DID YOU EVER SEE MOONIES AND HARE KRISHNA SELLING FLOWERS AT AIRPORTS? If you are old enough, you might remember in the 70’s and 80’s seeing people selling flowers at airports as you walked through the terminals. They were most likely either Moonies or Hare Krishna followers! They were using their 1st amendment rights to free speech and religious freedom and tax exempt status of their churches and the airports legally tried to ban the practice but could not. The courts ruled that airports were “public domain” and that the groups could continue the practice. AI: “The Unification Church organized teams to work in airports, sometimes working 17-hour days to meet high quotas for selling flowers or candy. Members used high-pressure tactics, often putting flowers directly into the hands of travelers and asking for money, which generated significant complaints from the public.” Finally, in 1992 the Supreme Court ruled that airports were not public domain and that the airports could ban the practice, but that the groups could pass out their literature in airports but that declined soon after that.

WHAT IS THE HARE KRISHNA MOVEMENT: AI: “The Hare Krishna movement, formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is a monotheistic Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu organization founded in 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It focuses on devotion to Krishna, the Supreme God, through the daily, public chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. Devotees adhere to a strict lifestyle, including vegetarianism and the prohibition of intoxication, gambling, and illicit sex. Founded during the 1960s counterculture, the movement became known for its members’ public chanting, dancing, and distribution of literature in cities worldwide. Krishna is a major deity in Hinduism, worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu (one of the 3 main gods of Hinduism along with Brahma and Sciva) and often revered as the Supreme Being. Known for his compassion, love, and role in establishing righteousness (dharma), he is a central figure in the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, and Puranas. He is celebrated as a playful child, a divine lover, and a wise guide. He is ften depicted with blue/dark skin, playing a flute, or as a child stealing butter. The Kare Krishna movement is still active. It operates hundreds of temples and centers worldwide, with significant activity in India and among Indian diaspora, including Indian immigrants i nthe U.S.” Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, so no need to discuss this movement unless you are a Unitarian Universalist or a Bahaist and you think that someone can believed in any of he world religions.

GEORGE HARRISON AND HARE KRISHNA: George Harrison mentioned “Hare Krishna” in his 1970 solo hit song “My Sweet Lord“. The song features the Hare Krishna mantra in the chorus, as Harrison aimed to blend “hallelujah” with the mantra. “Mm, mm, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
Oh, oh my sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna)
Ooh, ooh, ooh (Hare Hare). “Hare” means “Hare” refers to the divine energy or potency of God, asking God’s energy and God (Krishna/Rama) to engage the chanter in loving devotional service, cleansing the heart and awakening spiritual consciousness,” In the song he also mentions Hare Rama (the 8th incarnation of Vishnu and Krishna is the 8th incarnation of Vishnu), Gurur Brahma (the creator god), Gurur Vishnu (the preserver god who had 9 incarnations including Rama and Krishna), and several other Hindu mantras. AI: “George Harrison became a devoted follower of both Hare Krishna and Hinduism, specifically practicing the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON). From the late 1960s, he adopted Hindu principles, including vegetarianism, meditation, and chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, remaining a committed practitioner until his death in 2001.In the final year of his life, it was reported that Harrison also expressed a deep interest in Christianity and the Gnostic gospels, often signing his letters with both a Hindu symbol and a Christian cross. Upon his death, his family followed his wishes, and he was cremated according to Hindu rituals, with his ashes scattered in the Ganges River in India.” He could have been such a great spokesman for Jesus if he had followed Jesus instead of the mythical gods and incarnations of Hinduism.  

WHO ARE THE MOONIES: AI: “”Moonies” is a widely used, often pejorative, nickname for members of the Unification Church (officially the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification), a new religious movement founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon. New members were often told to hand over all their possessions and money to the church. In his book The Divine Principle (1952), which is the basic scripture of the church, Moon wrote that at the age of 16 he had a vision of Jesus Christ in which he was told to carry out Christ’s unfinished task. Moon believed that God chose him to save mankind from Satanism, and he regarded communists as Satan’s representatives in the world. (Brittanica) The group is known for its messianic doctrines, mass wedding ceremonies, and intense, sometimes controversial, fundraising and recruitment efforts. North Korean founder Sun Myung Moon was considered the Messiah, with doctrine focusing on establishing a perfected family and, by extension, a “heaven on earth”. He was arrested in North Korea but fled to South Korea where he founded the Unification Church. In 1973 he and his wife moved the operation to New York where he founded The Washington Times. That year he was also convicted of tax evasion, sentenced to 18 months in prison, and fined $25,000 and he went to prison in 1984. (Brittanica) The group combines Christian, Confucian, and other traditional beliefs. Known for being labelled as a cult, the group has faced accusations of “brainwashing” members into donating large sums of money in the 1970s and 80s. The group came under severe scrutiny in Japan following the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the suspect claimed his mother was bankrupted by the church. The church is well-known for organizing large-scale, international mass weddings where couples were often matched by Moon himself. On November 29, 1997, the Unification Church, often referred to as “Moonies,” held a massive “Blessing ceremony” at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., where approximately 30,000 couples (including thousands present and others via satellite) pledged or repledged their marriage vows. Approximately 28,000 of 30,000 total couples were reportedly present for the ceremony.” I watched a video of such a mass wedding ceremony and many couples had just met their mates a few days before the ceremony. One bride didn’t remember her new husband’s name after the ceremony. When Moon died in 2012, his wife took over leadership of the church, referring to herself as “God’s Only Begotten Daughter”. AI: “Her leadership led to a severe power struggle with her children, particularly her son Hyung-jin “Sean” Moon, who broke away to form a splinter group in Pennsylvania known for using AR-15 rifles in services.” AI: “His church that held a ceremony where members brought and held AR-15 rifles is the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary (often known simply as Sanctuary Church) in Newfoundland, Pennsylvania. Led by Reverend Hyung Jin “Sean” Moon (the son of the late Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church), the ceremony took place on February 28, 2018, and involved worshippers wearing crowns—some made of bullets—and holding their AR-15 rifles during a marriage blessing ceremony.”She was arrested in September 2025 on charges of corruption, embezzlement, and bribery in South Korea. She was indicted and as of late 2025 she is awaiting trial.”

WHO WOULD JOIN CULTS LIKE THE MOONIES? My question is, “How could so many people become followers of some self proclaimed Messiah like Sun Myung Moon and even turn over their bank accounts to his church? I saw this in AI and it made sense: “Followers of Sun Myung Moon, often referred to as Unificationists or “Moonies,” typically share a desire for profound spiritual meaning, community, and a sense of purpose in fixing a troubled world. They are often characterized as idealists looking for answers, who are drawn to the Unification Church’s blend of Eastern philosophy, Christian theology, and promises of a “sinless” world. Followers often feel a deep sense of human suffering and are searching for a way to create a more loving and just world. Followers place a, central emphasis on traditional family, participating in mass weddings aimed at creating a new, sinless lineage.” Those are noble goals, actually. It is just a shame that they have chosen Sun Myung Moon as their Messiah instead of Jesus. Following Jesus can provide what they are looking for. The church that Jesus died for can provide the community that they are looking for. Following Jesus can provide spiritual meaning and purpose in life. More importantly, only Jesus can provide eternal ife. Moon might even have created many committed marriages and families, but he could not provide eternal ife. There is little evidence of any Moonies converting to Christianity. Such is the power of brainwashing. I did read of a lady who was seaerching for life’s answers. She had not found the answers in any of the organized religions, even Christianity. She attended a Moonies’ meeting and started getting pressure from the group to join the Moonies and turn her bank accounts over to the church. They hounded her to join and told her that the destiiny of her soul and of the souls of her ancestors depended on her joining. She did join for 6 months, but fortunately, she had some Christian friends who invited her to a Christian fellowship where she accepted Jesus as her Savior. She wrote aa book Why I Left the Moonies Paperback: How One Former Member of The Unification Church Found Freedom in Christ by Beth Axton which would be great reading. The article was found on https://www.womanalive.co.uk/ so you might want to check that site out for many other great articles helping women.

A lot of research into cults like this from AI to share with you. I wish I new the actual articles where the AI info was taken from so I could give credit and do further reading. I saw suggestions on how to do that. Usually when I google AI there will be many sites on the topics that can be used to verify the info from AI, and I do that a lot.

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