Korean Church In US Becomes Famous After Showing Up For Service With AR-15 Rifles

The service was held just two weeks after 17 people were killed with the same rifle in the Florida school shootings.
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Koreaboo

A church called World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Pennsylvania has been gaining attention from the media for its use of AR-15 rifles and bullet crowns during their service.

 

The rifles and crowns were apparently used for a “commitment ceremony” for about 250 couples. Rev. Sean Moon led the ceremony praying for “a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where citizens, through the right given to them by almighty God to keep and bear arms, will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing”.

Source: Jacqueline Larma/AP

 

The significance of the event was further highlighted because it took place just two weeks after the school shooting in Florida during which an AR-15 rifle was used to kill 17 people. Protesters stood outside in opposition during the ceremony.

While students were being moved to other schools for safety, Rev. Sean Moon argued, “Each of us is called to use the power of the ‘rod of iron’ not to arm or oppress as has been done in satanic kingdoms of this world, but to protect God’s children. If the football coach who rushed into the building to defend students from the shooter with his own body had been allowed to carry a firearm, many lives, including his own, could have been saved.” ㅡ Rev. Sean Moon

 

Because of the sensitivity of the ideas that the “church” is propagating, they have even been blocked by Youtube from streaming live.

 

The Unification Church was founded in 1954 by Moon’s family in Korea where it was looked upon as a “cult”. Rev. Sean Moon’s father, Sun Myung Moon, brought the church to America in the 1970s where he gradually gathered a huge following.

Source: Ahn Young-Joon/AP

The cult teaches that marriage (especially to other church members) takes a part in the achievement of true enlightenment and therefore, they often hold massive wedding ceremonies.

 

Due to the success of the church, they became financially wealthy as well and used the money to open businesses such as a cable TV network, a shipbuilding studio and a seafood empire to eventually create their business empire known as the Tongil Group.

Source: Sun Myung Moon

The Tongil Group is a multibillion-dollar conglomerate that uses its assets for realizing the goals of the Unification Church.

 

Investigations from 1976 showed proof of links between the church and the Korean military intelligence. Sun Myung Moon also served in prison for 13 months in the 1980s for income tax evasion.

 

The World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, which was established by Rev. Sean Moon, is an off-shoot of the Unification Church and has recently been focusing on their pro-gun rhetoric.

The Tongil Group holds an arms company called Kahr Arms, which was founded by Sun Myung Moon’s son, Justin Moon.

 

Their pro-gun rhetoric may well be closely related to politics. In 2016, Eric Trump attended one of the gun store openings affiliated with the church and, prior to the opening, the church had hosted a “Thank You, Trump” dinner that was sponsored by none other than Kahr Arms.

 

Watch a clip of the ceremony below:

Source: Nextshark and Vox
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