Economic Prosperity

This is based on an article that first appeared in March 1993. Since that time, millions of Americans have invested in a booming Stock Market. However, during the same period, student test scores for math and economics have plummeted. A basic understanding has become more important than ever.

I used to think economics was boring. The constant barrage of "figures and indicators" can be mind-numbing. George Bernard Shaw once said: "If all the economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion."

Then I heard a speech by a famous investor, who actually made it all rather interesting. Still, as Will Rogers said, "There are lies, damn lies, and statistics." Hence, in this article I’ll try to avoid numbers altogether.

There are many types of economies, from primitive bartering through caste systems, to modern information networks. Each is intimately tied to the particular tradition and government of its host nation.

The United States has the most successful economy in the world; in fact, in all history! We call it the "free enterprise system." The best description I’ve ever seen appeared as a popular office poster. (See illustration.)

Ironically, few realize that it was Karl Marx who coined the term Capitalism, referring to "a system of greed and exploitation, doomed to fail." Many people still believe this, but now they go by other names.

The United States was founded with a unique, untried system. It featured individual rights and responsibilities. Also, limited government. These gave people a chance to succeed -or fail- on their own initiative. Americans had a chance to profit from their own inventiveness, as much as from their skilled, traditional labor.

People were able to innovate, and advance themselves, without caste or regulatory limits. Thus America went from tallow candles to electric lights, from horseback to air flight. We advanced further in a few short decades than humanity had in the thousands of years before! (Read The Mainsprings of Human Progress by H. G. Weaver.)

Yet, even now, those with Marxist ideas are blaming America, and Capitalism, for all the world’s ills. Every drop of our wealth was supposedly wrung out of some hapless slave, or "banana republic" laborer. Recently, we’ve been blamed for the "doom and gloom" of allegedly impending planetary destruction.

Did forced labor perfect the VCR? Did Central American bananas fuel our Apollo moon rockets? Will your lawnmower destroy the Earth? Some prominent people want you to believe it!

Business Ethics

A society can only prosper when both its citizens and government are "on the right track." Workers must be reasonably honest and reliable; willing to "work smart" and "until the job is done." Just ask Boris Yeltsin how it is when people haven’t learned this yet . . .

Government must perform certain vital functions, such as coining sound money, verifying weights and measures, and ensuring safe goods and transportation. (Opposite this, extreme Libertarians want to "privatize" the freeways, parks and rivers, and even the military.)

For the economy to advance, there must be free and fair competition. Better quality and service, lower prices; building a better mousetrap.

There must be protection for risk-taking inventors, in the form of patent laws. The best incentive is still the chance to make a decent profit! Great advances have come from the unlikeliest people.

Government can set standards for practical things, from lumber sizes to motor oils, to measures and signals. Imagine the confusion if things didn’t "match up." That’s what earlier societies had to contend with!

Government plays a key role in "worker’s rights." My grandfather was a longshoreman, working on the docks, and he encountered some of the corrupt Big Bosses of his day. We must never tolerate the horrible "sweatshops" described by Jack London and others.

New businesses must be able to open up in various fields. Thus, there must be Anti-Trust Laws against exclusive "monopolies" and gigantic "cartels." Such have often used their power to crush an upstart, no matter how good it was. One true instance is dramatized in the movie Tucker.

There are modern examples. This author owns a rugged, sophisticated computer watch that cost $80. I’m rather deaf, but a strong hearing aid (using similar electronics) costs more like $1,000. Ranchers can buy antibiotics for a few dollars a pound. Doubtless the reader can think of other examples.

Unfortunately, well-intentioned government regulations can become outdated, overly complex, or just plain ridiculous. "Excessive taxes and regulation" have ruined or driven away thousands of businesses, and thus millions of jobs.

A good depiction of this appeared in the comic strip Broom Hilda. One of the characters decided to start a "shoelace repair" business, tying broken ones back together. He was immediately mobbed by officials wanting to examine every conceivable aspect of his business. He was told to get permits, meet zoning requirements, pay fees, submit written plans, file a steady stream of reports, etc., etc. He quickly gave it up, and declared his business a failure.

Again he was surrounded, this time by officials who offered him aid, relief, compensation, unemployment payments, retraining, and more. (Note that all of these are tax funded-by your taxes.)

State Run

Sometimes governments decide to operate their own State Run Industries. This is more common in other countries-luckily for America. These are true modern dinosaurs: huge, slow, stupid, and dying out. The best American one I’ve encountered is Amtrak, and it still requires a tax subsidy.

In America there are many local-level creatures of this type. They are usually "municipal" or "regional" operations, such as buses and subways. These sovereign fiefdoms need not make a profit, and receive a hefty subsidy. They feature large, well compensated Administrations, who hire their pals, go on lavish "business" trips, and so on. They always have a unionized work force, who naturally push for higher salaries, benefits, pensions, etc.

Last in priority come the actual customers. They’re always cowed by fare hikes, service cuts, aging equipment, strikes and other difficulties. (And some people wring their hands, and wonder why we keep traffic-jamming in our own cars.)

You can find similar "little kingdoms" in other public spheres, such as University, Prison and Power systems.

America became the most prosperous nation in history thanks to her freedom: political, economic and religious. She became the best place for the free enterprise system to flourish. The benefits have been immense. Even our poorest slum dwellers usually have a car, hot water, a TV, and plenty of food and medical care.

Corporations

Much of America’s wealth comes from her large, privately-run corporations. Mass production has brought America cheap prices, wide availability, and simple maintenance for appliances, electronics, cars and more.

Marxists are always denouncing these corporations, regarding them as the very embodiments of evil. Greed, waste, pollution, exploitation-you name it, they’ll blame the "military-industrial complex" for it.

Some go even further, saying "wealth itself is evil," so we must "soak the rich." This has gone well beyond rhetoric. Recently a Luxury Tax was passed, but instead of extracting piles of money from the rich, it threw thousands of boat, light plane, and other "big ticket item" makers out of work. Within a few years it was actually repealed! (It’s been replaced by a "marriage tax penalty," but that’s another story.)

Several years ago, this author met an Islamic scholar. He explained something he’d learned from his Koranic studies, which we agreed is quite relevant today:

Suppose you have one million dollars. You wish to do as much good as you can for the poor families in your area. You could give it out, in a socialistic "wealth redistribution." Say, $5,000 apiece to 200 unemployed workers. They would soon spend it, and it would be gone.

Alternatively, you could give the entire million to one competent, wealthy businessman. He could use it to start a new business. It would grow, and soon he could hire those 200 workers, at a good salary-and pay them for years to come. The Bible says much the same thing. (Read Proverbs 31 and Jesus’ Parable of the Talents.)

Clearly, the Economy prospers when run by decent, reliable business people, with the right amount of regulation. Too often, we’ve seen people try to "make a quick buck," rather than build for the future.

Government can encourage research into new technologies. The Divine Principle speaks of technology bringing a better standard of living. However, it also warns against "empty materialism."

Almost everyone aspires to prosperity. In every nation, people envy and seek American culture and wealth. (Hopefully, its more positive aspects . . . )

I’ve read countless Science Fiction stories about possible futures: amazing high tech, but used in crime and war, not just in constructive things.

Imagine if we could restore our original natures, and fulfill that which God always intended. Few writers have even considered this, either in fiction or in "think tank" speculations.

Science has often opposed Religion, and sometimes visa-versa. When they finally harmonize, we’ll enjoy tremendous freedom and prosperity. Thankfully, our True Parents are leading the way.

Volume Two - Part Two

The Bible tells us that God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, telling them they could enjoy everything in the Garden. "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. For on the day you eat of it you shall die." (Gen. 2:17)

We may imagine Adam and Eve followed God’s commandment for a while. Soon, however, a serpent came to the woman and tempted her to sample the fruit. Beguiled by him she ate of it and gave it to the man:

"Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons." (Gen. 3:7)

In this act, Adam and Eve separated themselves from God, bringing about their own fall and the Fall of all humankind from a state of blessedness and grace.

If you have ever gone to Rome, you may have had the opportunity of seeing the magnificent Sistine Chapel. On the Chapel’s walls and ceiling, the great Italian painter Michelangelo depicted the history of God from the Creation to the Resurrection, covering the Bible from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation. Michelangelo worked on this project for four years, from 1508 to 1512.

Included in this panorama is a scene depicting the Fall of Man. Michelangelo depicts a fruit tree, with a man-like serpent offering what many think to be an apple to a reclining, naked Eve.

For Michelangelo, as sell as for millions of people before and after him, this action is what initiated the Fall. Indeed, this is exactly what Genesis describes, although it does not specify the fruit was an apple.

Literal or symbolic?

The question is, how are we to understand the Genesis passage? And in a larger sense, how are we to understand the Bible? Are we to think that its writers meant every word to be taken as literal truth or are some things to be understood symbolically? Specifically, is the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge to be understood literally or symbolically?

For Divine Principle, the Bible is the inspired word of God. It is the book in which the word of God among His people has been recorded. It is a storehouse of God’s truth and wisdom, intended to enable us to find the true way of life, to construct God’s Kingdom on earth and ultimately to gain our own salvation. Thus, the Bible is a mediator between God and man.

Nevertheless, the Bible must be properly understood. Whether its passages are accepted literally or symbolically, it is important to understand the message they are trying to convey. For example, in the Book of Jonah, the prophet is described as being swallowed by a great fish and living inside it. We now know that ancient Middle Eastern cultures often described a person who was in trouble as being "in the belly of a fish," much as today we might say he was "in a pickle." Thus, to think of Jonah as being literally in the belly of a whale would be to miss the point. In fact he was in trouble because he was disobeying God.

Likewise, throughout the Bible spiritual truths are frequently presented through the use of metaphor or symbol. The parables of Jesus are an obvious case in point.

With regard to the story of the Fall, even those who claim to take the Bible literally often make an exception with the Adam and Eve narrative; both the ancient Jews and early Christians treated the narrative as pure allegory. Augustine, who was perhaps the most influential of all Christian theologians and a man who was particularly important in working out the traditional doctrine of original sin, argued that the Eden account should be taken both literally and symbolically; that is to say, taken partly as historic fact and partly as spiritual truth.

Heredity and the fruit

Whatever the sin of Adam and Eve was, it has affected the whole human race. Even today we suffer from its consequences. Therefore it must be an inherited sin. Could such a sin be caused by one’s eating a fruit? Science proves that substances taken into the mouth do not have hereditary effects. Along the same lines, Matthew reports Jesus as saying:

"...not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." (Matt. 15:11)

One’s eating a fruit will not affect the spiritual state of his children. It is impossible. Therefore, the fruit must be symbolic of something else.

Of course, for many people whether the fruit is symbolic or not is not the important issue. The very act of disobedience is the problem. God was angry when man disobeyed Him, and therefore quickly cast him out of the Garden.

But let us think. Would God be interested in testing the obedience of His children, particularly at the possible cost of their lives? Would any parent place some poisonous food in front of his children with the intention of testing their obedience? The answer is obvious.

By the same token, God is the caring Father/Mother of all people. As with any parent, God did not conceive His relationship with His children to exist solely on the basis of obedience. It is rather a matter of love. Disobedience is no doubt one component of the Fall, but it is not its cause.

If the fruit is not literal, let us examine what it represents. The Book of Genesis states that the fruit grew on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yet if the fruit is symbolic it cannot grow on a literal tree. The tree, then, must also be symbolic.

In the Garden there were two trees, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. There were also, of course, two persons, Adam and Eve.

The Tree of Life is a rich symbol that appears throughout the Bible. In addition to the Genesis passage, it appears in the Book of Proverbs:

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life." (Prov. 13:12)

It also appears in the last book of the Bible, Revelation:

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates." (Rev. 22"12)

For the writers of these books the image of the Tree of Life represented something highly desirable. It was the hope of people both of the Old Testament and the New Testament ages.

From reading Genesis, we can conclude the Tree of Life also represented Adam’s desire. Genesis 3:24 states that God,

"....drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, the guard the way to the Tree of Life."

Because of his sin, Adam was prevented from reaching what he wanted, the Tree of Life.

As stated in the Principle of Creation, according to God’s ideal the destiny of each person is to grow to full maturity and oneness with God. For this reason each of us is continually seeking higher degrees of happiness, self-expression, and love. By the same token, people of both the Old and New Testament ages and Adam himself must have had the hope to grow to maturity and full personhood, realizing their own ideals and the ideals that God had for them.

Adam and the Tree of Life.

If this was indeed Adam’s desire, it is logical to conclude that the Tree of Life in the Garden symbolizes a man who has reached full maturity, the state of true life. Thus the symbol of the Tree of Life represents Adam as he would be in perfection. If Adam had not fallen from God, but had accomplished the ideal of creation, he would have become a Tree of Life, giving birth to children of life.

Developing from this, his descendants could have established the Kingdom of Heaven on earth as a garden surrounding the Tree of Life. However as Genesis relates, Adam fell and his way to the tree of Life was blocked.

Chicago True Family Values Awards Banquet

by Richard Lemont-Chicago

The True Family Values Festival Second Annual Awards Banquet, Marriage Rededication & Awards Ceremony took place at the Martinique Restaurant in Chicago on December 27, 1997.

When Rev. Ki Hun Kim , Midwest Regional Director, and Rev. Joong Hyun Pak, the Continental Director arrived in Montevideo Uruguay on Dec. 30 they were invited to a private dinner with True Father. Rev. Pak and Rev. Kim showed Father the album of pictures taken at the event and reported details of the highly successful event. True Father excitedly turned the pages of photographs and smiled broadly as he listened intently to the victorious report.

"True Father was very inspired." Rev. Kim said. " Father said to make a videotape and give it to every region." So each Regional HQ can expect to receive a copy of the video recording the event and hopefully stage their own victorious events.

"There was a real family spirit." Rev. Kim added. "The main thing was that even guests were not like outsiders, they were our blessed family members. We blessed 700 at that time."

Overflow Crowd

Over 1000 ministers and lay leaders from a broad range of different denominations and churches in Chicago attended the banquet and awards ceremony. 20 bishops and 100 pastors attended bringing their assistant ministers and lay leaders with them.

Maria Helena Tonneyck, True Family Values Coordinator, said "It is amazing the quality of pastors that we could bring to this event. We could never do that 4 years ago. As True Father says the spirit world is coming down to help us. If we make the effort and commit ourselves to follow Father's direction we are able to bring this kind of victory. I worked with Rev. Barrett for 4 years, for Dr. Taylor I've been working with him for less than 6 months. So only through God's power we can continue and this kind of blessing can come."

Yukimi Lemont, Coordinator for True Family Values said, "On Dec. 5, Rev. Kim told me to help organize the banquet together with Rev. Jenkins and Maria Helena, to find the date, location and money. I was so lucky, when I called the Martinique Restaurant the owner himself answered and he gave us an incredible discount. Not only that, he personally took total responsibility until the end. When I asked him how he could do that he said "I am the owner! I can do anything here!' He said that he thought this group was very special."

True Family Ministries reserved a huge banquet hall with 70 tables besides the head table for the speakers and VIPs. Each table was set for 10 guests originally but it wasn't enough. Waiters were forced to add chairs to each table to seat 12 as more and more guests continued to arrive. Eventually an overflow room was setup and more excited guests crowded into their seats. Well over 1000 people attended.

Kathleen Sometani, WFWP Midwest Regional Chairwoman reported afterwards, "We were totally disorganized as far as seating was concerned, the ministers were expecting to sit at specific tables. At the end we were searching for seats even for some VIPs. When Rev. Chisum from The Gift of God Ministry came in and asked us how we were doing I told him 'We're not as well organized as your are.' He smiled and looked around and then leaned over and whispered 'Well, don’t tell anybody! They'd never know it. ' "

Attending Ministers

The event drew influential pastors and ministers clear across the denominational range. The head table seated a Catholic Monsignor, three bishops and Baptist, COGIC, Muslim, Pentecostal and Unificationist representatives as well as the featured speakers and Rev. Ki Hun Kim and Rev. Joong Hyun Pak.

Rev. Melvin T. Jones is the pastor of the 2000 member Union Missionary Baptist Church in Lansing, Michigan as well as serving as MBC district president in Michigan. He sent 1 bus to RFK Stadium before flying in and taking a seat at the head table. "He was smiling all the time. " said Rev. Hitoshi Onishi, former city leader in Lansing Michigan. Rev. Onishi has worked with Rev. Jones since 1985. " He went to ICC in Korea, Mother's UN speech and many other events. He was happy to see many Christian leaders."

Awards Ceremony

The True Family Values Awards went to strong ministers who reflected the passage from Joshua 1:9 inscribed on their plaques below the brilliantly colored emblem of The True Family Values Ministry; "Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest."

Pastor Michael Eaddy received the TFV 1997 Public Leadership Award. Pastor T.L. Barrett, Jr. from Life Center COGIC received the TFV 1997 National Leadership Award. Rev. Dr. Amos Waller from Mercy Seat BC was awarded the TFV Leadership Award. Rev. Thomas Jackson, Jr. from New Original COGIC received the TFV Award for Outstanding Vision, Faith and Commitment. Rev. Connie and Dr. Emmanuel Bansa won the TFV Outstanding Pastor Couple of the Year Award.

All of these pastors worked tirelessly for the TFV Marriage Rededication Ceremonies in Chicago. They all brought their congregations to attend RFK Blessing '97. They were well deserving of their recognition.

Speeches, Blessing

The guests were treated to two powerful speeches by 2 great men of God. The first Guest speaker was Dr. Hycel Taylor, a former President of Operation PUSH and pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Evanston Illinois. He is a close friend of Jesse Jackson and well known to many of the ministers who attended. His speech supported TFV in it's quest to strengthen the family and stop family breakdown and acknowledged Dr. Moon's work in this regard. Everybody was very excited.

The second Guest Speaker was Continental Director Joong Hyun Pak. Rev. Pak moved people deeply when he announced that we can only enter heaven as a couple. He concluded by announcing the 360 Million blessing to enthusiastic applause.

Finally, we concluded with a Rededication of marriage ceremony. 700 people received the blessing as our ushers moved through the crowded aisles with their wine and holy water. Each guest had a copy of the 4 vows printed on the back cover of the banquet program. These men and women of God could feel God was working and heeded His call.

Secrets of Success

How was the True Family Values Ministry able to bring this kind of success in Chicago?

Yukimi Lemont, coordinator for True Family Values Ministry said that "The reason for our victory was that Rev. Kim brought unity between all the tribal messiahs centered on the department leaders and Rev. Kim and Rev. Jenkins and Rev. Vincenz. Also, the tribal messiahs visited churches. Each tribal messiah has at least 1 church which they visit each Sunday and mobilized to Washington DC for RFK Stadium. After RFK Blessing '97 I felt bad because the stadium wasn't packed and I repented. All pastors and ministers are True Parent's spiritual children. I told Rev. Kim we can invite 1200 people. Yet 1 week before the event we only had 700 confirmations. I heard a voice, God said 'Bring 1,000. If you bring 1000 ministers big blessing will come to Chicago. Call the pastors and ministers. As many as you call, they will come' "

Kathleen Sometani, WFWP Midwest Regional Chairwoman said "Clearly the networking was important. People who went to the Blessing brought people to the Awards Banquet. People were getting inspired. Rev. Charles Horn brought 20 people to RFK and 30 to the banquet. I saw that a lot, people bringing new people. I saw a nice blend of old friends and new people."

Rev. Hitoshi Onishi added "Rev. James W. Hampton from Zion Healing Temple Cogic came with 40 members of his congregation, he was very happy."

Mrs. Sometani concluded "For a lot of our guests it's very wonderful that in our community they interact with us in WFWP, True Family Values ...we get them from all sides. One TFV awardee was originally a WFWP guest. We had connections with a lot of churches for a long time. The big point was the tribal Messiahs visiting churches and worshipping with them. Rev. Kim really insisted we open up the churches by fellowshipping. Many congregations were very moved. Yukimi Lemont and Maria Helena Tonneyck made the first contact but it took all of us working together. Our congregation going out won the hearts of the minister and the congregations They are happy to see us worshipping with them"

Rev. Lloyd Hudson, state leader for Illinois said "It was historical because we were able to raise a donation at the end." Rev. Leroy Elliott, a popular Chicago Radio Ministry pastor and pastor at New Greater St. John MBC gave the Benediction and started a collection of a love offering. Over $4000 was collected. "Some new ministers and our old ministers were able to make offerings of $50 and up. One minister who is fairly new to us even donated $150. Based on that kind of victory we can see more and more ministers showing gratitude for the events we put on and True Father's vision." Rev. Hudson added.

Bearing Fruit

Events such as this bring many kinds of blessing. Through serving and working with Christian leaders such as these Rev. Ki Hun Kim, Midwest Regional Director has been invited to join the Board for the Coalition of Religious Leaders in Illinois. This prestigious position puts him on the Board alongside Francis George, Archbishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago and bishops from other mainstream denominations and leaders of important religious organizations in the Midwest. The Coalition has asked Rev. Kim to read a passage from the Bible on January 11, 1998 at a Commemorative Salute program honoring the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Archbishop of Chicago, Bishop Louis Henry Ford and Bishop Shepard Little. The Coalition will host many religious, civic and political leaders in honoring the accomplishments and service to humanity of these men.

Also, for the second year in a row Rev. Kim has received an invitation from Richard M. Daily, Mayor of Chicago to attend the Mayor's program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King on Jan. 15, 1998. Last year Rev. Kim was 1 of 3 ministers asked to pray on this solemn occasion. His prayer brought loud applause and congratulations on his heartistic understanding of this man of God. In ways such as this we can reach those religious leaders that God has prepared to receive His Blessing.

Captions for photos for Chicago TFV Awards Banquet Dec, 27, 1997

Photo 1

An overflow crowd attended TFV Awards Banquet in Chicago

Photo 2

same as photo 1; right side wide view of room

An overflow crowd attended TFV Awards Banquet in Chicago

Photo 3

Love offering is taken as collection plate is passed at TFV Banquet.

Photo 4

Left to right; Rev. Joong Hyun Pak; Mrs. Pak; Mr. Chuck Bowen, Special Assistant to Mayor Richard M. Daley; Rev. Mike Jenkins, TFV; Rev. Dr. Amos Waller; Rev and Mrs. Ki Hun Kim.

Photo 5

Rev. Joong Hyun Pak brought applause with his announcement of the 360 Million blessing.

Photo 6

Rev. Pak stands with Rev. Thomas Jackson, Jr. the President of South Shore Ministerial Association as he receives TFV Leadership Award.

Photo 7

Guest speaker Dr. Hycel Taylor, Pastor of 2nd Baptist Church and former President of Operation PUSH.

Photo 8

Ministers and congregation take part in Marriage Rededication Ceremony. 700 were blessed.

Photo 9

Ministers and congregation take part in Marriage Rededication Ceremony. 700 were blessed.

Photo 10

1800 ministers and church members from Chicago traveled to RFK Blessing '97. 30 buses from Chicago filled Hyatt Regency in Washington DC. Here Chicago ministers fill banquet room the night before RFK Blessing.

Blessing in Liberia

by James Coleman-Monrovia, Liberia

The Liberian chapter of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification joined 184 other national chapters on Nov. 29, 1997 in sponsoring a mass wedding of 39.6 million couples. The program took place in Monrovia City Hall from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.. Many dignitaries from all walks of life were present. Among them was the Hon. Chief Tamba Taylor, an advisor to the president of Liberia. Those who witnessed the activity in Washington, D.C. included the president of the Press Union of Liberia, Hon. Augustin Zayzay, minister of state without portfolio, among others. The ceremony included already-married couples as well as single candidates for blessing.

The total number of Liberian couples participating was 17,000. News of this activity attracted public awareness beforehand, because a radio interview was conducted by Rev. Gerald B. Coleman, president of FFWPU in Liberia. Additionally, three major newspapers released information about FFWPU, bearing the photo of True Parents. As the news was publicized, people were attracted by the engagement of men and women who had never met each other before, as well as previously married couples.

The Blessing efforts are the collective results of work by Japanese, Koreans, Americans and Liberians. Teams were sent to the 13 counties of Liberia, conducting workshops and pre-Blessing ceremonies. One of the major pre-Blessings included the participation of the following ex-presidents of Liberia: Prof. David Kpomakpo, Dr. Amos Sawyer, the Hon. Sangarwolo and Mrs. Ruth Sando Perry.

The participating couples, both VIP and non-VIP, were brought to understand that this is a message given by God to True Parents, who have come to change Satan’s evil control of humanity through eliminating evil by advocacy and practical measures. It points out that when God created the first parents of mankind, He desired to see the reflection of His nature in them. Had they succeeded in achieving that oneness with God, they would have produced the quality of parent in perfection. From that would have come children of goodness producing good history.

Through our education program, the participating couples were brought to believe that the purpose of the Blessing is to bring one into the blood lineage of True Parents, and cleanse his original sin. The couples are also required to follow the pattern of True Parents and bring people to understand in the same way. 

An Eight Year Old Perspective: Explaining God

Written by Danny Dutton, age 8, from Chula Vista, California, for his third grade homework assignment to "Explain God"

One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things here on earth. He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn't have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk, He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV on account of this. Since He hears everything, not only prayers, there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off. God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere, which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your parent's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.

Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church. Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK. His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So He did.

And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important, of course. You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.

You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God. Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.

If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared in the dark or when you can't swim very good and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids. But you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases. And that's why I believe in God.

A Prophet Links Jesus and Reverend Sun Myung Moon

by Michael Kiely-Chesnut Ridge, NY

In Nigeria there is a well-known prophet named Dr. Samuel Akin Adewole who was blessed in 1995. For the past three years he has been spoken of here as the greatest prophet in the nation, if not in Africa. Because he has accurately predicted political and other events and is known for this ability, he has direct access to high places and is a spiritual advisor of high repute. Recently heaven has revealed much to him not only about events in Nigeria and Africa but about True Parents and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

Dr. Adewole was unsure whether he could participate in the Blessing on November 29 because of an important annual conference of his Celestial Church of Christ. But because he received a powerful revelation from God that morning, he decided not only to attend but to speak at the event. At Onikon Stadium, where the Blessing was to be held, there were the former Chief of the Air Force, a number of important traditional chiefs, the Secretary of Lagos State Government, a number of ambassadors, a Catholic Arch-Bishop, the Primate of the African Church, the Chief Imam of Lagos representing the Islamic community and some 120 other dignitaries. There were also thousands of other Nigerians assembled. At that gathering Dr. Adewole gave the following speech (taken from handwritten notes):

"Chairman of this occasion, distinguished guests of honor, and all brethren in the Lord, I thank the almighty, wonderful God today and I will continue to thank him forever for what he has been doing for the fortunate families of this generation and what he still wants to do through Rev. and Mrs. Moon. I thank him most especially for counting me worthy to join the millions of truly blessed people in Nigeria and the world at large, who are partaking in this special occasion today.

"As revealed to me by the almighty, wonderful and living God, the heavens are full of joy, and an uncountable number of angels are present here today with all the heavenly elders to give new peace, love, wisdom and earthly blessing to the few fortunate ones who are partaking in this special grace.

"In fact, until this morning I had not felt it was necessary for me to come here today because I had to prepare for an annual program in our church next Sunday. I had a lot of running around to do to prepare for it. But at about 3 a.m. this morning our Lord Jesus Christ personally appeared to me in my dream. He called me three times and said that I must participate in the Family Federation Blessing today if I still belonged to him, because he, Jesus Christ, the heavenly elders and all the angels were going to be here before anybody else in order to bless and anoint all the participants.

"The second thing he told me (in the revelation) was that truly he has been working with me in my own little way in Nigeria, but He had been working through Rev. Moon long before he started working with me. He also said that the two of us will soon know and meet each other, within one year, as brothers in the Lord, and we shall work in one accord and be in peace forever.

"He further revealed to me that Rev. and Mrs. Moon will soon be in Nigeria in 1998. They will come more frequently to Nigeria than to any other country in the world from 1999 on because `I (Jesus) have made Nigeria his (Rev. Moon's) second home, because Nigeria is my anointed country of grace.'

"And finally, Jesus told me that Rev. Sun Myung Moon is His. He, Jesus Christ, lives in Rev. Moon. `He (Rev. Moon) does nothing on his own, but through me (Jesus). I anointed him because I love him, because he loves all mankind and has suffered for me more than anybody else in the world. Therefore, whoever loves him (Rev. Moon) loves me (Jesus). and he that rejects him rejects me. Join hands with him. Heartily propagate and disseminate the good news to the nations. I bless you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.' Then Jesus said to me, `Stand and follow me now.' And we all flew together to Onikon Stadium with billions of angels and heavenly elders.

"Therefore, as a patriotic and peace loving Nigerian, I heartily support this Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in the interest of a lasting peace in Nigeria and in the world at large, and humbly implore and advise the federal government of Nigeria and every patriotic and peace loving Nigerian to join hands with Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Rev. Mrs. Moon to make this religious organization (FFWPU) a huge and remarkable success. I thank you all. God bless you"

Christian, Moslem Leaders Pray For Unity

In a nation troubled by religious tensions, top-level religious leaders from Christianity and Islam held hands at one point during the ceremony and prayed out loud in unison. Then a grand mufti representing Islam and a bishop representing Christianity prayed eloquently for the unity of their nation under God.

The satellite transmission for the event from the United States was crystal clear and flawless as True Parents some 5,400 miles away in Washington, D.C., officiated the Blessing not only in the USA but in Nigeria and other countries around the world. At the event four prominent Nigerians were given awards for their contributions to the "social development of the family." Also, both television stations and newspapers generously covered the event. A nationwide daily, "This Day," printed a full-page, positive article about the Blessing.

After the ceremony, literally hundreds of people expressed their appreciation for the ceremony which had deeply touched their lives and given new hope to their marriages. Claiming the Blessing had been an "eye-opener" for him, the Prince of Lagos said the program had given him "food for thought" about marriage. Many participants suggested that this should become an annual event, and one man observed that this was a "whole new approach to marriage in our times."

How 9.2 Million Were Blessed in Nigeria

We started with 70 teams of 3 brothers each in January 1997. They had to be equipped with the Holy Wine, Holy Water, Holy Handkerchiefs, Blessing certificates as well as bicycles, bush lanterns and megaphones to enable them to cover remote villages effectively. We developed a lecture on rural hygiene and AIDS as a foundation for presenting the Blessing. Because poor hygiene and AIDS both kill thousands of Nigerians, the Blessing is presented as a powerful antidote to both.

How to feed team members, how to accommodate them and how to transport them were some of the difficulties that had to be overcome, particularly in the rural areas. In some states, local people were initially suspicious and, as a result, several team members were arrested. However, all of our members in the country were focused on giving pre-Blessings, doing conditions such as 120 bows every morning and making strong prayer conditions to protect the work of the Blessing teams. All of our movement's resources were used exclusively for the Blessing providence. To make limited funds stretch as far as possible, we continually sought to whittle down the cost of blessing one couple. From an initial cost of $1.50 to $2.00 per couple twelve months ago, we gradually reduced the cost of pre-Blessings to less than 10 cents per couple and now less than 1 cent. We took such measures as reducing the size of the holy handkerchief, mixing holy wine with water, and linking personal allowances for the support of team members to the number of couples blessed rather than linking it to team need. These economies meant that each donation of $1,000 now make it possible to bless more than 100,000 couples.

Eventually, our members became well known for their work, and the villagers looked forward to their visit to receive the Blessing. In one incident several village chiefs argued with each other over who should receive the blessing team first. Some chiefs ordered villagers to attend the Blessing on time or pay a fine of $2, a stiff fine for a peasant farmer! Also, a number of local government leaders lent the volunteers their cars and even government personnel so the teams could move faster from village to village and be introduced to the local chief by a familiar government official.

A key factor in the success of the teams was their use of local ministers and newly blessed members to give the blessing themselves. In that way one member sometimes had ten, 20 even 30 non-members on his team doing blessings each day. Periodically their teams met for training in giving blessings and for verification that team members were doing blessings correctly.

But by far the most important factor was the mobilization of the spiritual world. Intense prayer, challenging conditions and harsh living conditions helped make team members and their surrounding spiritual world desperate. Visions, dreams and miracles became commonplace as thousands were led to the blessing by spiritual guidance. (In our next update we will share some of those experiences with you.) It is clearly a time of the outpouring of God's spirit on the earth.

As a result of this intense spiritual activity, now fully a third or more of monogamous couples in Nigeria have been blessed. Our goal in the next blessing is to bless the rest of those couples. That must include the Moslem northern states which, until now, have not been as receptive to the Blessing as the Christian south. But it is simply a matter of time and the intense and desperate work of brothers and sisters and of heaven.

When The Lights Went Out

For a blessing team member often the simple mechanics of life, which we in the West rarely consider, prove troublesome. Electricity, in villages that have it at all, is on and off, and may be off for days at a time. Running water, if there is any, may operate once a week or less. Tap and well water everywhere, even in large cities, is not potable, so one must boil and filter water or buy bottled water. Kitchens are often simply a kerosene burner on the floor for cooking simple meals and a tub for washing dishes.

While that may seem like a challenging and disagreeable existence, team members endure it willingly. For them, it is a privilege to be on a blessing team. Because of limited funds, only those who bless the most couples are allowed to participate directly in the blessing mobilization. Others become a support team in Lagos or other cities. So, to be a team member is an honor and a blessing itself. Those members in the more developed world who have participated in True Father's condition of donating $1,000 to take responsibility for 50 new couples have made it possible for these teams to bless millions of couples.

In that way you, too, have been present as a kind of invisible team member when the lights go out and the water stops running. You, too, have taken a bucket bath beside your teammates with water hauled from a local well. It was not heated, of course. You prayed with your teammates to the light of a candle or kerosene lantern, and you woke the next morning with them to say pledge by the natural light of dawn. As a team member, you, too, offered holy wine at pre-blessings to gathered couples and sprinkled holy water on them. You recited their vows to them to affirm out loud, and you read them True Father's prayer. You guided them through the indemnity ceremony and gave them a packet with Holy Handkerchiefs, instructions about the 40 day period of abstinence and the Three Day Ceremony, and a Blessing Certificate with the Four Vows and the Pledge. You had the satisfaction of helping to roll back the realm of fallen lineage a few steps further and of laying the foundation for the Kingdom of Heaven a little firmer. In short, your donation has made possible a miracle of heart. You have helped to free 9.2 million families for the Nov. 29 Blessing and 2.7 million since then, and to transform those lineages. Heaven must feel deep gratitude for your gift - and so do we.

For those who have not yet contributed, the Appeal for Africa opportunity is still available to you. While $1,000 may seem like a difficult challenge to your family budget, it will make it possible to bless more than 100,000 couples in Africa at current costs. (The Pre-Blessing now costs less than a penny per couple.) That is an incredibly good use of your hard-earned cash. As you have probably heard, True Father has also made it possible for you to receive responsibility for 50 newly blessed couples as spiritual children.

You may mail your contributions to: FFWPU, P.O. Box 1615, Spring Valley, NY 10977. (This is a NEW address; contributions should no longer be sent to 4 West 43rd St.) You may contribute by mail or check. Please include complete credit card information or make your check out to HSA-UWC WMD (not FFWPU) and write AFRICA on the bottom left. Please be sure we have your complete mailing address. Checks and credit cards will be processed by HSA-UWC in New York City.

20 Years on the Radio

by Gareth Davies

Every single week for the past twenty years, the voice of Mrs. Sarah Witt has carried the Divine Principle into homes throughout the Hudson Valley. On December 11th 1977, the first broadcast of the Unification Hour went out on radio station WHSH in Albany and, while the radio stations have changed through the years, the ministry has managed to sustain a remarkable record of consistency.

Today, the Unification Hour is broadcast by WKNY in Kingston as it has been for the past 17 years. The 15 minute program begins with the playing of Song of the Garden and ends with Tongil. The content of the program is based on the six hour lecture series of Divine Principle and consists of 36 tapes which were all recorded at UTS. The program is paid for by Dr. David S.C. Kim and the IOWC.