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Over the years, beginning in the '50s, Moon wrote and rewrote the Divine Principle. According to him, Jesus was supposed to marry an ideal wife and begin the "perfect family." He failed in this endeavor because he was crucified by his own people. For this reason Jews suffer from "collective sin."
Since Jesus failed, a new Messiah must come to complete the task of building the "perfect family." According to Divine Principle, the time for this "Lord of the Second Advent" to be born was right after World War I, and the place, Korea.
Thinking Big. Moon's notoriety and success are causing him trouble. In February, Kansas Senator Robert Dole held a meeting of 400 people from 30 states to discuss the Unification Church before representatives of various federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Labor. Other Washington hearings on the cult's activities are being scheduled. Since some government officials believe there are extremely close ties between the Moonies, the Korean CIA and the Park regime, such investigations plus Moon's often unsavory publicity may build up enough resistance in Congress to be reflected in votes against aid to South Korea. As a result of the recent furor, there are indications that Moon's high-level support at home considers him a political liability.
Fervent Moon disciples merely compare their setbacks and the antagonism they encounter to the persecution of Christ, and their leaders are far from discouraged. Unfazed by the halfhearted turnout at Yankee Stadium, they plan another, even more ambitious Bicentennial rally in Washington, D.C. this fall, and as for real estate, they continue to think big. Last week the U.S. leader of the Unification Church, Neil Salonen, declared: "It is our view that the first and the best of things should be dedicated to God." Next major projected purchase: the Empire State Building.