President Bush's faith-based initiative is working wonders in the marriage markets. Look at this:
President Bush has some new troops in his crusade to promote "healthy marriage" and teen celibacy with federal funds -- followers of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the controversial Korean evangelist and self-proclaimed new world messiah.
The Reverend Moon is also the owner of the very right-wing Washington Times, and a firm believer in no separation between church and state. John Gorenfeld has a whole blog following Moon's escapades.
At least four of Moon's operatives have received government money for marriage initiatives:
In some ways, Moon is an unlikely ally for President Bush's crusade to promote traditional family values.
The 85-year-old Korean is perhaps best known for presiding over mass marriage ceremonies for devotees whose unions are arranged by Moon or other church leaders. After marriage, Unification Church couples are given detailed instructions for their honeymoon, right down to the sexual positions they are supposed to assume during their first three conjugal couplings.
And these are not egalitarian marriages that Moon proposes. Just in case you were wondering.