know what you were expecting posting such a ridiculous figure on a website full of libertarians and socialists (along with a handful of conservatives that generally fall under liberals anyway)
He managed to take backwards ideologies like religion and make them even more ridiculous. Leave religion to "love and let love" and get these media whores buried into the ground as fast as possible.
No R.I.P. from me, the man was a joke and his legacy (if you want to call it that) sent even more people into the stone age.
Well to be frank I was hoping to get some Korean perspectives, and I can guarantee that some posters sympathize with at least a few of his social ideas. And even if responses end up being relatively homogeneous, the man and his respective movement are unique enough to warrant discussion methinks.
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a unique mixture of eastern spirituality, commercial interest, and Christian Messianism.
That sounds... less than appealing.
But RIP nonetheless.
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On September 03 2012 06:14 Shiragaku wrote:
I despise the guy. He is a major part of the reason why people despise Christianity.
What? Why? It's seriously really difficult to point out a religious authority that doesn't use its position as a source of power, I don't consider Moon to be uniquely "evil" or anything. Some of the things he accomplished even forwarded peace efforts around the world.
The anti-communist stuff was a little weird, but hey, the United States and the Papacy were already aboard that boat and it was a pretty difficult time to be pro or even neutral towards communism.
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I thought most of eastern Asia was atheist
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RIP, was an interesting figure to say the least. Slightly insane though. :X
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On September 03 2012 06:34 urashimakt wrote:Show nested quote +On September 03 2012 06:14 Shiragaku wrote:
I despise the guy. He is a major part of the reason why people despise Christianity. What? Why? It's seriously really difficult to point out a religious authority that doesn't use its position as a source of power, I don't consider Moon to be uniquely "evil" or anything. Some of the things he accomplished even forwarded peace efforts around the world. The anti-communist stuff was a little weird, but hey, the United States and the Papacy were already aboard that boat and it was a pretty difficult time to be pro or even neutral towards communism.
I know, but it does not change the fact that Jesus would probably tear down his luxurious church and mansion if he could. Yes, Jesus had his flaws, but if Moon had any sense of what Jesus advocated, he would be living in poverty advocating the rights of the poor, condemning the bourgeois society of modern religious organizations, and would probably be anything but an anti-communist, but not pro-Soviet.
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Another man who uses religion for personal gain. RIH
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The name of the movement sounds scary...Unitology anyone?
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Isn't he a cult leader who was accused by many people of sexually exploiting church members and used the church for his own personal and financial gain? Sounds like a great guy.
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It's sad that a man has past away, but this person is just an incredibly disgusting person. I don't think I've ever witnessed a more worse distortion of Christianity ever by anyone. His theology is mutailed beyond belief, and what's even more sickening is that he's been able to build himself a somesort of an economical empire with it. For the Catholics and the Protestants, this is certainly good news. Korea's public image of Christianity's been distorted long enough. He is no Christian, I assure you. Chrisitanity is just a brand for him to delude the weak into strengthening his empire. With the head gone, hopefully his empire will crumble in time.
Here's a wiki just to shine light on his cult: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unification_Church_and_mainstream_Christianity
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EPT
