Continued from Page 8
Moonies
outlines the church's beliefs and goals.
Morrison estimates there are currently about
40,000 Unificationists in the United States and about
3 million in 127 nations. The largest concentration of
Unificationists is not in the United States, but in
Korea and Japan. But sceptics say the American
Unification movement numbers about 4,000.
Moon came to the United States in 1972 and
entered the public spotlight when he supported
former Pres. Richard Nixon during the Watergate
scandal.
Moon now owns four estates throughout the
United States worth more than $3 million. The
Unification Church also has extensive holdings in
Central America, particularly in Uruguay, where the
church reportedly has invested almost $100 million in
the city of Montevideo.
Some have called Uruguay the Switzerland of
South America, raising sceptics' contentions that the
Unification Church is nothing more than a business
organized to amass financial and political power. In
addition, the National Council of Churches has con
tested the Unification Church’s claim that it is a
Christian organization.
When the 63-year-old Moon was convicted of
evading taxes of more than $150,000 in July 1982,
sceptics said the conviction proved that the Unifica
tion Church is not what it claims to be.
Morrison denies accusations that the church is
primarily a money-making venture.
"It's clearly not true. Our national budget as a
church is peanuts compared to other major chur
ches," Morrison says, although he does not know the
exact figure. "I know one church that makes a billion
bucks on bingo each year, and what do they do with
it? We're not into big buildings that are used two
hours a week. But with the monies that are raised,
there are significant projects going on, conferences
that bring together different religions and interna
tional relief foundations that have distributed
millions of funds in food and medical supplies to
needy countries."
Criticisms extend beyond the church's financial
holdings and anti-communistic polit.ical stance, but
to its techniques for recruiting and keeping
followers, as well.
Accusations of brainwashing, deception and coer
cion of its followers are not uncommon.
Morrison scoffs at these criticisms and says they
are "hogwash, total nonsense. It is unbelievable."
He says Moon's conviction and the criticisms of the
church leader are examples of religious persecution,
which is common to all fledgling religions.
"I feel like that's what's happening here. We have a
new religious movement and a yellow man from the
East. There is a certain amount of racism. We have a
potential explosive situation.
"I know Rev. Moon quite well and his wife and 13
children. He's a very sacrifical man, contrary to the
public notion. He works harder than all of us. I've
seen him stay up the whole night just talking to
members. He's a man of deep religious commitment.
It's painful to me that he has been so misunderstood
in his own time, and I think that time will reveal the
value of his teachings. He has good company," Mor
rison says, citing Christ's persecution as a similiar
example.
As far as people being locked up against their will,
Morrison says "It's never happened.
"It's hard to get out of the University after two
years," he says. "If you make a committment to a
religious way of life, it's hard to leave. But there s no
physical coercion. We do believe that it's important
to be living for God at this time, so (leaving the
church) is not an easy decision to make.
"Look at us. Do we look brainwashed? There was
no way that anyone was ever coerced into staying.
Everyone was free to go any time. There were no
walls or fences."
Besides, Morrison says, people have had more
traumatic experiences from overreacting parents
who have snatched their children — against their will
— from the Unification Church's week-end retreats
or seminars.
In such instances, parents have sometimes "de
programmed" their children, which usually involves
marathon discussion sessions between the parents
and children.
"People have had terrible experiences from being
kidnapped and violently de-programmed, which I
think is a violation of a person's freedom of religion,
freedom of thinking and their liberty. Period. It's il
legal. If anything, that's the brainwashing — if you're
coerced and locked up in a hotel room so you can't
leave, and they keep you all hours of the night and
blow smoke in your face and criticize your beliefs.
"That's entirely different from anything that hap
pens in the church. We have education seminars just
like going to school. We teach a set of principles that
are very logical. If you choose to accept them, then
you may decide to work with us," Morrison says.
Although he admits the church has made some
past mistakes, it has "never been the intention of
Rev. Moon" to deceive people. "He has always
stressed being out front, being truthful, being proud
of being a Unificationist. That is the policy of the
church," Morrison says.
Criticizing the church is an example of how people
often seek to discredit public figures, Morrison says.
"Look at the kinds of things any president has to
deal with. There are always those who disagree with
what you're doing."
But Morrison admits that being confronted by a
"hostile world makes it tough to be a Moonie.
"You can’t be a self-centered person and make it in
the church. If you're out for a free ride and an easy
time, you'll never make it. It's a life that teaches
selflessness. We are working toward a revolution
from selfishness. But to change the world, one has to
change himself first."
Ultimately, the Unification Church hopes to usher
in a New World free from violence and hatred, Mor
rison says, with Moon as its leader.
"The person on the street doesn't see the scope of
what Rev. Moon is trying to accomplish," he says. "I
feel that Rev. Moon is trying to save the world and
that's what Messiah means — not some supernatural
guy who walks on water and brings about miracles —
but someone who is trying to bring about the resolu
tion of conflict.
"I feel that God is working through him at this time
as a prophet, as someone who is bringing an impor
tant message."
But despite the church's good intentions, Morrison
says he has "been burned by the media so many
times."
" 'How I Was Brainwashed By the Moonies' " is a
sexy story. It always makes headlines," he says.
"Our movement is not a cult — it's not a personali
ty cult like Jim Jones. (Jones and his 913 followers in
the cult, The Peoples Temple, committed mass
suicide by drinking cyanide in Jonestown, Guyana, in
1978.) We re not into Rev. Moon. We're into discover
ing what's real and true in the world."
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