When the Korean War bankrupt in 1950, he had been freed from the latest camp when guards escaped away from continue Us troops, and you will travelled to Pusan regarding the South, where he began a special church. At the same time a thought anti-communist, he understood moves and you can nations with biblical numbers. Korea became brand new “Adam country” when you find yourself Japan was “Eve” and you can The united states the “archangel.” Communist places were the fresh lair regarding Satan, and you will Korea is the leading line during the a war ranging from a beneficial and you can evil.
The fresh new FBI later quoted reports that the cult are engaged in an excellent sexual rite called P’ikareun otherwise ‘cleanup of one’s womb,’ where a lady got sex which have Moon 3 times to wash their bloodstream out-of Satan’s ancestry
Moonlight emerged out from the chaos of your own 1950-53 Korean War just like the a charismatic preacher whoever deviant cult in the near future turned into swept up an additional scandal. During the 1955, 1 year adopting the formal founding off his Holy Heart Organization for the Unification out of Globe Christianity, Moonlight try detained more than accusations of sex having female supporters. Ewha Ladies College, a good prestigious Methodist goal college or university, ignored five faculty and you may expelled 14 pupils. Eighty young women mixed up in case would not testify from inside the legal and you may costs have been in the long run decrease. (The new philosophy off Seonghyeol Jeonsu or ‘switching blood through sex’ had previously been practised because of the two almost every other magnetic Korean preachers throughout the 1940s. six )
Park’s reputation for faith-recuperation drew a size following, undaunted by scandals alleging P’ikareun sex having women followers and you may an effective brief period in the prison having embezzlement
After liberation away from Japanese rule into the 1945, Korean Protestants was indeed on governmental ascendancy. Rhee Syngman had attended an american Methodist college or university where the guy translated so you can Christianity, as well as his inauguration while the very first president of your Republic off Korea on the August fifteen, 1948, took their oath out of place of work having a hand towards the Bible. Rhee’s dictatorial government, and therefore lasted regarding 1948 up to his overthrow from inside the 1960, due the hostility for the Unification Chapel or any other the newest spiritual motions towards good influence regarding depending Protestantism, considering Kim Heung-soo, publisher regarding Gidokgyo sasang (Christian Think) and an old professor off Korean church background in the Mokwon University.
Regarding later 1950s and you can early 1960s, Southern area Korea is actually beginning the transformation out-of a terrible and you may backward agrarian karД±sД± Perulu economy, devastated by municipal war, so you’re able to a modern-day, urban, commercial county. Such as The japanese, the latest accompanying societal stress and you can dislocation ended up rich soil into spread of new religions. The absolute most successful was the newest Olive-tree Chapel out-of Park Tae-child, a magnetic Presbyterian older just who said to see fire and drinking water descending about heavens during the a spiritual restoration meeting atop Namsan Mountain in main Seoul. Such Moonlight, he had been excommunicated by the Presbyterian Church. On the height, new Olive tree way got one or two billion people, but Park’s popularity haemorrhaged on sixties once he claimed God try a keen imposter and then he himself try the actual Christ. 7
Moon’s individual cult basic stumbled on prominence pursuing the 1961 military coup you to definitely lead Lt. Gen. Park Chung Hee in order to stamina. Based on good erican Main Cleverness Institution statement, brand new Unification Chapel are “organised” by retired Brig. Gen. Kim Jong Pil, brand new creator and first manager of the Southern area Korean CIA (KCIA). Kim Jong Pil, a close relative regarding Park Chung Hee and you may architect of the coup whom later became finest minister, “could have been utilizing the Church, with a membership out-of twenty seven,000, since the a political product,” the latest CIA declaration said. 8 In-may 1963 brand new Unification Chapel are registered since good spiritual organization by the government from inside the Seoul, following its application was initially denied because of the knowledge minister.