Rev. Hyung Jin Moon Invokes Vision of the Founder at Washington Times 30th Anniversary
|October 03 2012
The Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, son of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon,
delivers his speech to the crowd during the evening banquet
as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of The
Washington Times at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in
Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The
Washington Times Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld delivers his
speech to the crowd during a "Symposium on Values and
Consequences" as part of the 30th anniversary
celebration (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times). TV Journalist John Stossel holds up a copy of the U.S.
Constitution as he offers remarks during the evening
banquet. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times) The Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, son of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon,
delivers his speech to the crowd. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The
Washington Times) Thomas P. McDevitt, president of The Washington
Times, welcomes guests and tells them that even in the
age of the Internet, America "needs trusted voices to
cut through the noise and the bias." (Rod Lamkey
Jr./The Washington Times)
Rev. Hyung Jin Moon’s
remarks were the following:
“Good evening distinguished guests. I am very honored to be here tonight I am only three years older than The Washington Times, so I can truthfully say I have been reading this newspaper my whole life.
“As one of Rev. Moon’s children I was fortunate to be able to be with him and speak with him frequently. I can tell you that history will be far kinder to him, and will recognize his contribution to the world.
My Father, Whom I Will Refer to as True Father
“The Washington Times was founded by my father (whom hereafter I will refer to as True Father for my faith leads me to affirm that he came to serve as the Parent of all people) initially because he was concerned about what he used to call God’s big “headaches.” One of these was the global ideology of communism. There was a time in the late 70s and early 80s when country after country was falling into the Soviet Union’s, or their proxies’ hands. Revolution was on our doorstep in Central America. The Soviets could smell victory. Today it’s easy to forget how perilous was the crisis of that time. Emphasizing journalistic excellence and individual responsibility, he helped it get started and simply asked that the enterprise be a fearless, investigative news organization with editorial opinion that supported the time-honored values of family, faith, and freedom.
“Of course, True Father’s support for the Washington Times was neither the first nor last time that he committed himself to the fight for freedom. True Father has fought throughout his life to bring God’s Truth to humankind, for he has always known that the truth shall set us free. As a young boy, Sun Myung Moon defended youngsters from bullies even when they were twice his size. He went to Japan as a college student and joined with fellow freedom fighters seeking to liberate Korea from Japanese imperial occupation and when later he was imprisoned in South Korea by the Japanese, he refused to reveal the names of those freedom fighters even while they were beating him mercilessly. He went on in his middle years to champion the freedom cause of those oppressed around the world by Communist dictators. As an older man in his seventies, True Father stood face to face with Kim Il Sung who had once imprisoned him in a North Korean concentration camp and forthrightly said Juche ideology will never work, and he must turn the nation to God and Freedom. Rev. Sun Myung Moon sacrificed himself again and again to pursue the ideals of freedom for all God’s People.
“True father was not an overly political person, and even his anti-communism was not based on politics. He opposed communism because it is the enemy of God. Communism is, at its root, a God or no God question, and all the problems associated with that system including, the brutal murder of millions of people, arise out of an inability to recognize the divine origin of humankind.
Traditional Family Under Attack
“Rev. Moon was able to sacrifice himself because he knew God’s love for him and all humankind. Rev. Moon understood that God is the True Parent of all people and so would suffer to help His children grow and to exercise their freedom and responsibility so that finally all of us could stand as the perfected image of God. Freedom is given by God not Government so that we can resemble God in his creativity, love and goodness. True love always manifests the fruits of freedom, for genuine Parents never seek to enslave but rather to help their children grow into mature, responsible, creative and loving individuals. Such healthy and intact families were the cornerstone of America’s strength and greatness. Today the traditional family of husband, wife and children centered on God is under attack.
The present time is eerily reminiscent of the late 1970s when America was weakened and as a result, freedom throughout the world was under attack. An American ambassador was disgracefully killed a short while ago. Indeed, the last time that an American ambassador was murdered was in 1979. At that time Ronald Reagan stood up to fight for smaller government, a stronger America and peace through strength. The murder of an American Ambassador on duty is not only a personal tragedy but it is a symbol of the decline in respect worldwide for American power and most of all its values both then and now. The indomitable spirit of freedom is required to overcome the forces of oppression and hate that remain in the world. We need now more than ever to return to the Words of True Father and to realize their full significance. We should understand the theological grounding for freedom for this nation and all nations of the world.
The Three Blessings
“The God of love has always wanted His Children to be free, and our True Parents have paid the price to show the way to realize that freedom. Tyrants have enslaved people throughout human history, because that history began in the sinful forfeiture of freedom as represented in the Garden of Eden. In that remembered story, three historic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam along with the Unification Church understand as part of Scripture the key to understanding the fundamental human problem and its solution. In the Bible, God created human beings as his children. He gave three blessings: 1) to be fruitful: in other words to achieve individual perfection; 2) multiply: to have a family and expand throughout the world; 3) and to have dominion over creation.
“Each step in this process is fulfilled through exercising their freedom and responsibility to use the power of love unselfishly. The maturation of the human spirit cannot be coerced, compelled by government or any organization but must be developed through the process of making free choices and learning from their consequences.
“From the Biblical perspective, for Adam and Eve to
fulfill these three blessings, they needed to have both
freedom and responsibility. That is why God gave the first
human beings a Commandment and most tellingly did not
intervene even as they violated that commandment. God wanted
them to freely choose to live a moral life, to become mature
as individuals and to establish a happy family and world. So
freedom is God’s greatest gift. In the Garden of Eden
there were four primary actors: God, Adam, Eve, and the
archangel. The archangel was supposed to be the servant of
Adam and Eve and to help guide them so that they could develop
fully and inherit God’s three blessings. But as we read
in the Bible, the archangel left the position of servant and
became the master. He deceived Eve. Together he and Eve
subjugated Adam, thereby causing the fall of man. God was thus
separated from his children, and human beings went from being
the sons and daughters of God to being the slaves of the
archangel. Thus, Adam and Eve lost both freedom and
responsibility.
“As a result of the fall, human
history has been a history of suffering. We have been ruled by
the love of power instead of the power of love. Human beings
have lived under dictators and tyrants throughout most of our
history. They have been dominated by evil people who abused
them, who killed them and who used them as mere objects for
their own desires. Adam and Eve representing respectively all
men and women of history lost their position as children of
God and the Blessings given to them on birth as they were
dominated by Satan, the Archangel who was created by God to
serve God and his children. Then in the nation state what does
the archangel represent? In a democracy, we call the
government the servant of the people. The government in this
Biblical paradigm represents the archangel and ought to be the
servant of the people.
“True Father’s vision is that of a world where individuals take responsibility and ownership of their own lives, families, communities and nations. It is a world where people do not expect others and especially the government to do anything other than serving and protecting citizens. This is because only when we fulfill our responsibility can we ever truly be free.
Religion to Speak Truth to Politicians
Rev. Sun Myung Moon was a religious leader, but he did restrict himself or his Church to merely spiritual matters. This is what True Father has always said. Religion must speak Truth to politicians. We ought not to be concerned only about religious issues. Religion cannot just sit still. Religion is not just prayer and meditation. If the world goes in the wrong direction, then religion must stand up and oppose that. That is why True Father has always told religious leaders that religion must challenge political leaders, to speak the truth to political leaders.
“True Father’s vision includes a role for leaders of all faiths as well as other non-governmental voluntary organizations to have a voice and guide humanity to higher ground. He has proclaimed the coming of a new age that will pursue freedom, peace, unity and happiness. True Father enunciated that vision at the same time that he clearly saw the countervailing forces of world oppression that have been gathering. In proclaiming the dawn of the Pacific Rim Era, he spoke prophetically about the challenges that the island countries in the Pacific would confront. He said that the island nations must be careful and must quickly come together, otherwise, large countries such as China and Russia may be able to take over such countries in just a day and make them their own. We were not aware when we first heard those words from him, and we could not understand what he was talking about.
“We see that the force of China is different from the force of the United States. China is not a country that will sacrifice itself in order to give freedom to other countries. If the 21st century were to be dominated by that kind of a force, then this will indeed be a very dark century. It would be a world that is under an oppressive force, very far from God’s ideal of a free society. Until now the United States has protected Korea and Japan. Presently, the United States is weakened morally and economically and its will to live for larger causes is flagging. Korea, Japan together with Pacific island nations and other freedom-loving nations throughout the world should unite and form an alliance and repel any oppressive power that seeks to enforce its Satanic sovereignty over humankind. I believe that America should be at the forefront of that alliance. True Father worked throughout the 70’s, 80s, 90’s and up until 2004 in the U.S., travelling between Korea and the East Coast of America. In the last several years, True Father continued to travel between the two nations with only one difference that he focused his efforts on the West Coast of the USA. I believe he was seeking to awaken us to the fact that there is the greatest danger now on the Pacific front and that the United States is also a Pacific Rim nation.
The Fight for Freedom
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is our time to carry
forth the fight for freedom and to bear our
responsibility—that is the only sure way to secure
freedom for our generation and that of our children.
“I
want to conclude by offering my heartfelt gratitude to all of
you for supporting The Washington Times. This is
America’s newspaper, and in honoring the values
championed by The Times, you honor America. In addition,
whether you knew it or not, you have shared a common dream and
vision with my father, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon.
"My father went to the spirit world exactly one month ago today. We conducted True Father’s funeral in Korea. We call the ceremony a Seonghwa which refers to a person’s “heavenly ascension.” The literal translation is “heavenly harmony” in the sense of becoming one with God. Our understanding is the same as that of the majority of the world’s faith traditions: that we all have one life on earth, followed by an eternal life in the spiritual world. And therefore, what we do with our life and how we spend our time is important for our spiritual life in the next world.
If he were here, he would ask The Washington Times, and all of us, to look to the next 30 years. We are entering a crucial period for humankind. Never before has it been so possible for human beings to decide the fate of every person on Earth. If our technology has the power to destroy us, then it is all the more important for us to develop in our relationship to those values and principles that bring families, communities, nations and the world together in peace. The free media is how we communicate large ideas with one another. Therefore, if freedom is stamped on one side of democracy’s coin, then surely responsibility is written on the other side. The Washington Times has been balancing freedom and responsibility for thirty years, and it will continue to exercise the same high standards in the coming decades.
The Afternoon Symposia
The afternoon symposium, titled “Renewing Our Common Legacy,” took place from 2:30-4:00 p.m. and involved the following speakers on four topics: Maggie Gallagher and Nisa Muhammad, with Cheryl Wetzstein as moderator, presented “Family: The Challenge of Raising Families in a Toxic Culture”; Cal Thomas and Shumley Boteach, with Steve Warman as moderator, presented “Faith: God in the Public Square”; “Matting Spalding and Zuhdi Jasser, with Terrence Griffith as moderator, presented “Freedom: A Republic, If You Want It”; and Deirdre Byrne and David Saperstein, with Jennifer Stefano as moderator, presented “Service: Just Let Us Serve.”
The evening banquet, which began shortly after a reception from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., was emceed by John Stossel, award-winning TV reporter on the Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel and former ABC co-anchor, who offered the following remarks with a welcome touch of humor:
“This is the 30th anniversary celebration of the Washington Times. 30 years. A lot has happened in that time. If you think about it, the Berlin Wall was up – it’s down. Communism, died, or seemed to – it seems back. In this town, two women reaped havoc; Katrina and Monica. The Internet happened. And very recently Rev. Moon, who founded the Times, has passed away. This event is to honor him as well. He founded The Washington Times at the demise of the Washington Star. He wanted to make sure that the Capitol had an alternative news source; that is a good thing. An alternative source for second opinion, for commentary.”
“A Posting of the Colors by the Washington D.C.
Metropolitan Police Honor Guard, followed by the Pledge of
Allegiance lead by Vice President of the Washington Times
Foundation, Larry Moffitt, kindled a spirit of
unified patriotism, which was supplemented with a milieu
religious respectfulness through Rev. Terrence Griffith’s
invocation:
“Father, my God, we come before You
tonight, God, we just bless Your name, for who You are. God,
we thank You for bringing us to this location. …God for
the last 30 years, the Washington Times has been
reigning. We pray that You can continue to bless them, open up
doors for them that no man can shut. And shut doors that no
man can open. Now God, we pray that You be with a precedence
tonight. In the name of Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
Welcoming Remarks by Tom McDevitt
Thomas P. McDevitt, president of the Washington Times, said in his welcoming remarks that “Rev. Moon founded the Washington Times to promote the spirit of truth. When you look around at the state of the news media these days, and the polls revealing a lack of trust in the media, record lows, we can see and feel a mission to promote the spirit of truth. 30 years ago, the Washington Times was launched during a turbulent episode in America’s history. The world was locked in a struggle between East and West. Between freedom and totalitarianism. Some very talented, dedicated and courageous newspaper professionals forged the Washington Times into a news organization that would offer an alternative voice and a perspective that has been sorely missing. With a strong commitment to journalistic excellence, in the past three decades, the Times has attracted some of the best journalists anywhere.
McDevitt went on to say that the Washington Times believes “in optimism and the inner strength of America and of all its citizens” and that despite the outpouring of opinions and viewpoints in this age of the Internet, “the audience still needs trusted voices to cut through the noise and the bias and to keep them informed with news and information that they can trust. That,” he said, “is our mission.”
As attendees sipped post-dinner coffee and tea, Maggie Gallagher, former president of the National Organization for Marriage, followed with a summary of the afternoon’s symposium’s highlights and stressed the pivotal role of strong family values and two-parent households for the future of America.
Entertainment included a video presentation that honored the life of Rev. Sun Myung Moon and reviewed the accomplishments of the Washington Times in the past 30 years, as well as the two songs “Remember Who We Are” and “I Am America” by singer Krista Branch, a former American Idol contestant.
Remarks from Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense under the Administration of George W. Bush, gave a thought-provoking keynote address that brought new light to and questioned the policies of the Obama administration:
“With the presidential election only a few weeks away, it is appropriate to discuss where our country used to be and what it could be in the years ahead,” he said. “A few weeks ago, Mr. Biden at his convention acceptance speech explained, ‘America is not in decline.’ It strikes me that the Vice President has to stand up and say that. It is a bit like acknowledging that America is in decline. And the world senses it but he doesn’t want to admit it.
“I do not believe that America is destined to stay on the current trajectory towards becoming something less than a first-rate country. It can be reversed – indeed it must be reversed. No other nation, no foreign ideology, no militant movement, can alone obstruct our path to an even greater America. Only our own leaders can stand in the way of the American people’s rendezvous with their future and it is the American people who will make those decisions. Reversing this downward trend requires an honest accounting of where we are and how we got there. I don’t think it will surprise anyone that I believe reversing the trends of the last four years requires changing the leadership at the top.”
“We have a president and an administration that routinely dismisses the work ethic that has made our country an exceptional nation. And it is this administration that seeks to replace respect for personal responsibility with envy and division. Where earned success is resented rather than respected. But probably of most concern, we have a president and an administration that fundamentally misunderstands the world situation today.
“Almost four years ago, President Obama traveled to Egypt. [He said] ‘I have come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world. One based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.’ He promised a radical departure from the policy of the preceding eight years, he vowed to reign in our ally Israel and to make Palestinian effort for statehood central to his administrations foreign policy. The president went on to say that after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, ‘Fear and anger led us to act contrary to our ideals.’ In other words, after terrorists killed thousands of our citizens, we were the problem. This has been a theme running through his presidency – to blame America and Americans. We saw it when he apologized for the acts the United States had been involved in over the last 100 years. And we see it day after day as the president excuses failure after failure of his presidency by castigating tis predecessor.”
Contributed by Ariana Moon and Krista Karjalainen.