‘Belvedere; Drink’n’hide’ and ‘Rice and Frech Fries’: Kyle and Andrew on Blessed Child podcast with Renrobot

Renrobot talks to non moonie classmates from Irvington who grew up around moonie kids. Discussion around Comfort blessing, suicide ideation, Irvington, huge amounts of money for church leaders, the outside perspective of envy for the church community but sense of being judged or spied on. Reference to Chung Pyung, punishments, sexual assault, suicide ideation and a BBC documentary: Emperor of the Universe
In Part 2: Camp sunrise, New Yorker, Split of church now, Elgen’s podcast, Interracial marriage, Squid game, Sense of community and the fact that Moonies in Irvington were seen as cool.

Cults in Our Midst: Jen Kiaba on ‘And Then Everything Changed’ podcast

Jen speaks to Ronit Plank about her life in – and recovery from – the church.

Summary:

The term Moonies, Vulnerability to cults and Cultic practices in business, religion, MLM. 10. Intro to church and influence in political right. ‘Bad moon rising’ by John Gorenfeld. 14. Blessed Children. 15. Moon’s marriage to 16 year old Hak Ja Han. 18. Blessing to dead people. 19. Power struggle after Moon’s death. Hak Ja Han victim. 22. Gun manufacturing and sanctuary church. 29. Gradual leaving process. End of blessing. No shunning but entire community was lost. 33. Parents being wounded makes them vulnerable to cults. 34. Parents matching. 38. Mother with two personalities. 40. Expectation of blessed children to be perfect. 43. Duality of being loving parents but also making mistakes. Parentification. 44. Abusive father. Women blamed for husband’s abuse. 45. Nan Sook’s story of being hit by Moon’s son. 48. Report on each other. 49. Secret self. Physically in, mentally out. 50. Trust and boundary setting. 53. Therapy. Importance of research, books. 55. Parents. Forgiveness and compassion v accountability.
60. The importance of ‘I don’t know.’ 63. End of arranged marriage. Self loathing as a failure that might have caused mother’s cancer. 70. Helping people question their cultic group. 

No Hope Academy and ‘Jesus isn’t Black. He’s Korean’: Aurl Jin Vornbrock and Sun Ae Davis on Falling Out Podcast

Elgen speaks to sisters Aurl Jin and Sun Ae about their early experience in church nurseries and New Hope Academy.

1. Elgen update on Qanon interview and Frank Koffman’s funeral 9. Origin of names Elgen and Aurl Jin. 15. Jacob House. Aurl Jin nearly died at 9 months old. 24. Ancestors and restoration. 27. ‘Don’t be the ones who crucify the messiah’. 30. Similarities with multilevel marketing. 32. Jin Ae Nursery. And living in church centres. 39. Octopus chopped in the kitchen. 43. People coming and going. 46. New York Tribune. World and I. 48. Changing babysitters. 52. New Hope Academy. 58. Aurl Jin talking about sex at 8 years old. And then no longer allowed to be at the school. Sent to public school with ‘fallen children.’ Hit and slapped at school, unhappy at home without parents and with church members knowing she was ‘fallen’ . 63. Church misogyny – double standards for girls and boys. 66. Started smoking at 9 years old. 68. Rift between sisters as Aurl Jin was seen as fallen. 75. Abstinence for married couples when Moon was in prison in 84 – origin story of Sun Ae. 81.Pressure to be good to make up for sister. 84. Aurl Jin shunned at 8 years old. 86. Washington Times. 90. Japanese members’ tithing paid for the World and I magazine – ego boost for Moon. Moved to Iowa. To be continued.

Summary of Part 2:

Part 2
Voice notes welcome. Feedback on the podcast. 7. Trigger warning suicide and sexual assault. Similarity of names. 12. Move to Iowa, started fading a little bit out. 16.Pressure to be successful to make the church look good. 19. Sun Ae not allowed into New Hope Academy because of her sister. 20. ‘Jesus isn’t black he’s Korean’ – Aurl Jin learning about outside world. 21. Unable to read in public school, due to New Hope Academy education. 26. Home Church providence – people moved out of the communities. 29. Run away, sleeping under bridges, and drugs. Loose virginity at 14 and suicide attempt at 13. 32. Rehab at 14 just like a cult. 33. Cult deprogrammer. 34. Pregnant at 17 years old. 36. Sun Ae. Was a good moonie but when reading Divine Principle start to question it. 38. Church refused to help parents help Aurl Jin with her difficulties. Parents were always giving but church didn’t help. 41. Hypocrisy. 43. Getting period – triggers fear of falling. 45. Learn about selling indulgences. Ansu. Paying for ancestor liberation. That was the downfall of the Catholic Church. 50. Pure Love Alliance tour in 2000. 52. Moon’s daughter on the tour and she wasn’t nice. 55. The book ‘Conversations with God’. Gave permission to let go of the church. Lovely people but done with the church. 

The Unification Church – An English Perspective: Miriam on the Cult Vault Podcast

Miriam speaks to Kacey on the Cult Vault about growing up in a church nursery in England, the pressure to be a good ‘blessed child’, and example for the younger ones, her arranged marriage and eventual journey out of the church.

Summary of content: 1. Intro to church and parents joining. 9. Offering children and sacrifice. 22. Similarity to suffering in Lisa Kohn’s story. 22. Different at school as a blessed child free of original sin. 26. Church nursery and sad without parents. 29. Daily Mail courtcase and split up families. 39. Workaholic. 41. Parents now recognise the damage caused and choose family over church. 46. Grandchildren. 48. Matching and blessing process. 57. Sister. 57. ‘Uncles and Aunties’ care while suffering. 63. Parentification. 65. Church centre life in London. 69. Shimjung Club and Jacob’s children. 70. Safety net of church community. 72. Us v them. 74. Realise the outside world is not bad. 75. GOP in Korea and split from siblings. 76. Judging siblings on return. 80. Camp Sunrise and 70 day workshop. STF in order to ‘save England.’ 82. Second generation leader in England. 86. Sleep deprivation and Steven Hassan. 88. Running workshops. 90. Picture matching, blessing and break up. Real life matching and leave. 102. Accept its a cult. Let go of lineage. 105. Panic attacks. 108. Cult hopping. 109. Self destruction and recreate abandonment. 111. Rage at the church. 114. Recovery is a gradual process. Find a community outside of the church.

‘Cha Cha the True Dog’ and ‘Survive, Any Way You Can’: Yousei Sama on Falling Out Podcast (Parts 1 & 2)

In part one of this interview Yousei describes his turbulent early years in the church – moving home eleven times in eleven years and dealing with a string of challenges along the way.

Summary of contents:

1. Qanon connections. 3. Intro Yousei. 5. Origin of Yousei’s name. Early years. 14. New York and moving house a lot. 16. Pledge treats. 22.Jacob House. 24. Jeung jin’s dog – ‘true dog’. 27. Exploring bodies at 5 years old results in fight with dads. Heavy shame. And move house again. 35. Mother passed away. Church burial grounds. 40. Spiritual health care. 44. Death of mother co-opted for providential reasons. 49. Comfort blessing. 52. Being a humble servant and bowing to his dad. 54. Parting hair on the right(?!). 62. Father reblessing – origin of comfort blessing. 64. National messiah. 66. Moved again to Hondorus. Repeat 4th grade. 68. Ill prepared for school and real world. 86. Father abuses step mother. Using divine principle to justify it. Parents split up. 97. Il shim workshops and purity culture. 101. Purity ring. 102. Discovering he is queer. 103. Break for the next episode. 

In part two, Yousei describes the difficulty of being gay in the church, the attempts to ‘heal’ him and eventually outcast him, and his turbulent journey away from his parents and the church.

Summary:

1. Moon quote on homosexuality being worse than dogs. 4. Intro to suicide. 6. Discovering he is queer. 8. Move three more times. In the Bay Area. 11. Principle Academy. 12. Moon lumped homosexuality into the category of free sex and dirt. Equated to shit. 17. Start to have crushes on boys and talk about imaginary boyfriend on xanga. 20. Found queer friends at school. 22. Confession at One Heart workshop that I was attracted to boys. 23. Church pastor told me I had to change. Told me to read ‘coming out straight’ by Richard Cohen. 26. My dad had done some work with him – May have been queer. 29. Elgen’s dad’s explanation of why being gay is wrong. And introduction to Richard Cohen. ‘He used to be gay, but now he’s not.’ 31. Richard Cohen is, like our parents, a casualty of having to fight who he is. He’s hiding and repressing who he is. Like church members who launch into a prepared response that shuts down any doubts. Used to be angry but now just heartbroken. 34. Necessary to be angry. 36. The book says that same sex attraction is from not receiving enough love from the same sex parent. Or something traumatic happened. And I believed it because I had traumatic sexual experience as a kid. 38. Step-mother read my journal and believed it was real. They were distraught with tears. Brought me to the pastor who asked if I was fallen and what I had done. So I had to do conditions and fasting. 44. Tricky to determine definition of falling, since the fall is with a woman. I got off light. I know people who have gone through conversion therapy. Self loathing and suicidal thoughts. 48. They took me to a non church therapist. Step mother blamed herself for not doing enough Hoon Dok Hae etc. Hating myself. 50. Praying where are you god, I’m in so much pain. I realised I was done. I was 16/17. 53. Decided to do homeschool. Got a job. 56. Got a boyfriend. 58. Before, Hurst House, for wayward teens, I wanted to go, it was a boarding school. But they didn’t want me as they didn’t know where to put me. 62. So seeing boyfriend secretly. Parents find out and angry. Ultimate fight. Not allowed back in the house if I stay. Step mother tried to stop me. ‘you want to die of AIDS?’ so I left and his parents took me in. 67. Parents just wanted me to come home. I did, then they said I couldn’t see him, so I left for good. 68. Kicked out of the church band. At that point, completely done with the church. 70. My parents tried but they were in a fucked up situation. 72. Friend helped me discover the world, movies, music. Importance of music – Savage Garden, Matrix soundtrack. 83. Support from boyfriend’s family to survive in real world. 87. Advice to younger self – stop lying. And hold on, if you feel suicidal there are plenty of people there for you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are resources and support. 95. Cha Cha stayed with us and lived to 18. You decide. You define your life. Open Counselling – suicide prevention hotlines. 

What it’s like Leaving a Cult: Faith Y3n on Franc Analysis

Faith speaks to Franc about the process of leaving and the importance of re-education, patience and understanding mental health.

Summary of content:
2. Parents joined as students. Looking for a place to belong. They fundraised to buy Washington Times and other companies. 5. Moon backstory – came to finish Jesus’s mission. He joined a sex cult, from which he stole the DP. 7. Saying pledge of allegiance to a secret country Cheon Il Guk. 9. Lost faith in Moon’s sanity as the job in the church was far from the book. Nothing of the doctrine is beneficial for anyone. All money and time given to this imaginary system. Result is we are bankrupt, exhausted and unable to talk to outsiders. I had to cut family ties. 12. Moon made it up as he went along. 13. People who stay are in denial. If you have therapy and examine your life you wouldn’t stay in. Comfort Zone. 14. First phase of leaving is to educate yourself. Understand information Control. Learn about mental health. Be patient with yourself. 17. My parents were abusive so I trusted outsiders more. 19. Enjoy getting an education and wearing what I like, swearing, deciding my own schedule and make my own choices. 21. Religions and cults are different. Nothing to do with the beliefs but to do with the coercion tactics used to keep them in. It’s about what happens when you try to ask questions or try to leave. Cults use mental abuse, physical intimidation, mental control, only approved emotions.  25. Washington Times founded on fundraising and influencing republican agenda. 28. Animism. Spirituality. Creating your own reality. There is no all powerful omnipotent consciousness. 31. Memento Mori. 33. Reading of Heavenly Deception on YouTube.

A Ticket to Heaven and This is Trafficking: Enryka Christopher on Falling Out Podcast with Elgen Strait (Parts 1 & 2)

Enryka talks about being an ‘Offering Child’ and her early life in the Church, in USA and Korea.

1. Feedback on previous episodes on six Mary’s and ‘Mother’s course’. 4. Moon as sexual predator. 6. Intro to Enryka. 7.Offering child background and Ryka’s story. 21.named by Moon’s child. Making up names. 13.Jefferson House. 24. Avoiding ‘pledge’. 26. Moon making grand pronouncements about heterosexuality. 28.I was a ‘ticket to heaven’. Abusive mother. Absent father. 34. Cheong pyung. 37. Ansu – beating each other. One child being held down and beaten to remove bad spirits. 42. Holy candy with pin pricks of holy wine. 43. Legal adoption and relationship with biological family. 49. Move to Korea. 50. Gop program. Ryka’s parents dorm parents. ‘Sisters in the hall!’ 70. Homeschool and depression. Cockroaches. 76. Elgen’s account of an incident of teenagers bullying a 5 year old child in the dorm. 81. Early trauma sets patterns for future behaviour. 84. Wonder if it’s all true. 85. Crush on a boy at 9 and shamed. Then angry. 88. Girl who was self harming sent to Cheong Pyeong. 91. Girl kicked out for kissing a boy. 96. Break for next episode. 

In Part 2, Enryka’s story unfolds in Korea and back in USA in the Unification Theological Seminary before leaving the church and finding support through therapy and research,

1. Update on girl who had been sent to Cheong Pyeong, who got in touch after the last episode . 4. Intro to part two and suicide trigger warning. 5. Sexual assault on a girl so the dorm was chained shut and it was covered up. 7. Enryka moved to Unification Theological Seminary in US. Gaza school. Chicken coop in UTS. 15. Back to school in US. Culture shock. Home school. 16. Outside friend’s mom help her get out. 18. Snorkeling workshop. Camp Shahaqua.  20. Helping with fundraising for her own cash. 26. Flower fundraising 33. Elgen’s ex wife lived in UTS chicken coop too. 38. Realising she wants to get out. 9th grade start drugs. Panic attacks. 43. Sent to psych ward. Rock bottom. 44. Sent to camp Tongil. 47. Biological family blame her adopted dad for her rebellion. Both dads have argument so she got signed up to the art room. 52. Everyone’s different story of leaving. 53. Moon saying blessed couples should have sex in front of their kids. 58. Therapy for years later. Getting out early doesn’t exempt you from the trauma. 60. EMDR therapy. Night terrors and dissociation. PTSD symptoms. 66. Elgen’s team of resources in therapy. Reprogramming the memory. Internal family systems therapy. 68. Hard to find good therapists. 70. Antidepressants. 72. Cult of trump. Toolkit of all abusive systems of control. Human trafficking definition. Labor trafficking. victims don’t even know they’re being trafficked. 78. Speaking out against trafficking. 81. Birth family still in church. Cult hopping. 83. If someone’s in a cult, meet them where they are. You can’t be angry. 84. Tara Westover’s book Educated. Hiding behind the banner of Freedom of Religion. 87. UK disentangle religion from politics unlike USA. 89. The Satanic Temple – don’t be an asshole. 90. Better off having been an offering child. 91. Wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Moon. But we don’t owe it to Moon. Similar to all the emigration due to Hitler. He is not owed any thanks. 94. Drive to do good for the world. 97. Perform well academically is a way to get out of the church. 100. Suicide helpline in US 8002738255. 102. If anyone wants to collaborate on research get in touch with Enryka. 103. Human Trafficking Foundation – more information. 

Fathers: Limi Bauer writes for Persephone’s Daughters

In this short story Limi writes beautifully about her ‘three fathers’ :

‘I will never know the woman I might have been. Then again, I would not have existed had my biological parents not fallen completely for this “True Father.” ‘

Limi Marie Bauer, “Fathers”