My experience in a Moon church/organization (korean religion)

[Macoleco]

Like 2 years ago, I met some japanese/korean missionaires. They invited me to their house, where everyone, men and women, live for the time they are here. Since I like Japan, I wanted to learn more about their culture. First days I visited them, we did normal activities such as eating japanese/korean food, japanese games, etc, etc. It was an incredible experience. Some time later, I went to sleep there. It was a trick. They made me spend some in a seminar time listening to a woman talking about their religion. It was still fun anyway. I did not want to lose their friendship, so I just went along with it. I was honest with them, and told them I was an atheist. They didnt really have a problem, since they kept inviting me to their house. I had to read 1 hour of their holy book with a partner sometimes, though. I just played dumb, and read it  a few times. 

Now we start getting to the interesting part. I was not a member of the Church, but a member of a sub-organization called "HEROES". We go to pick up trash on the beaches, visit orphanages, etc. My friendship with the missionaires was great, but the President of the organization called "CARP" and  a member of the Church in Korea and in my country, did not like me because I am an atheist. One they we were going to some thermal waters, and before leaving, he mentioned that since I am an atheist, I would be capable of having sex on the streets like an animal (religious logic: not believing in God implies having sex on the streets   ). I remained silent since I didnt want to hurt my friendship with them, and he said it in spanish anyway. They probably didnt understand. That was the moment I learned he didnt like me. Not like I care anyway.

The missionaires leave after a year, and new ones come. After the generation I first met, I kept having contact with the new missionaires, as a member of HEROES. Now, the President of this organization always keeps an eye on me. He always looks to me when I speak to a girl, or gets close when I speak to them. Why, you may wonder? Well, in their religion, marriage and infidelity is a serious matter. And since I am an atheist, they dont want me having any kind of relationship with a woman, or being the living proof that atheism doesnt make you a bad person, something they believe. He obviously has authority over the missionaires, and I believe he talks ill about me to them. 

I probably will not visit them anymore, since I dislike having to deal with a fucking manipulative priest. And in any case, they rarely invite me anymore. I believe he forbids them now. Now, the lessons I have learned:

1. Atheists face discrimination within religious groups, even if they preach that we are all children of God. Hypocresy at its finest.
2. Religions control through sex and marriage. In this religion, a lot of its members marry with people they dont even know. Many marriages are arranged betwene people of different countries. They do this in oder to expand. 
3. Priests and churches are the biggest hypocrites of the world. 

Finally, this made me wonder. If there are missionaires of every religion, why not atheist missionaires? Not to profess atheism, but simply to interact with foreigners and have a good time together. I say this because my most precious time with them was when religion wasnt involved. Genuine human interactions, and not bullshit religion. 

Thoughts? I know more about this Moon religion. You can ask if you want.

[Silver]

Finally, this made me wonder. If there are missionaires of every religion, why not atheist missionaires? Not to profess atheism, but simply to interact with foreigners and have a good time together. I say this because my most precious time with them was when religion wasnt involved. Genuine human interactions, and not bullshit religion. 

Thoughts?

I imagine there are atheists get-togethers, support groups, etc, but of course calling it a missionary would be inaccurate.

[WinterHold]

Against fast-food chains, entertainment with its different forms and different beliefs built on science, religion doesn't seem to hold.
In other words; religion is getting old.

Thus, missionaries use tricks to convert people and get them to be more interested in the preached religion; there internet armies for every religion out there, chat rooms and forums get bombarded usually. Sites like youtube witness keyboard battles between the different missionaries -especially in the comment sections-.

In real life, it usually begins with inviting and convincing the non-believer to attend the missionary community where he/she would be surrounded by believers; like in your case.

Heck; I grew up in Saudi Arabia. In my middle/high school there was a community called "The Islamic Awareness", led by religion teachers, they used to offer members a way out of the classes, extra marks...etc.

It's all about "seducing" others into the religion through showing a very seducing face in certain situations; while in reality it's something else.

So a tactic would be for the young missionary guys to be your friends; while the head leader show hate. It's a well known tactic; in slang it's called "good cop bad cop". Such psychological games would fill the interaction between the missionary community and other non-believers; making missionaries one of the filthiest mentalities I have ever known or seen.

Lies; no honesty.

[Mister Agenda]

I suppose there could be humanist missionaries, humanist schools, that sort of thing.

[vorlon13]

Finally, this made me wonder. If there are missionaires of every religion, why not atheist missionaires? Not to profess atheism, but simply to interact with foreigners and have a good time together. I say this because my most precious time with them was when religion wasnt involved. Genuine human interactions, and not bullshit religion. 

Thoughts?

I imagine there are atheists get-togethers, support groups, etc, but of course calling it a missionary would be inaccurate.

I've noticed hand insertion generally elicits confirmatory declarations concerning various deities.  I guess I'm an anti-atheist missionary in that regard . . . .

[Edwardo Piet]

I know 4 things about Korea.

North Korea is awful.

South Korea ain't so bad at all.

The World Cyber Games are in South Korea and they're pretty fucking cool.

...and, finally, THIS South Korean alternative to Ramen is sooooooooooo much tastier (unless you don't like spicy stuff):



(That particular one is made in the U.S. (they have factories in America too)... but the originals are in South Korea and, of course, that's where the recipe is from).

I buy the cup version in my local Britishian store.

[vorlon13]

FWIW, Rev. Moon's religion is ESPECIALLY false.

[Brian37]

Like 2 years ago, I met some japanese/korean missionaires. They invited me to their house, where everyone, men and women, live for the time they are here. Since I like Japan, I wanted to learn more about their culture. First days I visited them, we did normal activities such as eating japanese/korean food, japanese games, etc, etc. It was an incredible experience. Some time later, I went to sleep there. It was a trick. They made me spend some in a seminar time listening to a woman talking about their religion. It was still fun anyway. I did not want to lose their friendship, so I just went along with it. I was honest with them, and told them I was an atheist. They didnt really have a problem, since they kept inviting me to their house. I had to read 1 hour of their holy book with a partner sometimes, though. I just played dumb, and read it  a few times. 

Now we start getting to the interesting part. I was not a member of the Church, but a member of a sub-organization called "HEROES". We go to pick up trash on the beaches, visit orphanages, etc. My friendship with the missionaires was great, but the President of the organization called "CARP" and  a member of the Church in Korea and in my country, did not like me because I am an atheist. One they we were going to some thermal waters, and before leaving, he mentioned that since I am an atheist, I would be capable of having sex on the streets like an animal (religious logic: not believing in God implies having sex on the streets   ). I remained silent since I didnt want to hurt my friendship with them, and he said it in spanish anyway. They probably didnt understand. That was the moment I learned he didnt like me. Not like I care anyway.

The missionaires leave after a year, and new ones come. After the generation I first met, I kept having contact with the new missionaires, as a member of HEROES. Now, the President of this organization always keeps an eye on me. He always looks to me when I speak to a girl, or gets close when I speak to them. Why, you may wonder? Well, in their religion, marriage and infidelity is a serious matter. And since I am an atheist, they dont want me having any kind of relationship with a woman, or being the living proof that atheism doesnt make you a bad person, something they believe. He obviously has authority over the missionaires, and I believe he talks ill about me to them. 

I probably will not visit them anymore, since I dislike having to deal with a fucking manipulative priest. And in any case, they rarely invite me anymore. I believe he forbids them now. Now, the lessons I have learned:

1. Atheists face discrimination within religious groups, even if they preach that we are all children of God. Hypocresy at its finest.
2. Religions control through sex and marriage. In this religion, a lot of its members marry with people they dont even know. Many marriages are arranged betwene people of different countries. They do this in oder to expand. 
3. Priests and churches are the biggest hypocrites of the world. 

Finally, this made me wonder. If there are missionaires of every religion, why not atheist missionaires? Not to profess atheism, but simply to interact with foreigners and have a good time together. I say this because my most precious time with them was when religion wasnt involved. Genuine human interactions, and not bullshit religion. 

Thoughts? I know more about this Moon religion. You can ask if you want.

I am sure you can quote that religion to no end. But every religion with fervent followers can do that. I don't see how being able to quote any holy book word for word, or quoting any holy leader to no end is any different than being a fan of Harry Potter, Star Wars or Star Trek.

There was a time in my life when I could recite EVERY line from every Pat Benatar song. I could even tell you which side of the LP that particular song was on.

People are fans of all sorts of things, video games, Dungeons And Dragons, Soccer, Baseball, Hockey, Golf, NFL, Basketball, Walking Dead, WWE, Jerry Springer too.

Funny how there is no argument over gravity, and nobody argues a "Moon" theory of gravity anymore than one should argue over a "Allah theory of evolution" or "Thor theory of lightening"

Humans like what they like, and can get very deeply into a topic and love it. But that does not make what they claim universal and testable and falsifiable an peer reviewed.

[Edwardo Piet]

Finally, this made me wonder. If there are missionaires of every religion, why not atheist missionaires? Not to profess atheism, but simply to interact with foreigners and have a good time together. I say this because my most precious time with them was when religion wasnt involved. Genuine human interactions, and not bullshit religion. 

Thoughts?

I imagine there are atheists get-togethers, support groups, etc, but of course calling it a missionary would be inaccurate.

Besides... even though in principle it's possible to start some weird cult, that only accepts atheists, where the fundamental tenet is to deliberately go around convincing everyone else that there is no God like it's one's life mission and that those who are part of that cult believe that successfully doing that is akin to ultimate goodness... in practice how's that gonna happen when organizing atheists in that way is like herding cats?

[Minimalist]

The Unification Church is among the minority of new religious movements who have introduced their own unique scriptures.[106] The Divine Principle or Exposition of the Divine Principle (Korean 원리강론/原理講論, translit. wonli ganglon) is the main theological textbook of the Unification Church. It was co-written by church founder Sun Myung Moon and early disciple Hyo Won Eu and first published in 1966. A translation entitled Divine Principle was published in English in 1973.

The book lays out the core of Unification theology, and is held by believers to have the status of Holy Scripture. Following the format of systematic theology, it includes (1) God's purpose in creating human beings, (2) the fall of man, and (3) restoration – the process through history by which God is working to remove the ill effects of the fall and restore humanity back to the relationship and position that God originally intended.[107] God is viewed as the creator,[108] whose nature combines both masculinity and femininity,[108] and is the source of all truth, beauty, and goodness. Human beings and the universe reflect God's personality, nature, and purpose.

-- wiki

I mean honestly.  Is it any stupider than than any other religious horseshit?