Mass Moon Weddings

[GeoBQn]

Did anybody catch this on TLC? It was a short documentary about some couples that were getting married in a mass wedding by Reverend Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church. Most of them had gotten matched several months in advance, but one young woman allowed herself to be matched only three days prior to the wedding. I can see how they would find this exciting, in that any activity done en masse is an exhilarating experience, but the end of the wedding with the chanting and the ticker tape felt more like the end of the Superbowl than a wedding. The couples not only have to abstain from sex before marriage, but abstain during the first 40 days of marriage as well.

 

I had to snark at one couple that is living in Ossining NY--that's where Don Draper lived with his first wife on Mad Men.

[valsa]

Did anybody catch this on TLC? It was a short documentary about some couples that were getting married in a mass wedding by Reverend Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church. Most of them had gotten matched several months in advance, but one young woman allowed herself to be matched only three days prior to the wedding. I can see how they would find this exciting, in that any activity done en masse is an exhilarating experience, but the end of the wedding with the chanting and the ticker tape felt more like the end of the Superbowl than a wedding. The couples not only have to abstain from sex before marriage, but abstain during the first 40 days of marriage as well.

I had to snark at one couple that is living in Ossining NY--that's where Don Draper lived with his first wife on Mad Men.

This might not be such a bad idea. If they follow through with abstaining, it might give them more time to get to know each other first. At least it's better than those poor fundie girls who go from "not able to touch my fiancee" to "expected to have sex with the guy that night" in the span of one short ceremony.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

This might not be such a bad idea. If they follow through with abstaining, it might give them more time to get to know each other first. At least it's better than those poor fundie girls who go from "not able to touch my fiancee" to "expected to have sex with the guy that night" in the span of one short ceremony.

Not marrying someone you've only known for 3 days would be an even better idea.

[ElphabaGalinda]

I watched most of it and it just seemed soo weird to me. What i did notice is all the brides/grooms that we met were born into the movement. It was so crazy for me seeing all those people who believe in that church (cult?), and I wonder how long it will last after Reverend Moon dies. What was weirdest was teh woman who was matched 3 days before was matched with a Japanese guy, so they don't even know the same language. I guess they don't need to talk but that's crazy. I wish there were more of the 200 people who came unpaired to be matched days before the wedding. And the parents matching their kids...how do they pick? Since generally the woman was from one country and the man was from another that'd be pretty rough too. I just can't understand why people want any of that.

Did you catch how much each couple paid to take part? That reverend Moon guy was pretty smart at 15 making up a religion that so many people would buy into that would be so lucrative for him. I'm going to spend all night learning more about this cult, because I'm so curious now, especially since it seemed like they'd need to speak Korean to understand their Messiah, and I don't think many of the ones featured did. Even religions that make no sense to me, I can have some understanding of why some people might believe/want that, but for this it's just all crazy. How are arranged mass marriages supposed to bring about world peace?

[valsa]

Not marrying someone you've only known for 3 days would be an even better idea.

True, but I was thinking more that a cooling off period after the stress and frenzy of the wedding and before the actual sex could be beneficial for the ones who've been matched for a couple of months.

[GeoBQn]

I think they said the "all-inclusive wedding package" was $3000.

[terranova]

I think they said the "all-inclusive wedding package" was $3000.

It would be cheaper to elope to Fiji :D

[debrand]

What does Moon teach? I've never understood the basic belief system of his church.

[ElphabaGalinda]

It would be cheaper to elope to Fiji :D

Was that per person?? Even if it was per couple, that Reverend Moon guy got even richer off that. Probably the idea when he started the church at 15.

[ElphabaGalinda]

What does Moon teach? I've never understood the basic belief system of his church.

From what I understood from the show, and from my internet research last night, which may not be the whole picture, they believe Jesus visited him at 15 to tell him to complete his unfinished work. This evenutally evolved into a belief that Moon himself is the Messiah. Apparently they believe that couples married in their mass blessing ceremony and children born from these marriages are free from original sin. It also symbolizes the hope for world peace. They also believe the original sin was innappropriate sexual relationships that corrupted true love, true love being their highest value (which I totally don't get how that fits with randomly matching people to be married.) Moon has compared their views on sexuality to evangelical Christianity in that they oppose homosexuality and support sexual abstinence outside marriage. Since they believe Moon is the second coming of Christ, they regard him and his wife as the True Parents of human kind. They actually believe Moon and his wife are better than Jesus because they achieved marriage and children which would save humanity and perfect the world.

That's all I remember, though there is much more out there. Those are probably the craziest which is why they stuck in my mind. That and there are members of the church in 54 countries, which is kind of terrifying to me.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

A few weeks ago the BBC ran "My Big Fat Moonie Wedding" a documentary about the thirty year anniversary of the mass weddings held at Madison Square Garden in NY. I remember the Moonie madness from when I was a teenager but I was not aware that it has continued to grow and expand its membership because it isn't in the news as much. Unfortunately it has become "respectable", with many countries and international groups-- even the UN-- including The Unification Church in activities and photo ops. Take a look at their Wikipedia page and you'll be stunned at how active they are.

The BBC special highlighted the randomness of the pairings of the couples. About 500 people would be called into a ballroom with men on one side and women on the other side. Then the Rev. Moon would simply point to one on each side: You and you. And that's how you found out whom you were marrying. There was no attempt to match up nationalities or mutual interests.

All the brides and all the grooms were dressed exactly alike on the big day because it wasn't about individuals, it was an international display of power by the Rev. Moon.

Right after the marriage vows the couples were sent to a chapel where they were given a large wooden paddle and told to hit each other "To beat the devil out." One man confessed he probably beat his new bride too hard. The couples were then separated and shipped off to different countries to become missionaries.

After a month...or three years depending on Rev. Moon's whim...the couples were reunited and they had sex in a proscribed way. Afterwards they were told to wipe themselves off with a special cloth and then that cloth was supposed to be preserved for all time.

Altogether very creepy and depressing with expected results-- most of the couples tracked down by the BBC were divorced. One couple were still married but had no feelings for each other; they stayed together for their son. Another couple were still married but they had left the cult.

[Angri-la]

One of the tenets of the "faith" is that work will set you free, or, rather, it will line the pockets of Moon and his wife. Another "religion" to support one man's greed.

In the 60s and 70s young people were brainwashed and forced to sell flowers across America and Canada, making millions for Moon. When these teams broke up, due to the law cracking down, the Rev had a revelation in 1980, about fish and was delivered in a speech called "The Way of The Tuna". Most of the fish for American sushi is processed by the Unification Church's company, True World Foods, LLC. I am not kidding.

I forgot to tell you all: I was visited by a sparkly unicorn last night, and it said that I am The Chosen One. The Way of The Cake's message must be spread, and I have a paypal account set up. If you feel guilty about anything, just send me money, and you are totally absolved. Did you cheat on your diet? Send me 50 bucks, and the calories will no longer exist. Truth.

The tenets of my religion are really easy:

1) You are fabulous. Make sure you outer appearance is a reflection of your inner glory: unless you are working out, spandex should be an undergarment.

2) Cake, not just doughnuts, are holy.

3) Tithe!

[DarkAnts]

One of the tenets of the "faith" is that work will set you free, or, rather, it will line the pockets of Moon and his wife. Another "religion" to support one man's greed.

In the 60s and 70s young people were brainwashed and forced to sell flowers across America and Canada, making millions for Moon. When these teams broke up, due to the law cracking down, the Rev had a revelation in 1980, about fish and was delivered in a speech called "The Way of The Tuna". Most of the fish for American sushi is processed by the Unification Church's company, True World Foods, LLC. I am not kidding.

I forgot to tell you all: I was visited by a sparkly unicorn last night, and it said that I am The Chosen One. The Way of The Cake's message must be spread, and I have a paypal account set up. If you feel guilty about anything, just send me money, and you are totally absolved. Did you cheat on your diet? Send me 50 bucks, and the calories will no longer exist. Truth.

The tenets of my religion are really easy:

1) You are fabulous. Make sure you outer appearance is a reflection of your inner glory: unless you are working out, spandex should be an undergarment.

2) Cake, not just doughnuts, are holy.

3) Tithe!

[teachmehowtoduggar]

This might not be such a bad idea. If they follow through with abstaining, it might give them more time to get to know each other first. At least it's better than those poor fundie girls who go from "not able to touch my fiancee" to "expected to have sex with the guy that night" in the span of one short ceremony.

[urban teacher]

So I will tithe several cakes to the most holiest parent of them all. Angri La!

[Kitchen Princess]

I used to know a woman in the old AOL homeschool boards who was married in a mass wedding. They'd been married a decade or so at that time and had a few kids. She was utterly and completely normal, except for that. I should try to hunt her down. Someone I know would remember her.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

1) You are fabulous. Make sure you outer appearance is a reflection of your inner glory: unless you are working out, spandex should be an undergarment.

2) Cake, not just doughnuts, are holy.

3) Tithe!

Should I be worried about future religious tensions between the Congregation of the Cake and the Pastafarians? :shock:

[ElphabaGalinda]

This might not be such a bad idea. If they follow through with abstaining, it might give them more time to get to know each other first. At least it's better than those poor fundie girls who go from "not able to touch my fiancee" to "expected to have sex with the guy that night" in the span of one short ceremony.

THIS!!! Personally, I waited till I was 17 and 2 months away from graduating h.s. before I lost my virginity. It took months of um, loving "play" to get to the point where I was ready for that. I feel so bad for women, and men, that have to go from zero to sixty on their wedding night. I don't feel bad for myself at all. I think the way I did it was perfect.

[DarkAnts]

I think this documentary gives an ok description of how the church was formed. At one point, he abandoned his wife and went to North Korea to preach. He told her he was going out to buy rice for his new baby and never came back. Shows that he was a jackass from the beginning.

Oops forgot to post link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOY3Sxe4TeE&feature=plcp

[Shoobydoo]

I keeping seeing the title of this thread and imagining the alien from the Flinstones conducting a wedding ceremony. I watch way too much boomerang. :lol:

[Pearl]

The Mass Moon Weddings documentary portrayed the Moonies favorably - I found it really weird. My husband thinks that the moonies were the ones that filmed the documentary. Everyone was semi-attractive, on bored, and excited about their wedding. The featured individuals grew up in the moonie religion and was more on board. Although the little rebellious English chick was interesting - she wasn't going to wear a veil - oh no she wasn't.

I'm thinking the rules have gotten a little more lax over the years. It seems that the Moonies don't practice shunning as the sister of the American boy has fallen away and has *gasp* a boyfriend and the parents still allow her in the house/feed her.

[ukool23]

Thier was a doc about the moonies on channel 4, not sure if it was the same one as TLC showed, but it had uk couples in it. Showed the big wedding etc. Found it very strange, and certain 'rules' they have were fundie like - main one that stood out was the no kissing as it gives away peices of your heart.

[Kitchen Princess]

I was informed yesterday that "moonies" is now considered pejorative.