From 2007 through 2008, I wrote a series of posts which revealed ongoing ties between the Richard Cohen’s International Healing Foundation and the Unification Church (aka Moonies). Initially, Cohen’s staffer Hilde Wiemann denied she was a member of the movement but then later admitted she had been in the movement long after Cohen said there were no ties between his organization and the church.
This week I have come across video which again links Cohen with the Unification church. On October 7, 2012, Moon’s son and president of the Unification Church Hyung Jin Moon held a town hall meeting at the Unification Bay Area Family Church. Sun Myung Moon recently died, but in 2008, he appointed Hjung Jin to be the leader of the church.
The full three hour video is here. Below is a brief excerpt of Hyung Jin’s answer to a question about homosexuality (at about 2 hours and 40 minutes into the session):
Moon says:
Richard Cohen is a member in our movement who has worked on this tremendously, the whole issue. Even as you mentioned, you said that people are gay through no fault of their own. But of course this is debatable; that’s an assumption. Richard Cohen actually debates that assumption. He’s actually an expert on this issue and so maybe we can connect you to him, Richard Cohen. If you could, give your contact information to Dr. Grubb, we will try to connect you to Richard Cohen. I think in our movement he is probably the foremost expert on that whole issue, and hopefully he can contribute and helping us with programs in the future as well.
I have asked IHF for comment with no immediate response. The mention of Cohen by Unification Church President Hyung Jin Moon does not conclusively prove that Cohen is member of the church. Perhaps Cohen is the only person Hyung Jin knows who claims expertise regarding homosexuality. However, the way he describes Cohen and the ease with which he indicates he can connect the questioner with Cohen again raises questions about Cohen’s earlier denials.
Cohen said he left the Unification Church in 1995. Hyung Jin was about 16 years old at the time.
It gets worse, Warren. IHF was always right on the edge of insolvency with revenues in the mid five figures. However, in 2011, he is showing $540,000 in revenues from the “Special School Project.” The notion that this crackpot is beating up furniture in schools scares the heck out of me.
I found this article on Cohen from 2005. Its an interesting read (especially Cohen’s spin on things) but does says he left the moonies in 1995. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081501063.html
Dave
I found this article on Cohen from 2005. Its an interesting read (especially Cohen’s spin on things) but does says he left the moonies in 1995. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081501063.html
Dave
It gets worse, Warren. IHF was always right on the edge of insolvency with revenues in the mid five figures. However, in 2011, he is showing $540,000 in revenues from the “Special School Project.” The notion that this crackpot is beating up furniture in schools scares the heck out of me.