Psychologist Clark maintained that the individual has a "right to believe what he or she wishes to believe," but he added that people can "reserve the right to criticize the actions which these beliefs cause. There is a difference between faith and belief and knowledge." Clark said the Constitution does not permit murder, even if part of a person's religious beliefs. He said that it is likewise unjustified to convert others who are unwilling or unknowing, simple because the prosyletizers "believe they are right." Clark also noted that the rapid change one goes through during the conversion process is detrimental to mental health.

There are many people who do not believe that the Unification Church practices any kind of brainwashing or is any different from other religions. Harvey Cox, Thorias Professor of Divinity at the Divinity School, feels that all religions that prosyletize "just try to persuade people that their view is the right view." He said he thinks "there is no doubt that the Unification Church is already blending into the religious atmosphere of the country. They will soon get tame and conventionalized." Cox compared the Unification Church to the Mormon Church, noting that the Mormons were also persecuted when they were founded--and that they also mix business and religion. "They own the state of Utah," he said, "but they are respectable and Moonies are not."

Insiders in the Unification Church vehemently disagree with Cox. One source said, "The Unification Church is different because of the degree to which they will go to achieve their goals. They have you as many ways as you can have a person. They have total control over you."

Other sources from inside concurred, adding that the only reason the Church was having trouble getting Harvard and MIT converts was that they had difficulty gaining initial access to them. One Ivy Leaguer, who recently got out of the church, said, "Once they get hold of a Harvard or MIT student, he will go just as fast as anyone else."

Steve, a Moon follower who had been "deprogrammed" only 36 hours before the time he was interviewed, agreed. He said last week that he felt confused and slightly sick at how close he had come to joining the "Family." He was still visibly agitated, and he admitted that it was very hard for him to look at his experiences clearly and talk about them. He said "you don't realize that you are going through a change--I didn't for 19 days with them. You can't see the change in yourself until you step back--and they don't give you a chance to do that. You don't get enough sleep and you are always under constant supervision. You have no real contact with the outside world. When I first came in contact with them I thought they were evil. I did not really believe in God, and I am a pretty cynical person. But I was looking for answers. And they really work on you--they tell you that if you hear the truth and leave, you will go to Hell. Not only that, but if you join, you can restore seven generations of ancestors to Heaven. It's like driving a bus--if you decide to kill yourself you still have to consider the others in the bus."

Steve continued, "If I hadn't gotten out now, in another couple of days I would have gone to live with them, and that would have been the end. And I never thought it could happen to me. But I was looking at things from their point of view, and it all made sense. They have everything carefully planned out."

He concluded, "Their goal is to take over the world--they'll never give up. They will all willingly die for their cause. When you are in the Family, you have no free will. You are totally controlled. I saw it happen to me. It no longer becomes a question of how intelligent a person is, because curiosity is fatal."