Sun Myung Moon's Life and Achievements

“I am a controversial person. The mere mention of my name causes trouble in the world. I never sought money or fame but have spent my life speaking only of peace. The world, though, has associated many different phrases with my name, rejected me, and thrown stones at me. Many are not interested in knowing what I say or what I do. They only oppose me. I have been unjustly imprisoned six times in my life, and at times I was beaten so hard that the flesh was torn from my body. Today, though, not even the slightest wound remains in my heart. Wounds easily disappear in the presence of true love.” (From Sun Myung Moon's Autobiography, “As a Peace-loving Global Citizen”)

As the founder of the Unification Church, Rev. Sun Myung Moon has started a new world religion with its roots in Korea, and is a spiritual leader who has the respect of the entire world as a result of his efforts to build world peace. Born in 1920 in Jeongju, South Pyeongan Province, he received a revelation from Jesus on Easter morning when he was 16 years old, calling him to work for the salvation of mankind, after which he earnestly sought God's guidance in prayer and meditation.

Following that, he revealed the path to salvation through his preaching and his work, and he now has followers in more than 180 nations. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Hak Ja Han have worked tirelessly for peace, with efforts including the revival of religion, the reform of politics and economics and projects in all other areas of human endeavor. In order to accomplish this, Rev. Moon has founded organizations that are working toward the ideal of a united peaceful world in all areas, including education, thought, the media, the arts, international relations, science, humanitarian relief, the environment, the family, women's organizations, and youth programs. In 2000, Rev. and Mrs. Moon were honored by WANGO, a federation of more than 3,500 NGO's, with their Universal Peace Award, and in 2006, the Ambassadors for Peace honored them by declaring them King and Queen of Peace for Cosmic Unity.

1920 - 1945: Birth and Internal Preparation

Birth and Family

Sun Myung Moon was born on January 6, 1920 (lunar calendar), as the oldest son among eight children in the family of Kyung Woo Moon and his wife Kyung Gye Kim. The Moon family was known to be active in the Korean independence movement, and lived in Sangsa-ri, Deokeon-myeon, Jeongju-gun in South Pyeongan Province, located in what is now North Korea. His father was a member of the Nampyeong Moon clan, a family known for its kindness towards travelers and those in need.

His uncle, Yun Guk Moon was a Christian minister, and the president of the North Pyeongan chapter of the March 1st Movement, who was imprisoned for two years as a result of his work for Korean independence, and who made sizeable contributions to the provisional Korean government that was set up in Shanghai, China during Japanese's annexation of Korea.

As a young man, Sun Myung Moon was full of curiosity and learned many natural laws from the time he spent in nature, also developing a sympathetic heart that drove him to help any time he saw a person or animal suffering. When he was a teenager, his family converted to Christianity, after which the young Moon developed a strong personal life of faith and prayer.

A Call from Heaven

When he was 16 years old, on the morning of April 17, Easter Sunday, Sun Myung Moon, who had been praying through the night, met Jesus in a vision and was called to a mission of ministry.

Jesus asked him to take on the work of the messiah, liberating God's sorrowful heart by rescuing mankind, God's children, who had become entrapped in a world of sin.

Student Life

After his call to work as the messiah, Rev. Moon immersed himself in prayer, meditation and study to understand God, the creator and the fall of man.

Leaving his hometown, he traveled to Seoul and graduated from the electrical engineering department of Kyungsong Commercial Technical School, and continued his studies at the Industrial High School operated by Waseda University in Tokyo. His righteous nature drove him to become active in an underground club supporting the Korean independence movement during the time he was studying abroad in Japan.

He was summoned before the Japanese authorities who were ruling Korea in October 1944, was arrested and jailed due to his involvement in the underground activities in Japan, and was finally released in February of 1945

1945 - 1960: Public Mission and Marriage

Beginning of Public Life and Ordeals

After Korean's liberation from Japan at the end of World War II, Rev. Moon followed God's calling and began missionary work in Pyongyang , which was referred to at the time as ‘the Jerusalem of the East'. He quickly gathered followers, which caught the eye of the North Korean authorities, who arrested him on suspicion that he was a spy for the South. He was imprisoned on August 12, 1946. Unable to find any evidence to support the charges, they released him on November 21. Rev. Moon continued to spread the word of God even in prison, and resumed his ministry in full force after his release.

He was arrested again on February 22, 1948, this time for violating the North Korean regime's antireligion policies. Rev. Moon was imprisoned at the Heung Nam labor camp, where rations were small, living conditions were very poor, and the prisoners were forced to do hard labor, packing and transporting fertilizer under harsh conditions. While he was imprisoned, Rev. Moon always looked out for the welfare of the other prisoners, and won their respect as a model prisoner.

Establishment of the Unification Church

In October 1950, soon after the outbreak of the Korean War, Rev. Moon gained his release from Hungnam, and headed south for Busan, along with some of his disciples.

After arriving in Pusan, they built a small church with packed mud walls in the Beomnatkol area, and he began preaching again. Despite the fact that their makeshift church was tiny, barely 7 square meters, Rev. Moon's already had his sights set on expanding the mission to the whole world.

Rev. Moon's message reached all the way to Daegu and even Seoul. Young people were drawn to his message and began to gather to listen. In 1954, The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) was established in Bukhak-dong, Seoul.

During this time many young intellectuals, students and faculty members from Yonsei University and Ehwa Women's University became inspired by Rev. Moon's teaching, and felt they had been given a new life. These Christian universities were alarmed, expelling the students and firing the professors when they refused to stop attending the new church. Rev. Moon and his church were accused of being engaging in morally corrupt activities. Although innocent of the charges, Rev. Moon was arrested on July 4, 1954, incarcerated at the Seodaemun Prison, and finally released three months later when the charges were shown to be unwarranted.

Despite this opposition, Rev. Moon's message was already spreading like wildfire, missionaries had already gone to Japan and the United States, and the first formal presentation of his teachings, “Explanation of the Divine Principle” had been published

Marriage to Hak Ja Han

In 1960 Rev. Sun Myung Moon was married to Hak Ja Han. Hak Ja Han was born in 1943 in Anju, into a household that had been devout Christians for three generations. Her mother, Soon Ae Hong, took great care in raising her daughter as a young woman with strong faith. Seeing her devout faith and upstanding character, God chose her as the bride for Rev. Moon. More than 700 members from the churches all around the country came to Seoul for the wedding.

Until the time of his marriage, Rev. Moon's followers had respected him as the father of their faith. After the wedding, members of the church began to refer to Rev. Moon and his bride as the ‘True Parents'. Following his marriage, Rev. Moon spoke even more optimistically about teaching the Divine Principle around the world and establishing world peace.

1961 - 1985: World Outreach

Expansion of Missionary Activity

Following the formal establishment of the church in 1954, missionary activity expanded quickly throughout Korea. Rev. Moon dedicated himself to his mission, preparing each day in tearful prayers, and speaking passionately to the members for many hours, until he was soaked in sweat. During this time the movement's foundation for work in Korea strengthened, expanding from just 20 churches in 1957 to more than 1000 in 1960.

Missionaries were sent to Japan in 1958 and to the US in 1959, marking a substantial start to the work of spreading the message of salvation and world peace around the globe, where the hope of new life caught the attention of many young people.

Members were on fire with inspiration and the movement grew quickly, soon having missionaries in 180 countries. Rev. Moon founded a variety of organizations to gather people in different fields to address ways to accomplish world peace. Rev. Moon's message explained that world peace is not something that can be built with military strength or financial resources, rather, it is important for people to realize that they are brothers and sisters under one God and treat each other with true love.

He taught that Communism was a threat to world peace, because it is an ideology that denies the existence of God.

Progress in the United States

In 1965, accompanied by two of his followers, Rev. Moon made an international speaking tour, visiting 40 nations including Japan, the US and Europe. During his trip, he met US President Dwight Eisenhower, and spoke to him about the role of the United States in securing true world peace. As a pioneer of peace, he visited the White House in 1974, and met President Richard Nixon. He stressed that the United States, a country that had been founded on principles of religious freedom, and which had been abundantly blessed by God, had a responsibility to fight on the front line in the struggle for world peace.

Following this he went on a 32 city speaking tour around the United States, speaking about ‘The New Future of Christianity'. He held a ‘Day of Hope' rally in Madison Square Garden, attended by 25,000 people, and he was invited to speak before the members of the US Congress. Rallies were held in 1976 at Yankee Stadium and the Washington Monument, attended by 54,000 and 300,000 people. Rev. Moon message brought new hope and direction to many of the young people who attended.

Suffering and Victory

Seeing Rev. Moon's growing influence, some Americans grew concerned. In 1981, Rev. Moon was prosecuted on charges of income tax evasion. The court proceedings dragged on for two years and nine months, with the US government hoping he would take the chance to leave the country in order to avoid having to face the charges.

Professing his innocence until the end of the trial, Rev. Moon was found guilty, and sent to Danbury Federal Prison. 3,500 religious leaders of all denominations from around the world united in one heart to march in front of the White House in protest of guilty verdict. To emphasize the importance of protecting religious freedom as guaranteed in the US constitution, religious leaders took turns visiting Rev. Moon in prison each week. From within his prison cell, Rev. Moon continued his work for world peace, and was presented with an honorary doctorate of Divinity from the Baptist Shaw Divinity School.

1986 - 1992: Preparation for the Age of Peace

Victory over Communism

Rev. Moon insisted that communism would fail, viewing the cold war not from a political standpoint, but from the viewpoint of God's providence of salvation. He felt that communism was certain to collapse because of its insistence that God did not exist. His Second General Assembly of the Professors' World Peace Academy in 1985, on the theme ‘The Fall of the Soviet Empire' had a strong impact on many in the academic world.

On April 11, 1990, Rev. Moon held a historic meeting with Soviet President Mikhael Gorbachev. In the meeting, they discussed Soviet - Korean relations, economic cooperation and the reunification of Korea, along with the issue of religious freedom within the Soviet Union and topics relation to peace for humanity.

The following year, on December 6, 1991, another historic meeting was held with North Korean President Kim Il Sung. Rev. Moon talked about religious freedom and economic cooperation and the two men exchanged opinions on a number of subjects, issuing a written declaration of cooperation.

Standing on the front line in the fight for the end of communism, Rev. Moon advocated ‘Unification through True Love'.

Women's Federation for World Peace and Proclaiming True Parents

In 1991 women's activities for world peace began in Korea and Japan, led by Hak Jan Han Moon. In 1992, the Women's Federation for World Peace was founded to build a society with true love and strong moral character, and to work for world peace with the power of the woman's heart of true love.

Rev. Moon stressed that, although in the past history had been developed by men, from this time on it would be the ‘Age of Women'. He encouraged the women, saying that they are the ones who can bring an end to the world of sin, war and violence, suppression and exploitation; creating in its place a world of peace, love and freedom. On this foundation, Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han were publicly declared the True Parents of mankind.

“Because Adam and Eve fell and became false parents, the messiah must come as the new ancestor for mankind and bring rebirth to all people.” (Rev. Moon's collected speeches 229-80)

1993 - 2000: True Parents and the Completed Testament Age

Proclamation of the Completed Testament Age

In 1993, on the foundation of the world proclamation of True Parents as the Messiah, Rev. Moon proclaimed the ‘Completed Testament Age'. The Completed Testament Age follows the Old Testament Age and the New Testament Age, as the age in which God's will can be substantially realized.

Rev. Moon now explained concepts that until then had not been included in the Divine Principle or his speeches up until this time in the Completed Testament Speeches, ‘View of the Principle of the Providential History of Salvation', ‘In Search of the Origin of the Universe', ‘True Family And True Universe Centering On True Love', ‘The True Family and I'.

Establishment of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification

In 1996, Rev. Moon renamed the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, and beginning with families as the building blocks for peace, he continued with a wide variety of activities in the cause of world peace.

Hoon Dok Hae and Ideal Family Education

In order to establish the ideal families that God desires, starting from 1997, Rev. Moon asked the members to start holding Hoon Dok Hae sessions, gathering to read Rev. Moon's speeches. The Hoon Dok Hae tradition continues today, and through Hoon Dok Hae. Blessed families all around the world receive spiritual renewal and a deeper understanding of God's will, the providence and the world. Also, stressing the importance of understanding the spiritual world in the Completed Testament Age, the Chung Pyung Heaven and Earth Training center was built to offer education programs regarding the spiritual world, and its relationship to the physical world

2001 - Settlement of the Age of Peace

Coronation of God's Kingship

After Rev. Moon's long course of spiritual search and illumination, followed by a thorny and suffering course to accomplish God's will, on January 13, 2001, he declared the commencement of heaven's sovereignty and held a ceremony for the Coronation of God's Kingship.

Then Rev. Moon proclaimed that it was time to build a substantial kingdom with God as King, Cheon Il Guk, to be completed by 2013.

In order to support the work of building Cheon Il Guk, the Inter-religious and International Peace Council was formed in 2003, and the Universal Peace Federation in 2005, to work toward forming a Peace UN to lead activities for world peace.

Inter-religious Peace Activities

On January 28, 2001, a World Peace Blessing Ceremony was held at UN headquarters in New York, and on May 27, at the New York Hilton, Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, Archbishop George Stallings and other religious leaders participated in a 60 couple Inter-religious and International Blessing and Rededication Ceremony.

A new phase of the peace providence began on December 22, 2003 when more than 20,000 people, including representatives from the Judaism, Christianity and Islam, religions leaders and religious scholars, and Peace Ambassadors from more than 50 countries participated in a Peace March in Israel. Following the march, other events continued in Israel.

The King of Peace

On June 13, 2006, Leaders from many nations honored Rev. Moon for his work in the cause of world peace. Delegates from 185 nations proclaimed Rev. & Mrs. Moon as the King of Cosmic Peace. Rev. Moon continues to work to establish the nation that God has been waiting for.

The Ultimate Purpose of Twenty-First Century Religion

Sun Myung Moon
October 17, 2014
Excerpt from "As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen"
Compiled by Taekon Lee

The twentieth century was a time of tremendous change. More happened in that hundred-year period than during the past two thousand years. It was the century when there were two world wars and when communism rose to great strength and then disappeared. It was also the century when humanity turned its back on God and buried itself in material things. What about the twenty-first century, then? Some say that advances in science have proven that many religious beliefs are mere superstition and irrelevant to the modern world. I contend, however, that the role of religion will always be relevant as long as the spiritual aspect of human beings remains a reality and a world of peace has not been established.

What is the purpose of religion? It is to bring about God’s ideal world. The reason religions evangelize is because they desire to increase the number of citizens under God’s sovereignty. If everyone were to live under God’s sovereignty, we would have a world of peace where there would be no war or division. The ultimate destination of the path followed by religions should be peace.

God created this world out of a desire for love and peace. If we create division by insisting that our own religion is the only path to salvation, we go against God’s desire. God wants everyone in the world to work hard for peace, reconciliation, and coexistence. If people say that coming to church creates division in their family, then I do not hesitate to tell them that they should put their family first. Religion is only a means to bring about God’s perfect world; it is not an end in itself.

Humankind’s destiny is to bring together all the points of view that are now divided against each other. The philosophy that will lead humanity in the future must be able to bring together all religions and philosophies. The days have ended when one country stands at the forefront and leads humanity. The era of nationalism has also ended.

If we continue the era of people congregating together only by religion or race, then humanity cannot avoid a repetition of war. The age of peace absolutely cannot come unless we transcend cultural customs and traditions. No ideology, philosophy, or religion that has influenced humanity in the past is capable of bringing about the peace and unification that is needed for the future. We need a new ideology and philosophy that goes beyond Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. For my entire life, I have called on people until my voice is hoarse to transcend their religious factions and even their religions.

There are more than two hundred countries in the world, and each has its own national borders. A border separates one country from another, but countries separated by borders cannot endure eternally. Only religion can overcome national borders. However, religions that should be bringing people together have instead divided themselves into many factions that are busy fighting each other. They have fallen into a selfish thought process that puts their religion or faction first. They are oblivious to the fact that the world has changed and a new era of selflessness has dawned.

It will not be easy to tear down the religious walls that have stood for thousands of years, but these walls must come down if we are to advance into a world of peace. Religions and their factions must stop their meaningless fighting, find a middle ground for their differing opinions, and develop concrete ways to advance the world of peace.

For humanity to be happy in the future, material affluence alone will not be sufficient. It is urgent that the struggles of modern ideologies, cultures, and races be overcome through interreligious understanding and spiritual harmony.

All my life I have made the following appeals to the wide variety of religious people I have met around the world: First, respect the traditions of other religions and do everything you can to prevent conflict and discord among religions. Second, all religious communities should cooperate with each other to serve the world. Third, the leaders of all religions should work together to develop a structure that will let us accomplish our mutual mission of establishing world peace.

The right eye is there for the left eye, and the left for the sake of the right. The two eyes together exist for the sake of the whole body. The same can be said for every other part of the body. Nothing exists for its own sake. Religion, too, does not exist for its own sake but for the sake of love and peace. Once world peace is accomplished, there will be no further need for religion. The ultimate purpose of religion is to bring about the reality of a human community filled with love and peace. This is God’s Will.

It is not easy to create an environment where people’s hearts are filled with a craving for peace. Continuous education is the only solution. This is the reason that I devote myself to projects in the field of education. We founded the Sunhwa Arts School even before our church had developed enough to stand on its own.

A school is a holy place where truth is taught. What are the most important truths that should be taught in school? The first is to know God and recognize His existence in the world around us. The second is to know the fundamental origin of human beings, our responsibilities, and how to fulfill our responsibilities for the sake of the world. The third is to realize the purpose for the existence of human beings and to then create an ideal world for that existence. These things can be understood only after they have been taught with sincerity and dedication over a long period.

Education today is focused on creating a winner-take-all society where those who finish first are rewarded with a monopoly on happiness. This is not the right way to educate children. Education must be a means for creating a world where all humanity can live well together. The philosophies and methods of education that have dominated us until now must be changed to ones that let us advance toward humanity’s common goals. If the United States were to educate only for the sake of the United States, and Britain only for sake of Britain, then humanity’s future would be dark.

Educators must not teach how to live selfishly but instead impart the wisdom needed to resolve the myriad social problems we face today. The role of religious scholars is even more important. Religious scholars do not need to be teaching complex theories and the superiority of their own religions. Instead, they need to give their students the wisdom to love humanity and build a world of peace. They need to teach the principle of selflessness. We cannot expect a future of happiness for humanity if scholars do not take the lead in teaching our descendants the principles of peace. Humanity is one brotherhood and sisterhood, and the world is one family.

The most important wisdom needed by humankind comes from knowing God’s heart and His ideal. For this reason, the role of religion continues to be important, especially in the twenty-first century, when science and technology seem to be replacing the role of religion in understanding how the universe operates. Religions around the world must understand the destination of the human journey and immediately cease all major and minor struggles. They should not be fighting for the purpose of protecting their own honor. Religions must pool their wisdom and combine their energies and work diligently to build the ideal world. They must forget the past struggles filled with hatred and work out peaceful solutions. No matter how much we have done for world peace, there is always more to be done. Religious people, whose mission is to lead humanity into the ideal world, must not forget for a moment that truly their only mission is to be apostles of peace.

Tolerance, Religious Freedom and Interfaith Solidarity

Sun Myung Moon
September 19, 2014
Compiled by Taekon Lee

Tolerance begins with how we treat people of other faiths. We have gathered passages from the scriptures which urge treating non-believers and believers with equal respect. Religious disputes and doctrinal conflicts are condemnable; they are often motivated by egoism disguised as piety, and by displaying enmity they do not give fitting witness to one’s faith.

By extension, governments are to respect religious freedom and avoid any manner of compulsion in matters of faith. Most people think of religious freedom as a feature of modern democracy, emerging as it did after a long period of religious intolerance marked by wars and cruelty—the Crusades, the Inquisition and the 30-Years’ War. Still, each of the great civilizations has enjoyed periods of religions tolerance: in India under the tolerant Buddhist King Ashoka (3rd century B.C.) and the enlightened Mughal emperor Akbar (16th century), in 10th century al-Andalus (Spain under Muslim rule), and in Song dynasty China (10th - 13th century). Nevertheless, it was with democracy that the ideal of religious freedom became firmly established as a global value. Father Moon regards the establishment of religious freedom one of the hard-won victories of divine providence.

Beyond tolerance and beyond religious freedom is the higher vision of cooperation and solidarity among religions. This largely modern ideal was born out of people’s growing familiarity with the world’s religions and the efforts of religious leaders to dialogue with each other in order to resolve disputes and eliminate ancient prejudices. Religious unity has long been advocated by the Baha’i Faith. Relations between Christians and Jews were transformed after the horrors of the Holocaust led to a widespread reevaluation of Christian doctrines that had overtones of anti-Semitism. Still, until the late 1990s the predominant opinion was that the trend towards secularism would one day make religion—and hence religious intolerance—a relic of the past. Today that view is obsolete. Flare-ups of religious extremism and terrorism have made people realize that interfaith cooperation is a necessary condition for world peace. Yet for more than fifty years, without fanfare, Father Moon has worked for the goal of the unity of religions, regarding it as one of the chief goals of God’s contemporary providence.

1. Tolerance towards Believers of Other Religions

Those who praise their own doctrines and disparage the doctrines of others do not solve any problem.
Sutrakritanga 1.1.50 (Jainism)

Do not dispute with the People of the Book but in the fairest manner.
Qur’an 29.46

Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
1 Peter 2.12

Our rabbis have taught, “We support the poor of the heathen along with the poor of Israel, visit the sick of the heathen along with the sick of Israel, and bury the dead poor of the heathen along with the dead of Israel, in the interests of peace.”
Talmud, Gittin 61a (Judaism)

Kapathika: “How should a wise man maintain truth?” Buddha: “A man has a faith. If he says ‘This is my faith,’ so far he maintains truth. But by that he cannot proceed to the absolute conclusion: ‘This alone is Truth, and everything else is false.’ ”
Majjhima Nikaya 2.176 (Buddhism)

Like the bee, gathering honey from different flowers, the wise man accepts the essence of different scriptures and sees only the good in all religions.
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.3 (Hinduism)

The Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures. All should see to it, then, that in catechetical work or in the preaching of the word of God they do not teach anything that does not conform to the truth of the Gospel and the spirit of Christ. Furthermore, in her rejection of every persecution against any man, the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti- Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.
Vatican II, Nostra Aetate (Christianity)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

The ideal of True Parents and the ideal of world peace are directly connected. We guide all nations, peoples, cultures, and religions to harmonize with one another by becoming 100 percent tolerant to one another for the sake of the ideal; this is the way to establish world peace. (205:159, August 16, 1990)

By demonstrating the goodness of their teachings, religions should set the example for all humankind. Instead, religions are fighting one another. Even different denominations within the same religion fight amongst themselves over differences in doctrine. On seeing this, God feels great anguish in His heart. (167:99, June 30, 1987)

We who are in a movement for unity must make efforts to unite with all religions. If possible, we can resolve doctrinal differences through persuasion. Otherwise, with much patience and much tolerance we have to compromise in order to cooperate with them. There are no other ways than these two. (103:125, February 18, 1979).

A religion that can bring peace to the world should not regard itself as important. It should not have selfcentered views about its authority or its possessions. If it does, it will not go beyond the level of its own nation and the people who accept its doctrines.

There will be no escape from the history of conflicts and wars as long as our religion follows the conventional path of pursuing self-interest. God knows this; therefore He instructs us to deny and sacrifice ourselves. Even though we believe we have the central role, we should not pursue our own selfinterest but rather seek for the welfare of other religious groups. Religions should walk the path of self-denial, self-sacrifice, and service to others. (172:143, January 10, 1988)

God wants to save the world, not just the Presbyterian Church or the Methodist Church or the Holiness Church. God does not live for the sake of any particular church or denomination; He lives for the world. A true church sacrifices itself for the sake of the world. If need be, for the sake of saving the world, a church should be willing even to let itself go out of existence. This is the way of the Principle; we must travel this road to accomplish God’s Will.

On the other hand, churches that place themselves above every other church, that regard themselves as absolute while denying the validity of all other churches, will perish. (69:87, October 20, 1973)

In this age, God wants to lead the world through ‘parent-level religions’—religions with a parental heart… Religions that put down or are hostile to other religions or denominations are not useful for the realization of world peace or the fulfillment of God’s providence. (260:128, May 1, 1994)

2. Freedom of Religion

Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, Article 1

There is no compulsion in religion.
Qur’an 2.256

Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe? No soul can believe, except by the Will of God.
Qur’an 10.99-100

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18

Whoever honors his own sect and disparages another man’s, whether from blind loyalty or with the intention of showing his own sect in a favorable light, does his own sect the greatest possible harm. Concord is best, with each hearing and respecting the other’s teachings. It is the wish of the Emperor that members of all sects should be learned and should teach virtue.
Ashoka, Twelfth Rock Edict (Buddhism)

A Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered that [Peter and the apostles] be put outside for a while. And he said to the council, “Men of Israel, take care what you do with these men. For before these days Theudas arose, giving himself out to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was slain and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this undertaking is of men, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”
Acts 5.34-39

When the Messenger of Allah arrived in Medina he made a treaty with the Jews there: “The Jews of the Bani Awf tribe are one community with the Muslim faithful. The Jews practice their religion and the Muslims practice theirs. For them shall be their own wealth, property and persons. Except for he who has committed oppression or transgression.”
Hadith (Islam)

The spirit can only acquiesce to that which seem to it to be true; the heart can only love that which seems to it to be good. Constraint will make a hypocrite of man if he is weak, a martyr if he is courageous. Weak or courageous, he will feel the injustice of persecution, and he will become indignant. Instruction, persuasion, and prayer: these are the only methods for the expansion of religion. Any method that excites hatred, indignation, or contempt is impious.
Denis Diderot (Humanism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

Democracy is the system that God laboriously prepared over the last two thousand years. Democracy is the system that respects human rights. Democracy is the system in which a minority group can survive in the midst of a [hostile] majority. Democracy is the system that guarantees freedom— freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of press, and freedom of assembly. America is the representative democratic nation, and in the American Constitution the most absolute among all freedoms is freedom of religion. It states that the Congress and government shall not make any laws that restrict religions. (100:246, October 19, 1978)

God’s spiritual providence of restoration during the two thousand years since Jesus’ day has prepared a democratic social and legal environment that will protect Christ at the Second Advent. Jesus was killed after being branded a heretic by the Jews and a rebel by the Roman Empire. In contrast, even if Christ at the Second Advent is persecuted as a heretic, in the democratic society to which he will come, such accusations will not be sufficient grounds for him to be condemned to death. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Moses and Jesus 3.3.2)

I am grateful to God that He is using me as His instrument to ignite a movement to spiritually awaken America, to call her to protect religious freedom in this most difficult time in human history.(133:213, July 19, 1984)

3. Community and Solidarity among Religions

I came to the conclusion long ago… that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu… But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian. Mohandas Gandhi (Hinduism)

Basically all major religions of the world carry the same message; therefore harmony between different religions is both important and necessary.

Each system has its own value suited to persons of different disposition and mental outlook. At this time of easy communication, we must increase our efforts to learn each other’s system. This does not mean that we should make all religions into one but that we should recognize the common purpose of the many religions and value the different techniques that they have developed for internal improvement.
Tenzin Gyatso, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama (Buddhism)

The Church therefore has this exhortation for her sons: prudently and lovingly, through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, and in witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among these men, as well as the values in their society and culture.
Vatican II, Nostra Aetate (Christianity)

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
Isaiah 56.7

And I [Jesus] have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.
John 10.16

The essential purpose of the religion of God is to establish unity among mankind. The divine Manifestations were Founders of the means of fellowship and love. They did not come to create discord, strife and hatred in the world. The religion of God is the cause of love, but if it is made to be a source of enmity and bloodshed, made to be a source of enmity and bloodshed, surely its absence is preferable to its existence; for then it becomes satanic, detrimental and an obstacle to the human world…

It is our duty in this radiant century to investigate the essentials of divine religion, seek the realities underlying the oneness of the world of humanity, and discover the source of fellowship and agreement which will unite mankind in the heavenly bond of love. This unity is the radiance of eternity, the divine spirituality, the effulgence of God and the bounty of the Kingdom.
‘Abdul’l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace (Baha’i Faith)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

As far as I know, God is not sectarian. He is not restricted by minor details of doctrine. We should quickly liberate ourselves from theological conflict which results from blind attachment to doctrines and rituals, and instead focus on living relationships with God. In my view, we urgently need to purify the religious atmosphere into one in which believers can have living faith and every soul can communicate with God.

In God’s parental heart and His great love, there is no discrimination based on color or nationality. There are no barriers between cultural traditions, between East and West, North and South. Today God is trying to embrace the whole of humankind as His children. Through interreligious dialogue and harmony we should realize one ideal world of peace, which is God’s purpose of creation and the common hope of humankind. (135:221, November 16, 1985)

Despite all efforts to the contrary, divisions and animosities among various religious groups continue. Religious wars are still being waged, as they have been for centuries. In spite of various ecumenical movements, religious arrogance, intolerance, and bigotry are still prevalent among devout believers. Thus, although most religions have professed the same God and often even the same views for centuries, their adherents have continually persecuted and warred with one another.

God is beyond denomination, doctrine or sect. God’s purpose is and always has been to save the entire world, and not merely a certain race, nation, or religious group. As religious people, we cannot help God in the task of salvation as long as we fight among ourselves. Many religious leaders have realized this, but for numerous complex reasons their attempts to solve this problem have been repeatedly frustrated.

One of my essential teachings is that interreligious harmony is a necessary condition for world peace. Since no single religion has manifested God completely, religious differences have been inevitable. Yet because we are all sons and daughters of the same Heavenly Parent, we are all brothers and sisters in one great family. Therefore, conflict and divisive hatred among religions is unnecessary. (133:274-75, August 13, 1984)

Is God alienated from the world? No, God strives to save the world. Nevertheless, each religion cherishes its own believers but does not care so much about other people. Look at Islam: it tries to save the world, but it puts itself first. It is likewise with Buddhism: so far its adherents have not been active in going out to society. (99:17, August 27, 1978)

It was not God’s original purpose to establish Hinduism, or Buddhism, or Christianity. God wanted to see from the beginning one family under God. (March 2, 2003)

In the Orient, people go in search of the state of Emptiness or No-self. Therefore, they look for quiet places where they can release their attachments to worldly things. In the West, on the other hand, people make efforts seeking for money and material things. Therefore they want quick results, and their eyes become large… Oriental people are small, with small eyes [that look into the distance], noses and everything. Their legs are short, too. From this, we see that the West is external and the East is internal.

One of Satan’s goals is to permanently separate the internal from the external. God, on the other hand, tries to link the internal and external in a harmonious relationship. Thus we can foresee that when the West tries to unite with the East, God’s day of fulfillment is near. This is gradually coming to pass. (118:46, May 2, 1982)

The purpose of religion is to lead us to a united world. Although different religions have different names for God and different ways of worshipping Him, the central Being each religion worships is the one and only God. Therefore, the purposes and directions for human life taught by each religion inevitably converge towards one standard. Ultimately, each religion has to manage its own path in order that all religions may enter the era of reformation at the same time. (140:10, February 1, 1986)

With the progress of God’s providence, we witness that already in the spirit world there are no barriers between the four major religions at the level of their founders. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed and Confucius communicate freely with each other and often visit each other’s realms. Because I know these things well, I strongly encouraged all clergy… to transcend their denominations and sects and to unite as one. (May 8, 2001)

When all religions are as one family—living in one accord, cooperating as one body and treasuring the same idea—then all will be liberated. In that day, self-cultivation will no longer be necessary. (393:183, October 3, 2002)

World Scripture II V8 013107.ind

Family tree of Sun Myung Moon- Version 1

Kathryn Coman
September 3, 2014

What Did Rev. Sun Myung Moon Do in the United States?

Jeong Soon Jo
July 7, 2014

Weekly Chosun (Korean Major Weekly Magazine)
On-site Coverage: Interviews in New York and Washington D.C., USA

Last June 24th, I visited room 2185 on the first floor of the Rayburn House Office Building located in the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C. It was the office of American Congressman Edward Royce, who is the Chairman of the U. S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The Chairman of Foreign Affairs holds the power in the Congress. It is very hard to make a meeting appointment with him. This was the first time I’ ve visited the American Congress. When I entered Chairman Royce’s office, I was greeted and ushered into a reception room. Desks on either side of the entrance were situated to greet visitors. Three other rooms surrounded the reception room, which was in the center. On one side was the Congressman’s personal office, and on the other was his assistants’ office. I didn’t go in the remaining room in the center, but I guessed that it might contain furniture for living. An analogue TV, which has completely disappeared from Korea, stood in the corner. Overall, everything was simple.

Chairman Royce’s male secretary told me that today’s meeting would happen on the premise that it would not be reported. I felt drained. After meeting a few Korean reporters, including myself, Chairman Royce was planning to meet Tae-Yeon Jo, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, who had come from Korea. On one side of the Chairman’s office hung twelve photos. There were photos of him with President Park Geun-Hye and former President Lee Myung-Bak. I did not, however, see a photograph with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. There was a single large central photo among eleven photos, but I didn’t recognize the background scenery in it.

Chairman Royce came into the room, and before I even asked he told me, “That’s a photo of the Cheonan Warship.” I turned to look at the photo once more, and only then recognized the familiar Cheonan Warship split in two. I was curious as to why the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs would hang a photo of the sinking Cheonan ship on March 26th, 2010. He was busy, but I felt free to ask him about the photo. I had so many questions I wanted to ask: Korea-Japan relations, the American viewpoint on the rising strength of China, the issue on comfort women, etc. Last January 31st, Chairman Royce visited a former comfort woman in Glendale, California. He said, “My father fought in the Atlantic during World War II, my uncle in the Pacific. This is what my uncle told me: ‘Japan must apologize to Korea and America must demand an apology from Japan.’ I think that we must not deny the history of Japan.”

The Washington Times, owned by the Unification Church, was championed by the conservatives.

There are more Muslim students enrolled in the university run by the Unification Church than originally anticipated.

The businesses continue with impressive funding, even after the passing of Rev. Moon.

It was thanks to The Washington Times that an editor of a weekly paper from Seoul was able to meet such an influential person in the U.S. House of Representatives. Today’s meeting was arranged by The Washington Times. Thomas McDevitt, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Times and Michael Jenkins, an executive of the Unification Church’s business in America, had also come. After meeting with Chairman Royce, I also met Matt Salmon (Arizona), who is also a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. After him, I met two other former Congressmen. In all, I met four current and former Congressmen on that day. The Washington Times told us that they were able to schedule more interviews with other Congressmen and encouraged myself and the other reporters to join them. We all, however, thought we had gotten enough information from the Congressmen and politely declined.

As one of the most influential media organizations in America, The Washington Times cannot be ignored by the congressmen. Their influence with the conservative Republican Party is especially considerable. The Washington Times was founded by Rev. Sun-Myung Moon of the Unification Church in 1982. It would have been difficult for Korean reporters to meet an American Congressman if he had not founded the paper and continued to develop it.

Matt Salmon, who is in his sixth term, said that, “The Washington Times is extremely important for the conservative voice in America, and I am grateful for the role it has played.” About the late Rev. SunMyung Moon he said, “I have met him several times. He is an amazing person.” Congressman Salmon is fluent in Chinese. On China he says, “China is being rash in southern China,” and criticized the land disputes with the Philippines and Vietnam. “The U.S. is dependent on China economically. However, we are worried about their military expansion. We are very concerned about China.”

Congressman Salmon spoke very pessimistically about the Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama. He referred to the situation in Syria and Iraq, stating, “If the U.S. does not intervene and a crack is created, China and Russia will push that crack completely.” He says it is due to the lack of power in the Obama administration. Additionally, he said, “Not too long ago, Secretary of State John Kerry said in a Congressional Committee meeting that the U.S. diplomat’s priority is global warming…How can the political leader of our diplomacy say such a thing?” He was very upset.

I came to Washington, D.C. and New York in America on an invitation from the Tongil Foundation. America was the stage for Rev. Moon’s main projects, and the Unification Church wished to promote these past activities. As I remembered, the Unification Church caused a whirlwind in America in the 70’s and 80’s. Hippies, addicted to drugs and alcohol, began to change and became a topic of conversation in American society. Their neat clothing and hair as they carried out their mission work was surprising. Rev. Moon even held a mass gathering of hundreds of thousands on the front lawn of Capitol Hill. (September 9, 18)

Personally, it had been a long time since I last visited New York and Washington, D.C., over 15 years, actually. On being invited by the Unification Church, I thought that I might as well go. I didn’t know very much about the Unification Church; however, I came to learn through this business trip what Mr. Moon did in America. And based on his American projects, I learned of his goals for South America and the Middle East.

Last June 17th, in New York, I arrived past midnight and met Chang-Shik Yang, Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF). He told me, “Rev. Moon and his family arrived in Washington on December 17th, 1971. Since then, his work has been based in America. At first, he was not welcomed. He came from a country that was receiving aid from the United States. However, when the hippies started to cut their hair and change their outlook on life, people became interested as thousands and then tens of thousands of people did this.” Rev. Moon came to America and said, “America is sick. I have come as the doctor. The house of America is on fire. I have come as the firefighter.”

The next day, I met with Ki-Hoon Kim, President of the Family Federation of World Peace (FFWPU). He said, “In August, it will have been two years since Rev. Moon passed. He came to America for the first time in 1965, fifty years ago. He entered the country in February of 1965 in San Francisco, and rode a Volkswagen around America for thirty-three days. This weekend, we will hold an event in San Francisco to reflect on his heart and determinations during that time.” Since the passing of Rev. Moon, his wife, Dr. Hak-Ja Han Moon has been leading the Unification Church.

As already mentioned, I confirmed The Washington Times’ considerable influence as we met several congressmen. The Washington Times office building is located twenty minutes west of the U.S. Capitol Building, and is easily reached by car. Thomas McDevitt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Washington Times, said, “The profit and influence of the company has improved considerably in recent years. This year, we are returning to the black.” Chairman McDevitt told me that “The Washington Times is the representative flagship voice of the American conservative movement. Our future is bright.” He also shared his connection to Korea with me, “My wife’s name is Soon-Ja Lee, and she is from Jeon Nam.”

The prime of The Washington Times was around the collapse of the Cold War during the Reagan administration (1981~1989). John Solomon, editor of The Washington Times, said, “President Reagan said The Washington Times contributed to the Soviet collapse.” And that “Everyday a staff member from the White House would come directly to our office to take the day’s paper to President Reagan’s desk. The Washington Times became known as the paper the President reads.”

Chairman McDevitt added, “It is true that after the Cold War ended, The Washington Times’ voice was weak for ten years. However, during the Lewinsky scandal, America experienced a morality crisis. Then 9/11 happened. These things led the culture to shift their attention to The Washington Times. It became a crucial turning point at which to promote interreligious projects.” He also boasted, “The Washington Times is being quoted and reported by numerous media outlets. The circulation for the White House, Congress and the Administration hovers around 10,000. We have a considerable amount of influence over the American opinion leaders. We have even been named third in influencing the U.S. Congress, after The New York Times and The Washington Post.”

Although FOX TV argues conservatively, the pundits of The Washington Times were aware that in all other cultural fields, they were liberal. For example, only The Washington Times argues against same-sex marriage. This issue never surfaces in other newspapers or broadcasts. It appears that The Washington Times dug up many of the liberal Obama Administration’s mistakes. Larry Beasley, President of the Times, says, “We print 44,000 papers. Unlike other American newspapers, we publish four pages of opinion articles every day. The opinion pages influence the public, and is the spine of our paper.” Out of 80 reporters in the editorial department, ten are editorial writers.

The legend of the Unification Church is that they hold considerable wealth in both America and Korea. The New Yorker Hotel in New York City is a property of the Unification Church. It is located in Manhattan where 34th Street and 8th Street meet. The New Yorker has been around for 90 years, and has the most rooms in Manhattan. It is currently a four-star hotel. Three of the floors are facilities for Unification Church missions. This was where I stayed when I came to New York. According to Michael Jenkins, head of the Family Federation’s business department, when the New Yorker Hotel of Manhattan was purchased in 1975, it was worth five million dollars. However, now it is worth nearly four billion dollars on the market. They invested thirty million dollars in an extensive renovation, and recruited a female businesswoman to raise the efficiency of the hotel. Their focus shifted from missionary work to business efficiency. Ann Peterson, president of the New Yorker Hotel, said, “The hotel was a three-star hotel. However, after the renovations ended, using the world-class hotel chain Wyndham, we became a four-star hotel in May.” According to her, there are only six five-star hotels in New York City. As the business in the neighboring areas underwent major developments, the value of the hotel property also went up. Also, when the 230 million-dollar “Hudson Yard Project” finishes, the media group Time Warner will move in.

Ki-Hoon Kim, President of the Family Federation, oversees both the missionary and business operations in New York. He did not disclose to me the profit margins of Unification Church businesses in America, saying that, “Those numbers are not even released internally.” However, he did say, “Numerically, we are making an enormous profit.” He added, “At the end of this year, The Washington Times will come out of the red and will begin making profit next year.” Michael Jenkins, who came together with President Kim, explained the fishing industry in the Bering Sea (Ocean Peace Inc.) and the ship repair company (Master Marine). President Kim said there were three deep-sea ships in the Bering Sea at the moment and that “The profit from those ships is larger than the profit of the New Yorker Hotel.” The American government granted permission for twenty ships to operate in these waters, and three of those twenty belong to the Unification Church. Tuna and other fish are exported straight to Japan from the ships immediately after they are caught. The fish are not brought to the Seattle headquarters. President Ki-Hoon Kim told me, “Besides these three ships, we have hundreds of medium-sized ships.” They also own a large number of Japanese restaurants. “The purpose of the businesses is to support the missionary work of Rev. Moon,” said President Kim. There have even been lawsuits surrounding the immense wealth owned by the Unification Church and, after the passing of Rev. Moon, between his sons.

The prime of The Washington Times was around the time of the collapse of the Cold War when Ronald Reagan was president. The editor said, “President Reagan said that The Washington Times contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.,” and that “The Washington Times became known as the paper the President reads.”

The reason why Rev. Moon moved his base from Korea to the United States in 1971 was because his actions were being restricted in Korea. Things did not go according to his expectations, and he was accused of being a cult leader. He secured a home in Irvington, New York, raised his children there, and was able to begin his projects on a larger scale. The leader of missionary work in the United States is FFWPU President Michael Balcomb. He works under the leadership of President Ki-Hoon Kim. “Rev. Moon’s goal was to make America God’s champion,” he said. Rev. Moon’s goals were to rebuild the collapsing values of American society at the time, encourage reconciliation between world religions and solve the dilemma of rampant materialism. UPF Chairman Chang-Shik Yang added, “At first, he was not seen positively, as he came from a nation that received aid from the United States.” At the age of 64, Rev. Moon was even incarcerated for a year and a day over tax evasion charges over allegedly underreporting his income by $162,000 on Federal tax returns.

The Unification Church’s interreligious activities were interesting to say the least. I barely knew about these activities. I was curious about why the Unification Church, which began from Christianity, and was perceived by mainstream Christianity as a cult, would spearhead interreligious activities. When I visited the UPF office in Tarrytown, New York, located some distance away from Manhattan, I heard about this field. UPF is a registered NGO in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Secretary General Taj Hamad of UPF told me about an event held in the capitol of Indonesia, Jakarta, right after the 9/11 terror attacks.

“After the 9/11 terror attacks, America was filled with hostility towards Muslims. Rev. Moon said that Islam is not bad. He held a conference between religions, saying that the true Islam must be known. He said, “I will pay for it. Let’s hold the conference in the name of Muslims. I approached the former President of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid. As a result, we held a conference in Jakarta two months after the 9/11 attacks.” He showed me media from this conference and I noticed that the conference was titled, “Islam and the Future of World Peace,” and the conference was held on December 20th to the 23rd, 2001 in Jakarta. It is rare for anyone to open their wallets because most of Christianity held hostile feelings towards Islam and needed to understand them.

Visiting the University of Bridgeport on June 20th was also an interesting experience. Bridgeport holds the largest population in Connecticut. Rev. Moon took on the University in 1992. It takes over 90 minutes to drive from New York City to Bridgeport. Neil Albert Salonen, President of the University, graduated from Cornell’s Chemical Engineering Department. He said, “Our university welcomes religious activities from all religions. Asserting a specific religion in America is politically incorrect.” He continued, “There are many Muslim students.” After the Chinese international students (about 500) the Saudi Arabian students make up the most of our international students. President Salonen said that there are also a little over 200 Hindu students. Hindus are, of course, Indian. The current students population is about 5,000. About 40~50% are Unification Church members. There are about 10 to 20 Korean students.

After the United States, the Unification Church is famous for its activities in South America. A member explained, “America is a Protestant nation and South America is a Catholic region.” NGO activities in the Middle East are also an extension of the interreligious activities. They explained that, together with Christianity, the three religions thought to be descendants of Abraham are Judaism and Islam. The aim was to harmonize the three. The Unification Church carried out activities dedicated towards the peaceful coexistence between the Israelites and Palestinians. Now that I think about it, they hold a considerable network here, as well. A few years ago, a KBS reporter was detained and released while covering the Gaza Strip. It was known that the Unification Church held a critical role in releasing the reporter. Their recent interest in the rebellion in Syria and the NGO activities they carried out are also in the same context.

The hosts arranged a meeting in Washington, D.C. with two ministers from Atlanta, Georgia, located in the southern United States. They were Luonne Abram Rouse, who holds the record for being the first black minister of a white church, and Mark Abernathy (54), who works in a black and white mixed church. Some Americans go to church according to their skin color. There are very few locations where they attend services together. Rev. Abernathy showed me a photograph, telling me how in 1997, the white supremacy group, the KKK, came to his church and attacked his father, the head pastor at the time. They tore his clothes and carried a flaming cross to the church yard to conduct a ceremony. The root of racial discrimination in the South is still very deep. Rev. Abernathy, a graduate from the prestigious Georgia Tech University, was selected as the speaker of the year by the National Association for the Advanced Placement of Colored People (NAAPC). He joined Rev. Moon in a fifty-state tour and told me his and Rev. Moon’s message of “Break down the walls” was the same. When asked if he wasn’t worried about acting together with Mr. Moon, who was known to be a cult leader, he answered, “It is normal for religious leaders to be misunderstood. His vision allowed crazy people like us to come forward.”

The Unification Church’s international marriages are what make them famous in the media. To outsiders, it seems strange to see so many couples wed internationally together. Why do they arrange international marriages, including marriages between black and white and Korean and Japanese? The leader of Unification Church missions in America, President Michael Balcomb said, “I was also married in the 1982 mass wedding of 6,000 couples. My wife is Japanese.” He added, “The 2012 mass wedding in Gapyong, Gyonggi-do was covered by America’s ABC and England’s Channel 4. The direction of the coverage was whether a marriage between races and tribes would work. I know many people wed in a mass wedding who say that it is better than a traditional marriage.”

Thomas Walsh, a representative of UPF International, said, “It is based on the thought the family will change the world and not religion.” Rev. Moon considered “exchange marriage” as vital, and encouraged marriage between people of different nations and religions. UPF General Secretary Hamad said, “Rev. Moon suggested marrying with your ‘enemy.’ We must overcome the divisions and barriers between religions and cultures, but this will not be solved through conferences. It will be solved through the marriage between a man and a woman. I am from Sudan. My wife is from England. England colonized Sudan.”

It has been two years since Rev. Moon left this world. What will happen to this Unification Church that he started? American Family Federation President Michael Balcomb, the leader of missionary work in America says, “People say that because the founder died, the organization will not last. I don’t agree with this. Look at Christianity. It grew after the death of its founder.” He continued, “It took the Mormon Church 120 years to be recognized as a religion. Their congregation expanded during the last 50 years, and by 2010 they had grown so much they had a presidential candidate (Republican Candidate Mitt Romney). It’ll take time, but we will grow as a new religion in America.”

According to the Broadway musical ticket dealer on the first floor of the New Yorker, the most popular musical in New York’s Broadway is “The Book of Mormon.” I knew that a Mormon had become well-known as a presidential candidate, but I didn’t know they were popular in the musical arena as well. Now that I think about it, I remember reading in a business book that recently that heads of Mormon corporations were emerging as successful CEOs and executives among American businesses. Just as they did in the past, American white missionaries still approach passersby in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. What about the Unification Church? I can’t deny that the work of Rev. Moon in America is impressive. I wonder if there are any other Koreans who left as big a mark as he has in America. Of course, each person is entitled to their own judgments.

---

Photo Notes:

The south view of Manhattan Island from the Empire State Building in New York, U.S.A. The arrow indicates Freedom Tower, which stands in place of the World Trade Center destroyed on September 11th, 2001. After the 9/11 terror attacks, the late Rev. Moon saw the anti-Muslim atmosphere and thought, “ This is not right.” Rev. Moon then held an interreligious conference in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Rev. Moon (right) of the Unification Church meeting U.S. President Nixon at the White House in 1974.

Photographs hanging on the wall of U.S. Congressman Edward Royce’s office. The large photograph in the middle is of the Cheonan ship split into two.

The New Yorker Hotel owned by the Unification Church is located at 8th and 34th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA (indicated by the arrow) The American mission headquarters is also located here.

The Unification Church catches tuna in the Bering Sea. Located in Seattle, the Ocean Peace Inc. boats haul in a bigger profit than the New Yorker Hotel.

The Relationship between Sun Myung Moon and Brazilian Football

[News Is Eyes: Korean Weekly Magazine] What is the Relationship between Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the Unification Church and Brazilian Football?

With the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup quickly approaching, members and followers posed the following question, “Where do you think our nation, Korea, will place?”

‘True Father’ thus answered, “How should I know?”

“Where did we place at the (Seoul) Olympics (of ’88)?” “We placed 4th.”

“Is that so? Well, we will probably place about the same this time as well.” “Eh~ No way!”

To Rev. Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012), Chairman of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, soccer was a synonym for peace. The International Club Soccer Federation, established in 2002, did not hold the “Peace Cup” in vain. Pele, known as the “Emperor of Soccer,” was the honorary ambassador of the Peace Cup. Pele regarded Rev. Sun Myung Moon as his “spiritual father.”

Pele is not the only great icon of the soccer world who looks up to Rev. Sun Myung Moon as a father figure. Marco Polo del Nero, who was elected president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, also regards Rev. Sun Myung Moon as a father figure. Del Nero was praised by Rev. Moon as having “a good head on his shoulders…He could become the president of Brazil.” This inspired Del Nero, a lawyer at the time, to pursue a career in politics. In Brazil, soccer and politics go hand in hand.

Studying Religious Figures: The Path of the “Global Citizen,” Sun Myung Moon

Ki-Hong Han - Monthly JoongAng
May 2014

Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon Proclaims the Cheon Il Guk Scriptures and Actively Carries on Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Work

The following appeared in the May 2014 issue of the Monthly JoongAng, a news publication associated with the JoongAng Daily, an influential newspapers in Korea.

Dreaming of a Nation without Borders and a World without Conflict

Heading Toward the Completion of the Ideal True Family Based on the Pure Love of Couples

Rev. Sun Myung Moon always taught his followers that they should not “speak without following through with actions.” Just as his life demonstrated, he devoted all of his strength to changing the world through the power of actualization. The accomplishments he achieved on earth were beyond those of an ordinary man. Many still wonder how he was able to continue exerting so much strength to accomplish such extensive missions, even in the midst of the extreme persecution and misunderstanding he faced throughout his life. The answer is that he possessed determination to establish the Nation of Cosmic Peace and Unity (Cheon Il Guk) on earth. On February 12, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification held commemorative events on the first anniversary of Foundation Day at the Cheong Shim Peace World Center in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, in order to announce the substantial launch of Cheon Il Guk. This was just one of the many endeavors left behind by Rev. Moon.

Rev. Moon’s vision of one community of humankind, Cheon Il Guk, refers to the actualized ideal world of one family under God, in which all humankind can serve God as their parent. Cheon Il Guk is not to be simply an abstract idea or philosophy. It is meant to be the ideal world of freedom, peace, unity and happiness, managed through true love, and a world centered on God. Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon advocates that this ideal world would be governed under a constitution of heavenly law based on true love and God’s word. Hence, she proclaimed the Cheon Il Guk scriptures, which are meant to serve as guidelines for the citizens of Cheon Il Guk in leading their lives.

Rev. Moon revealed that Cheon Il Guk would be completed in adherence to laws and standards and stressed that God’s word (logos) was to be the basis and the root philosophy of the Cheon Il Guk Constitution. Three principles in particular were listed as the foundation for the Cheon Il Guk Constitution, protection of the pure bloodline, respect for human rights and thorough protection and management of public funds. Rev. Moon stated that anyone that commits adultery destroys the family, that anyone that misuses public funds or violates human rights destroys the structure of society and that anyone that abuses these laws has no right to be a citizen of Cheon Il Guk. The Cheon Il Guk Constitution contains a preamble, general provisions, eleven chapters, ten sections, ninety-two articles and a hundred and ninety clauses, including six chapters on the establishment of each organization. Chapter three in particular reveals the members of the Cheon Il Guk Supreme Council, who are to be the ultimate deciding authority in all important matters pertaining to Cheon Il Guk.

(The August 23, 2013 Commemorative Ceremony of the First Anniversary of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Universal Seonghwa at the Cheong Shim Peace World Center. Rev. Sun Myung Moon always boldly promoted efforts toward the actualization of a conflict-free world.)

The Cheon Il Guk Constitution was enacted last year on Foundation Day. For the past year, efforts were made in preparing laws regarding the operation of the Cheon Il Guk Supreme Council. This year, on the first anniversary of Foundation Day, the Cheon Il Guk Constitution was officially proclaimed as Dr. Han conveyed the Constitution to the regional presidents representing the world. Over the next sixty days, the Constitution was publicly promoted; and the Constitution assumed its role in stating the customs, standards and guidelines by which the substantial Cheon Il Guk will be settled and completed.

In addition, Dr. Han laid the groundwork for a new beginning by publishing three holy scriptures, which are to become the basis for the lives of Cheon Il Guk citizens. Cheon Seong Gyeong and the Pyeong Hwa Gyeong were revised and released last year on Foundation Day. With the release of the final volume, the Cham Bumo Gyeong, the three holy scriptures are now complete. The Cheon Il Guk scriptures were composed from material extracted from the 650 volumes of The Sermons of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, as well as from given lectures in Korea and abroad, systemized and reorganized in book form. Cheon Seong Gyeong contains guidelines of faith that Rev. Moon gave to his disciples throughout his life. Cham Bumo Gyeong describes in detail the accomplishments of a life lived for the salvation of humankind and for God’s liberation. Pyeong Hwa Gyeong is a compilation of Rev. Moon’s public speeches. Each volume is 1,648 pages long.

In his autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, Rev. Moon says, “I have always promoted a world in which all religions, all peoples and all nations are united. All of human history has been filled with endless division.” This passage clearly demonstrates his wish for the fulfillment of one family under God.

“A Country Divided by National Borders Cannot Last Forever.”

Rev. Moon stressed that national borders must first be eliminated before world peace can be realized. He believed that “a country divided by national borders cannot last forever. Religion is the only thing that is able to overcome national borders.” As seen through the establishment of the European Union, the collapse of national borders has now become an unstoppable trend that is catching on so that regions, too, will no longer be separated from one another. Rev. Moon’s proposal for the construction of an International Peace Highway in 1981 also reflects his sentiment and wish for “a world without borders.”

The International Peace Highway is to connect Japan and Korea through a tunnel running along the ocean floor, as well as North America and Russia, through a tunnel or bridge across the Bering Strait. When this highway is completed, it will be possible to drive by car from the Cape of Good Hope in Africa to Santiago, Chile, or from London to New York. The entire world will be connected without any obstacles, as veins are when running through a healthy body. Naturally, depending on the conditions, tracks may take the place of roads, creating high-speed railways.

The International Peace Highway project is to be constructed with four lanes on either side of a median strip. The kilometer-wide strips of land flanking the highway are to become international neutral zones. Hotels and various leisure facilities are to be constructed in these areas as well. A pneumatic tube system will be implemented to accommodate freight. Immigration offices will be made redundant by a no-visa international immigration system; and major cities and suburbs will be connected to the highway, together with airports. Shipments of war goods and supplies will, of course, be banned from the International Peace Highway, as proposed by Rev. Moon.

In order to carry out his plans, Rev. Moon immediately formed a preparation committee in Japan for the construction of the International Peace Highway. In April 1982, a construction company for the International Peace Highway (HCC) was established. In May 1983, the Committee for the Research of the Korea–Japan Tunnel was formed; and in July of that same year, inquiries into the land and sea quality began in Karatsu (in Saga Prefecture on the Island of Kyushu, Japan), as well as on Iki and Tsushima. Then, in October 1986, pilot construction began for research purposes in Chinzei (also in Saga Prefecture) and Nagoya (on Honshu, Japan’s main island). Currently, excavation work is underway in Karatsu on the Higashimatsuyama Peninsula (on Honshu). By July 2005, they had dug down four hundred meters, ending beneath the ocean floor.

The International Peace Highway is a project that aims to connect Japan and Korea through a tunnel beneath the ocean floor, as well as Russia and the North American continent through a bridge or tunnel across the Bering Strait. The project’s goal is to connect the world as one global village.

At the end of June 2005, Rev. Moon went on tour, speaking in Washington, D.C. and three other major United States’ cities, where he again discussed the importance of an ocean floor tunnel across the Bering Strait. On September 12 that year, he officially announced the Bering Strait Project in New York. And in January of 2008, he registered the World Peace Tunnel Foundation as an official nonprofit organization with the Korean government’s Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. The Foundation has held a Korea–Japan Tunnel Forum and a Bering Strait Peace Forum and is carrying out work in which people from the countries involved—namely, Japan, Russia, and America—are able to cooperate with one another.

The UN Must Live Up to its Name as a Peacemaker

Rev. Moon talked about how the world can be changed in just a day—how anyone would be able to cross national borders and get along with other nations like neighbors—how peace could come naturally in this way. He felt that this phenomenon would break down the walls between religions and promote communication between races, thereby completing a united cultural revolution.

Rev. Moon was optimistic even about the tremendous financial resources needed to complete the two projects. He said that the amount of money that America invested in the Iraq War would be more than enough to complete the tunnel projects. He emphasized that the money would not be wasted as it was on war and that guns and knives could be melted down to make plowshares and ploughs.

He also argued that in order to bring about harmony between the countries involved, the UN’s role as a world government needed to change. The UN should not seek to serve the needs of one country, but rather the needs of the whole world. To carry out this role, Rev. Moon proposed that the UN should be restructured as a bicameral institution consisting of an upper house and a lower house that lives up to its name as a mediator of conflicts. He believed that when diplomats from the countries fulfilled their roles as upper house members that discussed solutions to the world’s problems, peace could eternally come to dwell on earth. Thus, Rev. Moon proposed the creation of the “Abel UN” as a substitute to the current UN. These and Rev. Moon’s other plans for world peace are unexpected and yet concrete.

Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who inherited Rev. Moon’s work, is investing her energies in comforting those in need in neighboring countries. Through the events on the first anniversary of Foundation Day, she especially encouraged the married migrant women of the Philippines after the typhoon that ravaged their nation. Dr. Han donated one million dollars in relief funds to the victims of the typhoon. And on February 8, she hosted the “Peace Sharing Event for Migrant Married Philippine Women–Love you, Philippines! Thank you, Korea!” event at the Seoul Citizen’s Hall.

Rev. Moon’s model for a Cheon Il Guk community begins with the family. He stated that when a complete man and woman become a couple, form a true family, and then expand that true family to a tribe, race, nation and world, the ideal community can be formed. Rev. Moon’s method for fulfilling a concrete vision for an ideal human community can be found within the Marriage Blessing. The utopia and heaven on earth longed for by all of humankind can now be established on earth through the Marriage Blessing.

The “Unification Principle” records in detail God’s purpose for creating human beings, the cause and result of the Fall, the goal of the providence of salvation, the principle of indemnity needed to return to God’s embrace and all processes of restoration. According to these teachings, the Marriage Blessing is the concrete program of salvation that allows humankind to return to God’s embrace.

On February 12, at the Commemorative Ceremony of the First Anniversary of Foundation Day, the Cosmic Blessing Ceremony by the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind (International Mass Marriage Blessing Ceremony) was held at the Cheong Shim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. The ceremony was attended by two thousand five hundred couples on site and twenty thousand couples in about fifty other countries via satellite.

The transnational, interreligious international Blessing Ceremony held by Rev. Moon contains the grand, lofty will of God’s providence of salvation. Starting in May 1961, with the marriage of thirty-six couples, Rev. Moon has been performing International Marriage Blessing Ceremonies on a larger scale than anyone else throughout all of history.

View of the inclined shaft of the Korea-Japan Ocean Floor Tunnel located in Saga, Japan. These lofty plans represent Rev. Moon’s wish to tie the world together as one. (Photo provided by the Family Federation)

On August 24, 1992, Rev. Moon defined the mass marriage ceremonies as “eliminating the original sin of humankind, recovering the true love, true life and true lineage of God, and a ceremony of rebirth for all of humankind. It is the cradle of peace that manifests the ideal of truly becoming one global family that transcends race and national borders.” The Marriage Blessing is significant as a rite of passage for human beings to return to their original state at the time of the Creation.

During his lifetime, Rev. Moon established many movements for true families and the propagation of high moral standards throughout the world, in order to solidify the foundation for the Blessed Families. Rev. Moon’s “Restoration of a Completed Family” can be seen as a philosophy that is universally shared by all humankind.

The Unfolding of a Movement for Purity through New Values

The True Family Movement is to become the foundation for the establishment of the order of love, centered on God. A man and a woman are to become a true couple based on God’s love, forming a family together. The goal is to give birth to good children and expanding the family to create a true race, a true nation and a true world, creating God’s nation on earth. When this happens, all humankind will become brothers and sisters with God as their parent. This is the meaning of the Marriage Blessing, which serves as guiding principles for the True Family Movement. The movement was carried out to have human beings be reborn into true parents, true couples and true sons and daughters amid the blessings of God, who is the origin of true love. There are currently hundreds of thousands of second- and third-generation blessed children around the world today. The International Marriage Blessing is the key factor in the True Family Movement, which is receiving praise as a practical alternative for saving humankind, which is groaning in the quagmire of immorality.

At the 14th World Media Conference, held in Washington, D.C., Rev. Moon said that “expanding and solidifying the True Family Movement so that it becomes a worldwide phenomenon is surely the most important spiritual and cultural revolution for humankind in the twenty-first century.” At that time, America as a whole was pondering the issue of the nation’s youth, who had become ensnared in a culture of decadence and pleasure. Rev. Moon argued that the Fall came about through the misuse of love, and emphasized the importance of pure love. In the Creation as God originally envisaged it, humans were to receive their true parents’ love and grow up mentally and physically protected in true love. The men and women that resulted were to enter into holy marriages with God’s blessings, become true parents and complete the ideal of a true family. It is with this knowledge that Rev. Moon has dedicated his life to purity movements centered on youth, as well as true family movements for those in older generations.

Rev. Moon was so invested in the purity movement that he established a Pure Love Department at Sun Moon University and provided full scholarships for its students. He stressed that men in particular were very important to the purity movement and that both men and women needed to become examples of a pure lifestyle. He developed a new set of values for the purity movement and presented the Marriage Blessing as the most important virtue of a couple’s purity.

When purity movements were first introduced to the world, they received a lot of criticism from Korean women’s groups, which said that they originated from the ideology of male domination. However, recently, people are coming to understand the truth regarding purity movements and the need to redefine the sexual culture, which has traditionally revolved around men. In today’s society, where sexual crimes are becoming increasingly serious by the day, Rev. Moon’s arguments appear quite solid.

Arranged by Senior Reporter Ki-Hong Han

Sun Myung Moon: The Path of the "Global Citizen"

April 2014
Monthly Joong Ang

Rev. Sun Myung Moon in his high school days. In those days, Rev. Moon held lofty academic ambitions; but he was spiritually reborn through understanding the meaning of life and receiving his life's mission.

He Dedicated His Life to God's Liberation

Through prayer and research, Sun Myung Moon discovered a God of sorrow and imprisonment... The Unification Principle clearly analyzes God's creation of human beings, the Fall and the providential process of restoration.

In 1935, when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, Christian churches in Korea underwent a historical change. Japanese imperialism had deprived Korea of her sovereignty and was forcing Christians to worship at Shinto shrines. The Korean people stood at a crossroads. They could either reach a compromise with this reality or fight to overcome their oppression. Spurred on by the Russian revolution, the leftist faction gained power and quickly engulfed the ideological world, causing chaos and confusion. The rest of the world was left paralyzed by the Great Depression. In 1933, Hitler had just gained control of the German government; he would form the Axis Powers with Japan and Italy in 1936 and begin a full-scale military expansion. With these and other events, the world was shaking and swiftly changing.

It is said that the night is darkest just before the dawn. During the darkest time in human history, Rev. Sun Myung Moon was just beginning to understand his own mission. Rev. Moon was born on the sixth day of the first month of the lunar calendar in 1920, a year after the March 1st Movement? In 1935, in his sixteenth year, he received his mission from Heaven on Easter. Shouldering the missions of both human salvation and world peace, he set out on a rigorous life course. He passed away in the eighth month of the lunar calendar in 2012, to fulfill a "second revolution." Rev. Moon shocked the world with his impressive legacy of having evangelized 194 countries in a short period. He boldly reclaimed history and illuminated the path for humanity through countless organizations and large-scale rallies.

In 1860, in the midst of the Meiji Restoration, Japan underwent rapid militarization. While seeking to expand their power and territory; they brought victories in both the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars, and were waiting for the moment to pounce on the Korean Peninsula. The Japan-Korea treaty of 1876 was a stepping stone for Japan to interfere in Korean domestic affairs and become an imperialist country. This treaty was dissolved in 1910 to make way for the enforcement of the Treaty of Annexation of Korea by Japan, which reduced the Korea to a colony of Japan. The Korean people endured atrocious imperialism and humiliation, having had their long history trampled as they failed to keep up with world currents.

However, even under Japanese oppression, Korea churches were greeting the winds of change. A revival, led by Presbyterian ministers Seon Ju Gil, Ik Doo Kim and Methodist minister Yong Do Lee, became just the tonic that the Korean churches needed. At the same time, Confucian theologians were beginning to return from overseas, bringing with them new and varied trends in philosophy and theology

Notably, Rev Seon Ju Gil, who was imprisoned for two years with thirty-three other people during the March 1 Movement, brought hope to churchgoers through his ideas about eschatology and the Second Coming. Rev. Yong Do Lee professed unity with Christ, through his innovative spiritual movements during his short life of thirty-three years. He transcended denominations and kindled the fires of revival by bestowing grace upon every place he visited.

Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, president of the Women's Federation for World Peace, gave the benediction for the brides and grooms at the Blessing Ceremony in the Era to Open the Gates to the Victory, Liberation and Completion of the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind in 2012, at the Cheong Shim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, Korea.

Academic aspirations: Coming to Terms with His Mission from Heaven

When viewed from a providential standpoint, Rev. Moon's appearance, just after the deaths of Rev. Yong Do Lee and Rev. Seon Ju Gil in 1934 and 1935 respectively, was not a coincidence. Why was he called by God to this mission at such a crucial turning point in history? The answer can be found in the philosophy under which Rev. Moon led his life. Even at the young age of ten, he had big dreams for the future. He had academic aspirations to obtain a doctorate degree. In the spring of 1934, at the age of fourteens he transferred to Osan Primary School in Jeongju, which is in North Pyongan Province, in what is now North Korea. There, he was exposed to theological texts for the first time. He began to view the world differently; and his standard of values and judgment developed. He began to doubt his own aspirations and hopes.

"Let's assume that I become a great scholar, attain fame and live in splendor as I wished. Would that mean anything to me? Would that be meaningful to the countless people that are suffering around me? Would my own personal success benefit anyone else? Why is humanity living amidst agony, misfortune and tragedy? What is my purpose in this situation?" These were sonic of the questions he asked himself. He also wrestled with fundamental questions such as "What is the reason that humankind lives in suffering, misfortune, and tragedy? What exactly should I be doing under these circumstances?" In his anguish, Rev. Moon's mission began to become clear to him. He resolved to liberate humankind from agony, misfortune and tragedy, and to illuminate a path and vision of an eternal, ideal world for our descendants.

He deeply pondered questions of life and the universe; and as he sought answers, he came to have a spiritual encounter with Jesus Christ. In the year that he turned fifteen, as he was praying on Easter morning, Jesus suddenly appeared in front of him. It was a revelation through which he reconfirmed his mission of saving humankind.

On October 5, 1985, Rev. Moon's wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon recounted this event. "At the age of fifteen, my husband was living in North Korea, where he received a series of very deep spiritual experiences. To describe in words the things he experienced at that time is difficult. To put it briefly, the spirit world suddenly unfolded in front of him, and he was able to speak with the saints and sages of that world. In the tranquil mountains of North Korea, my husband had several spiritual conversations with Jesus Christ."

Rev. Moon revealed through prayer and research that God was not a glorious God, but rather a sorrowful and imprisoned one. He confirmed that after the Fall, God had been engulfed in sorrow and tears as he searched throughout history to find his lost children. This is how Rev. Moon came to devote his life to the liberation of God and to seek universal truths.

Rev. Moon discovered the Divine Principle, the new truth that would reform the people of the world. With the Divine Principle as the foundation, he planned to guide the world to do God's work. After receiving his mission from God, he devoted every second to elucidating the Divine Principle and establishing Unification Thought!

While studying abroad, in Japan, he kept three Bibles open on the desk in his room -- one in Korean, one in Japanese and one in English. To capture the fundamental essence of the Principle, he invested his whole heart and sincere prayer into understanding its rules and processes. He cross-referenced the Bible to books on science religion and philosophy in order to make his findings accessible to all people. Scientifically investigating the whole providential truth of God and digging up the roots of Christianity were not easy tasks. Rev Moon remembers God as having been cold and merciless toward him at that time. If God had openly shown him affection, it could have become an opportunity for Satan to slander and attack him, so instead he had to pioneer that path alone.

On June 14, 1976, Rev. Sun Myung Moon was featured in the weekly magazine Newsweek for his international evangelical work. "The Unification Church's interpretation of the Bible can be seen as simply a different approach to Christianity,' expressed the Rev. Won Ryong Gang at a 1968 seminar at the Christian Academy House.

The Principle of Creation and Realization of the True Family

Rev. Sun Myung Moon was most curious to understand the origin and basis of the universe and of humankind. After years of struggle in prayer, the answer that God gave was this God and humankind are in a parent-child relationship. From that day, the core teaching of the theology became God is our parent, and we are his children. He has since dedicated his whole life to advocating the philosophy of true love.

Rev Moon wrote Wolli Wonbon, the original text and foundation for the Divine Principle, when he was living as a refugee in Busan. Beginning with the line, "All things originate from the same source," Wolli Wonbon was written over the course of about a year, beginning in May 1950. It is said to be the beginning of the Divine Principle. In 1957, seven years after he wrote Wolli Wonbon in pencil, the Explanation of the Divine Principle was released, and within a further ten years, by 1966, Exposition of Nee Divine Principle was finally published. The process for recording the truth is explained on page twelve in the preface of the Exposition of the Divine Principle.

In the fullness of time, God has sent one person to this earth to resolve the fundamental problems of human life and the universe. His name is Sun Myung Moon. For several decades, he wandered through the spirit world so vast as to be beyond imagining. He trod a bloody path of suffering in search of the truth, passing through tribulations that God alone remembers. Since he understood that no one can find the ultimate truth to save humanity without first passing through the bitterest of trials, he fought alone against millions of devils, both in the spiritual and physical worlds, and triumphed over them all. Through intimate spiritual communion with God and by meeting with Jesus and many saints in Paradise, he brought to light all the secrets of Heaven.

Exposition of the Divine Principle covers three major themes: "The Principle of Creation," "The Human Fall" and the principle of restoration. Other areas covered include "Eschatology and Human History," the Messiah: His Advent and the Purpose of His Second Coming, Resurrection, Predestination, Christology and the Second Advent.

The core teachings of the Unification Principle are revealed in the chapter, "The Principle of Creation." The relationship between God and human beings, the purpose of the creation of human beings and of the incorporeal world (the world after death) are explained in detail in this chapter. This chapter reveals that the purpose for which God created human beings was to obtain individual perfection of one's character, which is necessary to substantiate a true family centered on God, in order to return joy to him. It also states that all beings contain the dual characteristics of an internal character and an external form, and positivity and negativity; and that God created human beings in his image as his substantial object partners. Furthermore, humans were originally to enjoy life in the substantial world death, when they shed their physical bodies and pass into heaven in the incorporeal world, to enjoy eternal life.

'The Human Fall" concretely explains the root of sin that caused all of humanity to descend into contradiction and misfortune. It also outlines the method of eliminating sin in the world and of bringing about a good world. Satan seduced our first human ancestors when they were still in a period of immaturity, and they fell through adultery. The chapter emphasizes that if the standard of love is properly established and a true family is formed, an ideal world can be established on earth for the first time in history.

Eschatology explains that the "end of the world" does not refer to the literal end of the world but to the collapse of the authority of sin, as well as the turning point that will establish a true world of goodness, centered upon God on earth -- the era of hope. Therefore, history has comprised the course of providential salvation and restoration in an attempt to restore what was intended and complete God's original purpose of establishing heaven on earth.

The principle of restoration explains in detail the process of God's providence of salvation, which he established in order to restore the world to the ideal he envisaged at the time of the Creation and reclaim his children from the usurper Satin. The principle of restoration explains the miserable situation of God, who had no choice but to take slow, agonizing steps establishing central figures throughout history for the providence of salvation.

Divine Principle the Alternative Philosophy of Religious Movements

The Divine Principle received great attention for depicting God differently from Christianity's cryptic God through its explanation of the creation of humans, of the Fall and of the providential course of restoration. It overcame the limits and sticking points that could not be explained to atheists or materialists by mainstream religions.

Because modern people live in an era that focuses on science and logic rather than on values, the Divine Principle is highly praised for presenting a systematic, concise view of God, of life of history and of the world.

Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Divine Principle is a topic of interest within religious circles as well. During a three-day public philosophy course held from October 13, 1969 at the Saemunan Presbyterian Church in Seoul, the late philosopher Nam Dong Seo, a retired Yonsei University professor; discussed the Exposition of the Divine Principle during a talk entitled, "The Critical Research of the Unification Church's Exposition of the Divine Principle." Baekseok University Professor Kyung Bae Min described the talk in this way in his book, Korean Christian History, "Professor Nam Dong Seo's research on the Unification Church caused a rare stir in Korean church circles. Professor Seo is a bright, sensitive theologian and the foremost leader in tackling the problems of the modem world within the Korean church, through theological explanations. He described the Divine Principle of the Unification Church as `the most extensive, organized, creative and original piece of theology written by a Korean theologian. It has become a source of renewed energy and new hope for the world's churches.'"

Even at the New Religious Research Seminar at the Christian Academy House in the Ui District of Seoul, September 9-10, 1968, the Divine Principle received high praise. At this seminar, the Unification Principle was introduced for the first time to about forty respected Christian leaders, including Christian Academy Director Rem Won Ryong Kang; Jae Joon Kim, the dean emeritus of Hanshin University; Methodist Theological University Dean Hyeon Seol Hong and Central Theological University Dean Byeong Mu Ahn. "I have waited for a very long time for this opportunity" said Rev. Moon. "I hope that today can provide the incentive to break down the wall between new and established religions, and that we can join hands to accomplish the vast task of the providence together as one."

Rev. Won Ryong Kang, after listening to four Divine Principle lectures, stated in the day's press report, "The Unification Church's interpretation of the Bible can simply be seen as a different approach to Christianity. Contrary to the deductive interpretation of the Bible by established churches, the Unification Church uses inductive reasoning to explain the Bible."

The Unification Church offers a very logical and reasonable interpretation of the Day of Judgment. This philosophy of the Last Days comes across to the people of today, who are surrounded by feelings of danger," remarked Dean Hong.

The "Unification Principle Open Hearing," attended by about two thousand Protestant ministers, also received a fervent response. This feverish attention caught on among clergymen overseas; between April 1985 and July 1988, approximately eight thousand American clerics visited Korea to attend fourteen Divine Principle seminars. The Divine Principle began to make waves throughout the world as it solved the most pressing issues of modem society, cleared up religious conflicts and established its place among religious movements as a legitimate alternative philosophy.

As he prayed and pondered deeply about the questions of life and the universe on Easter morning, Jesus suddenly appeared to the fifteen-year-old youth. It was a revelation in which he received the mission of saving humankind.