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The relationship between the Unification Church and Judaism has been marked by some controversy. The ''Divine Principle''–the main textbook of Unification Church beliefs–has been accused of containing antisemitic references. Statements by Unification Church founder and leader Sun Myung Moon that Jewish victims of the Holocaust were paying indemnity for the crucifixion of Jesus have also been described as antisemitic. Unification Church leaders, including Mose Durst and Andrew Wilson, have disputed this and have urged better relations between church members and members of the Jewish community. ==History== The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in 1954. The ''Divine Principle'', written by Moon and other church members and first published in 1966, is the main textbook of Unification Church beliefs. Moon considered the ''Divine Principle'' to be the "Completed Testament" which followed the Old Testament and the New Testament.〔(The Moonie Family ), Leo Sandon Jr., 1978, ''Worldview Magazine'', published by the Carnegie Council〕 Its teachings are based on the Bible, but include new interpretations not found in Jewish and Christian tradition.〔Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains, By U. S. Department of the Army, Published by The Minerva Group, Inc., 2001, ISBN 0-89875-607-3, ISBN 978-0-89875-607-4, page 1–42. (Google books listing )〕 In 1975 Moon founded the Unification Theological Seminary in Barrytown, New York partly in order to promote better relationships between the Unification Church and other religions, including Judaism.〔Yamamoto, J. I., 1995, ''Unification Church'', Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House ISBN 0-310-70381-6 ((Excerpt )〕 A rabbi was hired to teach the Old Testament, along with other professors from various Christian denominations.〔(Dialogue with the Moonies ) Rodney Sawatsky, ''Theology Today'', April 1978. "Only a minority of their teachers are Unification devotees; a Jew teaches Old Testament, a Christian instructs in church history and a Presbyterian lectures in theology, and so on. Typical sectarian fears of the outsider are not found among Moonies; truth is one or at least must become one, and understanding can be delivered even by the uninitiated."〕〔(Where have all the Moonies gone? ) K. Gordon Neufeld, ''First Things'', March 2008, "While I was studying theology, church history, and the Bible—taught by an eclectic faculty that included a rabbi, a Jesuit priest, and a Methodist minister—most of my young coreligionists were standing on street corners in San Francisco, Boston, and Miami urging strangers to attend a vaguely described dinner."〕〔Helm, S. (Divine Principle and the Second Advent ) ''Christian Century'' May 11, 1977 "In fact Moon’s adherents differ from previous fringe groups in their quite early and expensive pursuit of respectability, as evidenced by the scientific conventions they have sponsored in England and the U.S. and the seminary they have established in Barrytown, New York, whose faculty is composed not of their own group members but rather of respected Christian scholars."〕 In 1976 the American Jewish Committee released a report by Rabbi A. James Rudin which stated that ''Divine Principle'' contained "pejorative language, stereotyped imagery, and accusations of collective sin and guilt."〔Rudin, A. James, 1978 (A View of the Unification Church ), American Jewish Committee Archives〕 In a news conference presented by the AJC and representatives of Catholic and Protestant churches, panelists stated that the text "contained over 125 anti-Jewish references." They noted Moon's public then-recent condemnation of "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.〔''(Sun Myung Moon Is Criticized by Religious Leaders; Jewish Patrons Enraged ), David F. White, New York Times, December 29, 1976〕 In 1977 the Unification Church issued a rebuttal to the report, stating that it was neither comprehensive nor reconciliatory, but rather had a "hateful tone" and was filled with "sweeping denunciations." It denied that the ''Divine Principle'' teaches antisemitism and gave detailed responses to 17 specific allegations contained in the AJC's report, stating that allegations were distortions of teaching and obscuration of real passage content or that the passages were accurate summaries of Jewish scripture or New Testament passages.〔(Response to A. James Rudin's Report ), Unification Church Department of Public Affairs, Daniel C. Holdgeiwe, Johnny Sonneborn, March 1977.〕 In 1984 Mose Durst, then the president of the Unification Church of the United States and himself a convert from Judaism, said that the Jewish community had been "hateful" in its response to the growth of the Unification Church, and placed blame both on the community's "insecurity" and on 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 that "hateful is a harsh word to use."〔"Unification Church seen as persecuted", ''The Milwaukee Sentinel'', September 15, 1984, page 4〕 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."〔(To Bigotry, No Sanction ), Mose Durst, 1984〕 In 1989 Unification Church leaders Peter Ross and 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."〔(Guidelines for Members of The Unification Church in Relations with the Jewish People ), Peter Ross and Andrew Wilson, March 15, 1989.〕 Moon made some controversial statements about the Holocaust, that its victims were paying indemnity for the crucifixion of Jesus.〔Reports include: 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Unification Church and Judaism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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