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Moonwebs: Journey into the mind of a cult
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 30, 2023
Very rare book, you won't ever see this in any bookstore or antiquarian. You have to search online for a copy sold at a reasonable price (about 3 times the price of a new book, at the least). Currently can't find any copies on eBay.
What you read inside is something very unique. An account of how someone can be brainwashed by a Korean Christian Cult on American soil, and the consequent trauma and trouble the family and friends have to go through to extricate and deprogram the person. It's a human story, touching and mindblowing at times.
Sadly, there are but few books out there which deal with one of the most pervasive and dangerous cults out there - a cult that has infiltrated business and politics in U.S. and EU since the 50s, and is still around today, Trump even spoke at one of their Unification Church conferences, 9/11/2021 - and even this excellent book fails to inform the reader of the depths of this global monstrosity, whose affiliated businesses pop up on the infamous Panama papers more than once.
There's another book on the Moonies which - funnily enough - is also extremely difficult to find and is sold for exorbitant prices, titled 'Bad Moon Rising' by John Gorenfeld. You'd think with all the interest in cults these books would be more widely available.
What you read inside is something very unique. An account of how someone can be brainwashed by a Korean Christian Cult on American soil, and the consequent trauma and trouble the family and friends have to go through to extricate and deprogram the person. It's a human story, touching and mindblowing at times.
Sadly, there are but few books out there which deal with one of the most pervasive and dangerous cults out there - a cult that has infiltrated business and politics in U.S. and EU since the 50s, and is still around today, Trump even spoke at one of their Unification Church conferences, 9/11/2021 - and even this excellent book fails to inform the reader of the depths of this global monstrosity, whose affiliated businesses pop up on the infamous Panama papers more than once.
There's another book on the Moonies which - funnily enough - is also extremely difficult to find and is sold for exorbitant prices, titled 'Bad Moon Rising' by John Gorenfeld. You'd think with all the interest in cults these books would be more widely available.
May 3, 2023
This is a masterpiece. I would have given it a 6 for sure. Broken down into two parts; this rare and comprehensive book is as thorough as it gets around thought reform.
My edition had 214 pages, do read until the last word.
My edition had 214 pages, do read until the last word.
September 18, 2023
I joined the Unification Church in 1980 and left with my family around 2012. I’d personally experienced Boonville, Camp K and Aetna Springs and knew Bethie, the Morrisons, Nicholas Chiaia, Noah Ross, Jacob Lewis, Victoria and of course the Dursts.
I had my passport taken by the staff and was subjected to undue influence at that time. I then returned to the UK and completed my architecture training which the California Church tried to dissuade me to do.
I remained a Church member in the UK which in the 1990s had a slightly less pressured culture. I left around 2012. During that time I did have some interesting experiences and of course met my dear wife chosen by Sun Myung Moon. I’m in the process of writing about these experiences.
Sadly this book accurately describes many of less savoury experiences I had in Northern California in 1980.
I do not support forcible kidnapping openly described in this book although I understand why it was done. It may have freed a few people but the bigger picture is that kidnapping and physical imprisonment during the deprogramming enhanced the ‘them and us’ culture which the UC habitually reinforced. I’m glad my own family decided not to use force and that I made my own independent choice not to believe and to leave the cult.
At the time of the Daily Mail libel case the UK UC generally considered the San Francisco Church as “over zealous” mavericks who’d given the Unification Church a bad name. However, your book tallies well with what we NOW know - that the ‘Moonie culture’ developed in Northern California closely reflected the very same toxic culture Sun Myung Moon and his close entourage of “36 Blessed Couples” had carefully fostered on the East Coast USA, South Korea, Japan and many other nations. The Moon family are therefore directly responsible for the unnecessary hurt and suffering caused which sadly obfuscates the good it could have done by so many loyal and well-meaning people.
My only observation is that none of the quotes from Sun Myung Moon have been specifically substantiated with references, speech titles and dates although I’ve found some similar quotes at unification.net. For a time Moon’s speeches were published as “unofficial notes” which rather obfuscated matters when trying to pin-down exactly what he was saying or implying. Often the UC referred to the challenges of translation from Korean into English to provide a softer, more nuanced interpretation of Sun Myung Moon’s words. We are aware that speech content given to his inner circle are a closely guarded secret.
I had my passport taken by the staff and was subjected to undue influence at that time. I then returned to the UK and completed my architecture training which the California Church tried to dissuade me to do.
I remained a Church member in the UK which in the 1990s had a slightly less pressured culture. I left around 2012. During that time I did have some interesting experiences and of course met my dear wife chosen by Sun Myung Moon. I’m in the process of writing about these experiences.
Sadly this book accurately describes many of less savoury experiences I had in Northern California in 1980.
I do not support forcible kidnapping openly described in this book although I understand why it was done. It may have freed a few people but the bigger picture is that kidnapping and physical imprisonment during the deprogramming enhanced the ‘them and us’ culture which the UC habitually reinforced. I’m glad my own family decided not to use force and that I made my own independent choice not to believe and to leave the cult.
At the time of the Daily Mail libel case the UK UC generally considered the San Francisco Church as “over zealous” mavericks who’d given the Unification Church a bad name. However, your book tallies well with what we NOW know - that the ‘Moonie culture’ developed in Northern California closely reflected the very same toxic culture Sun Myung Moon and his close entourage of “36 Blessed Couples” had carefully fostered on the East Coast USA, South Korea, Japan and many other nations. The Moon family are therefore directly responsible for the unnecessary hurt and suffering caused which sadly obfuscates the good it could have done by so many loyal and well-meaning people.
My only observation is that none of the quotes from Sun Myung Moon have been specifically substantiated with references, speech titles and dates although I’ve found some similar quotes at unification.net. For a time Moon’s speeches were published as “unofficial notes” which rather obfuscated matters when trying to pin-down exactly what he was saying or implying. Often the UC referred to the challenges of translation from Korean into English to provide a softer, more nuanced interpretation of Sun Myung Moon’s words. We are aware that speech content given to his inner circle are a closely guarded secret.
January 29, 2022
Favorite passage: Yet this potential for giving up one’s values to an outside authority may have a wider application than cults and a few “weird” therapies. Some people believe that the same loss of identity can afflict entire nations, if historical conditions create a national mood of confusion and despair.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews