Where in Washington, D.C. is Reverend Moon?: Bloggers blasted by Moon organization as "scurrilous individuals"

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6/28/2004

Bloggers blasted by Moon organization as "scurrilous individuals"

It's on. Press release from Moon's agency says you haven't heard the whole story.

This was presented in the context of a “Ceremony of Reconciliation” among Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders and included the presentation of ceremonial robes and crowns, with the affectionate honor “king and queen of peace.”

The kind of affection expressed when a country says, "Please become my king," according to Rev. Jenkins's recent memo. "King of Peace" is a term from the Bible. Again, the coronation video presents followers with a completely different context than that expressed here to the public.

And the spokesman berates the role of fly-by-night websites called "blogs" published by "journalists" -- who provided "actual video footage" to a "public" that was "horrified," I should add. (This is a disappointing stance on the blog revolution, because I was impressed with the new wave of Unification Church blogs.)

In contrast to the efforts and integrity of much of the mainstream media, the momentum for this “story” was provided by independent “journalists” and “blog” writers who have made no effort to contact the event organizers for a balanced presentation of both sides of the story.

It would help if the "United States Senate" would admit who it was that signed off on the event.

The press release also argues that 1. no one was "duped," and that 2. when journalists criticize Congressmen for attending the event, it's almost exactly like the attacks leveled against Martin Luther King, Jr.:

These attacks call to mind those leveled at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was initially feared, maligned and labeled. Dr. King’s detractors, some out of ignorance, and others driven by pure racial prejudice, feared his message of integration and its consequences. He was misrepresented in the media, indicted for tax fraud, and arrested time and again. And many who associated themselves with his work were attacked for refusing to separate from him.

That was, of course, before Martin Luther King delivered his famous "I Have A Dream in Which I Would Be Autocratic Ruler of Humanity" speech.

But it's incorrect to say that bloggers cannot be held accountable for their words. There's a public comment section. There is the prospect of setting up an anti-blog to correct anything you feel is wrong or inaccurate. And if I got any of these quotes from Moon wrong -- by all means, let gorenfeldwatch.blogspot.com begin. A speech from a Moon Web site declares:

If the U. S. continues its corruption, and we find among the senators and congressmen no one really usable for our purposes, we can make senators and congressmen out of our members. Would you want to be wives to senators and congressmen? The male members -- wouldn't you like to be senators? If you have confidence, you will make it possible and I will make you that. I have met many famous -- so-called "famous" -- senators and congressmen, but to my eyes they are just nothing; they are weak and helpless before God.

Will Congressmen stand by this message? What about this one?

There will be a purge on God's orders, and evil will be eliminated like shadows. Gays will be eliminated, the 3 Israels will unite. If not then they will be burned. We do not know what kind of world God will bring but this is what happens. It will be greater than the communist purge but at God's orders.

Here's one you won't find in Letter from Birmingham Jail:

I will never retire. The only thing you can do to stop me is to leave no work for me to do. Do you think that if you do, I would hit you with a baseball bat and tell you to go away, stop blocking my way? Suppose I were to hit you with the baseball bat to stop you, bloodying your ear and breaking a bone or two, yet still you insisted on doing more work for Father.

(Post rewritten for clarification)

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"John Gorenfeld: The first man on the Moon"
-- Ana Marie Cox ("Wonkette," Time.com Washington editor)

"Thanks to the superb reporting of John Gorenfeld on Salon.com and his indispensable Web page, Moon's shenanigans are routinely scrutinized. Maybe some of Gorenfeld's discernment will rub off on preachers and politicians."
-- Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist

"The scene summoned the moment in Robert Graves's "I, Claudius" when Emperor Caligula declares himself a god in the Roman Senate; a fawning solon instantly offers a prayer."
-- New York Times editorial on the Crown of Peace scandal

"I am happy that our work is being challenged and improved in consistency, openness and coordination, by the accountability your spotlight demands. I am not talking about simply removing stuff from websites..."
-- Moon spokesman the Rev. Phil Schanker

"Instead of welcoming Reverend Moon, this government put me into prison. History will reveal the truth in the future and the American government and people will realize what an evil thing they did. What will they do then? They will bow down. Again, that is the way of natural subjugation." -- Moon in 1987

"A political movement basing its appeal on old fashioned patriotism and family values simply cannot justify an alliance with a cult that preys on the disintegration of the American family and advocates allegiance to an international social order operating with cell-like secrecy."
-- Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA)