Is the unification movement started by Sun Myung Moon a cult?

Answer:

People who are in it will say no. Most who are not in it will say yes.

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I WAS A UNIFICATION CHURCH MEMBER FOR ALMOST 20 YRS.
I HAVE READ AND HEARD MANY NEGATIVE ANECDOTES ABOUT THE UNIFICATION CHURCH MEMBERS, ABOUT REV. MOON, HIS CHILDREN, HIS WIFE AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CHURCH!
IN MY EARLY YEARS AS A CHURCH MEMBER, I WORKED VERY HARD EVERYDAY, SOMETIMES 7DAYS A WEEK 12 HOURS A DAY FUNDRAISING AND WITNESSING. I OBSERVED MANY IRREGULARITIES IN THE BEHAVIOR OF MEMBERS INCLUDING QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR BY THE LEADERS, THINGS LIKE ILICIT RELATIONSHIPS, LIES AND DECEPTIVE FUNDRAISING METHODS AND TECHNIQUES TO NAME A FEW THINGS. I BELIEVED, AS DID MANY, THAT THESE DECEPTIVE METHODS WERE OK TO USE BECAUSE WE WERE "SAVING THE WORLD." NOONE TOLD ME TO DO THOSE DECEPTIVE THINGS, BUT I DID THEM BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY OF SALVATION TO ANY AND ALL WHO GAVE $$ "TO GOD." EVEN IF THE PEOPLE I WAS COLLECTING THE MONIES FROM WERE NOT AWARE THAT I WAS COLLECTING FOR THE UNIFICATION CHURCH, ULTIMATELY, THE FUNDS WOULD BE USED TO DO GOD'S WILL AND THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED WOULD BE BLESSED. THAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME, AT THE TIME.
YES, STORIES LIKE THIS ONE ARE COMMON AMONG EX-MEMBERS AND MAY BE EVEN CURRENT MEMBERS, TOO. ONE COULD SAY THE SAME ABOUT ANY CHRISTIAN CHURCH OR ANY OTHER CHURCH AT ALL, A TEMPLE, A SINAGOGUE, MOSQUE,ETC. IF YOU GOOGLE ANY INSTITUTION FOR SIGNS OF ABUSE OR CORRUPTION YOU WILL FIND IT. ANYONE CAN SEARCH AND FIND SOME OF THE SAME ABUSE, NEGLECT AND DECEIT BY CHRISTIAN AND NON CHRISTIAN MEMBERS AND LEADERS ALIKE. THE FACT THAT A PERSON BECOMES A MEMBER OF AN INSTITUTION OR A RELIGION, DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT PERSONS OWNS A SENSE OF INTEGRITY AND GOODSNESS.
WHAT I HAVE NEVER HEARD IS ANYONE DISPUTE IN A COHERENT AND INTELLECTUALLY SOUND MANNER, THE VALIDITY OF THE UNIFICATIONS CHURCH'S PHILOSOPHY, THE DIVINE PRINCIPLE. THE DIVINE PRINCIPLE IS VERY UNIQUE AND A VERY VALUABLE TOOL OF SPIRITUAL QUALITY. I MUST SAY THAT I DID BENEFIT AND MY FAMILY AS WELL, THROUGH THE UNDERDSTANDING AND PRACTICE OF THE DIVINE PRINCIPLE. I THINK THAT THE IDEALS AND OBJECTIVES PRESENTED IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE DIVINE PRINCIPLE, ARE PROFOUND AND DEEPLY EFFECTIVE, AS IT ADDRESSES WITH CLARITY AND SOUNDNESS INTERNAL QUESTIONS AND PRACTICES ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS INDIVIDUALS AND WHAT OUR ULTIMATE PURPOSE IN THIS WORLD IS. I HAVE HAD DOUBTS ABOUT MANY THINGS RELATING TO EXTERNAL APPEARANCE OF THE UNIFICATION CHURCH BUT NEVER IN REGARDS TO ITS PHYLOSOPHY. THERE ARE A GREAT MANY MEMBERS OF THE UNIFICATION CHURCH WHO LIVE TRUE TO THE DIVINE PRINCIPLE'S TEACHINGS AND WHO HAVE PROVEN TO BE INDIVIDUALS OF IMPECABLE CHARACTER, THEY ARE OUTSTANDING CITIZENS, SACRIFICIAL, TRUE FRIENDS, TRUE PARENTS AND TRUE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
I CAN NOT SAY THAT WHAT IS OFTEN SAID ABOUT REV. MOON IS TRUE OR FALSE! I TRULY DONT KNOW. I CAN NOT DISAGREE WITH THOSE WHO SAY THAT THERE WERE OR ARE ABUSES OF ALL KINDS AT TIMES. I CAN SAY THAT I DID WITNESS ON THE PART OF THE LEADERSHIP, QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR AND THAT IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY THE BEHAVIOR AND CERTAIN REPORTS OF THE DEEDS OF MEMBERS OF THE REV. MOON'S FAMILY. I DO NOT KNOW IF REV. FAILED IN HIS MISSION TO DELIVER THIS GREAT TRUTH TO THE WORLD, OR IF HE IS UNJUSTLY JUDGED. I SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW!
WHAT I DO KNOW WITH A STRONG DEGREE OF CERTAINTY IS THAT I AND MY FAMILY AS WELL AS COUNTLESS OTHER PEOPLE, DID, AND HAVE BEEN BENEFITING FROM THE KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF THE TEACHINGS OF THE DIVINE PRINCIPLE. I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO READ OBJECTIVELY AND TO ANALIZE WITH THEIR HEART AND MIND THE DEPTH OF THIS OLD AND NEW UNDERSTANDING ABOUT GOD AND THE NATURE AND PURPOSE OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.

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A very fine, personal-experience answer. Just undo the CAPS LOCK key.