Three months after the fact, and several weeks after it went around the blogosphere, the Washington Post finally picked up with a prominent story on Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s coronation ceremony in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. In front of more than a dozen lawmakers:
The Korean-born businessman and religious leader then delivered a long speech saying he was “sent to Earth . . . to save the world’s six billion people. . . . Emperors, kings and presidents . . . have declared to all Heaven and Earth that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is none other than humanity’s Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent.”
Jeff Gorenfeld has offered in depth coverage and footage of the event.
Of course many of the legislators are now claiming they didn’t know what was going to transpire at the ceremony. I suppose that’s possible, but event organizer Archbishop George A. Stallings Jr. responds thusly:
“You’d have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not know that any event that is sponsored by the Washington Times . . . could involve the influence, or the potential presence, of the Reverend Moon,” he said.
And accounts of the event don’t offer much about attendees walking out in protest.
I don’t know about you, but I’d like to know in a more timely manner when our representatives are involved in this type of weirdness.
Thank god we have the blogosphere!
ABC News had the story tonight… Gorenfeld was referenced.
I think the liberal mainstream media were afraid to touch the story because it was so weird that they were afraid they’d be accused of discriminating against a “minority” religion. Certainly the Unification Church has long been prone to claim that opposition to Moon and his organization is a result of bigotry against Moon’s religion or his race. On the other hand, I think the conservative media were afraid to touch the story because it would make the owner of the Washington Times look bad (as if that were something new). I’m a former follower of Moon and if you want to find out what it’s like to be a “Moonie” for more than a decade, then I suggest you read my book, Heartbreak and Rage: Ten Years Under Sun Myung Moon, which is available from Amazon.com. A sample from the book can be read on my website, http://www.moonbook.com.