Hyung Jin Moon

Hyung Jin Sean Moon (born 1979) is an American pastor and co-founder, alongside his wife, Yeon Ah Lee Moon, of the Pennsylvania-based World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, an offshoot or unofficial sect of the Unification movement.[1][2][3][4]

For Moon's similarly-named older brother, see Hyun Jin Moon.
In this Korean name, the family name is Moon.

Hyung Jin Moon
Hangul
문형진
Hanja
Revised RomanizationMun Hyeong-jin
McCune–ReischauerMun Hyŏngjin

Early life and education

Moon was born September 26, 1979,[5] in Tarrytown, New York. He is the youngest son of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification movement, and Hak Ja Han. He attended the Hackley School until college. He earned bachelor of liberal arts and master of theology degrees from Harvard Extension University.[6] At the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions, he met the leader of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Bub Jang, and pursued an interest in Buddhism.[7] He also practiced Tibetan Buddhism, and for a time lived in a Roman Catholic monastery.[8]

In 2008, Hyung Jin Moon expressed support for newly elected President Barack Obama, saying, "I am very proud as an American to have a black president. I was born and raised in America. I am a part of a minority. To see a minority representative being the president of the United States of America is extremely inspiring. It's just miraculous."[9]

Religious career

In April 2008, Sun Myung Moon (then 88 years old) appointed Hyung Jin Moon to be the International President of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU). Hyung Jin Moon and members of his church, believe that a coronation ceremony with his father in 2009 made him heir and successor.[10][11] Under his leadership the Family Federation for World Peace was changed to the Unification Church.[12] He also introduced new practices, like spiritual energy hand movements[13] Most of these changes were dismissed after he was removed in 2015. The Family Federation for World Peace considers Hyung Jin Moon's church a "breakaway organization."[1][2]

In 2011 Hyung Jin Moon visited North Korea to express condolences on the death of Kim Jong-il.[14] In 2011 in Pyongyang, to mark the 20th anniversary of Sun Myung Moon's visit to North Korea, de jure President Kim Yong-nam hosted Hyung Jin Moon in the official residence.[15][16] The latter donated 600 tons of flour to North Korean children of North Pyongan Province, the birthplace of Sun Myung Moon.[17][18] Also, after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, he donated $1.7 million to the Japanese Red Cross.[19][20]

Schism

After Sun Myung Moon died in 2012, Hyung Jin Moon and his mother began expressing open differences. He was removed by his mother from various positions from 2013 and eventually[21][2] taken down as International President of the Family Federation for World Peace and replaced by Sung Jin Moon.[22][23]

Hyung Jin Moon and members of his church have publicly criticized his mother, Hak Ja Han, for changing the theological foundations of his father's teachings and elevating her own status.[24][25][26] This lead him and his wife to separate from the movement to establish a local offshoot sect named '[World Peace and Unification] Sanctuary Church' at around time in spring 2013 to officially in January 2015.[27]

In 2015, Hyung Jin Moon began renouncing his mother as the 'Whore of Babylon', saying she was no longer True Mother. He also began teaching that Hyun Shil Kang, one of Sun Myung Moon's first disciples, was now True Mother instead as his spirit had married her.[28] He and his wife Yeon Ah Lee also began assuming the titles 'Second King' and 'Second Queen' respectively.[29]

Hyung Jin Moon is backed by his elder brother Kook Jin Justin Moon, who effectively serves as assistant pastor of the church and owns small arms manufacturer Kahr Arms.

Gun ritual controversies

Hyung Jin Moon's church, World Peace and Unification Sanctuary Church in Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, gained national attention[30][31][32] in early 2018 for holding a marriage vows renewal ceremony that asked participants to bring their AR-15 rifles.[33] Hyung Jin Moon has likened the AR-15's to the biblical "rod of iron".[34] Neighbors of the church came out to protest the insensitivity of having the AR-15 rifles at the event so soon after the Parkland, Florida, shooting that killed 17.[35] To address concerns voiced by parents of an elementary school nearby, the Wallenpaupack Area School District relocated students for the day.[36] The Southern Poverty Law Center called Moon an "[a]nti-LGBT cult leader" in an article it published in January 2018 that explored the church's doctrine and leadership and upcoming ceremony with guns.[37]

In October 2019, members of the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary were invited to "show their willingness to defend their families, communities and nation" by bringing their semi-auto rifles to a service in which their weapons were blessed.[38]

References
  1. "Unification Church does not encourage firearm use". Christian News Post. New York. February 22, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  2. Mickler, Michael (December 14, 2015). "The Sanctuary Church Schismatics". Applied Unificationism. Unification Theological Seminary. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  5. Staff report (1979). Transition Newsweek
  6. Sons Rise in a Moon Shadow, Forbes, April 12, 2010
  7. Rev. Sun Myung Moon: His Family www.tparents.org 2014-05-20.
  8. Son of Moonies founder takes over as church leader, Justin McCurry, The Guardian, 26 April 2008
  9. Unification Church pres sees smaller mass weddings, Daily Monitor, 2008-12-30
  10. "The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of The Times, dies at 92". The Washington Times.
  11. Unification Church pres sees smaller mass weddings Archived 2009-03-22 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Monitor, 2008-12-30
  14. Unification Church president on condolence visit to N. Korea, Yonhap News, 2011-12-26.
  15. "문선명은 김정일 사망 알았나".
  16. "Son of Unification Church founder meets with senior North Korean official in Pyongyang". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 15 December 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2020 – via Little Green Footballs.
  17. "S. Korea says food aid reached intended beneficiaries in N. Korea".
  18. "Kbs News". Sports.kbs.co.kr. Archived from the original on 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
  19. "はてなブックマーク – たびのわ »UCニュース»日本赤十字社に文総裁からの寄付金を渡された文亨進世界会長". B.hatena.ne.jp. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
  20. "Family Federation for World Peace and Unification". 67.227.135.108. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
  27. Dunkel, Tom (May 21, 2018). "Locked and Loaded for the Lord". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  28. "Locked and Loaded for the Lord". Washington Post.
  29. "Hyung Jin Moon: Hyun Shil Kang in now True Mother, not Hak Ja Han" (PDF). tparents.org.
  30. Vera, Amir. "Couples clutching AR-15 rifles renew wedding vows". CNN.
  31. Phillips, Kristine (1 March 2018). "With crowns on their heads and AR-15s in their arms, couples exchange vows in pro-gun church" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  32. "AR-15 rifles, pistols, crowns of bullets and renewal of wedding vows in church". 1 March 2018.
  33. "February 28, 2018 "Cosmic True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humanity Cheon Il Guk Book of Life Registration Blessing" Ceremony – World Peace and Unification Sanctuary". sanctuary-pa.org.
  34. Sanctuary, Unification (19 January 2018). "Peace Police Peace Militia Intro" – via Vimeo.
  35. "Florida high school shooting: Here's what we know".
  36. "Different School Day for Wallenpaupack Elementary Students". 28 February 2018.
  37. "Anti-LGBT cult leader calls on followers to purchase assault rifles".
  38. "This church in Pennsylvania holds a ceremony to bless guns". The Telegraph. 15 Oct 2019. Retrieved 15 Oct 2019.
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