The Sanctuary Church, a sect formed out of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church, has recently purchased a 40-acre compound in central Texas. Started by one of Rev. Moon’s kids, Pastor Hyung Jin “Sean” Moon, the church also goes by the name Rod of Iron Ministries. This is because under Pastor Moon, the gimmick is that a verse in the book of Revelations 2:27, “that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’ –just as I have received authority from my Father,” is a reference to the AR-15 rifle. This iron scepter is … a gun. The Pennsylvania-based cult has literally blessed parishioners’ firearms as part of their religion.

While the Unification Church has distanced themselves from the runaway sect, according to Vice, Pastor Moon’s firearm-miserable organization, which began in 2017, has enough resources to begin a process of creating what they are calling a sanctuary for “patriots.” What do these “patriots” need sanctuary from? The deep state silly-head. Duh. Calling the site Liberty Rock, the church’s plans for this land are to be a “home to over 100 sites that will serve our community and Patriots from Texas and around the country.” This group has hosted events where MAGA luminaries like Steve Bannon and Pennsylvania election fraud charlatan state Sen. Doug Mastriano have given speeches.

Moon’s other son, Kook-jin “Justin” Moon, also happens to be the CEO of a gun manufacturing company in the same area that Moon’s congregation started its gun cult. In modern business we call this “synergy.” Vice reports that The Sanctuary Church has been buying up lots of property, while also adding incorporating in both Delaware and Florida and their support of Trump and everything MAGA has been increasing in virulence—in step with the MAGA movement in general.

Here’s is Hyung Jin Sean Moon with his dad’s fashion.

The fact that the ministry’s new compound is located about 40 miles from Waco, Texas, is not lost on anyone. A side note: All rifles and guns that appear in Moon’s church have orange zip ties that function as a secondary safety precaution, because while the Bible might tell you to carry around an AR-15 rifle, that doesn’t mean God will protect you from accidentally shooting your gun. Here’re some of the kinds of things Moon tells his flock of gun fetishists:

“The Democratic Party has become the Communist Party funded by Nazi collaborator George Soros.”
“Jesus never centralized power. Jesus never created government. The worst killer in all of humanity the last one hundred years is centralized government.”

Here he is with his bullet crown.

And why did Sean Moon separate from Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church? Well, it may have to do with the fact that his mother, Hak Ja Han, says that the Rev. Moon wanted her to take over, while Sean Moon says he was supposed to be the new leader. Sean Moon told reporters: “She was taking the position of what’s described in the Bible as the ‘Harlot of Babylon’ position. That doesn’t mean I see her as a prostitute.” Except, it sort of does, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately for the Moons, when the Rev. Sun Myung Moon died at the age of 92 in 2012, like most scam artist narcissistic cult leaders, he didn’t make obvious plans for succession. It’s one of the problems with believing the world revolves around you.

Like kids who grew up with bizarre levels of privilege, Pastor Moon has half-baked concepts of how the world works, and it ties directly into his Second Amendment beliefs and the gimmick surrounding the church, telling a Vice reporter in 2018: “Were every woman in America to exercise their right to bear arms, America would basically eliminate its crime rate. Nobody would be able to rape them or rob them.” That’s something you say when you don’t know a lot of stuff besides how to sell snake oil. It’s the equivalent of telling your teacher that the book “Old Yeller” is about an old dog that yells a lot. (It is partly about an old dog …)

Praise Jesus?

In October of 2020, just weeks before election day, Pastor Moon held a rally in Greeley, Pennsylvania. Called the Rod of Iron Freedom Festival, The Trace reported that the event just promoted conspiracy theories about election fraud. It was everything from fake stolen ballot claims to outright statements that the media and the courts were in on declaring Trump a loser before the votes were counted. To top it all off, the event reportedly violated Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 prohibition against large gatherings. But considering that MAGA folks and cult leaders don’t believe in the United States of America’s Constitution outside of a belief that they get to do whatever they want, it’s not surprising.

Probably the least surprising but no less distressing aspect of Pastor Moon’s church, like most cults, is the abhorrence of mental health treatments. Considering the manic anxiety and paranoia promoted by the organization coupled with the extreme use of weaponry as some kind of soothing agent, this seems to be a recipe for tragedy.

He was arrested last month after he allegedly repeatedly rammed his car into a New York Department of Transport vehicle in Westchester, New York, smashed its window, and attacked officers who arrived at the scene, screaming, “I’m Jesus Christ! You are going to die today! Are you ready to die?” according to federal charging documents.  When police searched his vehicle, they discovered a shell casing and a notebook. Inside the notebook, there was a page titled “List-To Kill” that consisted of names of current and former public officials and other public figures, according to prosecutors. (Skulstad has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer did not respond to VICE News’ request for comment.)

What this means in the coming months or years remains to be seen. Having a sanctuary for people who like guns and mixing their religion with their gun love is not against the law. Having a sanctuary for people who may find themselves breaking the law is another thing. Having an eschatologist telling you that you need a gun because the end of times is imminent never turns out well.