Past and Future Generations

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
August 1, 1976
Tarrytown, New York
Translator - Col. Bo Hi Pak

The message this morning is entitled Past and Future Generations.

First of all, who is going to be responsible for this world? Indeed, men are responsible. When we say men, we mean men and women. The problem is what kind of men and women can be responsible for this world? A very handsome man or a beautiful woman? We cannot be that simple. The beauty of a person's face cannot be a qualification to be responsible for this world. Not only man is important but there are many other factors involved, such as money, and the system of organization. But everything hinges upon one key element: man himself.

What kind of man are we talking about here? A wise man or a foolish man? I'm sure every one of you agrees that it must be a man of wisdom. But what kind of wisdom? It could never be the man who leads a most prosperous and wonderful life only for himself. The wisdom of man has to be a factor to contribute to world history. Furthermore, that wisdom should transcend and penetrate all national and racial barriers and be a universal philosophy.

Actually it all comes down to one man, one central person, who will lead the entire human race and the entire universe. Black people might want to have that man be a black man, yellow people might want him to come from the yellow race, and white people might look for him among whites. But the ultimate responsibility for the world ends up in one man. In that one man new history begins. There have been so many billions of men and women who have lived, but actually in the sight of God that one man is the key. So what kind of wisdom should that one key man possess? That is the problem. That man must understand the value of the universe. That one man must be in a position to bring the solution to the fundamental problem common to all mankind. That one man must exemplify the unchangeable and priceless value of all men. In other words, he must set the standard of value that will never tarnish-but remains for eternity.

Then let us consider what kind of value that can be. Can it be power? Will power remain for eternity? Can it be wealth? Or knowledge? No, it is love. That love does not originate from that one man alone, however. True love cannot be generated by one man alone. True love always comes in a circuit, and a circuit always has two poles, a subject and object. Then love is one qualification to be possessed by the key or universal man. What is next? Second, most importantly, he must possess true life. We have only one life to live, and the key question is whether we are really leading the most valuable, honorable and truthful life possible. Are you? Everyone is concerned about this, but everyone's standard of value for life is different. Among a thousand men you would find a thousand different standards of value. No real absolute standard has been established. To some people honor, dignity, prestige and a life of luxury have great value, while others value a simple and humble lifestyle.

Is there anyone who would volunteer to die for no reason at all? Even a murderer, for example, who has killed another person and certainly deserves that his own life be taken, is very terrified about and reluctant to face his own execution. Even though he killed another person, he doesn't want to die. Do you understand that psychology, that feeling?

Then when we talk about life, what kind of life are we talking about? Are we talking about the 80, 90, or 100 years we spend upon the earth before death? Or are we talking about life that endures for eternity with no change in the standard of value? What kind of eternity are we talking about, our earthly, miserable existence, or some elevated, heavenly existence in which we want to remain for eternity? We are concerned not only about eternity, but we are paying a great deal of attention to the quality of that eternity. Everyone wants to spend eternity in a high, honorable place.

The key fundamental factors of all mental life are love and life. Then where can we find true love and true life? What is the source? Those who think you are the source of that love and that life, raise your hands. No one? You are proud young men and women of America, first class citizens, yet still you don't have confidence that you are the source of life and love? Do you think we can find that true love and true life in the president's office at a distinguished university, or in the work place of a Nobel Prizewinner? Are they in a position to give out true love and true life? No, no one, including Reverend Moon, can say, "I am the source of true life and true love." We know that our earthly life span is less than 100 years, so any man who says that he is the source of life and love cannot be trusted, not even Reverend Moon. We could perhaps believe it at this particular time while he is alive and teaching, but in less than 100 years Reverend Moon will no longer remain on earth. So man's ambition and desire to true life and true love is a great and eternal one, but man's reality, his temporal life, is a miserable one leading to a destiny of decay.

If God did not exist, man would have to create an original concept of God. It is absolutely necessary for men to have an almighty, unique, unchanging and absolute God, with unchanging thoughts throughout eternity. He could not be an ideal God if He changed His mind from morning to evening. Do you like men with changeable ideas and a changing attitude from morning to night? But aren't you like that? In the morning you're thinking one way, but by evening you are already discouraged and thinking something else. Even though some of us are weak in this way and change our minds from morning to evening, we still have at least one thing in common: we all value a man with an unchangeable and eternal type of personality. We can admire and respect him, isn't this true? All men want that. It's our common goal. Let's imagine that there was no God. Then we would have to create a concept or hypothesis of a God, a conceptual God, a fake God, attributing to him the characteristics of being eternal, unchangeable and absolute. Without such a subject, this world has no central point to rally around, and man's problems can never be solved.

So who are the men of wisdom? They are the men who think deeply, but not about how to make money, how to live more luxuriously, or how to succeed in business. I am not talking about that kind of thinking. Men of wisdom are those who think deeply about God and His characteristics, and His relationship with man. Without this kind of deep and serious thinking about this most fundamental problem of man, the world cannot survive. Do you understand? Man's reality is such that we need even an artificial God. Without some sort of God, fake or real, we cannot solve our human problems.

How exciting it is, therefore, that we do not need to create an artificial God. God exists. He is real. Once we recognize this, what a great gospel it is. A man, who is seeking to solve man's fundamental problems, must seek God, because without God men's problems cannot be solved. Once you find the eternal unchanging God above you, then that discovery is truly electrifying to you. Would you rather have an artificial God or a real God? (Real God!) Why is that? The artificial God cannot react, but the real God can react and you receive stimulation from Him. In other words, when you do something, He responds. Only the real God can do that. When you extend energy to the real God, a give and take relationship takes place, and a reciprocal relationship can be formed. In other words, it is not a one-way street, but a two-way street. That's why we need a real God. If you try to make a relationship with a dummy God, no matter how much energy you pour forth, there can be no reaction, no reciprocation. Therefore there's no energy generated. So if you try to relate with a dummy or conceptual subject, trying to be its object, no matter what you do, there's no energy, no circuit formed, no give and take of a reciprocal relationship. Therefore no energy is created. How long-how many days or years-could your happiness last with that dummy God?

The greatest contribution one can make to mankind throughout history is to find God and to testify that He exists. This is the greatest possible contribution to history. Do you know that God exists? How certain are you? Even if your neck were chopped off, you would not relinquish or alter your belief? Do you think God exists or do you know God exists? Who can guarantee to you that God exists? Can your father or your teacher guarantee to you that God exists? You yourself must know it to the depths of your being.

So what kind of man are you, to be able to guarantee that God exists? God would not want His existence guaranteed by a swindler, a liar or a lazy person. He would feel terrible to hear such a person testify to Him. The problem is whether or not we are the kind of persons God can willingly accept to testify to Him. He loves to hear the right kind of people say, "I know that God exists." Are you confident you are such persons? Do you really know that God exists? How much do you know? How about the equivalent of one thin hair? If somebody pulls one little thin hair from the back of my head, do I know it or not? So even though you don't know much about God, if you pull just one tiny hair from the back of God's head, if you know even that much about God, you really know a great deal. Even pulling just one thin hair from the back of God, you can attract God's attention, because He will turn around and look at you. Do you know even that much? It's very little, but at least it's one way to know God and attract His attention.

So you know God. Are you satisfied to know just one thin hair of God, or do you want to know His whole being from top to bottom including His heart? (WHOLE BEING!) Aren't you greedy! So I trust you that you know God, and you will guarantee God's existence. Would you swap that knowledge for billions of dollars and deny God? (NO!) How about if the entire population of America rose up against you and demanded that you deny God's existence, would you do it? (NO!) What if the entire human race rose up against you and commanded you to deny God or they would clobber you and destroy you, would you change? (NO!) What if everyone's ancestors in the entire spirit world demanded that you deny God's existence, what would you do? Can you truthfully say that no matter what opposition or stress may come, you know God exists and would never deny that? Raise your hands if you can truthfully say that you know God and He is your reality. Thank you. I don't think you have much confidence because your hands came up very slowly. Shall we show Heavenly Father our confidence? (YES!)

The existence of God has been a problem for our ancestors, and also for our own generation, and it will be a problem for future generations as well. The existence of God, the reality of God, is the deep and fundamental question of man's life. Men of wisdom throughout history have thought deeply about this fundamental question and have come to the conclusion that God does exist. People who believed in God's existence have changed the course of history. What kind of qualifications must one possess to be called a saint or holy man? No one deserves these titles unless he is united with the invisible God. Without that unity, no one is qualified to be called a saint. There have been many great men and famous patriots here in America and in all the nations of the world, but they were not necessarily godly men. Without God, no one can be a holy man or a saint. Would you rather be just a great man, or a saint? The qualification to become a holy man or a saint is that you must become a professional person in the knowledge of God. In other words, you must be a professional at the job of knowing God.

Let us examine history to see whether what I have said is correct. Jesus, Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed: why are these people listed as saints? Those people never claimed that they themselves were great and to be respected. Instead, they proclaimed the truth of God's existence. They were the messengers or errand boys of God, the saints who brought new religions to this world. Don't you want to become one of the saints?

We all want to become saints like that, but how many of us are actually willing and eager to live a life of religious discipline? Those who wish to live this kind of life, please raise your hands. In other words, it's no fun. In the religious life there are absolute limitations. It's not the kind of life where you can do anything you want. As a religious man, you must see only certain things with your two eyes, rather than exercising your entire vision. You have a fist and sometimes want to seek revenge, but instead the religious life brings the fist inside. You must be patient and you must withstand insults and injuries. That's the religious life. It's definitely not the life of freedom, of doing everything you want. Do you like that kind of life of limitations? (YES!) Those persons who said yes are actually lying. You're crazy. Even I myself did not desire to live that kind of religious life with so much discipline and limitation.

I have now become the focus of so much controversy, and the government, the New York Times, the Washington Post and everyone everyday is trying daily to tear me apart. Is there anyone here who would like to hear such criticisms everyday? No one wants to live and work under such a barrage of criticism. Then why do we have to do it? Even under such unpleasant circumstances, why do we have to persevere? I must go on simply because I am doing not my own will but God's will. Whether I like it or not, God wants it that way, and therefore I will go. That's the religious way of life. No matter what kind of hardships or tribulations we must endure, we will follow heaven's unchangeable order. Therein lies our value. Then among all the saints who is the greatest or central one? It is the person who can pioneer and make the impossible possible to fulfill the will of God. If any such saint exists, he is indeed the central saint. God cannot trust man. Man has proven himself untrustworthy in the sight of God. However, if there is one man who can say, "God, even though You cannot do a certain thing, I want to do it Your way. I want to represent You and I want to make Your impossible job possible." If one person can make that kind of statement with conviction in the sight of God, God can smile at him. Are you the one? Or are you the one who gives up in defeat? You say you can make the impossible possible, but I cannot trust you. Even if someone poked out one of your eyes, would you still be determined to persevere? Every morning when you looked into the mirror and saw only one eye, would you still have no regrets? Or would you wish you had two eyes again? Would you think, "Instead of accepting God and going this path, I would rather have my two eyes?" For the sake of God would you be willing, if necessary, to sacrifice even your other eye? There are two types of persons: One says, "For the sake of God there is nothing I cannot sacrifice, even both my eyes." The other says, "Oh, God, why did you take my left eye? Can't You please put it back for me?" Which type are you, the first or the second? (First!) "Even if my life is taken and my head is chopped off, still I will never change." Are you that kind of person?

So aren't you crazy, you young people who are just blossoming in life, many not even married, yet you are willing to die for the cause of God! Many people will point their fingers at you and call you crazy and say that Reverend Moon has ruined your life. Even then, are you determined to go on'? (Yes !) So as long as you follow this path of life, I know the gossip and criticism will have no end. It will continue on and on, and it will plague you. Still are you determined to go on? We are really doing an extraordinary thing. It's not easy to go out fundraising and selling peanuts. Some people will even spit in your face. Are you still willing to smile and go on? Your enemy or attacker may be your teacher or your own father, whom you thought was on your side, but instead he's causing more hardship, suffering and pain. Could you still cling to God and refuse to give Him up?

What kind of God is He? We must understand that God loves us not just for ourselves but for the entire world. He loves the entire world. Therefore you must offer yourself to God to be used as a living sacrifice for the salvation of the world. You must think that to serve as such a sacrifice is your greatest honor.

God has a great gift for us, the most unique and the most invincible gift. However, one must deserve that gift. Otherwise God's gift cannot be freely given. To deserve that gift, you must show your determination to persevere for God's cause, no matter what sacrifice it may demand. That's the only qualification to be accepted in the sight of God and to receive God's blessing. There is no other way. Do you understand?

Jesus Christ exemplified such sacrifice in his life. God had to sacrifice him to save the world, but did Jesus complain or accuse God for giving him such tribulation and suffering? Not at all. Jesus said, "Father, for the sake of your will I would die 1,000 times. Forgive our enemies. I will die for them. Father, don't worry about me; worry about them." From this we can see that Jesus Christ was really a genius in religion. He was really the greatest person under the sun, because he knew the secret of God. He held fast to that secret and never abandoned it. Similarly, don't you think that God and I, as the leader of the Unification Church, take comfort in seeing you work day and night, bubbling with enthusiasm, going on and on without even being asked, working harder and harder and achieving more and more? Would God curse such a person or find comfort in him?

We say that we want to become saints and live sacred lives, but that life is not an easy one. There is no freedom in that life. You must give up your own will and live for God's will. That's the only way to become a saint. Put yourself in God's place for a minute. What kind of person does God really need? The person who has a purpose and a goal and a plan of action, the person most loyal to the cause. Then what quality does God seek most? Is He looking for men with money? Men with knowledge, wisdom or power] Does God need the most handsome men and beautiful women? No. God needs the same thing as in all human relationships: He needs true love and loyalty. This same principle applies to a nation or a company or any organization. God is love, true love, and once true love is established it will remain for eternity.

God cannot die. It is not possible. It is not within His capabilities. He is the source of true life and true love. What do you think is God's central theme of life? God has mind and body, though of course they are invisible to human eyes. Do you think He lives for His own bodily comfort? How do you know God has a mind and body? We know because we have both mind and body, and therefore our origin or cause must also have both mind and body. It's logical.

Everyday we feel threatened or feel afraid. Why do we feel fear? We feel fear when our life or body is threatened. Do you think God wants to be in a position where He has to feel fear? No, God wants to remain in a peaceful place where there is no threat, no fear, for eternity. God is incapable of even thinking that His life will end someday. Therefore when God's standard is that way, then our standard, as His reflections and objects, must be that way too. So how can we live such a life of tranquillity for eternity? There's only one way, and it's simple: by uniting completely with that source of tranquillity, that source of life.

Let's disregard God for a moment and look at all human life. Where does life originate? Where did your life come from? You say your parents. Yes, your parents gave birth to you as a consequence of their love. A child born out of the true love of his parents is much wiser and happier. But today in America there are so many parents, but not very many children are born out of the true unity of love.

So then which comes first, life or love? (Love.) Then what about God, what can we say about God? God is the same. Even in God, love comes first. He wants to remain in the joy generated by love. In other words, even before life, love is the subject or goal. We cherish our life and life is precious to us because with life alone we can enjoy or stimulate or generate love. Because of love, life is precious. For example, which one sounds more sweet to you, that God is love, or God is life? Speaking about your husband, which is sweeter to say, "My husband is my love" or "My husband is my life?" No one dislikes love. So the decisive conclusion is that God is love, instead of God is life.

As I said earlier, God has mind and body. Mind or body, which one is subject? Certainly it is the mind. Therefore in our own lives the body is not the ultimate goal. Our minds must feel the joy of love, the joy of life.

What about you? What kind of person are you? Are you a person who in the morning thinks one thing and is ecstatically joyful and bubbling with enthusiasm, but in the evening is all drained out? Or are you unchanging morning and evening, day and night, year to year? Are you the first kind of person or the second? Sometimes I wish every Unification Church member even including Bo Hi Pak would be kidnapped. I want you to be tested, to see how unchangeable you are. Imagine you have been kidnapped, blindfolded, gagged, and driven to some unknown place and imprisoned in a dark room. In your mind would you be saying to God, "Don't worry about me. I am not going to change." Or would you be saying, "Oh, boy, what can I do? Please, God, get me out of here!" I myself have been held in the worst possible prisons in Communist North Korea. Every time I was chained and pulled into the prison camp, do you think I said, "Oh, God, don't worry about me. I will never be defeated." Or do you think Reverend Moon said, "Boy, what should I do? Somebody should come and rescue me. God, where are You?" This was the same kind of test, and once I pledged my loyalty to God I never changed. That was 20 years ago. Now today I am in America, and no matter what America does to me, even if I am put into prison in solitary confinement or whatever they may do, nothing can change Reverend Moon even one iota.

What kind of teacher or leader would you like to have, one who is changeable like the summer weather, or unchanging like a rock? Like a rock. How about you, are you rocks, too? I don't want to hear you say, "Well, I might change, but Reverend Moon does not change." I don't need the kind of person who says, "Well, I'm weak and I'm vulnerable, and sometimes I change, but I don't want you to change, Father." I want you to say, "Father, I'm a rock. I will never change, and I don't want you to change either."

That's the kind of men and women I want. God did not want me to say, "God, please don't change, but if I change, please forgive me." God did not want to hear that kind of statement from Reverend Moon. Instead God wanted to hear him say, "I will never change, even if You change."

Are you going to be that kind of rock? You said yes, but how can I find out if that is true? We have to test you. Do you think the test will be pleasant and good and comfortable? A test is not pleasure or entertainment. No, the test comes as a limitation. You must not be arrogant. You must not see, hear or do certain things. Nobody welcomes such a test. It's human nature. However, what would you do if God calls out to Reverend Moon and the Unification Church saying, "You have assembled here to receive God's blessing. All right, how big of a blessing do you want? A tiny little blessing, or the blessing of heaven and earth including God's heart and His entire inheritance?" Of course you want the entire blessing including the heart of God. That means that you must be ready to withstand the universal test. You must be victorious in that test in order to be entitled to that blessing. This means we must be ready to undertake any test, no matter how difficult, even if the entire world were to come against us and at every door someone came out and tried to club us.

All we are really saying is that to be entitled for the universal blessing we must be ready for the universal test. You are saying that you are ready. Do you want the blessing equivalent to America's blessing, or even exceeding the blessing of America? When you say "exceeding" it means you are confident to withstand tribulation or persecution even greater in size than America. Would you like to have a blessing as big as the world? That means you are ready to withstand the tribulation of the same magnitude, not only from this world but including the spirit world, with even God trying to cast you down. Still you are steadfast like a rock-solid mountain and will not change. That is the type of person we must become.

Do you like selling peanuts and fundraising? Why do you do that? I want you to know that it is a great discipline, great training. Actually for many people holding BA's master degrees and Ph.D.s, taking a big box and going out on the street and selling peanuts is in a way far more humiliating than dying. Many people say, "Well, in the Unification Church everything is beautiful. Truth is beautiful or our leader is beautiful. Everything is lovely and warm. But I don't like peanut selling. Father, couldn't you eliminate just this one thing? Then I'll be very happy and I will go on." There are many people who think this way. Suppose no food was provided here and you had to go out and beg for food everyday. What would you do? (BEG!) How many years could you do that? This is a serious subject. What I am driving at is that for the sake of God and His will there must be nothing that you cannot do, nothing. You must never even think that there is anything you cannot do. There can be no limitations. Is it true? Can you be that type of person? When I look at your faces and stare into your eyes, you cannot withstand it and look away. That means you are not confident. You are saying, "Father, I do not have confidence." You must make up your mind there's nothing you cannot do, nothing. Liquidate all other thoughts from your mind and concentrate on this one thing: "Heavenly Father, for Your sake there is nothing I cannot do." Those who can make up your minds to do that, raise your hands. Then in thought we have already accomplished this.

Then what should come next? Action. "In action, God, for Your sake there's nothing I cannot do." Which should come first, the thought or action? (Thought.) What about action going ahead of the thought? Many people have such beautiful theories, but without follow-up in action they fail. How about action coming even ahead of the thought? Is that safe? Or is thinking but not acting safe? A person is judged not by the words of his mouth but by his deeds. Look at me. Am I just talking or am I living my words? That's why this world sees Reverend Moon as a problem. If I were not a man of action, this world would not bother about me no matter what I taught. But because I not only teach but act, the world is paying attention to me. Whatever I say, I do. After the Yankee Stadium campaign are we or are we not marching toward Washington, D.C.? We are marching ahead for victory for God and for humanity. Our attitude must be that even if we have to die, we are determined to leave God and humanity victorious. That's our will. That's our destiny. Don't you want to participate in that? Most of you don't have any children of your own yet, and if you die there is no generation to succeed you, whereas I have my own children. Still will you go? You don't mind? Then I begin to trust you now.

Let's go back to our subject and draw the conclusion. Who is the ancestor of Christianity? Christianity's ancestor is indeed Jesus Christ and his own close disciples. Jesus, the son of God, was the greatest saint of all. Yet what about his disciples, were they all equally great people? No. Were they better than you or inferior to you? I want you to know that if you have made up your mind and determined that you will go on without change for the sake of God and humanity, then you are indeed superior to Peter or any other disciples of Jesus because they changed, but you will not change. In this matter you are superior to them. Have confidence. In Christianity have they left the right tradition to posterity and future generations? No, they left a tradition of betrayal.

Then who will be the Unification Church's ancestors? You say we are. Indeed, we are the pioneers and will be remembered as the church's ancestors. But what kind of people are we? Are you centered upon yourself, your society, your nation, or upon the world and the universe? (World and universe. ) Jesus's disciples did not think of themselves as men who represented the world. They thought of themselves as individuals, or as Jews; they did not think beyond Judaism to the world. But Jesus was different. Jesus, even though he risked being denied or being killed because of it, thought not in terms of the Jewish people, or Israel, but in terms of the world and universe. That was Jesus' philosophy. Then who is the real ancestor of Christianity? Not the disciples, who do not deserve that title, but Jesus Christ alone.

Who are America's ancestors? Actually long before 1620 there were already many people dwelling in this land. Why couldn't they become the ancestors of this nation? They didn't have the spirit that resulted in the founding of America, whereas the pilgrim fathers are remembered as the ancestors of America because they introduced that founding spirit. And America, in turn, when it looks beyond this one nation to a broader scope and thinks in terms of the sake of the world, will then indeed become the ancestors of the world.

Do you suppose God thinks in terms of one individual or in terms of the world? Then what kind of person does God like most? God likes a universal person who shares God's own philosophy. God's philosophy goes beyond the nation and beyond even the world. When you love the world, that includes loving your own nation, your own tribe, your own society, your family and yourself. When you love the world, you love them all. God is seeking as a champion the person who has at heart the interests of the whole of humanity. Does God want you to become just a member of the Unification Church, or does God want you to be an individual who is a member of the church but is dedicating himself to the world and humanity?

If we really love the world, can there be segregation between white and yellow and black? There is no question but that this is impossible. Thus in the sight of God America must be ashamed. That there is a problem in this country between white and black shows that Christianity has been a failure in this country, where we find white-oriented churches and black-oriented churches. When the new universal age comes, a nation pursuing a racist course will be a failure. Do you understand?

Then where can we find a church which can bring the new universal awakening? Here in the Unification Church you can trust that we are pursuing a universal course. Since I have known God so deeply, I have become virtually color blind. History demands a man and a church which will set the universal tradition transcending race and color, transcending nationalism.

When people in the world criticize you, what do they call you? Moonies? Why do they call you Moonies? It is because you follow and resemble a man named Moon. When they criticize you they call you Moonies, yet when I call you Moonies you applaud. Don't you mind being called a Moonie? In what way do you resemble me? Your faces don't resemble mine. I love rice and soup, but you prefer bread and butter. As an Oriental I call people to come to me by waving my hand like this, but that's the way you wave good-bye. So we're very different. We don't look or act like one another. Then why do they call you Moonies? What is the resemblance? It's not our way of life, the foods we eat, or the way we lie down to sleep, but rather the resemblance of our minds and spirits. In that way we are alike. We think the same thoughts and see the same vision of the world as it ought to be. We are both determined to save this world, and nothing can deter us until we achieve that goal. In our hearts we have vowed that for that purpose, for the sake of the world, humanity and God, there's nothing we cannot do. In that spirit you are the same as Reverend Moon. No matter what, even if all the people of America rise up against me and crucify me, it will not stop me from working for the salvation of the world. Even if Communism tries to destroy me, it will never stop me.

God desires the salvation of the world, not of just one individual, and not of just the Unification Church. The world is the target and goal of God's salvation. You must know that. God may sacrifice the Unification Church in order to save the world. Are you ready for that?

If Reverend Moon is truly a champion of God, he's not going to love you and give you sweet things, but rather he will push you out to the front line so that the salvation of mankind and of the world can come more quickly. Only in this way can we do the will of God. Are you ready to respond to that? Don't you want to sacrifice yourself to bring the salvation of mankind as soon as possible?

I myself have a grieving heart. So many times I wanted to take revenge against people who spat at me and kicked me, imprisoned me and tried to torture me to death. I endured hardships and tribulations you can't even imagine. The greater the tribulation, the more my will was forged into iron to do one thing: to fulfill the will of God. No matter what the American government may say or do against me, or even if the Korean government comes against me, I don't care. I am determined to push this movement through to the ultimate goal. The greater the hardship and tribulation, the stronger my will becomes. Persecution is not going to cause me to retreat. I will rather move forward and do even greater things. Do you understand? That is the spirit in which we must march ahead to the Washington Monument Rally.

Right now in Washington there's a great deal of turmoil. Everybody is asking, "Reverend Moon isn't really coming, is he? I hope he doesn't come." But I am going to Washington because I know there's great peril and chaos ahead for America. I can see it coming. I can read the signs. And no one else is taking the responsibility to lead this world in the right direction. Christianity has failed. The American people are sleeping. They stay at home, and there is no one with the courage or the vision to speak out. God has only one champion: it's the Unification Church, headed by Reverend Moon. The battle has already begun.

So it is our responsibility to become honorable ancestors, admirable forefathers in this universal movement. Even though you might die, you must leave behind the right tradition even at the moment of your death. It's your responsibility as the ancestors or forefathers of this movement. Millions of generations will come after you, with millions of children. I want you to be respected and honored by them as a great ancestor, a great forefather of this movement. Our goal is to forge ahead to win the salvation of the world. We are proclaiming the liberation of God. We will liberate God from His sorrow. That is our goal. No matter how many years it takes, humanity is destined to accomplish this goal. It is not just by our choice. It is our destiny. There is no other way. America must be truly liberated from the bondage of sin. Both the Free World and the Communist World must be liberated as well. Unless humanity is liberated from sin, God cannot be liberated. God and all of human history have been waiting for the birth of such children who can undertake this mission bravely and without fear. And we are the children who have been chosen to become those champions.

You have two ways to go: you can become an honorable ancestor or forefather, or you can go the other way, like Jesus' disciples, and betray the movement and go away. There are only these two choices. We must know that. God was betrayed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We are here to indemnify Adam and Eve's sin. Jesus and God were also betrayed by the disciples of Jesus, and we are here to pay the indemnity and restore that betrayal. That is our mission. In order to inherit the true love and true life from God, we must be willing and able to sacrifice even our fallen life in this degenerated world.

With a husband and wife, the true husband is the one who can willingly give his life for the sake of his wife, and the true wife is the same, and can willingly give her life for the sake of her husband. That's true love. Similarly, pious sons are the ones who are willing to give their lives for their parents. Patriots are those who can give their lives for the sake of their nations. Saints are those who are willing to give their lives for the sake of God and humanity. And Jesus Christ is indeed the greatest saint in all history.

If you truly love me, then you will pray to become even stronger than Jesus, to be able to face even greater obstacles than Jesus might have faced. You want to break through all barriers to achieve the final victory. You might say to me, "Father, you can trust me. I will go ahead of you and remove the obstacles so that you will have no problem to achieve the goal." If you have that kind of conviction, our victory is already locked up. No matter what the obstacles may be in Washington, you will shatter them. Even if snowstorms and hurricanes are headed toward Washington, they will be stopped by your zeal. You must know that.

I risk my life everyday here in America. For less than $100, perhaps $70, anyone can buy a gun and become an assassin. This can easily happen here in America. The Unification Church is receiving much persecution, but we have done no harm to anyone. On the contrary, you are not persecuted because you are degenerate like many American young people, but because you are superior and your goal is far nobler. Your goal is sacred. This is why this world of Satan despises you and persecutes you. Do you understand?

So why should we worry? Whatever the consequences, we have nothing to fear. God is with us. He is our defender, our guardian. Look at me, Reverend Moon: I came to the world stage by receiving persecution. I did not get here by having someone roll out a red carpet for me.

Now let us pledge to God that we will become the heavenly crusade to liberate the world for the sake of God. Why is the Unification Church needed? Because we want to be the right kind of ancestors, to bring forth the right kind of God-centered generation. Fifty or 100 years from now your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren will follow in your

footsteps, follow the tradition you are setting now. Your lives will be their example. When you sell peanuts or flowers, you are not just peddling to earn a few dollars. No, you are creating right there the tradition that 50 or 100 years later the children of the world will respect as one deed done by their ancestors to save the world. Great tradition should be erected at the bottom of hell, not in the Rose Room of the White House or in Washington's high society. Not at all. Our tradition cannot be set there. Our tradition must be set in the worst kind of place and with tears and sweat. So no other people can duplicate what we are doing. Transcending race and color, we are going forward as one family of man.

Adam and Eve, due to their failure of loyalty, have been criticized throughout history. Jesus Christ's disciples have been criticized for 2,000 years for their lack of loyalty. By the same token, our actions now will be remembered and either acclaimed as honorable or criticized as shameful for countless centuries to come. So even at the time of death we must be concerned about setting the right tradition. Can you do it? So even if you are in prison you must worry about only one thing: what kind of tradition am I leaving behind?

I am leaving again today for Boston, and again I have an important mission. I will go out to sea, not for pleasure, but to lay a foundation for the future economy of the Unification Church. That's my goal. There is no way we can exceed the advances in industry and technology, except in the one virtually untapped area of the sea and sea products. The international law has recently been changed and America can soon claim jurisdiction over the waters extending 200 miles out from her shores. There will be much more territory to cope with, and the American people do not pay very much attention to the sea, nor invest very much in sea industries. Thus the treasure of the sea surrounding America is virtually untapped. I feel that the future economic foundation of the Unification Church lies in this area. Some time ago I promised that in three years I would start exploring the treasures of the sea. I have to train you. People criticize me and say that Reverend Moon is taking it easy on a yacht out in the Atlantic Ocean, enjoying himself. Nothing could be further from the truth. I don't think very many of you will inherit large fortunes from your own parents, so I, Father, am responsible for you. I must plan how you can support yourselves years from now. You will be blessed in marriage, and God will bless your marriages with children, whom you must be able to support. While you're going down to Washington to fight this battle, I am looking more than ten years ahead and am going to sea to prepare our future economic foundation. Going out to sea is the most wearying and tiresome task I have ever done. But I am determined to do more and to endure more physical hardship than any one of you. Since we have developed a worldwide system of organization, our movement can grow rapidly in this new industry. Even in this area I want to play the role of a forefather, a pioneer.

Only 49 more days remain before the Washington Rally on September 18th. I want you to make up your minds to become honorable forefathers of this movement, setting the right tradition. This is our greatest test. Can you do it? Do not trust anyone else to do it, not even God. Trust only yourself, and have confidence in yourself, so that Reverend Moon and even God can envy that confidence. Become that type of person. Each of you is a main actor in this greatest crusade of all, and you shall become truly great ancestors and forefathers, and you shall leave behind an honorable tradition to the generations to follow. That's what God wants, and that's what Reverend Moon wants.

So let us pledge to God, pledge to humanity, pledge to the universe, that we shall become those honorable ancestors, those honored forefathers. We will build a tradition of honor, not shame. "That is our goal, and I can do it." This is the day to swear that pledge to God. Let us do so by raising both hands.

God bless you.

Let us pray.

Let Us Go Over the Hill of Indemnity

Sun Myung Moon
July 18, 1976
Notes
New Hope News

Father began by explaining that his Sunday sermon would be similar to his talk given the preceding evening in Washington because the subject was very important. First, Father spoke of the results of the fall. If it were not for the fall, he said, we would not need to pay indemnity.

The result of the fall was a shift in the membership of the world. If it had not been for the fall, everything would have been under God and the creation would have been under man's dominion with the blessing of God. We would not have known Satan; God would have been our master. But since Satan has been the master, we are heading in the opposite direction from the ideal.

"Fall," explained Father, "means reverse". Due to the fall, the world has had a miserable history. We cannot get rid of Satan unless we restore ourselves. Father went on to say that we must find ourselves, but that we must strive to center ourselves on God rather than on ourselves during this search. Religions help us find ourselves because they re-establish the lost relationship between God and ourselves.

Father explained that Adam united with the archangel because he was self-centered. To go back to the original ideal, we must therefore rid ourselves of this self-centered nature. "Only through self-denial can we completely find ourselves," said Father.

He then gave three keys for restoration: self-denial, subjugation of Satan, and denial of possessions. Before being self-centered, we must center on God. We must overcome the conditions linking us to Satan. And we must deny our possessions because all things belong to God before they belong to us.

Father went on to discuss our own responsibility in this course. As Unification Church members, he said, we must deny Satan's world and recognize God and His world; we have to overcome Adam's self-centeredness.

He cautioned that, because mankind denied God for so long, we must be obedient to Him even when He appears to be rebelling against us. "If you are in the place of Adam," he said, "you must be responsible. You must be responsible for all mankind because mankind rebelled against God."

Both Jacob and Moses underwent this course, said Father. Jacob was successful in gaining the birthright from Esau, wrestling with the angel, and winning back Esau's good will because he did all these things in the name of God. Moses, he said, could have easily lived a glorious life in Pharaoh's palace but instead chose to be persecuted wherever he went in order to fulfill God's Will. Jesus denied himself because he had to win over Satan at all costs. He cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" on the cross yet he was obedient to God, who had seemingly abandoned him. By asking God to forgive those who harmed him, Jesus was taking responsibility for all mankind.

Father spoke more specifically of our situation as Unification Church members. Since the restoration is to be both physical and spiritual, we can expect difficulties on this course.

Without the Divine Principle it would be difficult for us to understand all of the paradoxical things which may happen to us. But, said Father, the Unification Church is significant in that it teaches the principle of many different kinds of indemnity.

Father reminded the members of the value of paying indemnity: "We will enter Canaan in our time... The greater the indemnity, the greater height we attain. You will reach heaven in the proportion to the depth of hell you go through... If you knew that you were going to lose by going this way you would not go... Reverend Moon is the champion of the course of indemnity. You are trainees in the arena.

"You must not let go of God," continued Father. "You must willingly go through rejection." He then told of his suffering in prison, relating times when his feet bled so much that he was barely able to walk. At such times he offered strong prayers and rededicated himself to God.

He then told us that just before he spoke at Yankee Stadium, he saw someone tear down his picture from a poster. "I then prayed to win victory," he said. "We were all under the pall of death and then came the resurrection... At Yankee Stadium we went through the cross and got the victory of resurrection. We have final victory.

He spoke more of his feelings, saying that he is often lonely, having to go over the hill of indemnity himself as God watches. "I will risk indemnity." He explained that we must set conditions level-by-level in paying indemnity.

Father then inspired the members to willingly pay indemnity. "Look for the strongest Satan to fight, and win over him." He warned that money, position, etc. may be obstacles on the way, saying that we have to be willing to go the path of indemnity despite difficulty and temptation. He said that fundraising is the best way for us to deny ourselves, with witnessing in next place. "The more you are persecuted, the more indemnity you go through," he said.

The United States he added, provides an arena for my whole life to go over the hill of indemnity," he said. He concluded that the Washington rally would represent crossing Golgotha on a worldwide level. "Let us go over the hill of indemnity at all cost. No one has gone through our battle. You are carrying out the great mission endowed by God. God has never seen such a breathtaking moment. If we can win victory, God will be so elated. 

Jesus Course

Sun Myung Moon
July 6, 1976
Excerpt
Japanese Headquarters Church
Tokyo, Japan

Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han, November 11, 2011

Therefore, let's become brothers of Jesus. Let's become parents, aunts or relatives of Jesus. Let's make our church a church of loving Jesus.

Let's become a Jewish people which Jesus wished to be. Let's make a nation for which Jesus longed. It is the mission of the Unification Church to liberate Jesus' heart of sorrowful regret by making the condition of indemnity to totally love Jesus. Therefore, those who did not marry yet should become Jesus' younger brothers. They should be younger brothers and sisters whom Jesus loves and who serve God with a more serious heart than Jesus' in order to restore the position of brothers and sisters which Jesus could not love.

Those who are older than 30 years old, older than Jesus, should become elder brothers and sisters of Jesus. They should have a heart with which they cannot but love young people who devote themselves to the church, as the representatives of Jesus. Then, the young people will confide in such elder brothers and sisters. Please have such a relationship in heart.

Then, old people should see young people with the parental eyes of Jesus and love young people with the heart of sons and daughters of filial piety to God. They should have a heart to love the children whom their ancestors could not love. Such an effort will make a relationship as one family and one relative, and then we can expand such a foundation in heart to the church and nation. Without this, it is impossible to make the Heavenly Kingdom on earth centering on Jesus.

Newsweek International Interviews Sun Myung Moon

June 14, 1976

'God Speaks Through Me'

Recently, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon gave a rare interview, his first in three years, to Newsweek International's Executive Editor Richard Z. Chesnoff and General Editor Andrew Nagorski. Below, excerpts from their three-hour conversation:

Chesnoff and Nagorski: How does the Unification Church differ from other Christian denominations?

Reverend Moon: My new revelation has made the will of God crystal clear. And what is that will? It is to save the world. So the Unification Church is not another denomination -- it's a movement to save the world and through the teaching of the word of God, each individual in our movement becomes absolutely clear about the concept of the God-centered individual, the God-centered family, the God-centered nation and the God-centered world.

Q. How was God's will revealed to you?

A. At the age of 16, I had a very spiritual, deep experience encountering Jesus Christ in the Korean countryside. That was the beginning of the revelations. Ever since that particular encounter, I have been in constant communication with the living God and the living saints in the spirit world, including Jesus, in my own search for truth. This cannot be explained in words too well.

Q. Why did God speak to you?

A. In accordance with God's timetable, God has ordained or handpicked me. But why? We must ask God that question. I know just one thing: that mission came to me. God has three major headaches. First, moral corruption is rampant. Second, the Christian churches are divided and declining and their spiritual power must be restored. And third, Communism, an evil force in the sight of God, is rising -- this is the foremost obstacle to the creation of the Kingdom of God on earth. When those revelations were completed and organized into the Divine Principle, I began to organize a movement and that is the Unification Church.

Q. You are obviously saying that you are a prophet, but do you also consider yourself the new Messiah?

A. We are in a new messianic age. But 2.000 Years ago Jesus Christ never spoke of himself as a Messiah, knowing that would not serve his purpose. I am not saying, "I am the Messiah." I am faithfully fulfilling God's instructions.

Q. But you don't rule out the possibility that you are the Messiah?

A. Let God answer you, let God answer the world.

Q. You have specifically said that a second Messiah, who is a married Korean, is coming and that the new ideology will he born in Korea. Why Korea?

A. Korea is the chosen nation of God. Korea is divided. The line-up in Panmunjom is like a line-up between the heavenly world and the Satanic world. We must make a showdown in Korea. Korea's victory, particularly in the fight against Communism, is not Korea's alone. I came to America to bring it back to the scene of the struggle. America has been retreating from its responsibility to the world -- that has happened in Vietnam already. America will decide the world's destiny, including the destiny of God because God needs a champion. America is destined to fight Communism on a worldwide scale -- the ideological confrontation is inevitable.

Q. Are you linked to the Korea/l Government or the Korean CIA?

A. That is absolute nonsense. Ours is a religious movement and we get no instructions from the government. Actually in many cases in the past, people in South Korean Governments have tried to undermine and curtail our movement. But right now our contribution to the over-all goal of Korea's national purpose is so great they certainly have to recognize our achievements. On our own initiative, over 20 million people have listened to our theory about Victory Over Communism. But this is not an alliance or cooperation. President Park does his job; I do my job as a religious leader.

Q. Have you received aid in the past from anti-Communist groups in Korea and around the world, from Japan's Yoshio Kodama, for example?

A. Not a penny. I have never met Mr. Kodama and there has never been any communication with him or his organization. Communists are planting those rumors, trying to make us look bad.

Q. You have said, " I will conquer and subjugate the world. The time will come without my seeking when my words will serve almost as law." What are your political goals?

A. I have no political goals. That particular quotation has been taken out of context. When you pick quotations from long, impromptu speeches, they can be misinterpreted. There are also problems with translating from Korean.

Q. So you are saying you have no intention of "subjugating the world?"

A. Of course not, not in the political sense. God is the ruler of the world and I am not putting myself in the position of God. But the spirit of God speaks through me and it's really God who speaks out. That's why so many young people follow me.

Q. Is one of your goals to get your members elected to high offices?

A. That is not the business of the church or under its control. We would like to have millions and millions of members and great leaders may emerge. I would welcome that. But my goals is not to obtain any political power for myself or my organization.

Q. You are a millionaire businessman, you live in a $625,000 house, you have yachts at your disposal and so on. Why do you have this financial empire?

A. God has been very good to me. But I am not a millionaire businessman. I am a religious leader. A great deal of blessing has been poured upon me. And many people say that whatever I touch turns to gold. To a certain extent, that is true. But I know why God gave me this blessing -- because God knows nothing belongs to me, not even a penny for my own savings. All the work is [for] God. If I were taking advantage of dedicated young people, not a single soul would follow me. But they recognize my honesty and dedication.

Q. What is the extent of the church's financial holding around the world?

A. I don't know. Truthfully, I do not keep the figures, as they do not interest me. I give spiritual guidance.

Q. Who keeps the figures?

A. Each national leader. There is no central management.

Q. Your followers live very simply but you live very comfortably. Why the personal opulence?

A. Although I have lived most of my life in simple surroundings, whether I like it or not I am becoming an international figure. There are many great people who come to see me -- it's a matter of protocol. Then people tell me I need protection and a certain dignity.

Q. Security is very evident all around you and your church. It looks almost obsessive. What is the reason for that?

A. My mission is life-risking. My life is threatened by Communists; there have been many threats. As my movement gets stronger, the more possibility there is for organized plots against my life. North Korea's Kim Il Sung for example has publicly announced that I am the number one threat to his revolutionary tactics. But one thing the plotters do not know is that if I falter for some reason, then millions of new Reverend Moons will spring up. The work of God will go on.

Q. Why do your church and your followers constantly raise money? Why the emphasis on materialism?

A. I do not reject material values. But it must be in the service of God. Vast resources are necessary for the movement to physically implement the concept of the ideal of God on earth.

Q. Why don't you allocate at least part of those resources for such projects as feeding the hungry?

A. We are doing some welfare work. However, I want you to understand that many people can feed and are feeding the poor and orphans. My unique role is to bring men an awareness of God.

Q. Is it true that your industries in South Korea have been involved in manufacturing weapons?

A. Our machine shops have some defense contracts -- this is a national obligation in Korea and there is no major company not involved in defense. Five or maybe ten percent of our production is under contract for defense purposes.

Q. What specifically do you make, parts of weapons?

A. That information is classified by the government. But certainly, some... parts of weapons.

Q. Do you have plans to develop industries in the US and West Europe as you have in Korea and Japan?

A. I do have plans to develop certain industries. [And] I am concentrating very much on the movement in Germany because it is the backbone of Europe. We must save that nation from Communism.

Q. Do you brainwash your disciples?

A. The same question arose when I spoke to a group of congressmen on Capitol Hill. I answered, "Are you Americans foolish enough to be brainwashed by Reverend Moon of Korea, particularly when I use an interpreter?" Young people who come to the church are not dumb or mediocre -- they are smart, idealistic and determined. When they detect this power and love of God, they seem attracted like a magnet. The doors to our centers are open 24 hours a day. Anybody can come in, anybody can leave.

Q. You stress the importance of the family, but haven't your methods caused rifts within families?

A. If one of my disciples denounces his parents, he is not really my disciple. A truly good disciple will gain the respect of his parents. Many ...young people are neglected, they're thirsty for love. When they come into our movement they're really inspired, they're really happy. For the first time, they see something and somebody they can trust and love. So they become dedicated followers and members of our family. Some parents feel jealousy and others have no other opposition except for the fact that their sons and daughters are following me. Someone who comes from Korea.

Q. Were you ever ordained by another Christian church?

A. I was ordained by God, as many prophets in history were ordained by God. I am in daily communication with God; the living God is with me. There is no better ordination than that one.

God's Hope for America

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
June 1, 1976
Yankee Stadium
New York
Translator - Bo Hi Pak

Distinguished citizens of the United States and honorable delegates of the world, I would like to speak to you tonight on the subject "God's Hope for America." But first of all, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all of you for coming today and being part of this record crowd.

Here in this grand Yankee Stadium we have gathered to celebrate America's 200th birthday.

Among this year's many celebrations, our Festival at Yankee Stadium is unique for the following reasons: First, we have gathered together in the name of God, and second, we are having an international celebration. Representatives from all over the world are here for this joyous celebration.

Today we are living in an age when we must look at every individual and every nation as vital components of the world. In our world, there are basically two ways of life. One is the selfish way of life, and the other is the unselfish way of life where one thinks beyond himself and his family and lives for the greater purpose of the nation and the world. Throughout history, whether in the East or West, those who played important roles were public-minded or selfless persons.

The well-being of the family should come before that of the individual; the nation should come before the family; the world before the nation, and God before the world. This is the philosophy of the selfless way of life. The righteous men and women and saints in history were those people who selflessly sacrificed themselves for God and mankind. Jesus Christ was indeed the supreme example of such a righteous man.

It is really God, however, who is supremely selfless, supremely public-minded. When mankind rebelled against Him, God did not take revenge; He forgave. And God has been working tirelessly to raise sinful men up out of sin into salvation. To do this God sent His only Son Jesus Christ. Even at the cost of sacrificing His Son, God wanted to save the world. God erected Israel as the chosen nation. The purpose of the chosen nation is also to save the world. And God raised up Christianity for the same purpose-to save the world.

The Bible says in John 3:16, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Remember, the world is God's goal. And just as Jesus willingly gave his life so that the world might live, God wanted all Christians to be willing to give themselves for the salvation of the world. However, today, Christians of the world are not even close to realizing this heart of God.

God seeks to build one family of man. Therefore, the family, church and nation which God desires transcend all barriers of race and nationality. The people who are a unified blending of all colors of skin, and who transcend race and nationality are most beautiful in the sight of God and most pleasing to Him.

Let us look at America. It is most important that we know whether the United States of America was conceived by God or not. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my firm belief that the United States of America was indeed conceived by God.

There were, however, two kinds of people among your forefathers. One kind came to this land seeking wealth. The others came to this land seeking God and freedom. They dreamed of building a new nation centered upon God. If the former had become the mainstream of America, there would have been far greater strife, division and struggle between the different races and national groups. The United States would have been filled with unrighteousness and injustice. From the beginning, however, God intervened. Therefore, of all the immigrants, the righteous men of God were to find their proper place as leaders in America. All the different races and nationalities of the world harmonized upon this land to create God-centered families, churches and the nation of America. The beautiful tradition of America was set by your forefathers.

Look at your own families. Most families have the virtue of a distinct international character. If your lineage has been in America for some time, it probably unites many different nationalities. In your blood stream many kinds of blood are blended together. Nations who used to be enemies have united in your blood. When the individual and the families which transcend racial and national barriers gather together to create a church, a society and a nation, that nation will become God's ideal nation for all peoples.

There is only one nation like this in all of history -- The United States of America. It is apparent that this unique nation of America is the creation of God. The people of America have come from every corner of the world. To be an American does not depend upon what race you are, what belief you have, or what cultural background you are from. It is only in this nation that no matter where you are from, you can say this is my country. That is America!

America is a microcosm of the world. Transcending nationality and race, America has created a model for the ideal world. God Himself had purposely hidden this land of America from civilization until His time was full, and then upon her God raised up this model nation. In His Providence God anointed America with oil; He poured out abundant blessing upon this land. In a short 200 years, God raised this nation to be the mightiest nation on earth.

But blessing never comes alone; it comes with responsibility. If one forsakes the responsibility, one also forsakes God's blessing. Inevitably the blessing of God will leave, and the nation doing this will decline. Is it not true that the signs of such decline are already apparent in America today?

Beloved American people, the time has come for us to repent. We must fear the wrath of God. In the truest sense, who are the true Americans? True Americans are those who have a universal mind. True Americans are those who believe in the one family of man, transcendent of color and nationality as willed by God. True Americans are those who are proud of such international families, churches and of the nation which consists of all peoples. In the sight of God, there is no black; there is no white; there is no yellow. We must look at the human race as God sees it. America must return to the true founding spirit of the nation, to the ideals which her ancestors sought to establish with sweat and blood. America must return to Godism, an absolutely God-centered ideology.

God is the motivation, the cause and the foundation of the independence of America. America was born through the Providence of God. If we are centered upon God, we will remain united and enjoy prosperity. However, as soon as we turn away from God, we will be divided.

Ladies and gentlemen, if America wants to keep the blessing of God as the leading nation of the world, it must form a partnership with God. Do you have God in your homes? Do you truly have God in your church? Do you have God in your society and nation? God is the cement. With God, America will stay together like concrete. But if God leaves, she will be like sand. When the flood comes, all will be washed away.

America's greatness and pride stem from God. With Him, America deserves the blessing and can remain as the mightiest nation. With God, you can preserve your dignity and the leadership of the world. If you allow God to leave America, however, this nation will decline; it will be subjugated by satanic hands. When this happens, the future of America will be dismal, tragic. America will become a living hell.

When God's blessing is great, and one forsakes God's will, God's punishment is equally great. In the early 1960s, America seemed to be the hope of the world, and the symbol of America was the city of New York. Today, however, the world has lost faith in America, and New York has become a jungle of immorality and depravity. It has been transformed into a city under the attack of evil. Chicago is no different, nor Los Angeles. Throughout all of America, Satan is becoming the master. God has been forgotten in this country, and if forgotten, God can only leave America. Now is the very moment that this is taking place!

When the unifying force of God leaves America, nothing will be able to hold America together. The family will break down; churches will divide, and America will become mortally ill because the cells of her body are decaying. This will be the perfect opportunity for the evil of communism to overtake America. This state of emergency is here now. Someone must do something!

There are critics who say, "Why is Reverend Moon so involved in America's Bicentennial? It is none of his business." Ladies and gentlemen, if there is an illness in your home, do you not need a doctor from outside? If your home catches on fire, do you not need fire fighters from outside? God has sent me to America in the role of a doctor, in the role of a fire fighter. That is why I have come to America. Good medicine may taste bitter, and an operation may involve some pain, but the treatment must begin at once. Should a patient complain and push away the doctor's hand when he touches the infected part?

For the last three years, with my entire heart and soul I have been teaching American youth a new revelation from God. They now have a clear concept of what the God-centered family, church and nation should be like. They also know the dark reality of America. Thus they have become determined fighters to bring new life and salvation to America before it is too late. They know the critical state of the nation. They know the grieving heart of God. And they are absolutely determined to turn the tide back to God. Their enthusiasm is beautiful to behold.

Your dedicated sons and daughters are champions of God crusading for the victory of God 's will. As God's front line, they are declaring war against evil. They are courageously fighting this noble battle. We must overcome evil. It is our mission to build the Kingdom of God here on earth. Therefore, we must build a model of the Kingdom of God right here in America, which God loves and has prepared the most.

Ladies and gentlemen, remember, these young people are working tirelessly. Their hearts are filled with tears and sighs in order to create a world free of tears and sighs. These young people are struggling, agonizing over their mission to create a world free of struggle and agony. Our battle is God's battle against Satan. For the sake of God, we will never retreat, but will win, whatever the sacrifice may be.

It is not important whether I am persecuted or not. I am only concerned with the will of God and the mission God gave me. I am concerned that your rejection of me could result in the rejection of God. I am concerned that without knowing the situation clearly, you may be opposing God's will. If what I am doing is not the will of God, it will not go too far anyway. If, however, what I am doing is the will of God, then no matter how much some people reject and persecute us and try to block the way, this mission will succeed.

Why has Reverend Moon come to America where he has encountered such tribulation? Am I pursuing my own honor? Is money my goal, or power? No! Never! I came to America because this is the country which God, our Heavenly Father, has chosen. I came to America because I know the heart of God. I know that in spite of America's rebellion against Him, God will not abandon this country. His will is to make America an example of a godly nation that the nations of the world can follow. I know God's will is to save the world, and to do this America must lead the way. This is why I came to America. With God you can win; with Satan you will fail.

Ladies and gentlemen, 200 years ago your brave ancestors in the Continental Army fought the Revolution, the War of Independence, with faith in God. George Washington knelt at Valley Forge asking divine intervention, and he and his army were able to win over the invincible British Army. Only through divine intervention could he win the war and America's independence. At that moment, God laid the "Foundation of Land" for America.

Approximately 100 years later when, contrary to God's will, slavery and segregation were rampant here in America, God raised up Abraham Lincoln as His champion, and brought about the victory of the Civil War, liberating the slaves, and affirming equality for all people. By doing so, God laid the "Foundation of People" for America, transcending race and nationality. Yet this was an external test.

Today, 200 years later, America is undergoing another test. This time the test is an internal or spiritual one. It is a religious test, an historical, ideological test. On the other side of the world, the God-denying ideology of communism has risen up and is ready to undertake an all-out offensive against the free world. Destroying America is the communists' final and ultimate goal. They know America is God's final bulwark on earth. More than anything else, this is a test of whether America will stand as God's nation, or fall.

America can not win this battle alone. She needs God. In this test you can not win without God who is the foundation of all truth, and all true ideology. A confrontation is inevitable between the two worlds -- the God-affirming world and the God-denying world. This is a confrontation of ideology. Therefore, as a champion of God, America must win ideologically over atheistic communism on the worldwide scale, with the unity of all races and nationalities. Our faith in God must be stronger than their faith in communism. America must win in the name of God. Thus God would establish the "Foundation of the New World Ideology" in a higher dimension.

The American forefathers fled from religious persecution in Europe, came to the new world, and in the spirit of building "One Nation Under God" they brought about a new nation here in America which is now at the threshold of her third century. In a similar way today, people are fleeing from the communist world of slavery to the free world. Many were persecuted for their religious beliefs and ideological differences. The time has come to unite them to build a new world centered upon God. United, the free world must liberate the enslaved communist world. This time our task is to build "One World Under God."

To do this, Christianity of the world must unite. The church must liberate herself from sectarianism. She must undergo a drastic reform, and achieve an ecumenical and an inter-religious unity. For this, we need a spiritual revolution. We need a new ideology, and this new ideology must incorporate Oriental philosophy, uniting the cultures of the East and the West.

This new ideology will also be capable of unifying all the existing religions and ideologies of the world. Therefore, it has come in the form of a new religious or spiritual movement. The Unification Church movement has been created by God to fulfill that mission. This spiritual movement must first succeed here in America in order to spread throughout the world. The new ideology which the Unification Church brings is Godism, an absolutely God-centered ideology. It has the power to awaken America, and it has the power to raise the model of the ideal nation of God upon this land.

With that done, the rest of the world will follow America's example and will build the Kingdom of God upon their respective lands. Then we shall all truly become brothers and sisters under one Father, God. This will be a world of love, a world of happiness. Our planet will be one home, and mankind will be one family. God's will, His long-cherished desire from the beginning of time will finally be fulfilled. This will be the eternal, ideal world of God. Indeed, it will be the Kingdom of God on earth. We will build it with our hands.

This is our supreme mission. It is truly our God-given, sacred mission. God is crying out to the world, and we are His instruments. The world must respond to His call. Listen to God's commandment. Initiate a courageous march towards the Kingdom of God on earth. Whatever the difficulty, let it not stop us. Our march is God's, and it will go on to the end.

My beloved citizens of America, today let us pledge to God Almighty our loyalty and dedication to the fulfillment of this divine mission. Ladies and gentlemen, in the name of God, let us unite, and together build the Kingdom of God on earth!

Let us together give our united thanks to God. In the name of the people of the world, may I congratulate you on the 200th birthday of the great nation of America. May God bless you, and may God bless America and her third century.

Thank you very much.

Take Up God's Worst Problem

Sun Myung Moon
April 25, 1976

We all know that the world is looking for unity. When will that originate? It doesn't just happen automatically; we must create unity. Although we know that we are destined to become united someday, our world is divided. It is historical destiny that nations come together to make one world. But the internal situation in America doesn't look promising for that to occur. The United Nations is more divided than united. The Communists have a great ideology for workers and poor people, but they have many problems internally.

Let's look at ourselves. Are we one within ourselves? When my mind and my body are not united, my environment is strange. It is difficult for us to become one in ourselves and to become one with our environment. Either I must make myself become one, or an outside power makes me become one. There must be a central point for unity. When two parties cannot become one, that means that they have no common ground to unite. Therefore we must have a common subject. We can go back to the originating point or advance towards one ultimate goal in which both can find a common ground. Confrontation usually brings destructive results. If my mind and body confront each other, I come to ruin. United, we are prosperous, divided, we fall. Our goal is unification. But we cannot attain it unless we go through the route of victory.

For unity, we are looking for a subject which is good, truthful, and great. What is the truth? The world does not have a clear definition of the truth. It is important for the truth to be eternal, unchanging and everlasting. But the most important quality of truth is that it can maintain the subject role from the beginning to the end, from eternity to eternity. Truth is always the center, at the very core.

Why is the central point so essential? The central point always takes responsibility. The true nation, for example, becomes the central point to take responsibility for the rest of the world. For a nation to become a central point, it must have an idealistic goal.

Do you want to become truthful people? Everyone wants to be the subject but no one wants to take the responsibility. If you are dwelling in the truth, then you take responsibility not only for yourself but also for others.

By this definition, we can judge whether or not the Unification Church is a true religion or not. Are we responsible? We must take responsibility for others. From this criterion you can measure all religious philosophies and all events of history. You can measure your own leader. Am I a truthful leader?

Why do young people seek me? It is most logical that young people seek the truth. We have an ideology that takes responsibility for the entire world past, present, and future. It is not my ideology to take the comfortable way. If that were the case, no one would follow. Unification is not an easy goal. Shall we become united? Your answer must be everlasting, even at the price of your life. Let's have the confidence that I am the subject, I will take the responsibility for the world. Are you going to save the world? The important thing is whether or not you can deliver. Are you responsible? The answer is easy, but the action is difficult.

The person of truth has the subject role and takes up the responsibility for all. The man standing on the truth is not bothered by the environment. I came to save America and the world. It is as simple as that. There is no way for me to be discouraged. I know God, pursue His principles, and take up the world's problems with enthusiasm. Out ideology is so big. If we think even bigger than God, He would not condemn us but rather be joyful. Our ideology is that we must liberate God. Is there any bigger thinking than that?

God is the central point of all and has taken on the worst responsibilities in the world. He is eternally our God. Jesus led a miserable life from an external viewpoint. When he was defeated on the cross, he asked God to forgive the people. From this we can also learn the definition of truth. Jesus took responsibility for all. He asked God to forgive the Roman Empire, the sinners and the world because he took responsibility for them. Jesus Christ lived as the subject of the world. Therefore his ideology is super-giant. No one can compete with it.

We are the movement to take responsibility for America. We take up the hard road. While being opposed, we continue to prosper. Our goal is unification, and we are looking for victory. How can we achieve that victory? This morning I am teaching you the secret of becoming God's man. Take up the worst problem as your responsibility. Once we become the champions to solve the worst problems of God, we will become united with God and with the world. What is the worst problem of God and of mankind? It centers around love.

Where can we find true love? This world, without true love, is running into immorality. Corrupted mortality is the sign of ruin. This is God's headache. Are you capable of wiping out the corruption in the world? We can truly regenerate the entire youth of the world through our own hands. You are responsible for the future of the world. God knows that already. I know your position so well. I am giving up my life for this cause. I know that there is no choice but to go this road. There is not one day that is easy for me. But I know that there must be no deviation because the goal is something greater than our lives. Any religious leader with the power to liberate young people from corruption can become truly united with this world.

The second greatest problem is the death of religion. America is declining because religion is dying. We have a philosophy to solve that problem. The third problem is Communism. If we have a solution to just one of these problems, we already have the power to unite the world. Can you do it? We see many proofs that we can. For example, who is opposing us? Morally degraded people, the declining Christian churches, and the Communists. Even though they may want to exterminate us, our goal is not to exterminate but to liberate them. We are going to save the Communists. We are going to liberate the prostitutes to a healthy way of life. And we want to save the decline of the churches. If we are motivated solely by an unselfish goal, we will never perish. I want you to be generous and work hard.

Work harder than our enemies and forgive them. They are anxious to see our destruction, and we want to liberate them. The life of opposition is short; the life of construction is long.

Victory is ours. There is no way that we can he ruined. We cause unification. We have truth, which is subject and takes the responsibility for the world. That truth is also very unique, unchanging and beautiful. No one else is happier than we are because we are on the track of truth and because we have a guarantee of victory. You are going to win that victory on the front line. When we have unified the front line, everything will come automatically. Our path will get easier because we are picking up momentum.

Have confidence. You need only yourselves. The originating point of victory is the truth. Those who take responsibility for the worst problem will be victorious. In history, we will be sons and daughters of God. We will inherit the love of God. Our ultimate victory is to become sons and daughters of God.

The New Cosmic Spring Will Prosper Eternally

Sun Myung Moon
April 18, 1976
Tarrytown, New York

Spring has come. Plants, grass, trees, insects, birds, animals, all of them are welcoming spring. What happens when spring comes? In nature everything stirs. Spring is the season of love. Birds are singing songs of love every morning. God also is seeking a spring when He can sing a song of love, a song of spring. Nature sings a song of life and prosperity. Everything is in that melody. The Creator and the creation are one. Accordingly, God is also preparing to sing a song for spring. But is God in a situation where He can sing now?

One day can be divided into four seasons. Morning expresses spring, noon expresses summer, the evening expresses autumn, and night expresses winter. Human history as well is following the same seasonal path. Human history started from the sorrowful spring caused by the fall of man. Later it moved into the sorrowful summer, which was manifested by the cultures of Egypt and China. Then civilization prospered in countries such as England, the United States and Japan, and so moved into the tropics. These modern civilizations correspond to the autumn of human history, the season of cultivation.

The cold season, the winter of civilization, is coming. That is the threat of communism, centering on the Soviet Union. In a shivering, frozen culture, only a tree with good roots and seeds can survive. What can survive in cold civilizations are the things which have a life force inside, and the source of its life, the seed. We must have the root. That is God. A man who has this root can survive in a cold civilization. A seed which has energy can survive. The seed itself has the root and branch within. This bud is a small cosmos of life.

If you really understand the plan of seasonal history, you know that winter is not the very end. A new spring will come. Since God knows the direction of history, He prepares a people for spring, and sends them out as pioneers to the world. God has been preparing them over a long time.

Religions are headed toward paralysis and destruction. They are not following their predestined purpose. The crisis of democracy is reflected by the crisis of Christianity. God was hoping for evergreen trees, with Himself as the root. But the trunks of today's religions are paralyzed. The sign of new life must rise from there. The new sign must appear despite all kinds of cold weather.

God Is the Root

If the new spring reaches the cosmic level, who will welcome it? It is not the dead, dried branch or trunk but the small twigs and the small branches. The small branch which came out from the root is evergreen and is growing even during the winter. The branch may be small; however, it is connected to God who is the root.

God is trying to prepare the cosmic spring. For spring He is raising princes and princesses. Finally, when the preparation is made in which spring can bring life, God cuts out the rotten branches and trunks. This cutting occurs on all the levels such as family, race and nation. All the energy coming from the root is given to the evergreen branches. Yet this branch is bringing benefit to all levels. The Unification Church is like this small branch. However, it is growing from the family level to the national level and moving toward the world level. Once we move beyond the world level, we can realize that the cosmic spring is awaiting us. When spring comes, the atmosphere will automatically change. The cold weather of Siberia will die away.

Today communism has a big crack within itself. The early ideal of international communism has already been destroyed, and they have fallen back to the national level. Satan's trees are still growing, but their leaves are falling and their branches are withering. The golden age of communism has come to an end.

When will the turning point come? The year is 1976 and the day is June 1. Once we achieve a distinguished record at Yankee Stadium, the free world will enter into the cosmic spring and will make effort for the purpose of its prosperity. We will receive the respect and trust of all the world.

Since God is very powerful, He will soon bring forth a great tree. This evergreen tree will be made hard by the wind of Siberia. It will grow quickly when spring comes. When we bring spring to the free world, the same spring will give a warm climate to the cold civilization of communism.

Wherever we go, we can see the world feels no hope. Yet the world does have hope. The seed is bringing a new life. You are made hard by cold climates, but you have the glow of life burning inside you. The warmth of spring can break the shell. As a result, the evergreen tree will bring forth new leaves.

The civilization for which God has been longing is not in bloom yet. As you know, God is not really savoring the joy of history. Past civilizations centering upon past religions could not go beyond the limit of the nation. Accordingly, the new evergreen tree must begin on the international level. Neither could past religions overcome the obstacles stemming from different skin colors. But we know that God is color blind.

Embracing the Entire Cosmos

Communism could not overcome materialism. On the other hand, religions have centered on the spiritual world and put minimal value on the material world. Both of them are one-sided: however, the Unification Church embraces the entire cosmos of spiritual world and physical world. Let's think about how different we are. Other people worship God in order to receive His blessing, but we are trying to set God free. If you understand this is the truth, there is nothing higher or greater than our ideal.

Comparing yourself with the you of the past, you are a totally new person, spiritually and morally. Your face is the same, but your thoughts and mind are different. The mysterious invisible power that changed your thoughts is indestructible. You have become men and women who are full of energy. We have the formula for perfection. What you have to do is simply to apply this formula and extend it. Twenty years ago members of the Unification Church were working on the individual level. Now the activities of the Unification Church are the same, and the formula is the same, but the range has been enlarged.

Americans used to have a lot of pride. But now that pride has been lost, and 50 is their purpose. If Americans can find a new hope, the rest of the world can follow them.

The Yankee Stadium event is something like throwing a large rock into a huge lake. After the splash the wave moves from the center outward. Our impact will be felt throughout the entire world. It is the same in the communist world. God is testing us by seeing if the wave can move or not. Therefore, in March there was a hurricane of negativity which opposed us. God is hoping that we are strong enough to be able to bear such a negative event as the bombing of our church center in France. I hope that you have guts. When I sent my representatives to 120 countries, I said to them, "You are the seeds of Heaven; you must be spread. You must prosper. The seed grows a root. The root penetrates the earth, and you will grow." They have guts and confidence.

God is secretly preparing the huge cosmic spring. For this reason, God is preparing one select group out of the cold weather. This group can survive and bring the new civilization to the world. The ancient, subtropical and communist civilizations have been judged. The new cosmic civilization of spring will come, and it will prosper eternally.

Covered with Evergreen Trees

We have been struggling during the winter, but the time has come. Now a spring is smiling over us. By 1981 the cosmic summer will come. When we go into the cosmic summer, nature will be covered with evergreen trees. Do you want to be the persons who welcome the cosmic spring?

Your smile is very big, and contains a joy that has no precedence in history. Your smile reaches to the end of the world, so God also smiles broadly. God and man will embrace each other and everything under the sun will sing a song of spring -- nature's grasses, trees, insects, and birds.

Spring is a season that love can visit. Why is the power of love immortal? Because it makes separate things into one. Love generates life. The power of love is so strong and so warm that it can melt the universe. The power of love will bring a blossoming spring on the earth.

The God of love is dominating us beyond the limit of nationality or race. We will march forward in order to welcome the imminent cosmic spring. We have been chosen by God as the harbingers of spring. We are marching forward toward Yankee Stadium in order to declare the spring. What a joy this is!

New York is the city of despair. We must bring a revival to New York. We will create a spring atmosphere. Yankee Stadium will become the place of the welcoming spring banquet for the entire universe. Just as spring visits all places, you must visit each street and each home in New York. You must show the sign of spring to all places, in each small part of town and on each street. Raise your hands, those of you who truly wish to become the harbingers of spring.

Prayer Must Be Serious

Sun Myung Moon
April 15, 1979
The Importance of Prayer
Belvedere, NY
Unofficial Translation

Sun Myung Moon, Hak Ja Han, and Hyung Jin Moon April 2011

The power of prayer works wonders, but prayer must be serious and done with one united heart, not a divided heart. When the moment of marriage comes, it is a most serious moment in life for both men and women. In that moment you become dead serious, but prayer is even more serious than that. If you pray with that attitude then it will be answered. If your parents are on their deathbed it is a serious moment and the words you speak then are urgent. There is no way you could doze at that time. Your prayer to God is more serious than that.

Prayer is like a covenant between you and God, a promise. Once you make a contract, you follow through and, then it will undoubtedly be fulfilled. That is the attitude I am talking about.

You must not be disappointed when prayer is not answered, immediately. Some answers come late. At other times you should not be overjoyed when prayer is answered, quickly. Because you are surrounded by the world, there are many stages to go through horizontally and vertically. The answer to prayer does not come from you, but down from heaven and it takes time to reach you. There have been many foolish people who prayed wanting to receive the answers up to a point but who didn't go the final inch, and when they weren't satisfied they betrayed God. When you pray for the world you may not see things changing immediately around you. So you may think that the prayer is meaningless. But far away the communist world starts to crumble. The impact of prayer can be felt in a far-away place. If you are in the Abel position, the answer comes from Cain and it takes time to reach you.

Depending on the type of prayer you pray today, some prayers may be fulfilled one thousand years from now. I pray such prayers. I am not praying just for this world today; I am praying for 1,000 and 2,000 years from now. If that prayer makes a bridge between that time and now, then the Unification Church will continue to flourish even a long time after I am gone from the earth. That kind of prayer is needed. If many of you pray that kind of eternal prayer, the world will start to shake and the impact will be far-reaching. The root of that prayer is your tears, sweat and blood, and out of it beautiful flowers will blossom. When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane he was deadly serious, shedding tears, sweat and blood. Deep prayer is not a short prayer of one hour but ten hours, and all day long with seriousness in your heart. Such prayer will move God and history.

What prayer position do you prefer? The best is to kneel and lower your head. You have to restrict your body's freedom, as though it were bound. You will feel pain, but overcome it because you must be serious. Then, God will know your attitude – you are serious. That is a necessity for prayer. Without prayer Jesus and the saints could not have done the great things that influenced the world. The power and impact of prayer guided and made history. When you resort to the power of prayer, you can have hope because you never know when the fulfillment will come. However, so many times and occasions you forget about prayer.

My prayer is centered on the culmination of the third seven-year course. You may think I relax when I am alone, but there is no moment of relaxation because my mind is always concentrated on the completion of the third seven-year course. You must understand the importance of prayer and have conviction that prayer will be answered. Through prayer you can receive power. Through prayer you can receive visions into the future and guide yourself accordingly. You will know what kind of difficulty is coming and how to divert it and overcome it and prosper. If you know how to steer yourself then you can do big things, and prayer alone can pioneer such a path.

I go out to nature -- woods, oceans, waters, and grassy fields--because it gives me a better environment for prayer, and I love nature for that reason. I love to pray through the quiet of midnight, because it is the best time for meditating. I don't say much about the visions I receive, but if you receive them then don't you think I do too? That kind of new world can only be reached through prayer. In that position you can taste love. This world is desert-like, you cannot feel the warmth of love. But the world created through prayer has a climate where love can thrive. You must learn and study how to generate your own power. You must make yourself self-propelling. In order to do that, prayer must be the diet of your life.

Whether, people recognize your efforts or not, you must do your duty enthusiastically. Do it because you have a covenant with God. Day and night you move on; there is no pause. That is a living testimony. Every several years my topic of prayer changes, which shows progress to a new era. In a prayerful mind I know precisely what time it is in God's timetable. That kind of preparation is necessary for self-perfection, and you must learn it through the power of prayer. Do you pray in the way I taught you today? (Yes.) If you do so, please raise your hands. You must pray for His kingdom and His righteousness.