You used to find the “flower children” everywhere, especially at airports. Also, those who sold flowers on street corners year-round were believed to be “flower children” (or Moonies), too. Now, I don’t see them anywhere. So, is this Moonie cult defunct?
If you eat sushi in the U.S., you’re probably supporting the Moonies…
The Unification Church is still a going concern. They don’t sell flowers at airports anymore, though. They are likely going to sell the Washington Times soon, though.
Laws were passed in the 1970s and 1980s to keep loiterers out of airports. This killed the Moonie airport flower business. I think for a while they would set shop right outside the airport, but that doesnt seem to be the case anymore.
The church itself still exists.
Can you expand on this please?
One of the major suppliers of sushi restaurants in the US is a seafood company called True World Foods, which, depending on who you believe, is either owned by the Unification Church, or just Unification Church members.
I believe that The Washington Times is owned by Rev. Moon, isn’t it?
They recently divested themselves of ALN, formerly American Life Network, which runs classic TV shows. It’s now owned by the Schuller family of Crystal Cathedral fame. I felt really bad watching The Green Hornet.
Yes, they do own the Washington Times.
I am curious as to why Captain Amazing suggests that the Unification Church may be selling th Washington Times – presumably money issues, but I’d like to know more. Would he or another knowledgeable Doper care to expand?
The Washington Times has always been run at a loss by the Moonies, so it wasn’t money issues (though the paper is now in deep financial doo-doo as the Church has withdrawn its funds).
I don’t think anyone involved has said exactly why the Church is withdrawing, but there’s apparently some form of personal drama between the Rev Moon, his son who was involved in running the paper and the Times staff.
Wash Times has so many problems they got rid of their sports section .
They got rid of their metro section too, I believe.
FWIW, in the 90s they used to (and probably still do) own several big profitable seafood processing plants in Bayou La Batre, AL, and some real estate as well. Whatever else, I have no idea. I rented a house from one for several years. He was a great guy, a native New Yawker married to an Aussie he had never met until a mass wedding, they had like three kids and all seemed to love life. He used to cook me lasagna and cut my yard for free. Gave me a fold-out couch once.
They’re still very big in South Korea, I hear. So, I also heard, is Raelianism.
Not just sushi restaurants. In the Chicago area they are one of the three major seafood suppliers to restaurants. They sell fish to alot of restaurants, not just sushi joints. Chances are if you eat fresh seafood in a mid to higher end restaurant, you have had some of their product.
Have you read the Wikipedia article on them? It has a decent history and was easy to find by searching “Moonie”
Slight hijack – I’ve never heard the term “flower children” used to describe Moonies. To me, that term has always been a synonym for “hippies”, particularly in the early (pre-1968) era, when the movement was still relatively innocent. I’d find it a shame if it had come to mean people raising money for an international cult.
They also built a big presence in the seafood industry in Gloucester, Massachusetts. When they first started buying businesses there people were up in arms. I haven’t kept up with the details, though.