Dan Fefferman
Encyclopedia
Daniel G. Fefferman is a prominent member of the Unification Church of the United States
, a branch of the international Unification Church
, founded by Sun Myung Moon
in South Korea
in 1954.
Fefferman has held several leadership positions in church related organizations. In the 1970s he was a leader of the National Prayer and Fast Committee, Project Watergate, and the Freedom Leadership Foundation, which were involved in political activism. In 1977 he testified before the Fraser Committee.
Fefferman was leader of the Unification Church in Illinois
, regional director for the Unification Church for the Midwestern United States
, the headquarters director of Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP), and editor of the national journal of the Unification Church.
Since 1984 he has been the executive director of the Unification Church affiliated International Coalition for Religious Freedom, which was founded in the 1980s and has been active in protesting what it considers to be threats to religious freedom by governmental agencies.
in 1968. After that he obtained degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and from the Unification Theological Seminary
. Fefferman is married with two daughters, and lives in Washington, D.C.
with his family.
to support Richard Nixon
during the Watergate scandal
. He was the head of the Unification Church's mission to "bring new life to the archangel, Nixon – hence to make him aware of our significance", a program known as Project Watergate. According to one report Moon had chosen Fefferman (who is Jewish) to become the Prime Minister of Israel
at some future time. Fefferman was an official with the Freedom Leadership Foundation, which was also founded by Moon. and deemed a "political arm" of the Unification Church. According to testimony provided by Fefferman to the United States Congress
, at a scheduled September 1974 rally by the Freedom Leadership Foundation against the government of Japan
, members debated cutting off their fingers as a form of raising dramatic effect, but instead decided on egg throwing. The rally was canceled prior to being carried out.
Fefferman testified in August 1977 before the Fraser Committee, a subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives
which investigated possible ties between Sun Myung Moon and the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency
(KCIA). Testimony from Fefferman confirmed that he had social ties to officials within the South Korea
n embassy. Fefferman testified that he had arranged a meeting in 1975 between Republican
aide Edwin Feulner
of the Heritage Foundation
and South Korean Minister Kim Yung Hwan, to potentially put together a group of congressional aides who would travel to South Korea. Hwan was then-station chief for the KCIA. During his testimony, Fefferman refused to answer nine questions from the subcommittee, saying that they violated his constitutional rights to freedom of religion and association. The subcommittee recommended that Fefferman be cited for contempt of Congress
. Fefferman, speaking to the The Michigan Daily in 1980, said the subcommittee's recommendations were never taken up, and no charges were pressed.
, as well as regional church director for the Midwestern United States
. In 1982, he was headquarters director and national president of Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP), a collegiate organization founded by Moon and church members in 1955. It was described by The Washington Post
as "the youth organization of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church", and by the ICSA
as "the UC's youth arm". Fefferman was the editor of the national journal of the Unification Church in 1989, and served as chief editor of the first edition of Divine Principle
in English, as well as other church publications.
, which is active in protesting what it considers to be threats to religious freedom by governmental agencies. In 1999 the International Coalition for Religious Freedom filed a lawsuit in United States District Court
in Baltimore
, Maryland
, against a Maryland
state task force whose purpose was to investigate cult
s on state college campuses. Fefferman commented to The Boston Globe
about the case, "The United States has correctly criticized European states for scrutinizing smaller and newer religions through government commissions such as this one. The state of Maryland has been manipulated into engaging in religious McCarthyism
by carrying out a biased inquisition into new religious minorities as 'cults.'" The Maryland state task force concluded universities should alert students to organizations that could cause possible harm, but did not recommend policy changes. In 1999 Fefferman defended the rights of Wiccan soldiers in the United States military to practice their faith.
In 2000, Fefferman wrote to his colleagues about a planned march in Washington D.C. sponsored both by Moon and Louis Farrakhan
, the leader of the Nation of Islam
, called the Million Family March
, acknowledging that the two leaders' views differed on multiple issues but shared a view of a "God-centered family". In 2001 Bill Gertz
, author and an investigative reporter for the Washington Times, cited Fefferman as a person who "contributed valuable inspiration, advice, help, and support" to Gertz's book Betrayal: How the Clinton Administration Undermined American Security
.
In 2004 Fefferman said that religious persecution of Muslims is probably under reported due to the fact that many victims are refugees, in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries. Fefferman gave a presentation on the Unification Church at a conference of the International Cultic Studies Association
in 2004. In 2008 he gave a presentation on the Unification Church at the London School of Economics
at a conference sponsored by the organizations INFORM
and CESNUR
. In 2009 he criticized the government of Kazakhstan
for its treatment of religious minorities, including members of the Unification Church.
Unification Church of the United States
The Unification Church of the United States is a new religious movement in the United States of America. It began in the 1950s and 1960s when missionaries from Japan and South Korea were sent to the United States by the international Unification Church's founder and leader Sun Myung Moon...
, a branch of the international Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
, founded by Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in 1954.
Fefferman has held several leadership positions in church related organizations. In the 1970s he was a leader of the National Prayer and Fast Committee, Project Watergate, and the Freedom Leadership Foundation, which were involved in political activism. In 1977 he testified before the Fraser Committee.
Fefferman was leader of the Unification Church in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, regional director for the Unification Church for the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, the headquarters director of Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP), and editor of the national journal of the Unification Church.
Since 1984 he has been the executive director of the Unification Church affiliated International Coalition for Religious Freedom, which was founded in the 1980s and has been active in protesting what it considers to be threats to religious freedom by governmental agencies.
Early life and family
Fefferman became a member of the Unification ChurchUnification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
in 1968. After that he obtained degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and from the Unification Theological Seminary
Unification Theological Seminary
The Unification Theological Seminary , is the main seminary of the international Unification Church. It is located in Barrytown, New York and with an Extension Center in midtown Manhattan. Its purpose has been described as training leaders and theologians within the Unification Church. The...
. Fefferman is married with two daughters, and lives in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
with his family.
Political activism
In 1974, Fefferman was the executive director of the National Prayer and Fast Committee, a group organized by Sun Myung MoonSun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
to support Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
during the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
. He was the head of the Unification Church's mission to "bring new life to the archangel, Nixon – hence to make him aware of our significance", a program known as Project Watergate. According to one report Moon had chosen Fefferman (who is Jewish) to become the Prime Minister of Israel
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
at some future time. Fefferman was an official with the Freedom Leadership Foundation, which was also founded by Moon. and deemed a "political arm" of the Unification Church. According to testimony provided by Fefferman to the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, at a scheduled September 1974 rally by the Freedom Leadership Foundation against the government of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, members debated cutting off their fingers as a form of raising dramatic effect, but instead decided on egg throwing. The rally was canceled prior to being carried out.
Fefferman testified in August 1977 before the Fraser Committee, a subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
which investigated possible ties between Sun Myung Moon and the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency
National Intelligence Service (South Korea)
The National Intelligence Service is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korea Central Intelligence Agency , during the rule of President Park Chung-hee's military Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which displaced the...
(KCIA). Testimony from Fefferman confirmed that he had social ties to officials within the South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n embassy. Fefferman testified that he had arranged a meeting in 1975 between Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
aide Edwin Feulner
Edwin Feulner
Edwin John Feulner Jr. is President of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, a position he has held since 1977....
of the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
and South Korean Minister Kim Yung Hwan, to potentially put together a group of congressional aides who would travel to South Korea. Hwan was then-station chief for the KCIA. During his testimony, Fefferman refused to answer nine questions from the subcommittee, saying that they violated his constitutional rights to freedom of religion and association. The subcommittee recommended that Fefferman be cited for contempt of Congress
Contempt of Congress
Contempt of Congress is the act of obstructing the work of the United States Congress or one of its committees. Historically the bribery of a senator or representative was considered contempt of Congress...
. Fefferman, speaking to the The Michigan Daily in 1980, said the subcommittee's recommendations were never taken up, and no charges were pressed.
Church leadership
In 1977 Fefferman served as leader of the Unification Church in the state of IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, as well as regional church director for the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. In 1982, he was headquarters director and national president of Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP), a collegiate organization founded by Moon and church members in 1955. It was described by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
as "the youth organization of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church", and by the ICSA
International Cultic Studies Association
The International Cultic Studies Association , formerly the American Family Foundation, describes itself as an "interdisciplinary network of academicians, professionals, former group members, and families who study and educate the public about social-psychological influence and control,...
as "the UC's youth arm". Fefferman was the editor of the national journal of the Unification Church in 1989, and served as chief editor of the first edition of Divine Principle
Divine Principle
The Divine Principle or Exposition of the Divine Principle -in Korean, 원리강론/原理講論- is the main theological textbook of the Unification Church. It was co-written by church founder Sun Myung Moon and early disciple Hyo Won Eu and first published in 1966. A translation entitled Divine Principle was...
in English, as well as other church publications.
International Coalition for Religious Freedom
Since 1984, Fefferman has been the executive director of the Unification Church affiliated organization the International Coalition for Religious Freedom in VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, which is active in protesting what it considers to be threats to religious freedom by governmental agencies. In 1999 the International Coalition for Religious Freedom filed a lawsuit in United States District Court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, against a Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
state task force whose purpose was to investigate cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
s on state college campuses. Fefferman commented to The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
about the case, "The United States has correctly criticized European states for scrutinizing smaller and newer religions through government commissions such as this one. The state of Maryland has been manipulated into engaging in religious McCarthyism
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
by carrying out a biased inquisition into new religious minorities as 'cults.'" The Maryland state task force concluded universities should alert students to organizations that could cause possible harm, but did not recommend policy changes. In 1999 Fefferman defended the rights of Wiccan soldiers in the United States military to practice their faith.
In 2000, Fefferman wrote to his colleagues about a planned march in Washington D.C. sponsored both by Moon and Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
, the leader of the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
, called the Million Family March
Million Family March
The Million Family March was a rally in Washington D.C to celebrate family unity and racial and religious harmony; as well as to address other issues, including abortion, capital punishment, health care, education, welfare and Social Security reform, substance abuse prevention, and overhaul of the...
, acknowledging that the two leaders' views differed on multiple issues but shared a view of a "God-centered family". In 2001 Bill Gertz
Bill Gertz
Bill Gertz is an American editor, columnist and reporter for The Washington Times. He is the author of six books and writes a weekly column on the Pentagon and national security issues called "Inside the Ring". During the administration of Bill Clinton Gertz was known for his stories exposing...
, author and an investigative reporter for the Washington Times, cited Fefferman as a person who "contributed valuable inspiration, advice, help, and support" to Gertz's book Betrayal: How the Clinton Administration Undermined American Security
Betrayal: How the Clinton Administration Undermined American Security
Betrayal is a 1999 book by reporter Bill Gertz arguing that:*Bill Clinton's foreign policy strategies of "appeasement" with China and Russia have resulted in a betrayal of American interests, leaving "the United States weaker militarily as its enemies grow stronger and the world becomes more...
.
In 2004 Fefferman said that religious persecution of Muslims is probably under reported due to the fact that many victims are refugees, in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries. Fefferman gave a presentation on the Unification Church at a conference of the International Cultic Studies Association
International Cultic Studies Association
The International Cultic Studies Association , formerly the American Family Foundation, describes itself as an "interdisciplinary network of academicians, professionals, former group members, and families who study and educate the public about social-psychological influence and control,...
in 2004. In 2008 he gave a presentation on the Unification Church at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
at a conference sponsored by the organizations INFORM
INFORM
INFORM is an independent registered charity located at the London School of Economics. It was founded in 1988 by the sociologist of religion, Eileen Barker, with funding from the British Home Office, Britain’s mainstream churches, foundations and enquirers...
and CESNUR
CESNUR
CESNUR , is an organization based in Turin, Italy. It was established in 1988 by a group of religious scholars from universities in Europe and the Americas, working in the field of new religious movements. Its director is the Italian sociologist and attorney Massimo Introvigne...
. In 2009 he criticized the government of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
for its treatment of religious minorities, including members of the Unification Church.
See also
- List of Unification Church members
- List of Unification Church affiliated organizations
- Unification Church political activitiesUnification Church political activitiesPolitics are an integral part of the Unification Church's concerns and activities, although the church itself largely remains aloof from politics. The degree of involvement of the movement, as well as some of its specific stances, have also been part of the reason for the movement's controversial...
- Unification Church of the United StatesUnification Church of the United StatesThe Unification Church of the United States is a new religious movement in the United States of America. It began in the 1950s and 1960s when missionaries from Japan and South Korea were sent to the United States by the international Unification Church's founder and leader Sun Myung Moon...
External links
- 40 Years in America, Dan Fefferman, www.tparents.org
- The Words of the Fefferman Family, www.tparents.org
- Suit against Maryland Cult Taskforce, Lermanet.comArnaldo LermaArnaldo Pagliarini Lerma is an American writer and activist, a former Scientologist, and critic of Scientology, who has appeared in television, media and radio interviews...
- Profile, www.newworldencyclopedia.org