Sun Myung Moon
November 25, 1983
Chicago Marriott Hotel, Chicago, USA
Twelfth International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences
Photo date and location unknown
Honorable chairmen, committee chairpersons, distinguished scholars, ladies and gentlemen:
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to you for coming to Chicago to participate in the twelfth International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences. Since the first ICUS, these conferences have progressed greatly. The ICUS achievement is a result of the coordination and dedicated work of many of you, performed in the face of enormous negative peer pressure and persecution. Your work has created in the ICUS a conference unsurpassed in the entire world. I would like to express my deepest appreciation for your efforts and contributions and at the same time congratulate you for what you have accomplished.
The new cultural revolution should be based on absolute values
The world is undergoing rapid changes that correspond to the remarkable development of science and technology. As a result the established values of society are being shaken to their foundation, causing confusion and conflict on every level. This trend has been accelerated by the growing influence of atheistic materialism. All of these factors have driven many difficult problems to beset our world today. Until now, people have not been able to find genuine solutions to these problems.
It is clear that neither democracy nor communism provides the means to cure the ills of society. Originally both democracy and communism developed from the desire to solve humanity's common problems. Yet not only has democracy been unsuccessful at this task, it has proved itself unable to resist and overcome the destructiveness of communism. Communism on the other hand also is completely unable to solve the world's problems and ironically creates even more woes for the human race. Thus the world is at an impasse; democracy and communism are faced with a no-win situation leading to a dead end. This being our present reality, the future of humankind seems bleak and unpredictable.
Why then are democracy and communism not the answer? A careful analysis of both systems shows that neither has a core of truth in the ultimate sense. Democracy may serve as the basis for a political system, but it does not provide a clear and comprehensive worldview. Communism offers an inclusive, systematic worldview, but it is one based on false assumptions and distorted facts.
What is needed then is a third alternative -- a movement based on a new understanding of truth, one that gives hope by presenting a new vision of world society. This is in fact the Unification movement, with the Unification Thought system -- a complete, systematic worldview grounded in truth and absolute values. A new cultural revolution is coming, and all scholars and professionals are called to participate in creating it.
Learning from the shortcomings of democracy and communism, we conclude that a new cultural revolution can come only on the foundation of absolute values. These cannot be relative values grounded in the changing world of phenomena. Rather they must be universal and ultimate values, grounded in the unchanging world of essence and cause, in the fundamental relationships between God, human beings and the universe.
We initiated the ICUS meetings for the purpose of resolving the present world problems and developing this third alternative worldview. When I founded the ICUS conferences twelve years ago, I established "absolute values" as their central theme. I did so because I believe that unchanging, universal values are the essential foundation for a true worldview. In addition to the ICUS meetings, I initiated many other conferences and projects in order to prepare for the building of an ideal society, society as it exists in the dreams and hopes of all people. The Unification movement's purpose, for which I have been working all my life, is to create the new cultural revolution based on this new systematic worldview. Our movement has expanded to over 130 countries. As a result many conscientious people now seriously consider our guiding principles -- the Unification thought system -- as a new expression of truth.
Generally, there has been openness to the Unification ideology in the democratic world and great interest in its potential. The communist world on the other hand has been consistently hostile toward the Unification movement, and communist elements within democracies have used the democratic system as a tool to try to destroy us. Communist leaders regard us as their primary enemy and have opposed each and every project related to Rev. Moon. The ICUS organization is no exception. Communists know that Rev. Moon founded this conference and has always considered it to be of the highest importance. This is a major cause of the accusation and persecution ICUS has received since its inception.
The communists' work against the Unification movement
Communists use deceit and terrorism to undermine the free world. You undoubtedly are aware of communist slander and sabotage in your own countries, just as I am aware of their work against the Unification movement. We cannot overlook this problem any longer. Therefore, I have chosen this occasion to speak to you clearly about the reality of the communist attack against the Unification movement and the entire free world. I think it is necessary for you to know these things for your own sake, for the sake of defending academic freedom and defending the free world as a whole.
As the Unification movement has developed worldwide there have been many incidents of hostility and persecution from communists. As a result we have suffered many setbacks everywhere. It originally was a mystery to us why we received such opposition when our activities were so beneficial to society. To discover the real source of the opposition, we began an investigation. Today I am going to speak about the information we have uncovered in Japan, where the Unification movement is successful and very well known. I believe this information will be useful to people in all countries, since the communist effort to destroy the free world as well as our movement is consistent worldwide. A more detailed exposition of what I am about to say will soon be published as a book, which I hope you all will read.
Like the United States, Japan boasts great freedom for her citizens. Few people realize, however, that in the midst of such an advanced society, the KGB and Japanese Communist Party are attacking freedom by instigating "deprogramming" actions against people who decide to join our movement. At times they even obtain help from the courts. Our investigation reveals conclusively that communists have organized to spread lies, distortions and unfounded allegations in a conspiracy to destroy the Unification movement and me. Through the systematic spread of disinformation, the communists work to mobilize allies and establish a "unified front" against the Unification movement. This creates polarization, conflict and struggle -- a mix that communists always capitalize on in order to eliminate all possible opposition.
The Japanese Communist Party regards the Unification movement as its principal enemy. It has publicly declared that the struggle against our movement is more important than even the struggle against "Japanese capitalism" and "American imperialism." At the Japanese Communist Party's National Leaders Conference held June 5-7, 1978, Chairman Kenji Miyamoto stated that the destruction of the Unification movement is a "righteous battle that will be remembered in history." Furthermore he urged all "democratic forces" to unite and launch an all-out effort to accomplish this "historic task." The communists in Japan have mobilized several hundred groups to oppose us.
I founded the Unification movement for the purpose of realizing the ultimate ideal of God and humankind: the kingdom of heaven on earth. Ours is a movement to revive religion and to educate people in all aspects of human endeavor. It is historically inevitable that a spiritual movement such as ours encounter opposition from established forces with different interests and directions. All religious movements had to go through intense persecution and hostility at their outset. Only by overcoming those difficulties were they able to enter the mainstream of thought and become a guiding force for future generations. Judaism, Christianity and even democracy and communism are examples of this pattern.
We need to defeat communist strategies
Likewise, from the beginning, Rev. Moon and the Unification movement have endured tremendous misunderstanding, accusation, persecution and tribulation, not only in the area of religion but also in politics, economics, culture, science, technology, media and education. We have been opposed and persecuted wherever we have been by every segment of society, from the general public to governmental authorities. In a sense, therefore, all people in the world are directly or indirectly responsible for the fate of the Unification movement and are accountable for their actions in front of God.
The worldwide opposition, however, has been orchestrated in particular by communists. Their target is anything with Rev. Moon's name attached to it.
For most people, it has been quite difficult to gain an accurate understanding of the Unification movement. Most of what people have heard and read about us has been the reflection of lies and sensationalism spread by our opponents and compounded over the years. What people tend to believe about Rev. Moon and the Unification movement derives mostly from the repetition of false allegations made long ago. Following Lenin's teaching that "A lie repeated one hundred times will become a truth," communists have repeated endlessly the same false rumors in order to lend them credibility. For example, in the past twelve years, the Japanese Communist Party has printed 1.6 billion pieces of anti- Unificationist literature in their propaganda organ Akahata and its affiliated publications. This comes to sixteen pieces of malicious propaganda provided to every Japanese man, woman and child!
This is but one of the many sources of disinformation put forth in the communist attempt to destroy our movement. Anti-Unificationist propaganda also flows unceasingly from countries such as China, North Korea, East Germany, the Soviet Union, Cuba, Nicaragua and Libya. These lies filter down to public officials, intellectuals, religious leaders and the media, and eventually to the general public. By then, the distorted facts have been heard so many times people believe them to be true.
The most despicable actions against us, however, are apparent in the inhumane treatment of those who join the Unification movement. It is clear that the so-called "deprogramming" movement is supported by communists. Judges and courts, the supposed custodians of human rights, often collaborate in this infringement of fundamental religious liberties. Ironically, the greatest violation of these rights takes place in countries that loudly proclaim their regard for human rights and the freedom of religion.
The methods involved in deprogramming are like those used in communist concentration camps. Using parents and relatives to entrap members, deprogrammers can commit grown adults to mental hospitals, citing our members' supposed "illness" of holding a minority religious belief. Other typical deprogramming techniques include kidnapping, illegal detention, violence, psychological harassment, sleep deprivation, inducement to use alcohol and drugs, sexual seduction and rape. Through such threats, harassment and manipulation, professional deprogrammers force members to renounce their faith. Many victims are injured physically and psychologically because of this criminal activity. You cannot imagine the deep sorrow I feel when I see so many people I love suffer for their faith and ideals. Incredibly, the deprogramming movement accuses us of using the reprehensible tactics they themselves practice so wantonly.
You may wonder why communists have so much fear and hostility toward Rev. Moon and the Unification movement, and why they are trying so desperately to destroy us. As you know, the ultimate goal of communism is nothing less than a Communist Party dictatorship subjugating the entire world under the banner of atheistic materialism. Actually, Marxist theories -- such as the labor theory of value, surplus value theory, dialectical materialism and historical materialism -- are inversions of the truth, put forward only to justify violent revolution. Until now, nothing has existed that could give the world hope in light of the specter of communist global domination.
Unification Thought is the basis by which to overcome communism
The Unification thought system, however, exposes the fictions of communism. Communists know this and therefore are trying to exterminate Unificationism at its source. They are extremely afraid of anything that exposes their true identity.
Communists around the world have dominated millions of people because of their ignorance. Some are courageous enough to fight them, but because they lack a strong ideology and organization they are isolated, weakened and easily defeated. Millions of people have been slaughtered without mercy by communist regimes. Today hundreds of millions wait for liberation from communism with tears of desperation. I myself spent nearly three years in a communist concentration camp under the North Korean dictatorship of Kim Il Sung. They sent me there to die, but I survived and eventually was freed by the United Nations forces during the Korean War. Part of my life's mission since then has been concentrated on how to establish the absolute truth, a truth superior to communism that can bring about the world's liberation from that ideology.
I now can speak clearly about the crimes I witnessed. I now have a substantial foundation on which to speak, to act and to surpass communism. Thus, you can understand why the communists are afraid of Rev. Moon and his organization.
What the communists find very difficult to understand is why Rev. Moon's movement continues to grow so successfully in spite of all their opposition, persecution and slander. For instance, in Japan we have more than 3.5 million members in the International Federation for Victory over Communism (IFVOC).
First, communists do not realize God is alive and substantially working behind the Unification movement. Second, they do not understand the true essence of religion and the fact that human beings feel truly satisfied in their inmost heart only by God's truth and love. Finally, they do not realize that God's laws, which govern the spirit world and the universe, do not operate in accordance with dialectical materialism.
The Unification movement is sustained and motivated by the deepest religious experience and discipline, based on the fundamental truths of the universe. For that reason we can move the original essence of the hearts and minds of people the world over. For that reason our members can overcome trials and hardships no matter how severe. They have learned to forgive. They accept persecution and trials as nutrition for their spiritual growth rather than resenting those who persecute them. In short, the true members of the Unification movement have an unshakable faith and power to persevere through any opposition. This is proven by the fact that we have already established strong foundations throughout the world.
Lighting the fire of a worldwide cultural revolution
Rev. Moon and the Unification movement are involved in a life-on-death mission for the sake of God and humanity. However, this mission is not the monopoly of the Unification movement. The members of this movement desire to work with all people of conscience and ideals in the new cultural revolution. The people of the free world, especially Christians and all religious people, ought to be the greatest friends of the Unification movement. Tragically, these people have all too often been ignorant of the communist strategy and unable to distinguish friend from foe. As a result they frequently have attacked and subverted their true friends.
Lately, however, the situation has been changing. People are becoming indignant about the threats and injustices of communism. Recent events clearly expose the strategy and tactics communists have used ever since their beginnings. Conscientious scholars, professionals and religious leaders are beginning to join under the general banner of Unificationism as they become more and more concerned about the future of religion and the free world. Also, people are attracted to the Unification Thought system because of its power to combat moral decadence and its very potent counterproposal to communism.
Today you and I stand together confronting a common destiny. Let us work with each other to defend the academic world from communism and fulfill the task that history presses upon us at this time. My Unificationist family members and I are determined to meet this challenge. From this day forward, let scholars throughout the world join together to take leadership in every field.
On the communist side, Marxist scholars assume leadership roles to manipulate students and campus activities. In concert with labor and minority organizers they create a formidable ideological and social front, which works ultimately to the detriment of real human happiness. Thus, we are urgently compelled to establish a systematic social foundation through the responsible cooperation of professors and students. To my bones I have come to realize that a person who advocates righteousness in this evil world can be eliminated easily if he has no substantial foundation. Thus, a unified front of scholars and students must work together with Christians and all other religious believers.
Living at this most important time in history, we stand on the boundary of life and death. I cannot but fervently desire that you, as ambitious and righteous scholars and educators, will make substantial, constructive changes in the world. Let us work together in a unified front embracing all areas of life! Standing at the pinnacle of history, let us ignite the new cultural revolution reaching the four corners of the earth!
May God's abundant blessing be with your countries, your families and every one of you. May God guide your discussions in this twelfth ICUS meeting.
Thank you very much.