When Steven Hassan was 19 years old, he was recruited by the Unification Church, an infamous cult know for its mass marriage ceremonies. He spent two and a half years with the group, working to bring in new members, raise money, and preach the teachings of its controversial founder, Sun Myung Moon—until a near-fatal car accident helped him realize he’d been brainwashed, and led him to flee the cult. After the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary—an offshoot of the Unification Church—nabbed international headlines for holding a blessing ceremony complete with AR-15s and bullet crowns earlier this year, we met up with Hassan to hear more about his time as a “Moonie,” find out how he escaped, and learn why he’s since dedicated his life to becoming an expert on cults. WATCH NEXT: Inside the Church of the AR-15 -- youtu.be/ArfGyo6HQ_E Click here to subscribe to VICE: bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE Check out our full video catalog: bit.ly/VICE-Videos Videos, daily editorial and more: vice.com More videos from the VICE network: www.fb.com/vicevideo Click here to get the best of VICE daily: bit.ly/1SquZ6v Like VICE on Facebook: fb.com/vice Follow VICE on Twitter: twitter.com/vice Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/vice Download VICE on iOS: apple.co/28Vgmqz Download VICE on Android: bit.ly/28S8Et0

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