Esu nustebęs, nes ką tik peržiūrėjau Heung Jin Nim vakar dienos pamokslą, kurio metu buvo pademonstruotas reportažas apie Susivienijimo bažnyčią. CBS arba Christian Broadcasting System yra didžiausia Pietų Korėjos krikščionių žiniasklaidos kompanija, kurios TV ir radijo programos turi apie 10 milijonų abonentų vien tik Korėjoje. Šis reportažas – tokia nuostabi reklama mūsų bažnyčiai, kad, mano nuomone, jie geriau galvoja apie Susivienijimo bažnyčią nei aš.
Siūlau pasižiūrėti patiems. Jei nenorite žiūrėti viso Heing Jin Nim pamoklso, o tik CBS reportažą, tai jo pradžia 28:40, o pabaiga 41:35 nuo video pradžios. Reportažas parodo tikslius faktus kas šiuo metu vyksta mūsų judėjime Pietų Korėjoje. Krikščionys atrodo susirūpinę, bet jų žodžiuose nėra ugnelės, todėl jie jau dvasiškai prisipažino esą pralaimėję, kovodami prieš Susivienijimo bažnyčią.
Reportažas toks geras, kad, jei jis būtų sukurtas mūsų bažnyčios pastangomis, aš nebūčiau juo patikėjęs. Būčiau manęs, kad mes esame linkę pagrąžinti savo veiklą ir darbus. Tačiau, kada mūsų pagrindiniai seni oponentai, jau daugiau kaip pusšimtį metų kovoję ir persekioję Susivienijimo bažnyčią, taip išdėstė reikalus yra stebėtina. Anksčiau jie ne tik mus pravardžiavo sektantais, bet ir dažnai imdavosi veiksmų, net smurto, kad sustabdyti ir visiškai sunaikinti Sun Myung Moon. Dabar, jei aš būčiau krikščionis, rimtai pagalvočiau – o gal Tikrasis Tėvas vis dėl to Mesijas?
Norėdami pasižiūrėti patys, nes pagalvosite, kad ir aš pagražinau kaip Susivienijimo bažnyčios narys, sekite nuorodą:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2412773
Jei nesuprantate angliškai, aš patalpinu reportažo tekstą, kurį galite išsiversti su Google translate:
Recently the UC (Unification Church) invested a large sum of money to purchase the Yongsan Community Center. Voices of concern have been raised about the UC’s recent steps to secure its domain through real estate purchases.
This move by UC to make large capital investments marks an increase in non-religious activities by the church which has led to concern and confusion among the Korean religious community.
Before we go further, let’s watch this video:
“True Father is the King of Peace. and he is working to complete the unfinished mission of Jesus.”
Large capital investments ranging from real estate, to education, sports, recreation and leisure facilities… diverse beverage products, pharmaceuticals.
Today, Korea is becoming the holy homeland of the Unification Church. Let’s join Deokwon Kim to take a closer look.
- Good afternoon, Mr. Kim. Can you start by giving us a brief explanation of what kind of religious teaching the UC follows.
- The UC has long been proud of its economic strength. The church’s power can be felt not only in the religious sphere, but also in the financial sector, the cultural sector and the media.
The church has branches in fifteen countries, including the United States, Japan and about four million followers around the world. Let’s look at each area separately:
- It seams the most visible work of the church is in real estate sector and related fields.
- The UC is expanding its influence by making sizeable investments in land and real estate all around the country. Let’s take a look at the next video clip:
-The UC recently purchased the Yongsan Community Center in Seoul. The purchase of the property which cover 4900 m2 is said to have cost 70 million dollars. Plans are to develop the property into a shrine to world peace and unification, including worship facilities to accomodate 20,000 followers. The center will be used to offer praise and devotion with a variety of diffrent styles of worship services. With the facilities of the Segye Ilbo (daily newspapaer)located in the same neighbourhood there are concerns that the relocation of the headquaters of the UC to the Yongsan area will give the church too much influence in the area.
“I remember these people saying a while ago that at some point time will come when Christians and the rest of society would have no choice, but to make use of the enterprises that we are operating.”
- Also, the UC town that has been built at Cheongpyeong is referred to by members of the church as their original holy ground. The building site is huge, covering 26 million m2 and 320 million dollars has been spent developing it. The site already includes an international training center, a hospital, a middle school and high school, a seminary as well as a museum and a senior citizen’s rezidential center and other facilities and is being organized and developed as a dedicated UC rezidential community. In addition, the church has revealed plans to develop an extensive beach resort area in Yeosu on Korea’s south coast. Work has also begun and rental contracts are being accepted for a business center in Yoido (tai sala, kurios reikšė Seule, kaip Manheteno Niujorke) that is being constructed on a scale four times the 63 building (buvęs pastatas).
“We can not help but be concerned with the UC reaching beyond Cheongpyeong to Pyeongyang and Yeosu, and aggresively expanding their influence all across the country.”
- As you can see from this scene, the UC has tremendous financial recources. Therefore, whether we know it or not, their influence probably touches our lives in a number of ways.
- That’s right. The UC is particularly focused on the financial and political sectors. The Tongil group has 15 affiliated companies and is ranked 70th among nation’s businesses, with annual sales of 830 million dollars. In addition, with the media and advertising impact of Segye Ilbo, Cheongshim International Academy middle and high school and the Sun Hwa Arts middle and high schools, and Kyungbok Elementary school in the education sector, and the Peace Cup International soccer tournament in the sports and leisure sector, the church is spreading int influence in many diverse areas.
Let’s discuss further as we watch this next video segment.
Some believe that the UC will hold the biggest stake in the 2012 Expo in Yeosu. One reason is that the UC’s Ilsung Construction is working on a large scale development in Yeosu covering about 10 million m2, with an estimate construction cost of 1,2 billion dollars. Land prices in the area have already skyrosketed to twice what they were. Experts in the area estimate that by the time of the Expo, the income from this investment will reach several billion dollars.
It is said that the UC plans to invest this income in the political sector. In the last general elections, candidates entered the race for national assembly seats in 240 districts under the Peace Unification Family Party.
“They are able to work in all areas, including political campaigns and they have made large-scale preparations to do so.”
- As you can see in the video the UC is involved in a whole range of areas, including politics, economics, the media, culture and sports. There must be some reason that the UC is working in all of these diverse areas.
- As a religion, the UC has clear reason for this kind of work. The church can expand its missionary activities by accumulating financial resources. The UC uses income from its businesses and land investments to support its work to spread the church’s theology. They can be seen as stepping stones to help the church’s leader, Sun Myung Moon, to complete his mission as the Lord of the Second Advent. In particular, this most recent real estate investment by the UC represents an extension of the church’s holy ground. Let’s hear a few words from the administrative director of the Korean Christian Exchange Federation, who escaped after 31 years of working as the UC minister.
“The UC teaches that Jesus was unable to complete his mission because he did not have a country that believed in him. Because of this the UC is buying a lot of land to create God’s nation. They are working to develop the land into a holy nation.”
- In that case, this sounds like another effort to gain converts.
- Yes. One method is by offering free travel opportunities. For example, tour groups are formed, who then visit Japan, the US, China and other places with the church covering the costs of the airfare and lodging to participants at a minimal cost. Following the trip, participants are sent promotional materials inviting them to participate in church activities. Also, the church offers to help find marriage partners for men searching for wives, reccomending that they join one of the church’s mass weddings. They also operate video centers, where they invite people to come and hear good messages, without revealing that they are from UC. They also sponsor a lot of events like golf tournament, fishing tournaments or marathons. Christians should not participate.
- The UC seems to have very diverse range of activities. In addition to UC activities here in South Korea, aren’t they also involved in joint business ventures with the North Korea?
- In May 1987 the UC organized a group called the Citizens Federation for North-South Unification. In January 1991, church leader Sun Myung Moon met with North Korea’s President, the late Kim Il Sung. And signed an agreement to work toward North-South exchange, which led to the start of the church’s joint business ventures with the North. The UC’s joint ventures with the North were revealed to be flourishing in the later period, following the financial assistance offered to the North by Korean society in the 1990s, the UC’s ventures in the North have been assesed as being more financially succesful and on a larger scale than those of other South Korean organizations.
- If that is the case, we should take a look at what kind of ventures the UC is conducting in North Korea. Let’s look at the video:
The center of the UC’s North Korean ventures is the Pyonghwa Motor Company, which produces eight models of automobiles which are being sold in the North. There is also the Botong River Hotel and the World Peace Center in Pyeongyang, the one million m2 Peace Park and family church are also among the enterprises that the UC is currently operating in North Korea.
- But I have heard that church leader Sun Myung Moon is getting to a very advanced age. And after the helicopter accident last year, I have also heard that he is passing on responsibility for the church to his successors.
- Yes, I heard that recently there was a 90th birthday banquet for Rev. Moon. There is a speculation about what direction the church, including Sun Myung Moon’s successors would take if anything were to happen to him. Recently we have seen some of Sun Myung Moon’s children taking over in leadership positions. The responsibility for religious and financial workings of the church have been handed over to Rev. Moon’s children. In particular, it is clear that Sun Myung Moon’s seventh son, Hyung Jin Moon is taking responsibility fro the religious activity of the church. And other preparations, both doctrinal and substancial, are being made to support this transition. Recently Sun Myung Moon’s successor participated in his 90′th birthday celebration and support staff needs are being assessed to strenghten his ongoing leadership abilities.
- So, work is being done to more the the task of succession along, and the UC continues to expand. It seems like urgent meassures are needed to block this expansion. Is there a reaction that can be seen in the religious community?
- Yes, in 2003, Korean Christians formed the Korean Federation to Oppose the UC, which is working to expose the evils and abuse in the UC. This federation is founded by Juncheon Park, who escaped from UC in 2001. Currently his wife, Yeongseon Lee serves as the Federation’s administrative director and is leading activities aimed at the blocking the UC’s efforts to expand. The Federation provides churches throughout the country with information about the UC’s heretical teachings. Activities have been organized to urge the discountinuance of the Peace Cup Soccer Tournament and to boycott the sales of Tongil Group products. In addition, most recently the UC’s plans in relation to the 2012 Yeosu Expo have been exposed. Another key focus of the group is the support, protection and re-education of those who have escaped from the UC.
- It sounds like the Federation is doing some very important work. This seems like a good time to take a close look at the UC, which is moving forward through massive financial investment and at the massive scale of operations.
- One of the most dissapointing things I discovered while researching this story is that while the influence of the UC continues to expand, the Federation has been working under very poor conditions while tackling this large problem. One secretary and the director, who is a working mother are working in a space of barely 10 m2. The federation has been working for 5 years now, facing severe financial dificulties and fierce resistance from UC in the form of lawsuits and legal meneuvers making it difficult for the Federation to meke progress in their work.
- They are doing such an important work, it’s a shame that they are having such difficulties. Finally, what steps must our churches and followers take in order to reduce the risk of damage at the hands of the UC?
- The UC shrewdly imitating Christian Churches, following the pattern of a traditional Christian Church. This means that the most important thing is to know about the UC. In addition to education and media, religion and business, in our society at large there are more than 500 UC products that can be found in our daily lives, including bverages and pharmaceuticals unfortunately. I can not list all of them to you. If you get assistance from the Federation which we mentioned earlier you can get much more detailed information about the UC. Also, they present lectures in churches about the UC so, that members of our congregations can gain a better understanding of the UC heretical teachings and infiltration tactics.
- The Bible warns that false prophets will arise in the last days and among many heretical religions, the UC with its strong financial influence has deeply infiltrated our daily lives. We must approach this mission with faith and wisdom. Thank you to Daukwon Kim for today’s report.
