A tiny village in Pennsylvania hosted a bizarre mass marriage blessing ceremony, where couples praised their AR-15s and wore crowns made of bullets

Michelle Mark

Mar 11, 2018, 02:32 IST

A tiny village in Pennsylvania hosted a bizarre mass marriage blessing ceremony, where couples praised their AR-15s and wore crowns made of bullets

Associated Press/Jacqueline Larma

Worshippers hold unloaded weapons at the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary on Feb. 28, 2018 in Newfoundland, Pa.

On the last day in February, hundreds of worshippers took to a small Pennsylvania village with their AR-15 rifles for a bizarre ceremony that simultaneously blessed their marriages and celebrated each member's "rod of iron."

The ceremony was held at Newfoundland's World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, where Rev. Sean Moon prayed for "a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where the citizens, through the right given to them by almighty God to keep and bear arms, will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing."

This particular church is a "breakaway faction" of South Korea's Unification Church, which is widely regarded as a cult, according to the Associated Press.

Here's how the mass blessing went down:

Couples traveled to Newfoundland, Pennsylvania from across the country and around the world to attend the ceremony. People came from as far away as Japan, South Korea, and Europe.

The church recently adopted the belief that the AR-15 rifle, which was recently used in a mass shooting at a Florida high school, symbolizes the "rod of iron" in the New Testament's Book of Revelation.

The church was anxious to convey to media that the ceremony was meant to bless couples, not "inanimate objects." Tim Elder, the church's director of world missions, said the AR-15 is merely a "religious accoutrement."

Gun safety was a major component of the event — attendants were waiting at the church doors to check that each person's weapons were unloaded and zip-tied.

The event attracted a racially and culturally diverse array of followers. The service was held partly in Korean, and partly in English. Some wore tuxedos and gowns, while others were clad in jeans and NRA hats.

Many of the participants also wore crowns — some made out of ammunition.

The crowns were meant to represent the sovereignty of royalty. "We pray they would stand as kings and queens with their crown and rod of iron," Rev. Moon said during the ceremony.

The group also made their political affiliations clear. The church's week-long "Festival of Grace" included a "President Trump Thank You Dinner."

But the event also provoked backlash, particularly because it came just two weeks after a gunman killed 17 people with a legally purchased AR-15 in Florida.

Church members said the ceremony was planned months in advance, and wasn't scheduled in response to the Florida shooting, which set off a national debate on gun-control legislation.

But protesters still turned up, some carrying signs with pickles on them. Their logic was that Moon's interpretation of the Bible's "rod of iron" reference made as much sense as a "rod of pickles."

One elementary school just down the street from the spectacle even relocated its students to other campuses for the day.

"It's scaring people in the community," one protester said to a church member. "Are you aware of that?"

Another protester, Lisa Desiena, said she owns a gun, but "I don't need a freaking assault weapon to defend myself. Only thing they're good for is killing. Period. That's all that weapon is good for, mass killing. And you want to bless it? Shame on you."

But the church members appeared unabashed. "I came in support of the Second Amendment," 80-year-old Bob Bauer said. "What's happened in this country recently is an affirmation. People need to be able to take care of themselves."

One attendee, 41-year-old Sreymom Ouk, said her weapon will defend her family against "sickos and evil psychopaths." She added that "people have the right to bear arms, and in God's kingdom, you have to protect that."

"Some people see this gun, and they get scared," 70-year-old Carolyn Burkholder said. "I used to be scared a little."

But one woman who lives just across from the church had had enough. "This whole thing, all this, is ridiculous," 59-year-old Carol Ward said while smoking a cigar. "They're very dedicated to what they believe in, I guess, whatever the hell that is."

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