`Moonies' Cult Visits Cambridge

A controversial Christian cult which reputedly targets college students gave a formal presentation at the Cambridge Hyatt Regency near MIT yesterday.

The three-hour presentation to a young, predominantly Asian crowd of about 350 included a video and a speech by Jin Sung Park Moon, son-in-law of the Unification Church's founder.

Moon spoke about the church's doctrine, which stresses the importance of morality and the family's role in achieving "an ideal nation and world."

But the Unification Church, founded in 1954 by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, has frequently been attacked for its recruiting tactics. Critics say the members, commonly known as "moonies," target vulnerable individuals using brainwashing and kidnapping techniques.

In the speech, which has been presented in over 40 countries by various church representatives, Moon said that "Rev. Moon is the most persecuted religious leader in the world."

He said his father-in-law has been the victim of character assassination and has "met with tremendous persecution and almost universal misunderstanding."

"Rev. and Mrs. Moon now stand on a worldwide level as the first True Parents... they are ushering in the Completed Testament Age," Moon said.

Earlier this week, several members passed out literature and complimentary tickets near the Harvard T-stop. David Stadelhofer, the church's Massachusetts organizer, said the church concentrated its publicity efforts in Harvard Square because of its intellectual atmosphere. "College students are good prospects," he said.

Two organizers of the Sunday afternoon event estimated that there were about 20 to 30 Harvard students involved with the church.

Rev. Preston Hannibal, acting minister of Memorial Church, said several years ago Harvard students affiliated with the Unification Church tried to join the United Ministry at Harvard.

But they were unwilling to sign a non-proselytization agreement and did not havewidespread support, Hannibal said. "There weremembers of the United Ministry who had troublewith their tactics," he added.

Timothy Fulop, a visiting professor in Americanreligious history at the Divinity School, said "ofthe 70s `cults,' [the Unification Church] seems tobe the most controversial today."

The church, which owns the University ofBridgeport, has been accused of misrepresentingitself to potential members, Fulop said.

Keith W. Light, a first-year proctor, said that"because some groups have been unusuallyaggressive in the past... we have warned studentsand [told] these groups that they cannot recruiton campus."

But Richard Buessing, a current member andformer pastor of the Boston Unification Church,said reports that the church brainwashes andkidnaps youths date back to the 1970s. "The mediapersecuted us," he said.

Eighty spectators at the event were Universityof Bridgeport students, according to HiroywkiKobayashi, a Bridgeport student.

They traveled to Cambridge at the request ofthe New England chapter of the Unification Church,he said

Timothy Fulop, a visiting professor in Americanreligious history at the Divinity School, said "ofthe 70s `cults,' [the Unification Church] seems tobe the most controversial today."

The church, which owns the University ofBridgeport, has been accused of misrepresentingitself to potential members, Fulop said.

Keith W. Light, a first-year proctor, said that"because some groups have been unusuallyaggressive in the past... we have warned studentsand [told] these groups that they cannot recruiton campus."

But Richard Buessing, a current member andformer pastor of the Boston Unification Church,said reports that the church brainwashes andkidnaps youths date back to the 1970s. "The mediapersecuted us," he said.

Eighty spectators at the event were Universityof Bridgeport students, according to HiroywkiKobayashi, a Bridgeport student.

They traveled to Cambridge at the request ofthe New England chapter of the Unification Church,he said