Judaism, Christianity, and Korea
>I am busy studying math at University. Now it is not very clear
>for me, where I will use all this abstract models I am studying
>now. Poor me.
Now, Alik, as you know, you're getting into one of my favorite
subjects. Because you are Unification Church member, and a
Blessed Couple in good standing (I assume) therefore God can
especially guide you in your studies, as long as you always
connect it to Him, and bring Him joy. Then you will see that your
math becomes very useful and helpful. Although it may take a
while to materialize in that way.
The Jewish religion is the first truly great religion. Why? I
have been reflecting a lot on this. I came to realize that the
purpose of religion and following God is not just to advance the
providence as much as possible in my miserable lifetime. Not only
that -- we must inherit soul, tradition, the culture of heart. So
the big question comes: Do we Unificationists have within
ourselves truly the culture of heart? It must be based on deep
connection with God's Heart, and must be vertically extended
through time. That becomes Tradition. Tradition is not only
external things to be observed. Of course! Tradition, as every
true Jew knows, involves the whole heart and soul, the whole
family, the whole community, the whole religion, the whole
history, the ancestors...
Let us look at Purim. Tragically, the most significant thing I
recall about Purim on this day is the barbarous bombings in
Israel perpetrated each year by haters of Jews. What does this
mean? Look at the time of the first Purim, the Original
celebration: In Persia, Haman was persecuting the Jews, with the
intention to kill all of them on a certain day. But Esther was
righteous and appealed to the king and her father Mordecai
supported this. By wisdom, prayer, and God's providence, the
situation was turned around and Haman hanged instead of
Mordecai. God was vindicated.
Now the tragedy comes. What was God's purpose in liberating the
Jews time and again? (1) Because He loved them, and their soul-
filled tradition. (2) Because they stood in God's providence to
receive the Messiah. So, when the ultimate tragedy occurred, God
wept, and His children wept, and the Jewish race and nation went
through another interminable age of suffering, and more soul-
filled events to remember.
There was a providential requirement, and that was based on
heart. That required them to have the level of heart to recognize
God's messenger, denying themselves. Of course, in that moment,
he didn't fit in with the tradition and "soul" they felt. He
contradicted it. They could have gone over the challenge. But the
results came out tragically. Thus the providential requirement
was not fulfilled. Then, no matter how much God loved, and
continued to love, the Jewish people and culture, He had to
watch as Satan invaded and claimed so much, so many beautiful of
His most beloved children. Yet God was still with them through
all of this, as you know.
Now, when the time of Purim comes, in a way, God has a
heartache. He remembers well when He liberated the Jews in Persia
to uphold His name and Will. Yet that purpose was compromised
severely when the historical tragedy occurred later. So, now,
2,600 years later, when Purim is still celebrated, it is even
more than ever a soulful event, as it is painted and layered with
so many tears, mingling with the joy. Liberated, but then sold
into slavery or scattered once again. I think it serves to recall
all of that. I think you being of Jewish heritage must know that
better than anyone. Yet, at the same time, all of us, weathering
several hundred years of Western materialism and pragmatism,
have suffered a loss of soul, and our seared soul needs to be
wakened to our deep, rich heritage. I think Unificationists in
the future can even serve to do this, knowing the true God, and
being educated in the cultural tradition of religious people and
suffering people.
Father said, "The Unification Church is not the encyclopedia of
unification, but the encyclopedia of suffering." (Way of God's
Will). We have never understood that deeply, thinking instead of
suffering in an ideological sense, busy running forward, scarcely
entering such a realm of deep suffering which touches the soul of
our being.
>1. Did Rev. Moon mention Judaism in his speeches? What did he
>say?
Yes. Father always talks about Judaism. Let me mention one thing
he said: Father said, after the end of the Second World War, "Now
the sin of the crucifixion of Jesus has been indemnified, and the
Jews need no longer be accused for the death of Jesus."
Father always says, "There are three brothers in God's providence
-- Judaism, Christianity, and the Unification Church."
Now, regarding the identity of the Chosen People, Father speaks
of (1) the Jewish people (Israel or the "First Israel"); (2) the
Christians (the "Second Israel"); and (3) variously -- the Korean
people and nation, or the Unification Church.
Finally, Father says, "God cannot abandon or forget about Israel,
because they were the first ones to serve Him."
>2. On what foundation does God still work with Judaism?
I will tell you from what I realized just in the last couple days
in prayer. You indeed asked at the right time. This is a very
important theme: Tradition.
I am now adding the very important concept: "Soul". I always
wondered, why is the term or concept of "soul" left out of all
our discussion of Principle? Now I know. God has reserved this
concept until we were ready for it and the time is now. This is
my own realization, and for us Unificationists, it is truly
revolutionary.
What is "soul"? Basically it is heart. What is the difference
between "soul" and "heart"? The vertical extension. Heart, the
heart of man, and connected with God's Heart, is the foundation
of religion, culture and tradition. When the heart is truly met,
and absorbed within you, and within the culture, and passed down,
then it becomes tradition. Soul is heart, extended vertically,
and absorbed into the tradition and the culture, into the
subconsciousness of the people. This is what must happen in order
for Unificationism to become the culture of heart, which we
always talk of.
Why does God still work with Judaism? Because of this soul. God
loves the Jewish people, Jewish culture and tradition, because it
deeply contains, is filled with, this soul. Jewish people know
this much better than I.
The normal Unificationist explanation of the reason God still
works with Judaism involves heart: God loves the Jewish people
because they first served Him, they know His Heart, and because
they are the first brother in His Providence. So, you see, the
explanation cannot avoid speaking of Heart.
>3. Bible. There are many differences in English and Russian
>versions of The Bible. Also, exists Jewish way to translate the
>Bible. What to do with it? I know this is a big issue, and that
>members of Unification Church think that this is not good point
>to discuss with other Christians.
The first issue is internal versus external. Because people are
always worshipping or fixated upon the external form or image of
the thing, and not upon the essence or origin, therefore God is
continuously frustrated with humanity. In the case of Christians,
there are many denominations, but, in a typical distinction, the
Protestants differ from the Catholics because the Catholics
stress ritual, but the Protestants emphasize the Word. The Word
is indeed more internal than the ritual. So in this sense the
Protestants are good, but they tend to lose the soul or heart and
become rather cold. Also, they worship the Word too much, and
forget that God is the root of the Bible, and the Bible itself is
relative to God, and in this sense not the absolute ultimate
authority, as they believe. In other words, they worship the book
instead of the true God and Jesus, who wrote the book. If they
truly consulted God and Jesus, they might not persecute our
Church.
In Islam, this problem is solved in that there is only one Koran,
and it cannot be interpreted or translated in any way, but is
only in Arabic. But in this sense, the point becomes even more
extreme than is the case for the Christian Bible.
Because there are many translations, any one of them is
relativized. So you can pick and choose. And there are very
significant differences of interpretation reflected in the
translations. Take for example: "In the beginning was God," "In
the beginning was the Word," or "In the beginning was Jesus."
It all points to the one fact: the true authority and root is
God, and, after God, the Messiah, then, after the Messiah, the
written Word. Yet God is invisible and you can't usually hear His
voice, and Jesus isn't here... So, naturally, people fix upon the
few words they have, and scour them diligently, just like the
scribes and Pharisees, meanwhile, they keep right on sinning, and
the world continues under Satan's dominion.
With respect to other people's religious traditions, it is good
to be familiar with them, and be very understanding, tolerant,
respectful, and patient with them. Because of the historical
problems, naturally there is much indemnity associated with the
relationship between religions, races, and cultures. So we have
to make an extra effort. It's like "affirmative action." That is
the path of indemnity. Go the reverse course.
>4. Divine Principle book says that amount of indemnity paid by
>Koreans during 1905-1945 period and during the history allows
>Korean nation to be chosen. Do you know Korean history from this
>viewpoint, and can you clarify it for me?
We may variously say that the Korean nation was chosen even from
before the time of Jesus, or in other ways. Why I say so? Because
it now appears, and Father has said, that Confucius came from a
Korean origin, within the Chinese cultural sphere. The Jewish
people originated the providential-centered religious way, and
then the victory of uniting with the Messiah would have been
carried to the Arabic peoples next, uniting them... (See how
Islam was given to the Arabic peoples, showing their position
also as Chosen People in the line?) ...subsequently to the
Buddhist-Hindu cultural sphere of India (which was at that time
still in India, not being separated yet) ...and finally to China.
Chinese culture, centered upon Confucianism, which was already
strong, was ready to embrace heavenly culture, completing it with
the understanding of relationships -- the Four Great Realms of
Heart, the Three Great Kingships -- very Confucian concepts. So,
the religious path of the Kingdom of Heaven would have found its
final, greatest fruition, probably in Korea, even 2,000 years
ago! Another revolutionary concept for Unificationism.
Indemnity payment alone cannot qualify the Chosen Nation or
People. Not only indemnity as external, physical suffering, at
least. But, the true concept of indemnity is, first, indemnity of
heart: uniting with the heart of God and laying, internally, the
foundation of faith (true, heartistic faith) and substance (true,
heartistic unity as brothers). If this is done, that is, the
foundation for the Messiah, then this is the true payment of
indemnity. Has the Korean nation done that? To the extent that
Father could be born there, yes. But see -- Father was not
really received by the Korean people even yet, as of now. So, in
this sense, Korea as a nation has not completely paid indemnity.
But then again, no one else has either.
There is another aspect of indemnity payment which qualifies
Korea however. Not only providentially to receive the Messiah,
but also culturally, to make the foundation for the model of the
heavenly culture, the culture of heart, in image at least,
likewise, terrific indemnity payment is necessary. God trained
the Korean people through many ordeals and many teachers, just
like He did with the Israelites, and not just for the last 2,000
years! In fact, to create the heavenly culture, God suffered and
labored for perhaps 100,000 years, and maybe longer. Let us just
say, "6,000 years." To establish the peripheral aspects, the
foundation of culture, required even more time than to actually
send and receive one man, the Messiah.
Thus, Korea, like Israel, is unique in being a Messiah culture,
namely, the nation which is expecting and prepared to receive the
Messiah, and, not only that, but the culture which is close to
the heavenly ideal of culture. All of this had to be prepared,
and God worked very hard all around the world to do so.
Another point regarding the indemnity period of 1905 to 1945:
Just as we say, "Jesus did not come to die, Jesus did not have to
die"; likewise, we can say, Korea did not have to go through this
brutal 40-year period in such a way. Why did it happen?
The responsibility of Christianity was to be a people prepared to
receive the Lord, and to make a worldwide foundation to do so.
Because Christians failed to do so, therefore, special suffering
came to Korea, to indemnify that.
First of all, the Christians should have repented and united at
the time of Luther, over 450 years ago. Because they didn't, so
much blood was shed, and the providence moved to America.
America should have "made the world safe for democracy", in
Christian terms, and we should have protected Korea. Korea was
the beloved spiritual child of America, Britain, France, Canada,
and Australia. But, for self-centered economic interests, these
Christian countries abandoned Korea in 1905, and handed Korea
over helplessly to Japan. Then the tribulation began,
representing not only Korea but all of Christianity. If we had
fulfilled our responsibility, we would have even been waiting for
the Messiah to be born in Korea between 1914 and 1930. There is
enough evidence for this. Then Korea would be preserved as a most
holy nation and people, and protected by the Christian nations
and saints. Instead... they paid indemnity for us, while we
enjoyed ourselves in the lap of luxury and self-indulgence during
the "Roaring Twenties". Then we paid dearly in the Great
Depression, the Second World War, and the Cold War following.
The conclusion is: Korea suffered in the place of all mankind,
because of the failures of Christianity since the very time of
Jesus. Then, taking responsibility in this position for the cross
and heart of Jesus, the Korean people showed themselves
qualified to receive the Messiah, and so God sent him to them.
And they had the adequate cultural foundation for him too. This
was all God's preparation.
Now, Korea is in a fearful position, because True Parents are
worldwide victors, but for many reasons of fallen nature, Korea
has not responded fully to them. In such a case, Korea once again
faces calamity, as they did at the end of the Second World War.
Yours truly, William Stoertz
ITPN
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