This is the first thread I have ever started (gulp) I hope I am doing this right!
I am going to see my brother and his family (the moonies) next week (they live in Eastern Germany) and I just became a bit anxious. I spoke to my niece (she's 15) on the phone and she told me her uncle (on my brother's wife side, no one else in the family are moonies) has banned my brother from coming on his property. They had a pretty good relationship (or at least as good as it gets) the last time we were there so I'm assuming that my brother ( aggressive, fanatical ) must have proselytized to him or even worse maybe to his 2 young sons. The uncle did get pissed off when my brother said a prayer aloud before dinner in the name of the "True Parents". after dinner his kids kept asking who their "true parents" are and why does my brother's family pray to them. He in turn asked my brother to pray silently when at family gatherings at his home and I think the issue was resolved. Now we have a drastic situation that really sucks, especially for the kids.
When I visit my brother we sometimes end up at odds because he becomes hostile and nasty if you don't listen to all he has to say about his "religion". My husband (who is an ex-JW) just lets it roll off his back. He acts mildly interested and then changes the subject. I really admire that in him because when my bro starts with the moonie crap I bristle up and become very defensive. I know that's the worst thing I can do. It's a reaction I have a hard time controlling.
My brother has been a moonie for almost 30 years now and was married at a mass marriage in Madison Square Garden (I went, it was weird!) He graduated college with a degree in psychology but applied too late for the med school he wanted so he took off for a year on a fateful cross country trip. He was "recruited" in San Francisco and went to live in a Moon front youth commune. My parents freaked, wanted to "deprogram" him but didn't have the money (since they just put the butt-head through college) He came home after many months with a dazed look and glazed over eyes and he would chant aloud in the backyard at night. I would watch him from my window and wonder "what the f*ck is he doing?!" I still wonder that today. How can they believe in this meglomaniac fraud of man and his dysfunctional family?! One of Moon's kids sadly commited suicide by jumping out of a Las Vegas hotel window. Another was a cocaine addict and wife beater. Moon showers himself and his family with incredible luxuries off the profits and "fund-raising" for his church while most of his followers live hand to mouth. I remember awhile back my brother was saving jelly jars because they could not afford to buy drinking glasses...and he was running a Moon church!
BTW, does anyone know how much Moon makes on these mass marriages?! Well, the last time my bro tried to convince me to renew my wedding vows via Moonie mass marriage satellite, the going rate was $3000 per couple. Hmmmm...20,000 x $3000 = Holy Crap!! Moon claims to be the New Messiah and boasts he is doing a "better job than Jesus did". He's obviously crazy! It's scary just how much property and wealth Moon has aquired. He has thousands of moonie front businesses world-wide and he has bought a few colleges! Now recruiting will be really easy! He has big political pull too (Bush for one, and there was Reagan and Nixon!) He recently moved into South America (bought up huge amounts of land there and sports teams) plus he is now sending large pilgrimages over to the middle east to recruit. My brother just came back from one. Says he has plenty of pix to show me and will I come on the next pilgrimage (ughhh!) Oh well, I guess I just wanted to vent. Thanks to anyone who reads this. I hope I come back from my trip with my sanity intact! astro_girl