Finding that perfect person with whom to spend the rest of your life is no small feat and the path to "I do" is hardly a stroll in the park. Maybe he picks his teeth with a penknife or maybe she snores so loudly you'd rather be dating a walrus. If you're having a rough time finding Mr. or Mrs. Right, then perhaps mass marriages could be your salvation.
Enter Reverend Sun Myung Moon. This Korean-born religious leader founded the Unification Church in 1954, claiming to have the divine power to put together perfect matches for members of his congregation based on criteria that is known only to him. Once a duo has been paired off, Moon marries them by bestowing "The Blessing," which is intended as an affirmation of commitment, family values, and a step towards world peace. Moon's followers, called Moonies by some, are drawn into the church by the reverend's claims of being the second coming of Christ. And since they believe him to have divine intuition, they accept his tactics and willingly wed.
The marriages are traditionally composed, and the couples united, on a one-by-one basis. In 1997, however, Moon conducted his first truly mass marriage in Washington, DC. In a single day, he brought roughly 2,500 members together in holy matrimony. But there is a catch: Moon is not qualified to marry people, so the nuptials he performs are only for symbolic purposes and everyone married by the reverend must be legally married after the fact.
Some people decry the Unification Church's unusual practices. Craig Maxim is a former member who was taught the ways of the Unification Church from the age of 12 and gradually obtained access into Moon's inner circle. It was not until 1993, 15 years after his admittance into the group, that Maxim decided to leave. Now a vocal critic of Moon and his religion, Maxim warns people of the dangers of joining the group. He describes the mass marriages as simply a form of mind control by Moon to keep his members from leaving the group.
