Salon Takes on Rev. Moon / Bush Ties

[QC]

I've been waiting for years for someone in the media to take this on. When I was growing up in an evangelical family in the 70's, the religious and mainstream press were full of horror stories about the Moonies--Reader's Digest seemed to have one every month--but during the Reagan years all that suddenly vanished.

Salon gives a very informative look at how Moon transformed himself from a criminal and cult leader to a Republican sugardaddy.

The article also includes some fascinating details about Moon's sexual teachings:

when sexual consummation does happen, it must adhere to very specific instructions. First, a photograph of Moon must be nearby, so that everything occurs under the reverend's watchful eye. After two nights of woman-on-top sex, the couple reverse positions, whereupon the man, according to Moon, restores dominion over Eve, via the proper missionary position. Then, according to the instructions attributed to the U.C.'s American Blessed Family Department, "after the act of love, both spouses should wipe their sexual areas with the Holy Handkerchief" --referring to the church-supplied washcloth -- which must "be kept individually labeled and should never be laundered or mixed up."

This article is a must read--well worth clicking through a few ads.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/09/24/moon/index.html

[Sliverofhope]

1. Never an end to the number

of crazy rich Republican sugardaddies. Creepy as heck.

[Oracle]

7. This is a rich world full of riches...

are we just jealous because we fear we might not be in on some of those riches?

Or do we care that as liberal Americans, who love our country, truly know the rape, one sidedness and greedy money hungry republicans as evil drones?

Moon and the Washington Times just keep perpetuating the bullshit...that we (as democratic liberal progressives) have to clean up after...so they can smear, distort, lie and do it all over again (theY will say again and again, Demoratics just want to rasie taxes...yes, on the rich, who take their jobs and tax money elsewhere)...they robbed and bankrupted our treasury and they will do it again and again...when they get in power and steal our elections, after a democrat fizes things, they come in and steal fron us.

And they will convince all the robots (with the corporate media's help) that it's the will of the American people, we voted for these fucks.

On and on it will go, as it has been.

[Nottingham]

2. This is so Paganistic!

Oh how Bizarre!

[Starpass]

3. I've been hoping for this also

The right wing Christian born agains will flip out. I can remember a friend who was sucked into these fundies from mainstream religion and their big, big, big thing was preaching about the horrors of cults with Moon as one of the big Satans. (of course, they were not a cult, themselves, you know)......anyway, this is the type of thing that would send them into hysterics if they knew the repukes were so in bed with "the cult"........and the intructions for sex would really flip them out, to boot!!!!!!!!!

[DrBB]

4. What is it with conservatives and sex?

I mean, I'm all in favor of fetishes and kinks--I worship at a few bizarre altars myself--but this stuff is designed to take the fun OUT of sex. What, I keep asking, are they so AFRAID of?

This comes in handy a lot of the time.
I can leave it home, when I think it's gonna get me in trouble,
or I can rent it out, when I don't need it.
But now and then I go to a party, get drunk,
and the next morning I can't for the life of me
remember what I did with it.
First I looked around my apartment, and I couldn't find it.
So I called up the place where the party was,
they hadn't seen it either.
I asked them to check the medicine cabinet
'cause for some reason I leave it there sometimes
But not this time.
So I told them if it pops up to let me know.
I called a few people who were at the party,
but they were no help either.
I was starting to get desperate.
I really don't like being without my penis for too long.
It makes me feel like less of a man,
and I really hate having to sit down every time I take a leak.
After a few hours of searching the house,
and calling everyone I could think of,
I was starting to get very depressed,
so I went to the Kiev, and ate breakfast.
Then, as I walked down Second Avenue towards St. Mark's Place,
where all those people sell used books and other junk on the street,
I saw my penis lying on a blanket
next to a broken toaster oven.
Some guy was selling it.
I had to buy it off him.
He wanted twenty-two bucks, but I talked him down to seventeen.
I took it home, washed it off,
and put it back on. I was happy again. Complete.
People sometimes tell me I should get it permanently attached,
but I don't know.
Even though sometimes it's a pain in the ass,
I like having a detachable penis.

--King Missile, Detachable Penis

[SharonAnn]

5. Thanks, good article and as far as conservatives and sex,

I haven't really figured that out either. What is the connection? We know there is one, it's obvious. But what causes it?

The religious fundamentalists all have a thing about sex. Good example is Catholics. Catholics won't let women in the leadership, they won't let men in the leadership have sex with women or men (supposedly). They're all hung up about birth control and abortion. They're just literally obsessed with sex, and I should know. I was raised Catholic and except for a few courses at UCLA and Antioch I have only attended Catholic schools and universities (through MBA). As the religious writer Gary Wills says, they need to get over their "pelvic issues".

The one clear thing is that women are always somehow demeaned, treated as less important, and made subject to decision of men. Lots of theories exist about all this but I really don't know of any one except that men are afraid of women.

[DrBB]

9. Actually, there's a good theoretical answer

"Authoritarian institutions always seek to control and minimize the sources of ecstasy {ekstasis} in a culture." *

Authoritarian churches and dictators alike--same story, across history. Sex being one of the principle sources of ekstasis--the condition of being out of oneself--that is available to everyone. "We control this," they say, using guilt and taboo and physical coercion where necessary, "you must get permission for this from us." Remember Orwell's "Junior Anti-Sex League"?

An elementary structure of power.

*Trying to remember the source for that quote. New Historicist Lit Crit I think, but it's lost in the mists of grad-student time. The insight's valid in any case.

[janekat]

6. There's also a big ties between the Pubs and Scientologists....

especially in Florida. Some of them go to "meetings" and get LOTS of money from them...

[Democat]

8. Maybe Salon will get back to investigating politicians

I know they, like the rest of the media, mostly gave up digging dirt on presidents since Clinton left office, but it would be nice to see them start again.

It's not like there isn't plenty to dig up on Bush.

[UTUSN]

10. Kick n/t

[blm]

11. Several of us have been sending Moon material to every news outlet

Atrios has been helping us for months now with his Moonie Mondays. He is widely read by lefty journalists, so I'm sure he had an impact.

Kudos to mw and Dave who persevered with the Moon Primer.

This is a GOOD day, folks. Bush and the GOP's Achilles tendon is being exposed.