Chapter 1 The Life of the Founder

 Yankee Stadium Rally

The bicentennial celebration of American independence, held to ask God's blessing upon America, took place at New York's Yankee Stadium on June 1, 1976. Despite the onset of heavy rain and high winds just prior to the start of the program, the audience gamely stayed on.

In his message, God's Hope for America, Reverend Moon said that America would only be able to keep God's blessing as an advanced country if she is united with God, and further, that America is a microcosm of the world, a model of an ideal transcending nationality and national boundaries. Due to the success of the rally, the world's media were eager to feature the story. Newsweek magazine's cover story, for example, was an appraisal of the history and current situation of the Unification Church.