Unification Church

=== Judaism ===

Unificationism holds that the Jewish people as a whole were prepared by God to receive the Messiah in the person of [[Jesus|Jesus of Nazareth]], with [[John the Baptist]] tasked from birth with the mission to lead the Jewish people to Jesus, but failed in his mission. According to the ''[[Divine Principle]]'', the Jews went through a "course of indemnity" due to the failure of John the Baptist to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, in spite of publicly testifying to him at the Jordan River, whilst receiving the baptism.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Exposition of the Divine Principle |publisher=Sung Hwa Publishing Co., LTD |year=2005 |isbn=897132127X |edition=2nd |pages=266–270}}</ref>

In 1976, the [[American Jewish Committee]] released a report by Rabbi A. James Rudin which stated that the ''Divine Principle'' contained "pejorative language, [[Stereotypes of Jews|stereotyped]] imagery, and accusations of [[collective guilt|collective sin and guilt]]."<ref name="Rudin">Rudin, A. James, 1978 [http://ajcarchives.org/AJC_DATA/Files/7A46.PDF A View of the Unification Church], [[American Jewish Committee]] Archives</ref> In a news conference which was presented by the AJC and representatives of Catholic and Protestant churches, panelists stated that the text "contained over 125 [[Anti-Judaism|anti-Jewish]] references." They also cited Moon's recent and public condemnation of "[[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] and anti-Christian attitudes", and called upon him to make a "comprehensive and systematic removal" of antisemitic and anti-Christian references in the ''Divine Principle'' as a demonstration of good faith.<ref name="ajcarchives.org">[http://www.ajcarchives.org/ajc_data/files/7a37.pdf Sun Myung Moon Is Criticized by Religious Leaders; Jewish Patrons Enraged], David F. White, ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 29, 1976</ref>

In 1977, the HSA-UWC issued a rebuttal to the report, stating that it was neither comprehensive nor reconciliatory, instead, it had a "hateful tone" and it was filled with "sweeping denunciations". It denied that the ''Divine Principle'' teaches antisemitism and gave detailed responses to 17 specific allegations which were contained in the AJC's report, stating that the allegations were distortions of teachings and obscurations of the real content of passages or the passages were accurate summaries of Jewish scriptures or New Testament passages.<ref name="Response to A. James Rudin's Report">[http://www.ajcarchives.org/AJC_DATA/Files/7A44.PDF Response to A. James Rudin's Report], Unification Church Department of Public Affairs, Daniel C. Holdgeiwe, Johnny Sonneborn, March 1977.</ref>

In 1984, [[Mose Durst]], then the president of the [[Unification Church of the United States]] as well as a convert from [[Judaism]],<ref name="Time Magazine">{{cite news | title =Religion: Sun Myung Moon's Goodwill Blitz | work =[[Time Magazine]] | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966889,00.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080907024311/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966889,00.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 7, 2008 | date =April 22, 1985 }}</ref> said that the Jewish community had been "hateful" in its response to the growth of the Unification movement, and he also placed blame on the community's "insecurity" and Unification Church members' "youthful zeal and ignorance". Rudin, then the national interreligious affairs director of the American Jewish Committee, said that Durst's remarks were inaccurate and unfair and he also said that "hateful is a harsh word to use".<ref name="ReferenceB">"Unification Church seen as persecuted", ''[[The Milwaukee Sentinel]]'', September 15, 1984, p. 4</ref> In the same year Durst wrote in his [[autobiography]]: "Our relations with the Jewish community have been the most painful to me personally. I say this with a heavy heart, since I was raised in the Jewish faith and am proud of my heritage."<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/library/unification/books/tbns/TBNS-09.htm To Bigotry, No Sanction], Mose Durst, 1984</ref>

In 1989, Unification Church leaders Peter Ross and [[Andrew Wilson (academic)|Andrew Wilson]] issued "Guidelines for Members of The Unification Church in Relations with the Jewish People" which stated: "In the past there have been serious misunderstandings between [[Judaism]] and the Unification Church. In order to clarify these difficulties and guide Unification Church members in their relations with Jews, the Unification Church suggests the following guidelines."<ref name="tparents.org">[http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Publications/Other-Pub/Uc-jewsh.htm Guidelines for Members of The Unification Church in Relations with the Jewish People], Peter Ross and Andrew Wilson, March 15, 1989.</ref> In 2008, the ''[[Encyclopaedia Judaica]]'' described the statements and guidelines arising from mutual contacts as "excellent".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jewish-Christian Relations, Encyclopedia Judaica |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-christian-relations-encyclopedia-judaica |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730041347/https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-christian-relations-encyclopedia-judaica |archive-date=2022-07-30 |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org}}</ref>