4 ms·

They aren't nearly as influential as you might think, especially in modern times. Maybe they were during the cold war or when they protested in support of Nixon

They aren't nearly as influential as you might think, especially in modern times. Maybe they were during the cold war or when they protested in support of Nixon. Their media reach is pretty limited, The Washington Times has a small number of readers. Edit: to the comment about $2B: that's almost mostly belonging to the founder who takes his money from followers. $2B is 130k a person when we're talking about 15,000 followers.

throwaquestion5 4y ago
Apocryphon 4y ago
They might not be as wealthy or powerful as other religious sects, but them being a cult is still of concern because by nature they are 1) secretive and non-transparent, 2) capable of fierce organizational discipline including taking advantage of members, 3) operate via proselytizing including underhanded means, 4) open to extremist and authoritarian beliefs. That's in the very nature of cults. Add that to their historically-potent political influence from the Cold War, and they're still worthy of investigation.
hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
A big reason they aren't as influential anymore is because Reverend Moon died, and there is currently a battle royale going on between his widow and some of his batshit insane kids [1] over his fortune. The True World Foods story is truly fascinating to me. Since slavery is illegal, better to get true believers to work long and hard nearly for free. 1. https://www.the-sun.com/news/us-news/2977349/inside-maga-supporting-religious-sect-worship-guns/ https://www.the-sun.com/news/us-news/2977349/inside-maga-sup...
- Terr_ 4y ago
  This article [1] is a bit more informative on the history and soap-opera dynastic schism. I don't have firsthand knowledge of it all, but I do know some ex-Moonies who've spoken of their efforts to safely detach their still-adherent relatives. 1. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/530522/lengthy-lawsuit-exposes-rifts-within-unification-church/ https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/530522/lengthy-lawsu...
lern_too_spel 4y ago
Their political strength is decreasing in the US, while Falun Gong's is on the rise. Both have similar political goals. Falun Gong is the cult that owns right wing rag The Epoch Times and puts on the Shen Yun show.

throwaquestion5 4y ago

Apocryphon 4y ago

They might not be as wealthy or powerful as other religious sects, but them being a cult is still of concern because by nature they are 1) secretive and non-transparent, 2) capable of fierce organizational discipline including taking advantage of members, 3) operate via proselytizing including underhanded means, 4) open to extremist and authoritarian beliefs. That's in the very nature of cults. Add that to their historically-potent political influence from the Cold War, and they're still worthy of investigation.

hn_throwaway_99 4y ago

A big reason they aren't as influential anymore is because Reverend Moon died, and there is currently a battle royale going on between his widow and some of his batshit insane kids [1] over his fortune. The True World Foods story is truly fascinating to me. Since slavery is illegal, better to get true believers to work long and hard nearly for free. 1. https://www.the-sun.com/news/us-news/2977349/inside-maga-supporting-religious-sect-worship-guns/ https://www.the-sun.com/news/us-news/2977349/inside-maga-sup...

Terr_ 4y ago
This article [1] is a bit more informative on the history and soap-opera dynastic schism. I don't have firsthand knowledge of it all, but I do know some ex-Moonies who've spoken of their efforts to safely detach their still-adherent relatives. 1. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/530522/lengthy-lawsuit-exposes-rifts-within-unification-church/ https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/530522/lengthy-lawsu...

lern_too_spel 4y ago

Their political strength is decreasing in the US, while Falun Gong's is on the rise. Both have similar political goals. Falun Gong is the cult that owns right wing rag The Epoch Times and puts on the Shen Yun show.