Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - Filled with the vision and belief that Las Vegas will soon gain a new reputation as a “city of giving,” Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon told an international audience of over 3000 on May 21 that God himself had great expectations for the long-notorious gaming capital of the world. “This is a time of quiet revolution,” the UPF Founder declared, “a time when the long era of sin and suffering will forever end, and a new age of God’s peace will begin."
The gala event, which was the tenth leg of an ambitious peace tour to ten nations in less than a month, also featured prayers for peace from local ministers, entertainment from the Sonic Cult band from New York, and appointment of 20 Ambassadors for Peace — men and women recognized for their outstanding contributions to local and regional charitable programs.
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Rev. Dr. Stephen Thurston, President of the National Baptist Convention, called for commitment in his congratulatory remarks and invocation. “We may have come here to listen to God’s words,” he told the audience, “but we must remember to be not just hearers of the word, but doers as well.”
Moon, now 91, shows no sign of slowing down in his campaign for peace. In just the past week, he spoke to an overflow crowd of German families and community leaders at the avant-garde Tempodrom in Berlin and to an audience of diplomats, political figures, and faith leaders at the United Nations' Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. In Madrid, Rome, Oslo, Athens, Istanbul, and London, he called for a new commitment by leaders of all faiths to put aside doctrinal and ritual differences and work together to create what he calls “One Family under God.”
In 1985, Moon stirred international controversy when he published his prediction of the imminent demise of communism. At the time the Soviet Union was at the peak of its powers, yet the prophecy was indeed fulfilled less than five years later. In recent times, many prominent figures have expressed the hope that Rev. Moon’s prophecies of an imminent world of peace could prove right again, despite the many discouraging signs in the world.
During a program held at the British parliament in London, Lord Tarsem King, the first Sikh peer in Britain’s increasingly diverse upper house, added his support for this interfaith vision of peace. ”Dr. Moon has a unique insight of how to influence the world for good,” Lord King said. “If this vision of humanity moving beyond all racial and religious boundaries really takes off, our nation and others may avoid many of the difficulties that we are going through now."
That vision of peace is by no means confined to the halls of diplomacy and government, or even the great cathedrals and religious centers of the world. In Las Vegas, Dr. Moon once again spoke of his ongoing effort to reposition “Sin City” as a “Shining City.” He envisions it as a more family-friendly tourist destination, a city that can welcome people of all faiths and cultures who will naturally become one family as they enjoy together the world-class entertainment and the outstanding natural beauty of the entire region.
Seeing such a rebranding as being good for business as well, Rev. Moon has expressed the hope that leaders of the gaming industry will use some of their vast resources to work with him to help Las Vegas gain a new reputation as a city of giving.
By way of example, the morning of the event, more than 300 people joined a charity slot tournament at the Aria Resort, with the proceeds from the $500 minimum entry fee benefiting local charities. The Salvation Army, which has seen a marked increase in demand for its services since the recession hit the city, received a check for $50,000. The Galilee Camps, which give some of Las Vegas’s neediest children the chance to enjoy a summer camp on the shores of Lake Tahoe, received $10,000. Safe-Faith United, which provides services to battered and abused women and children, received a further $10,000.
