Moonies drop court action

Press, 31 May 1982, Page 9

Moonies drop court action

NZPA New York A Federal Appeals Court has allowed a member of the Unification Church to drop a suit in which the Reverend Sun Myung Moon told the Court that he had met and talked with Jesus, Buddha, and Moses.

The Appeals Court made one condition — that the Church and the man who filed the suit, Anthony Colombrito, never again sue the deprogrammer, Galen Kelly. Mr Colombrito alleged that Mr Kelly, who specialises in retrieving people from religious cults they have joined, kidnapped him in November, 1979, and held him captive for 14 hours. Mr Moon was appearing as

a reluctant witness for the defence. Mr Colombrito said he wanted to drop the suit to spare Mr Moon from having to give evidence. But the defence objected, saying the Church was filing — and then dropping — such suits to harass its opponents. The defence, trying to show Mr Moon’s church was a sham operated to enrich Mr Moon and bis aides, questioned the 62-year-old Korean evangelist about his faith.

After Judge Richard Owen directed him to answer, Mr Moon replied: “I didn’t say I was the real Messiah, but that I have the possibility of becoming the true Messiah.”