Feb. 2007 - The Amnesty Ceremony
Thousands of Unification Church members from all over the Northeast gathered together in February 2007 to have their sins completely erased. Of course, the fee for to have our sins erased was over a hundred dollars. “Never again will you have such an opportunity”, we were told. You see, in Unificationism, you may be forgiven by God, but your sins will eternally scar you. So when information on the amnesty ceremony came out, many former or distant members began turning back to the Unification Church in hopes of starting their lives over.
I remember that weekend very well. We began in prayer. Ceremony after ceremony was done, with speeches in between. Dae Mo Nim, the spiritualist who we were told goes to Hell every weekend to save the ancestors we paid to liberate, came. She gave a long speech and ranted about the importance of purity. One speaker told us of the Spirit World. He told us that in the next world, 3 generations of families shall share a bed and there couples will have sex in front of their parents with no shame. Things only got more bizarre. We began to beat evil spirits out of our bodies.
In this picture here, I was about to lead the session of “ansu”. I would give instructions through dancing and singing on what body part to hit. I had bronchitis and the flu, but I screeched away on the microphone with much zeal.
I was a wild one back then. If you only knew what I was like.
Somehow I came to know Jesus. Somehow I came to know true forgiveness. Thank God for grace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is your name?
Francis, but I grew up Hye Sung and plenty of people call me that. No worries if you want to stick to that name.
Where do you live?
As of now, I am in Michigan, but I am from New Jersey.
What college are you attending?
Calvin College
What is your ethnicity?
My mother is Japanese and my father is of French and German descent.
When and how did you come to Jesus?
That’s a complex question. I cannot give you the exact date of my conversion but it was sometime around September-October 2009. I came to know Jesus after much soul-searching that included investing the Mormon Church, trying to reconcile myself with my parents’ religion (the Unification Church), and several broken relationships. After trying to walk away from religion completely, something kept telling me to repent to Jesus. After a few weeks of this conviction weighing on my heart, I could not help but fall on my knees and I repented and spoke to Christ. For the first time in my life, after years of praying and seeking spiritual experiences, I finally felt God interacting with me. I finally knew I was speaking to God.
Are you Pentecostal?
Kind of, but not really. I am charismatic, like Pentecostals, in the sense that I believe that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12) have continued into this age and did not cease. I also believe Christians ought to pursue these gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1). Like Pentecostals, I do believe in healing in the atonement and the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an empowering work subsequent to salvation. There are some aspects of classical Pentecostalism, though, that I do not agree with, such as Arminianism, pre-tribulationism, and other secondary (and even more minor) doctrines. I do not tie myself down to a denomination, but I suppose I am a Reformed-Pentecostal hybrid that likes hanging out with everybody in the universal Church.
Why did you leave the Unification Church?
I began distancing myself due to the corruption I came across and the hypocrisy I encountered with many of the leaders. Reading the book “In The Shadow of The Moons” by Nan Sook Hong, ex-wife of Hyo Jin Moon, changed my life. Despite already knowing much of what was said in the book, the book confronted me and did not let me simply excuse the sins of Sun Myung Moon and his family. When I came to know Jesus Christ, though, I gained the courage to completely cut myself off from the Unification Church. I could not at all associate with an organization that proclaims that my Savior is a failure.
What does the Unification Church believe?
The Unification Church has a complex theology that denies the Trinity and recognizes the Cross as a failure. They believe Jesus was to marry, have children, and create a political kingdom that would consume the Earth. Since Jesus was put on the cross before these things could occur, they believe Jesus did not finish his work. Sun Myung Moon claims to be the Christ and started the Unification Church to fulfill the unfinished work of Christ. There is of course much more to their belief system, but this is the core doctrine.
How is the Unification Church evil?
Not only is their doctrine an offense to God, but there are various forms of corruptions in the Unification Church.
First of all, the Unification Church system thrives on lies. Deception is very much a part of the church’s past recruiting tactics and is still being used today in various forms. Many members were drawn to the UC not knowing it was the UC, and if being told the group they were a part of had nothing to do with the UC when they asked. The fundraising tactics also require lying. In the past they claimed to be raising money for drug rehabilitation centers or for orphanages in Africa, and nowadays members often claim to be a part of a Christian organization. I can testify that a leader told me to lie when fundraising door to door.
The church is constantly creating money-making scheme that drain members of money. It is quite difficult to be financially stable if you are faithful to each donation “request” the UC makes of members. There is much pressure to donate to these schemes. An example of this when members all over the world donated millions to build Sun Myung Moon a literal palace in South Korea. Members were told that their ancestors would be upset if they did not and that they would receive great blessings if they donated. Many members gave over $10,000 and were driven to intense debts. Also, the UC has created an indulgence system where you can pay to get your ancestors out of Hell. I know many, including my own parents, who have paid thousands to liberate generations of ancestors out of Hell. Other examples can be seen here and here.
How did your parents join?
They were idealistic in their twenties and were impressionable and were desperate to live out their idealism. They did not know what they were getting into when they were recruited. Over time submitted their ability to think for themselves to Sun Myung Moon and leaders of the Church. I would say my parents are logical people, but their young minds were molded by the Unification Church and it has skewed much of their thinking. They gave up everything they had to live with the Unification Church, where they spent most of their time in lectures, fundraising for the UC, and going through conditions (which often consists of fasting). Eventually, Sun Myung Moon matched the both of them together for marriage.
Are your parents still members?
Yes, they are.
Why should a Christian support Ron Paul?
- He is strongly against Roe v. Wade. The man loves life. I mean, he delivered thousands of babies in his career as a doctor! He has never voted contrary to his belief in life and has never softened his view. He even left the Episcopalian Church due to it’s belief on abortion rights. He has a strong conviction in the pro-life message. (His pro-life convictions are so strong that he is against the death penalty and war.)
- He is an honest man of integrity. Don’t believers desire this as a leader? His voting record is rock solid and I encourage people to check it out. He has always been upfront about his plans for his district as a congressman.
- He has been married to the same woman for 50 years and strongly believes in family values.
- He has the strongest stance against the War in Iraq and Afghanistan among the Republican candidates and even compared to Barrack Obama. He recognizes that the US has killed over 100,000 civilians in Iraq and recognizes the many injustices of the US occupations and is pushing for the troops to be pulled out immediately.
- He truly does love the Lord Jesus Christ but is not tied down to the corrupt Religious Right.
Who are some people that influence you?
John Wimber, founder of the modern Vineyard movement, is one of my biggest inspirations. He was a man of solid Evangelical theology who was confronted by the power of the Holy Spirit after years of denying the continuation of the spiritual gifts in this age. He inspires me to live a “naturally supernatural” life and his teachings have guided me in my pursuit of more of the Holy Spirit.
Terry Virgo comes from a unique stream of the Church that strongly believes in the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the founder of the New Frontiers church network and is also a man blessed with strong preaching abilities and he also moves in power. His desire to see the Church be restored in all the qualities of the New Testament Church is something that has greatly impacted me.
John Piper is a Reformed Baptist pastor and theologian that has been very influential on my walk with the Lord. When I first came to know Christ, his resources helped me come to walk on solid ground. His passionate and sound preaching has been a huge blessing to me and one cannot deny that he is a rare breed. His love for the Lord is very evident in all of his resources.
Heidi Baker, missionary in Mozambique, is always a blessing to listen to. I do not turn to her for theological teachings but for profound testimonies to the faithfulness and mercy of God. I have never come across somebody who is so joyful to suffer for the Lord. She is a fearless preacher of the Gospel and is no stranger to the healing power of God. Her ministry has been used to heal thousands. Her ministry also takes care of thousands of orphans and homeless people. I probably disagree with a lot of her theological views (and I wish she would not break out in tongues in the middle of preaching), but she is a woman that is truly intimate with the Lord and I cannot help but giggle and cry while listening to her. (If you have about 2 hours, listen to her speak here.)
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is a strong Reformed theologian that has helped me understand the reality of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. His book “Revival” is something I think all Christians should read to understand the necessity of the miraculous, transforming power of the Holy Spirit in one’s life and the life of the Church.
What are your views on homosexuality?
I would say I am pretty traditional in the sense that I do not believe that God made those of the same-sex to be in a conjugal relationship. Before condemning homosexual relationships, we must first stress that the Bible makes it clear that that all sexual activity outside of marriage is a sin. To dismiss homosexuals as people who made a “bad choice” is ignorant, not compassionate, and lacks the character of Christ. Sexuality is such a huge aspect of who we are and to be unable to express your sexuality in a healthy manner is excruciating for homosexuals who have faith in Christ. We must also remember, though, that in Christ we have the grace to rest in him and he shall always satisfy. For those struggling with homosexual attractions, know that you are first married to the Lord and he, unlike any person, has an everlasting love.
When discussing homosexuality with Christians who affirm that one can be in a gay relationship and faithful to God, we must recognize that there is some validity to their arguments. There are very few verses that talk about homosexual and many scholars would say that if you look into the Greek, they are not actually talking about homosexuality. In Christ-like grace, I would recognize that there is some validity but explain that I have to disagree due to convictions developed from a systematic understanding of the Bible that only man and woman are meant to have a conjugal relationship (read about this here).
I encourage every Christian to look into the Word, study the verses that are used to condemn homosexuals, read up on this subject, and be part of the conversation so that we, as a Church, may grow in our love, mercy, and understanding for the broken inside and outside of the Church.
Since you have charismatic beliefs, what do you feel about the “Prosperity Gospel” and “Word of Faith” doctrine?
These beliefs are probably the worst things that have infected the Charismatic Movement. If you do not not know much about the Word of Faith movement, I recommend reading the resources on this site and on this site.
These two beliefs are very much connected and are very much hurting the American Church and worldwide Church. This view has brought many to understand salvation in a very superficial sense. We must understand that the Gospel is indeed good news, but that is because in our walk with Christ, we are called to submit all to God and he would lead us to delight in him despite our circumstances (Psalm 37:3-4, Matthew 11:29). In fact, we are to expect suffering as a Christian. We shall be persecuted, we may be disciplined, and we are to be refined (Hebrews 12:6, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 1:6-7), which will be painful.
Also, the belief that we are “little gods”, which Kenneth Hagin and other Word of Faith teachers propose, is unbiblical. We do not have the same authority as Jesus Christ and this belief cannot be found in the Bible. Conclusions on such a thing are due to the eisegesis of so-called “Bible teachers”, such as Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Andrew Wommack, etc.
Regarding the “Prosperity Gospel” (which can be considered an aspect of “Word of Faith” teaching), God is a provider, but he never in the Bible does he promise material riches for all faithful believers. In fact, the Acts 2 Church was one where everybody gave up all their material wealth to live in community. Jesus, the King of Kings, was a traveling preacher who only wore a crown once during his earthly life, and it was a crown of thorns.
Do you condone holy laughter?
It happens. There are often physical and emotional reactions to the power of the Holy Spirit, such as shaking, weeping, and laughing. I do not think we should aim to experience these manifestations but we should seek for more of the Holy Spirit for the sake of empowerment and being drawn closer to God. I also believe that these things are often man-generated due to one’s desire to seem spiritual or because of pressure to experience such things. Believers are to test the spirits (John 4:1) and strengthen their own discernment (Hebrews 5:11-14) so that they are sure that they are truly experiencing the grace and power of God and not something that is from the deception of man and “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.
Demon smacking, perfectionism, and the light of God
On September 17th, 2006, I wrote in my journal:
So pretty much I’m okay. My arms are bruised as heck. But it’s for my own good. I have such bad spirits in me. It’s hard to think a lot, and my head gets polluted with satanic thoughts, and it’s all unintentional. I need [Cheongpyeong]. I wish I could stay 80 days but I don’t think I can.
I am reading an old journal from the days I spent back in Cheongpyeong, a spiritual retreat center in Korea for Unification Church members. I forgot about this journal, though it has sat on my bookshelf for years. I picked up while packing some books for college. The content has brought me through an emotional rollercoaster. I was such a strange boy with such a broken heart. I’ve also noticed that my handwriting changes drastically mid-entry. I was truly going insane during my time there.
I was sent to Cheongpyeong on an emergency trip due to some things I began experiencing. My mother and I went across the world to have me purified of demons. I missed the beginning of my 8th grade year and I didn’t care. I was desperate for purity, perfection, holiness. I was desperate to reach the standard God had set for man.
I believed in perfectionism. It was what I was taught. My days in Cheongpyeong were all in vain. I desperately worked to grow more spiritual and sinless. I spent hours beating demons out of my body, as well as other people’s bodies. I spent hours digging into the false teachings of Sun Myung Moon. I spent hours bowing to his picture and gazing at his face while I prayed and reported to him and God. Him and God were basically on the same level. I spoke to them both at the same level of intimacy. My journal from those 50 days are a wild read. Very silly. Very ridiculous. And I came across something very funny and intriguing. Keep in mind, this was before I knew Jesus and believed in the work on the cross. I wrote:
I live for God. And if in the situation, I will die for him. For if he had flesh, he’d do the same.
How did I not know he did take on flesh and he did die for me! My rejection of Christianity was out of my judgment of it being anti-intellectual and superficial, yet something in me longed for Jesus Christ. And I wrote something ludicrous in a later entry:
I want to be close to God. I want him to know everything.
Not only did I somehow not believe God knew everything, I was also living in such prideful striving!
I wrote something on September 21st that reveals how deeply I believed in my prideful striving:
To enter Heaven you must fit—the holy mold of his design. And if misshapen, you’re out of line!
My salvation was something I had to work towards. My goodness was something I had to create. My goal was the goal of every member of the Unification Church: to become a true, perfect person. I believed it was possible with enough bowing, enough fasting, enough reading, enough praying, and if I learned Korean. How deceived I was.
As I read this journal, I know my God was with me through it all. Praise cannot help but come out of mouth for I rest in the fact that he does in fact know everything and he has a beautiful plan for me. I am truly reconciled; praise God!
This mini-documentary on the Unification Church (UC) is something I enjoyed and found to be accurate. Teri Lester, an ex-member of the UC, is interviewed in this video.
And I dedicate this to the Unification Church. This is for the bondage of deception you’ve forced thousands to experience. This is for trapping the souls of my parents. This is for the abuse — spiritual, psychological, financial, and yes, even physical — that you afflicted so many with.
Moon, you don’t have much time left. Your day is coming and you will have to face the judgment of God. Was all of this worth it?
Lauryn Hill
I Get Out
[Singing Chorus]
I get out, I get out of all your boxes
I get out, you can’t hold me in these chains
I’ll get out
Father free me from this bondage
Knowin’ my condition
Is the reason I must change
[Verse 1]
Your stinkin’ resolution
Is no type of solution
Preventin’ me from freedom
Maintainin’ your polution
I won’t support your lie no more
I won’t even try no more
If I have to die, oh Lord
That’s how I choose to live
I won’t be compromised no more
I can’t be victimised no more
I just don’t sympathize no more
Cuz now I understand
You just wanna use me
You say “love” then abuse me
You never thought you’d loose me
But how quickly we forget
That nothin’ is for certain
You thought I’d stay here hurtin’
Your guilt trip’s just not workin’
Repressin’ me to death
Cuz now I’m choosin’ life, yo
I take the sacrifice, yo
If everything must go, then go
That’s how I choose to live
[Pause]
[Singing rest of Verse 1]
That’s how I choose to live…
Hehehehe, awhh
No more compromises
I see past your diguises
Blindin’ through mind control
Stealin’ my eternal soul
Appealin’ through material
To keep me as your slave
[Singing Chorus]
But I get out
Oh, I get out of all your boxes
I get out
Oh, you can’t hold me in these chains
I’ll get out
Oh, I want out of social bondage
Knowin’ my condition
Oh, is the reason I must change
[Singing Verse 2]
See, what you see is what you get
Oh, and you ain’t seen nothin’ yet
Oh, I don’t care if you’re upset
I could care less if you’re upset
See it don’t change the truth
And your hurt feeling’s no excuse
To keep me in this box
Psychological locks
Repressin’ true expression
Cementin’ this repression
Promotin’ mass deception
So that no one can be healed
I don’t respect your system
I won’t protect your system
When you talk I don’t listen
Oh, let my Father’s will be done
[Singing Chorus]
And just get out
Oh, just get out of all this bondage
Just get out
Oh, you can’t hold me in these chains
Just get out
All these traditions killin’ freedom
Knowin’ my condition
Is the reason I must change
[Singing Verse 3]
I just accepted what you said
Keepin’ me among the dead
The only way to know
Is to walk then learn and grow
But faith is not your speed
Oh, you’d had everyone believe
That you’re the sole authority
Just follow the majority
Afraid to face reality
The system is a joke
Oh, you’d be smart to save your soul
Oh, and escape this mind control
You spent your life in sacrifice
To a system for the dead
Oh, are you sure…
Where is the passion in this living
Are you sure it’s God you servin’
Obligated to a system
Getting less then you’re deserving
Who made up these schools, I say
Who made up these rules, I say
Animal conditioning
Oh, just to keep us as a slave
[Singing Chorus]
Oh, just get out
Of this social purgatory
Just get out
All these traditions are a lie
Just get out
Superstition killing freedom
Knowin’ my condition
Is the reason I must die
Just get out
Just get out
Just get out
Let’s get out
Let’s get out
Knowin’ my condition
Is the reason I must die
Just get out
(Source: sunmoonexposed)
Scandal.
I grew up in a religion where you could buy your forgiveness and the salvation of any deceased person. I grew up in a religion that constantly tells you to buy things, such as statues and books, for “special blessings” from God. I grew up in a religion that told me that God loved me but I still had to pay for my sins. I grew up in a religion that said that God would never fully let go of what I did in the past. And leaving the grips of man-made religion and coming into the arms of Jesus Christ has been incredibly scandalous. It went against what I had been taught all my life: God is obsessed with me and nothing I do can change that. No sin or act against God would change how much He loves me. All that was needed for me to live a joyful life of purity and forgiveness was done at the Cross. I now live in freedom, joy, peace, power, and love. The God who went upon the Cross is the same God who finds me beautiful, good, and holy. The God of the Universe, the One who created all things, is the same One who is my Healer, my Deliverer, my Savior, my King, my Judge, and my Bridegroom. Many are bothered with this God I love. They call Him narrow-minded, arrogant, archaic, irrational, and ridiculous in all ways. I will admit, He is a bit of a scandalous fellow. He has no reason to love me or care for me. But He does. He has no reason to claim me and call me His own. But He does. He has no reason to die for me. But He did. What a scandal it is to know the fullness of life when the chains of death are so deserved.
HowWellDoYouKnowYourMoon.com →
This site is a great resource on the Unification Church (UC), the cult I grew up in. The UC glorifies Sun Myung Moon as the Christ. I praise God for opening my eyes to the fact that the UC is a cult and, of course, a false religion. If it weren’t for Christian apologetics, books written by ex-members of the Unification Church, and resources on the internet, who knows where I would be today.
Piper Meets the Moonies →
(When this photo was taken, I was literally a few inches from being in this photo. We were watching a soccer game with Rev. Sun Myung Moon.)
I just found this article today with much surprise. I have actually searched Desiring God’s resources before to see if they had anything about the Unification Church. As many of you know, I grew up in this cult and my parents are still members. Coming to accept Jesus for who He is took so long because of the distorted view they have on Jesus Christ’s divinity and mission and… everything. I found this article with much delight. I honestly wish my father came across it before he joined the Unification Church in the 70s. John Piper addresses some major heresies of the Unification Church in this article, even though his interaction was pretty minimal. Though his interaction was minimal, his discernment was still incredibly active.
Piper’s conclusion is what makes me go most wild:
In summary, then, Jesus Christ does not have the place of honor in Unification theology. His word is not final or decisive; his promised return is usurped by another; his cross is not atoning; and our salvation is by our merit more than his. This is a contemporary form of the Galatian heresy. I told my visitors that in no uncertain terms. Their reaction is typically a smile and a lamenting statement that they wished I wouldn’t focus on our differences so much but on our similarities. That is the essence of Moonie strategy: all smiles and graciousness and glossing over of glaring chasms of theological difference.
A rant.
Sometimes I get sort of frustrated with my parents for investing so much into the Unification Church. I know, I know, I shouldn’t. I of course detest the UC for all that it is and denounce it as a wicked organization, but the fact that my parents work for it isn’t the issue. The fact that they have been put through years of stressful labor without any benefits or pensions or anything like that kills me. The fact that my dad has worked over 30 for the UC out of his love for God and mankind, is almost 60 years old, and is still taken advantage of continually and paid basically nothing kills me. When I was a kid I was mad at him because I felt like I would have to lie about what I got for Christmas to my friends. I remember the anxiety I would feel as my friends named all their Christmas gifts and I would just make up gifts I received. I used to be mad at him because I could only afford jeans with ugly pockets. Now I am just sad. I am sad that this man who has worked so hard is constantly overwhelmed by the bills each month. I am sad that he has to rely on his kids to survive. I mean it does suck that I have to go to a creepy doctor now that we live off this state-run healthcare, it sucks not ever having money to buy clothes, but I can honestly say that isn’t why I am so frustrated. I am frustrated with my dad, partially, because he hasn’t woken up to see how he has been taken advantage of. But I am more frustrated with the fact that people have the balls to hurt people this much.
The Unification Church is a cult and I would do my best to tear it down in any way I can.
What is the Unification Church?
I always talk about the Unification Church and a lot of you are probably clueless.
The Unification Church is a pseudo-Christian religion my parents belong to and I was raised in. It is a tight-knit “movement” of people who affirm their faith in the Divine Principle, their theological textbook, and the True Parents, who are Sun Myung Moon and his wife Hak Ja Han Moon.
The Church, sometimes referred to as the Movement, believes that Rev. Moon is the Messiah and is finishing the work Jesus Christ failed to do. Rev. Moon is seen as perfect and restored those in Unificationism to the state of purity that Adam and Eve lived in. It is believed that Adam and Eve had committed a sexual sin together and that is truly the root of all sin.
Rev. Moon’s teachings have a lot of depth and are very complicated as well as extremely rational. They can be attractive for the Divine Principle seems to “rationalize” and “reason” the Bible and Unificationism promises to bring its’ believers to great spiritual growth. Despite, the Church denies the deity of Jesus Christ and believes He failed His mission and in general butchers the Bible.
My parents gave up their educations, jobs, and overall lives for the Unification Church. They accepted an arranged marriage from Rev. Sun Myung Moon and worked their butts off to spread their teachings and grow the Movement. My parents are extremely tied to this false church. And they have hopes that I too give my life to the Movement and accept an arranged marriage like they did.
And that is why I talk about the Unification Church so much. And that is why my family needs the God of salvation, Jesus Christ.
“That’s why I can dream dreams that God Himself never dreamed. I’m that kind of person. I can believe the things even God can’t believe. I can do things even God can’t. That’s why God hated me more than Satan hated me.”
Rev Sun Myung Moon
