"More than a dozen lawmakers attended a congressional reception this year honoring the Rev. Sun Myung Moon in which Moon declared himself the Messiah and said his teachings have helped Hitler and Stalin be "reborn as new persons."

"At the March 23 ceremony in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) wore white gloves and carried a pillow holding an ornate crown that was placed on Moon's head. The Korean-born businessman and religious leader then delivered a long speech saying he was "sent to Earth . . . to save the world's six billion people. . . . Emperors, kings and presidents . . . have declared to all Heaven and Earth that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is none other than humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent."

[...]

"The event's organizers flew in nearly 100 honorees from all 50 states to receive state and national peace awards. The only "international crown of peace awards" went to Moon and his wife.

"Some Republicans who attended the event, including Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (Md.), said they did so mainly to salute the Washington Times, a conservative-leaning newspaper owned by Moon's organization. "I had no idea what would happen" regarding Moon's coronation and speech, Bartlett said yesterday.

[...]

"Moon has claimed to have spoken in "the spirit world" with all deceased U.S. presidents, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed and others. At the March 23 event, he said: "The founders of five great religions and many other leaders in the spirit world, including even Communist leaders such as Marx and Lenin . . . and dictators such as Hitler and Stalin, have found strength in my teachings, mended their ways and been reborn as new persons."

This event may sound so weird that to some people it would be seen as a joke. On some blogs, at first, people refused to believe it even happened. However, as a former member of Moon's Unification Church, I can assure you that Moon and his followers are taking this event very seriously. Although they are reluctant to admit this publicly, they believe that the "coronation" in the Dirksen building on March 23rd represents the acceptance by the American people of Moon as their King on a spiritual level. They also, of course, ultimately believe that everyone will end up believing in Moon. This might sound harmless but in fact, the cult ruthlessly exploits its own members financially, and there is simply no way a congressman or senator should be associated with this racket. If you want to learn more about what it was like for me to be a "Moonie" for more than a decade, please read my memoir, Heartbreak and Rage: Ten Years Under Sun Myung Moon, which is available through Amazon.com. A sample chapter of the book may be read by visiting my website, http://www.moonbook.com/index2.html