Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002, Page 65
Washington Times 20th Birthday Celebration
The Unification Church-owned Washington Times celebration of its 20th anniversary at the
Hilton Washington in late May was dominated by ―a self-aggrandizing lecture by Dr. Laura
Schlessinger and an hour-long sermon from the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.‖ Moon, speaking
before 3,000 guests, called on the media to accept a ―lofty command from Heaven and take
up the task of educating humankind, taking a stance beyond religion and ideology.‖
Washington Times Managing Editor Fran Coombs said that ―The Rev Moon is a religious
leader, and he speaks in religious terms,‖ but ―he has always respected our editorial
independence, and I have no reason to think that‘s going to change.‖ The Washington
Times, into which Moon has poured $1 billion over two decades, was not given much chance
to succeed. But it has confounded predictions and become a ―must read‖ for conservatives
in Washington, and many liberals have come to respect it for aggressive reporting and
provocative editorials.
Numerous elected and appointed government officials, both retired and currently serving,
attended the event, including former defense secretary Casper Weinberger. (Roxanne
Roberts, Washington Post, 5/22/02, Internet).
Moon-Married Priest is Father
A year after their arranged marriage by Unification Church leader Sun Myung Moon,
former Catholic priest George Stallings and his Japanese-born wife have a child. Said
Stallings: ―As the Roman Catholic church continues to struggle with celibacy in the
priesthood, my only regret in having come to this point in my life as a Catholic priest is that
I didn‘t come into this incredible life-giving and life-affirming experience sooner.‖
(Washington Post, Internet, 4/17/02)
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Review, 2002, Volume 1, Part
2, pages 190-240. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the bound
volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
Washington Times 20th Birthday Celebration
The Unification Church-owned Washington Times celebration of its 20th anniversary at the
Hilton Washington in late May was dominated by ―a self-aggrandizing lecture by Dr. Laura
Schlessinger and an hour-long sermon from the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.‖ Moon, speaking
before 3,000 guests, called on the media to accept a ―lofty command from Heaven and take
up the task of educating humankind, taking a stance beyond religion and ideology.‖
Washington Times Managing Editor Fran Coombs said that ―The Rev Moon is a religious
leader, and he speaks in religious terms,‖ but ―he has always respected our editorial
independence, and I have no reason to think that‘s going to change.‖ The Washington
Times, into which Moon has poured $1 billion over two decades, was not given much chance
to succeed. But it has confounded predictions and become a ―must read‖ for conservatives
in Washington, and many liberals have come to respect it for aggressive reporting and
provocative editorials.
Numerous elected and appointed government officials, both retired and currently serving,
attended the event, including former defense secretary Casper Weinberger. (Roxanne
Roberts, Washington Post, 5/22/02, Internet).
Moon-Married Priest is Father
A year after their arranged marriage by Unification Church leader Sun Myung Moon,
former Catholic priest George Stallings and his Japanese-born wife have a child. Said
Stallings: ―As the Roman Catholic church continues to struggle with celibacy in the
priesthood, my only regret in having come to this point in my life as a Catholic priest is that
I didn‘t come into this incredible life-giving and life-affirming experience sooner.‖
(Washington Post, Internet, 4/17/02)
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Review, 2002, Volume 1, Part
2, pages 190-240. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the bound
volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
