Washington Crowns King Moon

Now, Religion in the News, a report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media. This week’s item is from the Omaha World Herald, June 24, 2004, with the headline, “Lawmakers Attend Moon’s Crowning (Washington)—More than a dozen lawmakers attended the Congressional Reception this year honoring the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, where he declared himself the Messiah and said his teachings have helped Hitler and Stalin be ‘reborn’ as new persons.

“At the March 23rd ceremony in the Dirksen Senate office building, Representative Danny Davis, Democrat of Illinois, wore white gloves and carried a pillow holding an ornate crown that was placed on Moon’s head. The Korean-born businessman and religious leader then delivered a long speech saying he was ‘sent to earth to save the world’s 6 billion people.’

“Emperors, kings, and presidents have declared to all heaven and earth the Reverend Sun Myung Moon is none other than humanity’s Savior, Messiah, returning Lord, and True Parent.

“Moon, 85, has been controversial, renowned for officiating at mass weddings, he received an 18-month prison sentence in 1982 for tax fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Among the more than 300 people who attended all or part of the ceremony was Senator Mark Dayton, Democrat of Minnesota, who now says he was honoring a constituent receiving a peace award and did not know Moon would be there. The event’s organizers flew in nearly 100 honorees from all 50 states to receive state and national peace awards. The only international crown of peace awards went to Moon and his wife.”

Dave: Tom, you’ve got… this is just incredible stuff. Moon has been up to these shenanigans for years.

Tom: Yeah.

Dave: He’s even gotten evangelical leaders to be at some of these functions, even to speak for him. We know the man is a fraud. What causes…Tom, I don’t know, but I think people were paid to go there…

Tom: Well, we know that in the past, whether it be evangelical leaders, people from the entertainment business, we have former presidents….

Dave: Been paid very well for promoting Moon.

Tom: So this is nothing new.

Dave: No. But they’re flown in from all 50 states to receive peace awards. What’s a peace award? People are easily…bribed, let’s say. Well, they want to be there, and I don’t know what the invitations said: “This is an international gathering, and we want to honor you,” whatever…

Tom: Well, they try to be very family-oriented, and there are certainly subjects, topics, that politicians identify with, particularly if it’s going to get them some votes.

Dave: You know, Jesus gave a very straight talk to the rabbis in His day. He said, “How can you…” this is John chapter 5, “How can you believe, how can you have faith, how can you be men of faith?” We talk about people of faith—how can you be a person of faith? “You who receive honor one from another and seek not the honor that comes from God alone.” That’s a word to me and to you, Tom, it’s a word to everyone.

Now these men, and women I presume, would have been saved some embarrassment—it must be very embarrassing to them to realize that they were had, that they were part of this event, although to a certain extent, it’s their own fault. They went in with their eyes open. Moon didn’t hide the fact that he was the sponsor of this, but if they had been seeking only God’s approval and not men’s approval, they wouldn’t have gone to this ceremony supposedly that would honor them. They went there hoping to be honored. They accepted this bribe. “Look what this will do for you,” and so forth. “Make you better known, and we’ll honor you,” etc. And of course, the whole purpose was the most selfish person—they’re all selfish—they went there to get awards for themselves, and the most selfish person was Moon. Moon and his wife, getting an international crown, an international peace award.

Tom: Which they gave themselves! (Chuckles.)

Dave: Right! A crown! And to imagine that this Democratic representative from Illinois…

Tom: And others! There were some Republicans there from Minnesota…

Dave: But he’s wearing white gloves in order to carry a pillow with an ornate crown that’s going to be…! I mean, Tom, please! We’re past the days of putting crowns on people’s heads. It’s absurd, it’s childish, and yet this is the way Moon says he has been hailed by emperors, kings, and presidents, and he has even, somehow, his doctrine has even straightened out Hitler and Stalin…

Tom: Yeah, how does that work?

Dave: Well, you know what Moon teaches, that Jesus failed in His mission because He didn’t get married and have a perfect family, and so Moon is the Messiah of the Second Advent, and now he has come to fulfill what Jesus failed to do. So he supposedly has the perfect family. Well, the perfect family has involved a few divorces, it’s involved suicides…

Tom: Suicides, right.

Dave: It’s involved all kinds of problems, but anyway, now how are Hitler and Stalin building a perfect family out there? You’ve got to get married by Moon, this is what happens, and then you become part of this ongoing process, and you build your perfect family… Tom, it doesn’t make sense, it’s incredible, but millions of people have given their lives to this.

Tom: Dave, how is it—you just mentioned that bribery, greed, and so on, may play a part in this, but let’s raise it up a bit. What about all of the Moonies? What about all of the thousands, hundreds of thousands, who have followed this man? How do you explain that?

Dave: You know, Tom, in John:8:44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
See All..., Jesus made a profound statement—everything He said was profound. It’s one of the most biting, incisive indictments of the human heart. He said, “Because I tell you the truth, you believe me not.” Jesus is saying, “You would believe any lie. I could get followers with any lie. It doesn’t matter what it is, just so it’s a lie. You’ll follow it. But because I tell you the truth, you don’t want to believe that.” Because we are by nature, as human beings, we are all prone to follow a lie instead of the truth ever since Eve believed Satan’s lie in the Garden…

Tom: So we need a love for the truth, that’s what will protect us, preserve us.

Dave: Amen.