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LaHaye's coalition is particularly upset about Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of church finances, government hostility toward church-run schools, and social security taxation. The plight of Sileven's church in Louisville, Nebraska, has become a focal point for them. In that case, Sileven and several parents of students at his church-run school were jailed for refusing to hire only state-certified teachers.

A newspaper distributed to participants at the "Pageant for Religious Freedom" listed these grievances, but failed to mention that Congress has approved a new law that tightly restricts audits of churches. Congress also has passed a measure that allows churches to opt out of paying social security taxes for their employees.

Inside Washington's Constitution Hall, the pageant linked Sileven and Moon with victims of persecution from America's past, including slaves during pre-Civil War days and Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon). Flanked by replicas of the Liberty Bell and Statue of Liberty, a 50-voice choir sang hymns and patriotic songs.

A narrator introduced actors portraying heroes of American religious history. At the end, a melodramatic enactment of Moon's trial and sentencing drew a chorus of boos and hisses for his prosecutor and sustained cheers for Moon.

Following the performance, LaHaye spoke to the audience. "If we have the same percentage of religious freedom attacks in the next 15 years as we have had in the past 15 years, we'll no longer have religious freedom in America," he said. LaHaye did not mention Moon by name.

The evening's dramatic climax came when Moon's daughter, In Jin Moon, choked back tears as she spoke of her father. "I have almost never seen my father sleep. He is always up working and praying. I have never seen anyone so dedicated to America's dream and to God." She read a statement prepared by Moon for the gathering. It referred to America as God's final hope, "his precious jewel which he prepared for the final battle against atheistic communism in the last days."

Moon's statement emphasized the need for churches to unite—a central theme of Unification teaching. "Here in prison God can use me to awaken America more powerfully than ever before. America's religious communities must be united to preserve religious freedom."

Garratt says members of the Unification Church in Washington number between 300 and 500, and many of them took part in the rally. A Moonie from New York estimates that 100 adherents traveled from that area. Most were soft-spoken, young, and earnest. They hovered near reporters and anticult protesters, interrupting conversations about Moon with spirited defenses of their cause.

Chris Nauser, a 36-year-old Moonie from Switzerland, viewed the rally as "just one part of the whole development of an awakening" that will sweep the world. He shares the belief of most of Moon's followers that Moon himself is the Messiah. The Unification Church teaches that Jesus Christ failed in his redemptive mission and, before his death, lied about his coming resurrection. Moonies teach that mankind is in need of physical redemption, which will come by the marriage of an ideal man and woman. The man is to be from Korea—Moon himself.

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August (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45