Book Seven - Etiquette And Ceremonies
Chapter Four - Tradition and Daily Etiquette of Blessed Families
Section 6. Raising Children in Faith

6.1. Parents are to teach their children heavenly law

What will you teach your children? In order for your children to inherit the tradition, you must educate them and lead an exemplary public life. People were originally made to be educated by their parents; they are not to receive education just from school. Especially, education in order to inherit the tradition cannot be taught in school. (111-256, 1981.2.22)

Children discover all their values through the parents. Who do the children resemble when they grow up in a family? They resemble their parents. Who will they follow? They will follow their parents. That's how it is. (20-133, 1969.7.20)

Blessed families should establish a family tradition and create a family code of conduct. You should also create a standard of education for children and rules of conduct for the family. If the parents have not done so, they will have nothing to say when they commit an error and their children press them hard. (21-87, 1968.11.3)

In order to educate children, parents should first practice accordingly. The parents should be a model of loyalty to God's will. They should stand in the position where the children regard them with such awe so that they would not utter a word against whatever the parents say. If not, the children will not follow them.

In regard to church life, children will observe their parents and compare their actions with what they understand of God's will and the Principle. When children see that their parents neglect church responsibilities and do not live according to headquarters' directions, while at the same time expecting their children to live in a principled way, then they will surely sneer at their parents. (31-68, 1970.6.4)

Everything that parents do should encourage their children to follow the correct way of the Unification Church. This is how it should be. Parents must also follow this path. They should first go through that course and only then can they teach and educate their children. If parents try to educate their children in something they have not done, this will go against the heavenly way.

I teach you about what I have first practiced and established as a victorious foundation. If you cannot believe it, pray to God to see if I am telling the truth or not. (23-322, 1969.6.8)

When you pray, you should do so asking God to let your children follow what you do. You should first become the standard; then your children can reach such a position. If you stand in that position first, God will lead your children in the same direction. Therefore, if you do not go in the right direction, after passing into the spirit world you will be accused of being irresponsible. (13-103, 1963.11.1)

When you educate your children, you should do so by telling them to become like their parents. (38-292, 1971.1.8)

Children learn their parents' heart. (30-87, 1970.3.17)

When teaching your children how to live, you should teach them about the path they should follow in order to become great people, instead of just telling them to be a certain way. A father is responsible as a father, and an elder brother and elder sister are to be responsible as an elder brother and an elder sister. In other words, you should know how to cultivate an attitude that will enable you to follow the path of a true man or a true woman, and follow the heavenly way. Only after obediently continuing on this path can you become a citizen of God's nation. (68-331, 1973.8.5)

The word "father" is a dreadful word. Unless you are a "true" father, you cannot feed and give life to your children. Through shedding blood, you gain achievements and goodness so that you can provide for your children. When your children do something wrong, you should guide them in tears toward the right way, praying for their blessing. Only then can parents be free from being indebted to their children. (14-92, 1964.6.12)

In the future, as parents, you are to embrace your children and follow heavenly law. You should never shed tears in front of your children even if your living conditions become terribly difficult and you have to live in hardship. (23-182, 1969.5.18)

When educating children, parents have to think about how to rear their children so that they can become people who can fulfill the mission for God's will. They should think the same way when they nurse a baby. (12-134, 1961.12.5)

Children must be careful in everything they do, even if they are raised in a household with a reputable standard. In other words, even the children raised in a reputable household should be prudent in all things. Every step taken, every word uttered, every action contemplated must be prudent. Etiquette is complex. Dignified families have many useful educational resources for their children. They gather their growing children and teach them how to deal with adults, with siblings, and with parents. (42-17, 1971.2.19)

6.2. The importance of faith education

Faith education is more important than school education. My thought is focused on the heavenly will, but your thought is individualistic. Creative power develops within those who have faith and act. (Sabo, 42-12)

Children of Blessed Fatuities should be raised to become people of character through education of heart. They should be raised to become the proud chosen people through education of the norm and contribute to the advancement of God's will by fully expressing, one hundred percent their God-given talent through gifted educational programs. (133-252, 1984.11.3)

Why do you feel tired when you study? It is because you study for yourself. Instead, think that the survival of the thirty million people of Korea depends on the one page or one sentence that lies before you. Study with the mind-set that the addition of one word of vocabulary will save those thirty million people and that the loss of one word will doom the same number of people. Accordingly, with that seriousness offer even more devotion.

It is not because your memory is lacking. You never forget what happens in an extremely serious moment, do you? Study at the risk of your life. You can feel the beating of your heart when you are serious. In such serious moments, can you forget what you are determined to do? To be forgetful is just a question of degree. (35-38, 1970.9.27)

When I was a student, I supported myself. Tigers let cubs experience severe trials and harsh discipline in order to rear them to be the kings of the mountain by developing their wild nature. Iron gets stronger by being heated. This principle should be considered when educating children. (35-38, 1970.9.27)

Even if parents cannot freely give children material benefits because of their difficult circumstances, they should serve children with a loving heart that seeps from their bone marrow. Then the children will be indebted to their parents. That is why most sons of filial piety come from poor families. Because their parents bequeathed such a tradition, the children endeavor not to be indebted to their parents. When they do so, the parents feel joy. (77-38. 1975-3.30)