IRFF presented to US Administration

by Chris Hayes-London, UK

Upon the invitation of the "Democrats Abroad" of which I have been a member for 2 1/2 years, and during the ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the ending of World War II, I met with Vice President of the United States, Al Gore, together with Admiral Crowe, US Ambassador in London, and Vernon Jordan, a Trustee of the Ford Foundation.

On May 8 and 9, 115 members of Democrats Abroad including myself attended seminars and receptions at the US Embassy and two other venues in central London.

There were several opportunities to speak with the Vice President and the Ambassador and brief them on IRFF's founder, history, and current activities. In particular, I informed them of what IRFF is currently doing in the Balkans with care institutions. I provided them with a media package of our projects over the last five years.

Chris Hayes is the Chief Operations Officer for IRFF in Europe.

How to Do a Blessing Workshop

by Dan Fefferman-NYC

Recently Father instructed Rev. Joong Hyun Pak that all blessed members should be re-educated concerning the Blessing, as a foundation for our Blessing outreach programs through August. Toward this end we in the New York area have been holding Blessing workshops each week since early March. These workshops have been designed to be appropriate for both members and guests.

We have found two very effective approaches so far.

* The Principle-Outline Approach is the easier to re-create and takes only a little re-thinking on the part of the lecturer. Lecture teams headed by James Baughman and Bill & Lisa Lay have been using this approach. It begins with one or two Chapter One lectures in morning session, with emphasis on the family as the school of love and basis for the fulfillment of the purpose of creation. After lunch we have been giving a talk entitled "Human Suffering and the Restoration of the Family Ideal." This is basically a synopsis of Chapter Two and the history of restoration, including the mission of Jesus to establish an ideal family, and the role of the True Parents. (This content could also be described as a short version of the "True Parents and the Completed Testament Age" speech Father and Mother gave during their recent U.S. tours.) In the afternoons, we have sometimes been doing some stretching or "Chi" exercises and guided meditations. The afternoon concludes with a video presentation ("True Love-True Families") and testimonies from Blessed members or couples. A senior member then gives a closing encouragement to further study and participation.

* The Topical Approach involves creating new talks on subjects specific to the question of the Blessing. Dan & Susan Fefferman and Farley & Betsy Jones have been pioneering this approach. In the first of these workshops, we began with a talk on the contemporary crisis of marital commitment. This was followed by a presentation (delivered as part of Sunday Service) on the Blessing from several viewpoints-as a process of divinization and self-realization, as a gateway to eternal love, as a means of restoration of one's lineage, as a way to achieve intimacy and liberation from sexual guilt, as the foundation for raising children free from original sin, and as the key to establishing a moral society, resolving racism and creating world peace. The afternoon schedule is similar to the Principle-outline approach, with my talk on "Sexuality-The Ideal, Reality and Restorative" covering much of the same material as Bill Lay's "Human Suffering and the Restoration of the Ideal Family."

These two approaches are both geared for 1-day seminars. In the New York area, Bill Lay is also conducting a weekly course (covering 7 weeks) for people who are ready for more advanced study in preparation for the Blessing.

We have also used a mini-seminar approach, which is appropriate for evening programs, pick-nicks, open houses, etc. This would include one summary presentation on the meaning of the Blessing, a video and a testimony.

Hopefully, the above will prove useful to those of you preparing Blessing education programs. Anyone who is interested in receiving a copy of lecture notes for the "Topical Approach" seminar can obtain them by calling my voice mail at 212-997-0050 est. 275.

One final note. In guiding us concerning Blessing education programs, Rev. Pak recently emphasized that-while professionalism and good technical preparation are essential-the most important key to a workshop's success is "mobilizing the mysterious power of the spiritual world." In other words, we need to move people's hearts. Well prepared testimonies and the spiritual power of the presenter may thus be the essential elements for success.

And on the feminine side, Betsy Jones has reminded me that there is no substitute for good old fashioned Unification hospitality. She recommends home cooking when possible. If not, make sure members are reminded that the spiritual welfare of new guests is the main idea. Recapturing the spirit of "Love-bombing," it turns out, is just like remembering how to ride a bike. It comes back very quickly, but you've got to remember to peddle.

Healthy Love: Questions And Answers on Abstinence, Part Four

By Teri Lester

This is the last in our series of extracts from Healthy Love: 36 Questions and Answers on Practicing Abstinence.

Today's teen-agers are being sent mixed messages about sexuality. On the one hand they are told not to have sex, but on the other hand they are subjected to an endless stream of information about "safe" and "safer" sex, along with explicit guidelines about how to practice it. They are told that the HIV virus cannot be spread by casual contact, yet they read that the same virus can be detected in human saliva. They are told to be abstinent one moment, and to "practice safe sex" the next.

Safe(r) sex is promoted as something noble, almost saintly, and abstinence is openly criticized as unnatural and unrealistic, even by government representatives. In the rush to persuade youth to embrace the condom, its limitations are glossed over or even completely ignored as if they were nothing more than obstacles standing in the way of the onward march of perfect public health and universal enlightenment.

The Healthy Love program shows clearly that the choice between abstinence and safer sex is a choice between eliminating the risk of AIDS and multiplying it. Moreover, Healthy Love shows that abstinence is not just a question of not having sex, but is one part of a life style based upon the ideal of true love, a life style that is practical, healthy, positive, and, above all, attractive.

The following questions are from the booklet Healthy Love: 36 Questions and Answers on Practicing Abstinence. This booklet and other Healthy Love materials are available for purchase; ordering information is at the end.

1. How do you attract a loving, stable, dependable mate?

We are most attracted to people who are similar to us in some way, people with whom we share common interests and goals. The best way, the surest way to attract a loving, stable, dependable mate is to become loving, stable and dependable yourself. The best thing you can do is to spend your time and energy on developing your own character and personality, with the goal of becoming a mature person capable of sustaining a stable, loving, trustworthy relationship. What happens when you grow into a mature person practicing Healthy Love? You are ready to begin a faithful, monogamous relationship with another mature person who practices Healthy Love. A couple who practices Healthy Love produces a healthy marriage, and then a healthy family.

2. What is a healthy family? How would you describe a healthy family?

Most people would probably say a healthy family is ethical, loving, stable, and loyal. Do you notice that the qualities of a mature person and a healthy family are pretty much the same? Monogamy in a family is the same as self-control in an individual; having a faithful relationship depends on the self- control of both partners. You need to be abstinent after you get married: you need to be capable of abstaining from sex with everyone but your partner, so abstinence before marriage is practice for fidelity after marriage. That's why Healthy Love is such an important part of our growth and development. When we abstain, when our love is healthy, we are free to develop into our full potential as mature, stable, dependable, responsible, loving adults.

3. Why do people want to have sex? What's good about sex?

Sex isn't bad. That's actually why this is such a complicated problem! Sex isn't bad, but it needs to come at the right time. Sex is a very potent force, like fire. Fire can be either good or bad; it depends on how it's used. Sex feels good. It's an expression of love. It makes people feel closer. It makes our marriage relationship special. It's how our families keep growing, it's how the human race keeps developing instead of dying out.

4. What's wrong with "free sex?"

Okay, now what's bad about sex? Or, more precisely, what's bad about premature sexual activity? That's a very important distinction. Sex between two mature, faithful and committed adults is a completely great, positive, wonderful, necessary thing. The problems we discuss are problems that come from sex between people who are not yet mature, and who are not committed to a faithful relationship with just one person. There are three main kinds of problems. First, there are physical problems with premature sexual activity. The most common problems are unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. Second are the emotional problems that result from premature sexual activity. These often include depression, anxiety, insecurity, fear of commitment, and fear of abandonment. Third, there are social effects of premature sexual activity. That means the problems that everyone in society has because some people have unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases. Young girls who have babies can't support themselves, and often they get sick, and their babies do too. Even when the babies are older, these girls may not be able to work because they couldn't finish their education. This is very stressful; when people are under stress they are more likely to abuse or neglect their children. We all end up paying for people who can't take care of themselves. People who catch diseases often can't pay for their own medical care, so we all end up paying for that, too. The social effects of premature sexual activity aren't just financial. The families of people who suffer unwanted pregnancy and disease suffer with them. It's very sad to see people sick, or little children being hurt, so as a society, we end up suffering emotionally as well as financially.

5. What are "safe sex" and "safer sex"?

"Safe sex" and "safer sex" mean having sex using condoms and spermicide. This is supposed to give some protection from pregnancy and STDs, but offers no protection from the emotional problems that result from premature sexual activity.

6. Is safer sex realistic?

Let's look at some facts about condoms. Condoms are supposed to prevent pregnancy by putting a rubber barrier between your skin and the sperm. However, sometimes the rubber falls off or breaks. Because of this, the failure rate for pregnancy is so high that if you have sex twice a week, about once a month the condom might fail.

7. Do condoms prevent the spread of AIDS?

The failure rate for AIDS/HIV transmission is even higher than the pregnancy rate because of a naturally occurring defect in the latex rubber used to make most condoms. In the 1800s, an English doctor discovered that the rubber barrier also gave some protection against STDs. However, all the STDs known at the time were caused by bacteria, not viruses. This may not seem like a problem, but actually it is: viruses are much smaller than bacteria. Rubber is a natural product, and it naturally has microscopic holes or pores in it. These holes are smaller than bacteria or sperm, so bacteria and sperm don't go through the rubber. However, the virus that causes AIDS is hundreds of times smaller than a bacteria, so the rubber doesn't necessarily stop the virus. How big are these pores? If a bacteria is the size of a house, the holes in the rubber are the size of a window - and the virus is the size of a baseball. So the rubber condom is likely to let the virus right through.

8. Is sexual activity safe if it doesn't include intercourse?

Because of the problems with condoms, some people recommend mutual masturbation. There are several drawbacks to this approach. The AIDS virus attacks white blood cells, so wherever there are white blood cells, AIDS may be transmitted. White blood cells are abundant in the mucous membranes - nose, mouth, and genitals. Wherever there is contact with the mucous membranes of an infected person, the virus may be transmitted. All sexual activity involves the mucous membranes. This means that all sexual activity, not just intercourse, may transmit the AIDS virus. Another major problem with mutual masturbation is that once you start, you become stimulated very quickly, and it takes willpower to stop short of actually having intercourse. Then you have very little protection from disease and unwanted pregnancy.

9. Is abstinence realistic?

Often when abstinence is discussed or recommended, nothing is said about the behaviors and choices that lead an individual to engage in sexual activity. It is presented as if, at the moment of passion and excitement, we are just going to decide to pass on the pleasure for now for the sake of future health and wellbeing. This is, quite understandably, not pleasant, and would require enormous willpower. In reality, everyone practices abstinence most of the time. Any time we are not actually having sex, we are abstaining from sex. If you are not having sex with every attractive person you meet, then you are practicing abstinence - so you must know of some context in which abstinence is realistic. What we need to do is learn how to practice abstinence consistently. Abstinence can be learned and practiced the same way we learn and practice any other skill, from playing the flute to driving a car.

If you want to order Healthy Love materials, the Question/Answer booklets are $1.00 each, or .80 for 10-20 copies, or .75 each for 21 or more copies. The 86-page manual is $8.00, and the original student booklets are $2.00 each, or $1.25 each for 10-20 copies, or $1.00 each for 21 or more copies. There is no extra charge for shipping within the US (if you live in Kansas, please add sales tax). Overseas orders please add 50% for airmail shipping. Mail your order with check payable to RUC Publications, 12736 West 110th Terrace, Overland Park, KS 66210. Call me, Teri Lester, at (816) 756-5997, or email to TGLIT@delphi.com.

Great Truths Course Taught at National Headquarters

For the past seven weeks, Bill Lay has been conducting a weekly course, entitled "The Great Truths, Happiness, the Family and First Principles." The course discusses the attainment of happiness through building healthy families. Bill and his wife Lisa are currently the directors of the Family Federation for Unification and World Peace and the Blessed Family Department for the New York state portion of the New York metro area.

Bill developed the course primarily to serve as an intermediate level of preparation for people interested in participating in Blessing 95, but it has also served as a means of introducing people to the Divine Principle. The class meets every Friday evening, 7-9 p.m., in the New York Room of 4 W. 43rd Street, Manhattan. Dr. Tyler Hendricks was a guest lecturer for one session of the last cycle of classes. The next cycle of classes will begin May 19 and conclude June 30. Another cycle will run from July 7 through August 18.

The weekly topics covered by the course are as follows: Realms of Heart; Eternal Life; Life of Faith; Spiritual Causes of Illness; The Historical Providence of God; Change of Lineage: Christology and Blessing; and The Future of the Family.

Persons wishing to participate in the course may enroll by coming to a class session. Anyone may audit one class without enrolling. The course is also available on audio cassettes. In either case, the course fee is $40. Those taking the course by audio tape will receive a 2-hour tape session each week in the mail. For more information, or to enroll, write or call Bill Lay at 27 Derby Road, Port Washington, NY 11050, tel. (516) 944- 9859.

God as "The Omega Point" - Book Review

Reviewed by Charles Kannal-Columbus, OH

The Physics of Immortality by Frank J. Tipler (Professor of Mathematical Physics at Tulane University) Doubleday 1994, $24.95, ISBM: 0-38-546798-2

In 339 pages (supported by 54 pages of notes), Professor Frank J. Tipler shatters the conventional boundaries of science and religion. Intended for popular distribution, Dr. Tipler insulates the general reader by placing the most technical descriptions in a 120+ page Appendix for scientists. Nonetheless, the book will be a challenge and an eye-opener for most college graduates.

Professor Tipler is not a man of faith. A convinced atheist, he began work on a mathematical model for the end of the universe. What he found turned his frame of reference upside down. Using well-accepted scientific evidence from particle physics, cosmology, evolutionary biology, economics, computer science, and sociobiology, he now asserts "that physicists can infer by calculation the existence of God and the likelihood of the resurrection of the dead to eternal life in exactly the same way as physicists calculate the properties of the electron."

Physicists universally agree that the expanding nature of the physical universe points to its origin as an explosion or "Big Bang" beginning from one point billions of years ago. Dr. Tipler (and others) sought to answer the question, "What would the end of the universe be like as an eventual recollapse into one point?" This gave rise to their Omega Point Theory.

Dr. Tipler came to realize that this Omega Point possesses many of the characteristics traditionally attributed to God: omniscience, omnipotence, goodness, omnipresence, transcendence, immanence, etceteras.

I approach Dr. Tipler's work not as a scientist, but with a profound interest in its philosophical and theological implications.

During the autumn term 1994 at Unification Theological Seminary, Professor Sebastian Matczak taught a course entitled "Unificationism and Western Thought." Dr. Matczak, a renowned Catholic theologian and philosopher, holds deep respect for Reverend Moon, Divine Principle, and the thought behind it. His book Unificationism, A New Philosophy and Worldview (2nd edition, New York, Learned Publications, 1986) is generating an impact in scholarly circles.

One point brought out in Dr. Matczak's course regards the Unification use of "spiritual body" and "spiritual senses." Though acceptable in common parlance, such terminology grates upon scholarly ears. "Body" and "sense" should be reserved for the physical realm to maintain a clear distinction with the incorporeal, immaterial spiritual realm. It is okay to say "spiritual hyung-sang" but not "spiritual body."

Ironically, the use of "substantial" to describe the invisible world is acceptable because it coincides with the philosophical meaning of "substance" (i.e., "the irreducible, essential nature of something existing as itself"). This is very different from the common usage of "substance" in referring to material.

Such a discordance state of affairs seemed unacceptable to me. The Divine Principle explanation of spirit world and physical world offers new, insightful perspective. How could it be easily discounted as a popular but inaccurate description?

Current writers

To address this matter, I examined some current trends which overlap physics with theology. Of particular interest were the works of highly respected physicists David Bohm and Paul Davies. (Davies recently received an award for his contributions to theology.) The conclusion of my term paper for the course states:

"The physical sciences now challenge us daily with revolutionary ideas about the nature of reality. The implications for Western philosophy are enormous. Matter, in essence, is perhaps another form of thought, not its own discrete substance. The need to separate mind and matter thus disintegrates. Spirit and body become congruous, interrelated aspects of existence, not mutually exclusive concepts. And this meshes nicely with the Divine Principle, where everything is expressed as harmonious relationship. Within this context, even "spiritual body" makes sense."

Upon returning to Columbus at the end of the term, Greg Carter shared with me his copy of The Physics of Immortality.

Of note to Unificationsts is that Tipler attributes the ultimate source of his ideas to Marxist thinkers. Thus, the Omega Point Theory expressly emerges from Cain-type ideologue.

A crucial point revolves around the Eternal Life Postulate: that the universe can support life indefinitely. Tipler turns the necessary physical existence of the universe into a proof for the Eternal Life Postulate.

Some conclusions of the Omega Point Theory parallel Unification theology. The relationship between human responsibility and the predetermined end of the universe coincides with the Divine Principle view of predestination. Contrary to orthodox Christian doctrine, but more in line with the Unification understanding, Dr. Tipler concludes that the Omega Point is (probably) not a Triune Deity. Very appealing, and in accordance with God's Providence of Restoration, is Professor Tipler's advocacy of ultimate universal salvation.

But not all aspects of the Omega Point Theory are easily embraced. The mathematics of the Omega Point Theory adopts the "Many-Worlds Interpretation" of contingency in quantum mechanics. (The MWI treats the numerous possibilities described by quantum mechanics as all actually existing in parallel worlds.) Although most quantum cosmologists agree with some sort of many-worlds interpretation, most physicists are not ready to.

Other difficulties involve: Tipler's definition of life as information processing (which will progressively engulf the whole universe): and the resurrection of the dead as a virtual reality in the far distant (living) computers of the future. For this, Tipler invokes the "Identity of Indiscernibles" wherein a perfect emulation of the entire physical universe within the Omega Point cannot be distinguished from the "real" universe. Though I balk at some implications of these points (see below), they are compatible with the observation that reality cannot ultimately be distinguished from the Thought of God.

Tipler's potential explanation for spiritual phenomena, including miracles and the appearance of holy men, is inadequate even in his own eyes. He prefers to dismiss such occurrences as psychological. This aspect of his theory is incompatible with the Unification view of spirit world. However, Tipler allows the possibility of human brains accessing "the data recorded in far future arbitrarily close to the Omega Point in His/Her transcendence." Expanded versions of the theory (perhaps integrated with parapsychology) might bridge this gap. However, I think the work of other scientists dabbling in theories of multiple dimensions to the universe offers better prospects for reconciling physics with the spiritual realm.

Theology and physics

The most powerful element of the Omega Point Theory is its reductionism (simple explanations are superior to complex ones). In fact, this is such a strong scientific argument that Dr. Tipler abandons any pretense of modesty and confidently asserts that theology will become a branch of physics. The Omega Point Theory is powerful because if it can succinctly explain all of reality (including God, spiritual phenomena, heaven and hell, etc.), through known physical laws, then what need have we for any other theory, or irrational belief in unexplainable worlds?

But can the theory actually do so? Not to my satisfaction. There is an inherent weakness in attributing knowledge, logic and intelligence the power to exhaustively describe reality. According to Divine Principle (p. 81) love takes priority over the Principle. Tipler's reductionism eliminates consideration of the mystical aspects to God's heart and purpose in creating.

Thus, one wonders at the wisdom of scientists like Tipler who discount the value of religion until it becomes proven scientifically. For instance, in discussing human relationships of the future, he relies on economists who have proven the utility of "cheap" altruism. Must the Golden Rule require scientific proof before it is taken seriously?

Rather shocking to me, was Professor Tipler's declaration in the penultimate chapter that he will not believe in his own theory until there is more evidence. Acceptance of an ultimately collapsing universe relies upon evidence that the universe will not continue expanding indefinitely. This critical point involves the mass of the universe in ratio to the force of gravity. Nuclear particle physicists are awaiting the detection of the "Higg's boson" which as yet exists only in theory. If the mass of the Higg's boson, and the mass of the "top quark" are found to exist within a certain range, the eventual collapse of the universe can be mathematically proven. Tipler prefers to wait for such evidence before committing himself. As I said, Dr. Tipler is not a man of faith.

A challenge

The haughty dominance of atheism in the halls of scientific thought is at an end. The Physics of Immortality represents a quantum leap for physical science into the realm of religion. It provides a framework for the scientific apprehension of God and how He governs the universe. However, it is less thorough concerning why God does what He does, and is not a convincing explanation for the whole of reality. Tipler's claim that physics will ultimately engulf theology is premature. He has not yet learned: science by itself is blind for it limits itself to what it can perceive and comprehend.

For the man of faith, The Physics of Immortality can be startling and challenging. For it lives up to its boast on the cover jacket: No reader, whether skeptic or believer, will look at the universe in the same way after encountering this remarkable work.

Charles Kannal is currently a student at Unification Theological Seminary.

Ginseng and Health

Hello, my name is Sung Bok Hsu. Thirty-four years ago I came to the United States from my homeland Korea. I entered graduate school and earned a Masters Degree in library science from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland , Ohio.

Over the years my health became very poor and I decided to leave my job as a librarian at a Lutheran Theological Seminary. In 1977, with an investment of $144, I began selling ginseng tea door to door in Columbus, Ohio. With a lot of research and prayer, I developed the Internal Cleansing Program, which has the power to clean the internal organs and enable the natural mechanisms of the body to restore itself back to good health.

Human beings were created to be pure and uncontaminated. Through our concience, our minds are meant to be able to communicate freely with God, but unwanted elements invaded our original mind through the Fall. The path of restoration involves eliminating these undesirable elements, thus regaining our original mind.

The same principle applies to our physical state. The circulatory, digestive, eliminative, and lymph systems were originally clean. Because of many years of improper eating and living habits, unwanted debris accumulated in our systems. The flow in these has now become very sluggish. Our task is to clean out those accumulations and restore our physical systems to their pure state. As we do this, the many symptoms of degenerated health will disappear. We will once again live in a state of optimal health.

This mechanical improvement of the human body can be compared to an automobile engine. A new car comes with clean oil, but the oil becomes dirty as it works to lubricate the engine. The oil is cleaned as it passes through the oil filter. However, after some time the unclean oil and the clogged filter must be replaced. If we do not replace them, the engine will show signs of sluggishness. If we ignore these signs and continue to drive, the engine and other parts will eventually break down, sometimes even beyond repair.

In comparison, the human body is a living system. It is constantly self-cleaning. But if we overload the system with impurities, eventually it cannot handle them anymore and there will be a breakdown resulting in disease.

Already, one in four Americans, now approaching one in three, face cancer. In addition, we have an immense increase of immune related disorders and heart disease. We need to overcome the notion that old age automatically means a breakdown of our bodily systems.

For more than 17 years I have been using the "Internal Cleansing Pro_gram" to clean up internal organs and to rebuild them. This comprehensive approach involves proper eating habits, moderate exercise, a positive mental outlook, and especially, getting rid of the built up toxins and waste products. For example, the colon of the average American is en_cumbered with a lifetime's accumulation of toxic waste. Huge sums of money are spent every year for relief from constipation. Constipation, appearing to be non life-threatening, is usually endured or ignored. But ignoring this problem, or trying to treat it with over the counter "quick-fix" remedies, can lead to more severe problems. Examples of these are hernias, hemorrhoids, and colon cancer.

There are many people who, over the past seventeen years of my program, have changed their way of life. As a result, they have experienced re_mark_able health improvement, such as weight loss and blood pressure regulation. Others have over come diabetes and arthritis. Because of these success stories, I now have twenty associates working with me, publish a nationally distributed newsletter and also broadcast a weekly TV show on a local public access channel. In addition, for the third year in a row, we are holding week-long Spring and Fall health retreats. The internal cleansing principles, which you are learning about through this column, together with the Unification Principles are presented for the renewal of body, mind and spirit.

However, I am not prescribing a method to eliminate debilitating conditions, but rather offer a common sense management of the temple of God.

Many Unificationists have worked hard for many years, sometimes without paying much attention to the well-being of their physical self. I meet many people who are suffering from a variety of illnesses. Some of them are light, some rather serious. Sharing this knowledge, which has already helped so many others, is the reason I decided to write this health column.

In the coming months I will share with you the details of my Cleansing Pro_gram and a few of the testimonies from those who greatly benefited from it.

May God Bless you and be well.

For more information on the Internal Cleansing Program and the Body, Mind & Spirit Health Retreats, send a S.A.S.E. to Hsu Wholistic at 2007 Morse Road, Columbus, OH, 43229 or call us at 1-800-628-8420.

Garden Homes: A New Approach to Housing Ourselves

by Michael Craig-Warren, MI

The intent of this article is to suggest a way in which Unificationism may be substantiated in home design. Not being an architect by trade, my interest in this field arose out of efforts to address the challenges I confronted in my hometown of Detroit.

When our family moved to Detroit after what was for me a 20-year absence, I was shocked and dismayed at how rundown the city had become. Racial polarization was extreme. An 8-mile road, marking the city limits to the north, had become a clear demarcation line between black and white communities. At night, the business district, except for a tiny area of a few blocks known as Greek Town, had become a no- man's land, a place where few whites would willing venture. Many of the beautiful Victorian homes of the inner city had been allowed to decay beyond the possibility of restoration. The city itself could not afford to demolish them. Each year on Devil's night, Detroit's skyline is lit by a hazy red glare, as it had become a tradition for arsonists to torch old buildings for sport. For all intents and purposes, there was little of a city left.

The loss I felt witnessing Detroit's decline prodded me to a study of urban systems. I sought to understand not merely what had gone wrong (which was pretty obvious), but what would constitute the dynamics of a viable urban center. Here I was influenced by the work of Jane Jacobs, particularly her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, first published in the 1950s (possibly the best book ever written on the city). This research made it clear to speak of "urban renewal" without stemming, or even reversing the middle class flight away from the city, would be an exercise in futility. I devoted myself to seeking ways to attract higher income families back into neighborhoods which had slid far along the path of decline. There was no simple solution.

In conjunction with this external challenge, I, along with other Tribal Messiahs in the area, had to deal with the question of how we could better unite to accomplish the goals of Unificationism. Although we knew it would be impossible to succeed in our collective mission unless we pulled together, it was difficult to reach a consensus on how this could be accomplished. In truth, part of our inability to formulate a definitive community arose from the problems of Detroit itself. Most TMs did not want to live in the city for many reasons: crime, inadequate schooling, decaying infrastructures, etc. In the search for quality schooling for our children, and affordable housing in neighborhoods with lower crime rates, we found ourselves spread out over the Metro area. It became impractical to meet as a community except on Sundays and special occasions. As each family became involved in the struggle to feed, clothe and shelter themselves, there was little time and energy left to promote a significant transformation of our collective social environment.

In this regard, the concept "where two or more are gathered" took on a new meaning for me. Single families existing miles apart would never succeed in bringing about the kind of radical change implied by True Parents' tradition. However, a physical community (minimum of four families) could perhaps generate enough "critical mass" to tilt the scales. I had come to believe such a community could not originate in the suburbs. Rather, restoration needed to begin in the urban core itself. To restore the total urban system of Metropolitan Detroit, we had to return to "hell" (Detroit) and transform hell into heaven. This could serve as a base to reverse the middle class exodus, thus reviving Detroit as a veritable city of God.

On the foundation of my desire to accomplish these goals, one day I "received a vision" of a community housing pattern referred to here as the Garden Home. It was a moment of illumination and intense excitement. Although I could not have articulated the reason for inner exultation, intuitively I felt I had been given an answer to my quest. What convinced me this insight came from God (or the angelic world) was that I had given little thought to the specifics of housing in itself. Although a year earlier our membership had discussed the possibility of co-housing (two or three families living together), this never worked out. Thus the insight coming as it did seemed to me an authentic "bolt from the blue."

The illustration accompanying this article is one of many possible ground floor plans for a Garden Home. Take a moment to examine it. What you see is a four-family complex centrally connected by the community dining area. Each unit contains a comfortable margin of living space for a family of five (second floor bedrooms are not shown). There are many reasons why I believe four families is a good number to work it. First because combining four units into one seems to work out well structurally (dynamically resembling the four position foundation). Second, four families seems the minimum necessary to make a functional community sufficiently cost effective per family. Co-housing between two or three families may not significantly reduce the cost of living for each. On the other hand, attempting to create a working community with larger numbers of people, makes the consensus necessary for the smooth functioning of everyday life difficult to achieve. Building communities of 15 to 30 families as represented by the co-housing movement originating in Denmark can take years to get off the ground. The two co-housing groups I know of in Michigan have been recruiting for a couple of years now. Neither have attained their goal as yet.

Erecting a single Garden Home, compared with building four separate homes, would be less expensive for many reasons. Further, the uniformity of structural design would allow these units to be prefabricated, further reducing building costs. Because a Garden Home utilizes less acreage than separate homes of comparable size, this would reduce property costs, as well as freeing more land for gardening and recreation (hence the term Garden Home), in general, this format promotes the conservation of one of our most precious resources-space.

Another way Garden Homes are cost effective is in terms of the community oriented lifestyle they are designed to promote. Within the environment of a Garden Home, participating families could reduce total costs through enhanced cooperation in food buying, babysitting, and a hundred other details of everyday life. There could be co- sharing of big ticket items such as lawnmowers, power tools, etc., as well. It is easy to imagine parents (and older children) having weekly meetings in the community dining area (perhaps over dinner) to discuss ways to cooperate to further reduce the economic burden of raising families. This would free each to devote more time to witnessing and teaching.

What the Garden Home idea suggests is the possibility of using housing as a deliberate tool to create "internal community." Unless we "intend" community we will have social chaos, the same chaos now reflected in urban systems the world over. I recently encountered some early issues of the Mother Earth News. Rereading them brought up a wealth of memories of the "golden age" of the `60s counterculture. It seemed to me Garden Homes can provide a new opportunity to substantiate ideals of common brotherhood we once cherished with such passion and conviction

Perhaps what inspires me most about this idea, however, is the potential to develop a daily environment for our children to experience the intensity of joyful give and take as comes only through a physically based God-centered community (remember that first weekend workshop, gathering with brothers and sisters to sing songs and share testimonies?). Although we have wandered many years in the wasteland of this "misdirected" world, do we wish the same for our children? I believe Father has tried to teach us we can enter the direct dominion of God's love only as a community. To commune from afar, or merely "in the spirit" appears to me insufficient. Such thinking is not the Completed Testament.

This becomes more clear when considering dynamics of viable urban centers. Thriving cities exert a tremendous draw upon their hinterlands, attracting diverse peoples toward the center in ever more complex levels of interaction. This process is critical to the development of rich cultures and strong economies. On the other hand, dying cities function opposite. They are characterized by dispersal, a draining away of the best minds to other places. Given this, to restore our cities we need begin with a physically based nucleus of families living in close proximity (walking distance at least). In this way we may be able to reverse the disintegration and initiate a "centrally directed grown process" once again.

For more information on these ideas, contact Michael Craig, 7515 Jackson, Warren, MI 48091, 810-758-34121.

Faith and the Upcoming Blessing

by Farley Jones-Troy, NY

As we all know, there is now widespread recognition that many of the social ills besetting the United States have their roots in one of several family pathologies: divorce, fatherlessness, teenage pregnancies, single parent families, etc.

What our society offers in terms of a conception of family life and in terms of preparation for family life is inadequate. There is also a widespread inability of Americans to succeed in family life.

All this has taken place in the context of the increasing secularism of American culture, the privatization of religion and the exclusion of religion from the public square.

With the above as background, we should recognize that Blessing '95 is an Affirmation of the family as an institution created by God and as a call to America to reconnect with God through renewing the family. This is a Call from all Americans (black, white, yellow, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Unificationist, Native American, European, Asian and African) to all Americans.

Of course the theme of Blessing '95 is World Peace Through Ideal Families. Accordingly, Blessing '95 will publicly proclaim at least the following:

1. That the family is meant to be the dwelling place of God's true love;

2. That faith in God and spiritual practices are enormously valuable resources for any marriage; and

3. That the intact, healthy family is absolutely necessary to the well-being of our nation.

This is a proclamation that many religious bodies and many religious persons should be able to support. Therefore, Blessing '95 will make a very definite statement about the direction in which America must move for its future well-being and about the relationship of God to that direction. Blessing '95 will thus offer vision for America.

True Parents are those who recognize in a special way the importance of family, who seek through Blessing '95 to promote the building of ideal families and who thus seek to bring Blessing to the world.

Paradoxically, through this very non-traditional event, traditional elements that have sustained our nation-God, family, public spiritedness-can be reaffirmed.

Our life

Theology, it is said, is autobiography. One conceptualizes from his own spiritual experience.

Let us assume, then, that what Father teaches us derives from his own experience with God, i.e., he teaches us what he as God's anointed has learned.

What does Father emphasize these days as the principles of his own spirituality? At the conference in mid-April, he stressed three qualities as absolutes: absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience.

I want to suggest that these are the qualities that we should bring to the Blessing '95 campaign.

First, let us think of obedience. Not something that Americans are used to or perhaps even comfortable with. Without doubt, however, a commitment to obedience is a source of strength. It brings unity with higher authority and with greater power. Ghandi wrote that when he made himself nothing, that is when he was most powerful. Father speaks of the same principle: his goal has been to make himself an absolute minus in front of God as absolute plus. Paradoxically, the flower of obedience is internal power and external authority.

Father has directed that each couple bring 12 other couples to Blessing '95. Let me suggest that each of us try to be obedient to this direction. If we live with this direction in our hearts, we will do well.

Being obedient to this direction means that each of us takes responsibility for his or her portion of the campaign. As Reverend Kwak has said, don't think of the overall goal, but rather think only of your goal and take full responsibility for that. It is only by many individual successes that there can be collective success.

Father also emphasizes absolute faith. Faith counts most on the edge of life, out where we are "pushing the envelope." It is this uncharted dimension which Father has constantly pioneered and to which he calls us. So he often challenges us to "have guts." Let us not be timid, but rather have faith and test the limits. Pioneering new territory, testing the limits, having absolute faith. These also should be our watchwords for this year.

Individually and collectively, we have a great challenge ahead of us. But we need to affirm day by day that success is possible. "It is possible." Let's say it and believe it! That is faith.

Finally, when Father speaks of absolute love, let us think of it as absolute investment. This is the time to make a 100% investment in our work and to act in an absolutely whole-hearted way for the sake of our contacts, our nation and God's providence.

I know everyone is very busy with many things. But however great or little time we are able to put into our spiritual work, we must do it wholeheartedly.

So let us set the standards of absolute obedience, faith and love for ourselves during these next 3 1/2 months. If we set these standards and live conscientiously according to them, great results will be achieved. It's possible!