Ex-Cult Member Explains How He Escaped the Moonies

When Steven Hassan was 19 years old, he was recruited by the Unification Church, an infamous cult know for its mass marriage ceremonies. He spent two and a half years with the group, working to bring in new members, raise money, and preach the teachings of its controversial founder, Sun Myung Moon—until a near-fatal car accident helped him realize he’d been brainwashed, and led him to flee the cult. After the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary—an offshoot of the Unification Church—nabbed international headlines for holding a blessing ceremony complete with AR-15s and bullet crowns earlier this year, we met up with Hassan to hear more about his time as a “Moonie,” find out how he escaped, and learn why he’s since dedicated his life to becoming an expert on cults.

[VICE]

In February 2018, a small church in Pennsylvania gained international attention when they held a blessing ceremony with AR-15's just two weeks after the Parkland School shooting triggered mass gun reform debates across the US.

[itskookiekook.]

My parents were moonies and I was born into this cult. The reason my mom left was because you are made to have an arranged marriage at 18 years old and my eldest brother pleaded to her that "[He] wants to marry someone he loves and wasn't ready." Snapped her right out of it. Thankfully she is a good mother who actually listened to her kids.

[Jonwikk]

This guy said, you look at people who have been in cult's and you call them weak and stupid but you don't realize the cult is powerful and misleading.

[albtz]

When people are too nice to you, you know something is wrong.

[MsAkbar]

True story, i was in a cult, everything Steve Hassan is accurate, the cult i was into is MULTI LEVEL MARKETING.

[jakfearon]

I was born and raised in a Jehovah's Witness family, and got out when I was about 17. Most of my extended family is still in it, and it's heart breaking to know how they treat the ones who leave. Having been the first one to to leave way back when, I'm of course the devil incarnate (hah!) but because of that I'm also typically the first point of contact for the family members who do escape.

There are a lot of people out there who say, "Oh, Jehovah's Witnesses are the nicest people! They're not a cult." It may appear from the outside to be loving and kind, but of course they project that to the world. The truth is, sadly, that they are indeed a very destructive cult.

[morgantaylor]

My parents met in the moonies. It’s crazy to me that I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for a man that “matched” my parents together in a room full of people

[Asa...S]

People should learn about cults in school, so they would recognize their methods and how they operate, so they will have that in the back of their minds.

[Dead_Last]

He looks past middle aged but speaks like he's in his early 20's. We all need his mindset.

[christanom]

I joined a cult thinking it was just an ordinary church. One of the things we all had in common as congregants is that we were all new to Christianity. Within 6 months I went from doing very well as an engineering student to failing all of my modules. I was constantly paranoid and hallucinating so eventually I dropped out of university because I believed that the only person who could help me was this pastor and I was told if I left I would die.. It took me 2 years to escape, and even up to today im still being threatened and harassed. The most difficult part was starting my life from scratch, going back to finish my degree and trying explain to people what had happened. I don't wish it on anyone to be lured into a cult

[shellybee]

I was raised in a cult that my grandmother brought the family into.
When you are in it they emphasize how you are special because you know/experience a truth/life that the average person doesn’t.

[DesVoador]

I don't understand why these are so short. It's not really beneficial for the subject matter, and doesn't YouTube reward longer videos?
Please make these longer :(

[MrValarMorgoth]

My parents were wed on one of moonies mass weddings. Thank god they left it.. they are still happily married thanks to God. My aunt got it worse.. she still fanatically believe in their teachings. She's beyond saving I am afraid.

[sweetapple]

I was born from this cult myself. It’s really nice to see more former members speak up about it finally.

[JLynnEchelon]

Honestly, if you come to Korea and people come up to you and want to have a conversation, run the other way immediately. There are SO MANY here. I would have actually loved to hear more from Steve about the Moonies specifically rather than cults generally.

[danabaker]

I don’t think there is a benign cult. A cult is a cult. I like his honesty about being ashamed and how he was entrapped.

[fluidchant]

I love Steven's explanation of a benign cult and how precisely he lists the techniques used by cults for recruitment!

[Bentot]

This is so true. I was a member of this cult before. They will ask you to recruit, sell any items that can gain lots of profits, fund raising (or begging for money (LOL) . Our food are mostly from donations. We usually ask for food/produce left overs at different wet markets.

[noheapai]

My brother was a Moonie. One day he called and said he was leaving and I wouldnt see him for a long time. My parents tried to find him and stop him but he refused to come home. He was young just graduated from high school like this man.... we didn’t see him for 7 years.... finally he came home to talk about his this huge wedding he’s going to take part in.... we noticed then that he seemed brainwashed. A few years later he left the cult and moved back home. He’s now living a “normal” life.... I was young and didn’t really understand the whole idea of a cult so to watch this and other videos is sad to see what my brother had to go through.

[BadEconomyOfficial]

I remember being in a couple of Bible groups that were cults in disguised, one leader tried to destroy my personal life by forcing relationships and other weird stuff on me, when he asked me if I would be coming back to the group. I told him, “ What you mean that cult you started?” he just looked at me speechless then he said, I don’t think it’s a cult.” I simply replied, “It sure seemed like a cult to me!” He had no words to say.