Home

ORDER NUMBER
79-09-23

REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON
SPEAKS ON

MEN OF GOD

September 23, 1979
Belvedere
Translator - Bo Hi Pak

"God" in Korean is Hananim, and the literal translation is "one master", or "only host." When you spell God backwards, what word do you get? Dog. One is heaven, one is hell. On one side men of God, on the other side men of dog. You don't think of dogs as being very lowly and disgusting in American culture. You love dogs as pets, but in the Oriental concept a dog is a rather foolish and lowly animal. A dog symbolizes ungodliness.

The Bible speaks very much about cleansing oneself, particularly before holy days. Dog meat and pig meat are never used, and not even fish which have no scales. If a Korean is describing the worst of anything, a dog is always included somewhere in his description. Don't ever call anyone the son of a dog in Korea; you'll be knocked down in the street! That is the worst way to curse a Korean. Do you know why? I will not explain; that is your homework.

What kind of people are we who gather together in the darkness of early morning at Belvedere-are we dog people? There is a boundary in between the realm of God and the dog-like realm. They are basically and fundamentally different. A person who would go from the dog's realm to God's realm must start out by denying himself and all his circumstances and all possessions. He can only hold on to the one line of life. What is that one line of life? You have no use for anything else in the other world because God wants you to become perfect in love. Also, if there is no more life then nothing else can be fulfilled.

There are two things to hang onto and nurture-one is life and the other love. The only thing which God wants to remain is life centered upon love. The life and love of men shall ultimately be connected to the life and love of God, becoming one and the same. People of the dog-type culture represent satanic culture. What is a dog like? A dog does not have a standard of discipline in life. Also, he symbolizes self-centeredness because if a dog feels mistreated he might even bite his own master. When you pat a dog he wags his tail and shows contentment, but if he feels mistreated he reacts violently. A dog serves his master, yet does not totally give himself up. A dog has no discipline or regulation in its love but just goes anywhere. Any people who live that kind of life are far from noble. A dog represents the opposite of noble human characteristics.

What kind of people are gathered here? If I rap you on the head do you feel good or do you feel like biting me? There are some people here with a dog's characteristics: if they feel mistreated they want to fight it immediately. A snake always has an angry look on its face, particularly poisonous snakes, and it is always ready to bite. You never see a snake smile. A snake is naturally a symbol of Satan. Are there any dog-like or serpent-like people here?

Of course there is no such thing as moral principle in the animal world, but dogs are the most promiscuous in the whole animal kingdom. They have no hesitation about mating between brothers and sisters, or even parents and children. Do God's people have moral discipline? Is America becoming more and more disciplined morally? What will happen to satanic people? They will be so corrupted that inevitably they will destroy themselves. Have you completely cleansed yourself, made a totally new beginning and left your past behind? Maybe you have cleaned away most of it, but probably some small portion remains.

If America keeps going in its present direction, the time will come when the rest of the world will abhor America. A man with any conscience could never tolerate what America is doing today. What is the so-called glamorous life being led by Hollywood stars? They are basically self-centered. Are their love affairs pure and upright? If any nation or community lives a dog-like life, it is bound to decline because God's principles are uncompromising.

In the Bible it is recorded that Sodom and Gomorrah were judged by brimstone and fire because dog-like people lived there. They were totally immersed in a sensual life and interested only in satisfying their physical appetites. God could not tolerate such people who were totally destroying their love. Some of you may have visited Pompeii in Italy, which was destroyed by a volcano. Archeologists have uncovered evidence by which they can reconstruct life at the moment the volcano erupted and covered the city, and it was truly dirty and lustful, totally morally corrupt.

The Roman Empire was once mighty, yet it collapsed, not from outside force but from within. From the emperors down to the everyday people, everyone was pursuing a sensual life. Sometimes the most representative element of such a life is dance because it reveals the values and heart of a culture.

Certain songs and Iyrics emphasize the sensual side of human desire, evoking those sensations in listeners. Such dancing and music always presage the coming of doom for that culture.

You know that dance styles and music in America center on physical desire and sex. The latest dance fad is disco. There are many signs of the last days in American culture today. What kind of people could survive this and bring hope to America? Who will rise above all this with strength and discipline for the sake of the future? Unless such a movement emerges, we can say that America is already doomed and it is only a matter of time before it totally collapses.

Family life and the home have been weakened. America's dignity as a nation and the spirit of patriotism are fast disappearing. People look for nothing else but fun and self-satisfaction, and they are blind to anything else. They are like dogs. Can you see some hope and dream for America's future in the eyes of such people? Someone has to step forward and clean this mess up. No human could do such a task. The satanic phenomena in the world are not totally of man's making, but Satan's. The American public, particularly the young people, have become Satan's victims. He has been so cunning and persisted so long that man's wisdom alone could not find the solution.

God must intervene in a religious, spiritual way. Is there any religion in America which represents God's will and is trying to clean up the mess? America's churches today are also Satan's victims. Churches advertise things like disco dances and bingo games. Are those churches working for God or Satan? They are hastening doomsday in the name of Christianity, making their own destruction inevitable. Am I just criticizing because I dislike America? No, this represents Satan's culture, a dog culture.

Before you knew the Divine Principle you lived in that culture without too much trouble. When parents see that their teenagers don't have girlfriends or boyfriends they get worried and tell them to go out with several people and pick one they like. Is such education advocated in the Bible? Would any righteous religion teach such a principle? That kind of habit is part of a doomsday culture and it deserves judgment. America is totally blinded and becoming more aimless every day. Because it has no goal or anchor, it is becoming more and more dumb every day.

In order to turn the tide, a new religious movement is needed which really represents God's direction. That is the only hope for America. But even if such a movement exists, the whole nation will try to crush it instead of welcoming it. If America did so, it would become the enemy of all mankind because such a movement is not only good for America but necessary for world salvation. If America persists the way it is, the time will come when nations will mobilize to expel America.

Do you think a movement which had the strength to revolutionize America's way of life could originate in the midst of America's present culture, or would it have to come from elsewhere? Someone else must come and turn the tables. Where will this movement come from? America's trends today originate in the Western culture, which has its roots in materialism. Therefore, the solution must come from the opposite kind of culture, which is the Eastern culture. Where in the Orient could it come from? It should be a Christian nation because unless it can understand the Christian heritage it could not do any good by coming to the West.

India is known as a country of mysticism and spiritualism, but it is not a Christian country. Buddhism prevails there. China has been the center of the Orient for thousands of years, but it has become a communist, atheist nation. Nothing can be expected from there. Japan is a religious nation, but traditionally the Japanese worship many gods. Korea is one nation that stands out in this respect and meets all the criteria. It is a Christian nation which preserves the Oriental traditions. Christianity has been perfected in Korea. It is significant that Christianity in every nation of the world is declining except in Korea, where it is thriving. Korea is also America's last bastion of power and influence in Asia.

When Jimmy Carter was campaigning for election he stated that as President he would withdraw America's armed forces from Korea. He openly said he intended to dissociate from Korea, but when he got into office he couldn't do it. Later he said it was a mistake and that America would not withdraw. Some force in heaven would not allow it. The relationship between America and Korea is more than a horizontal one. People today have to feel there is something vertical there. Even though policy makers and liberal politicians want America to disengage from Korea, somehow they can't do it and the link between the two nations is still strong.

The Unification Church is one spiritual force which consistently advocates American involvement in Korea. During the Koreagate crisis everything Korean was suspect in this country, and at that time not one politician spoke out for Korea. Only one man-Reverend Moon-and his followers were unafraid to speak up and advocate relations between the two countries.

I confronted the Congress of this powerful nation, even when people told me I was foolish and would be shattered. People laughed at me. At one time America was so sure of its power that everyone was sure the Unification Church would be crushed. But my ally was God. It was exactly like the confrontation between David and Goliath in the Old Testament. There is no question that we had some gloomy days, and the investigators were sure they could clobber us. Even some of our members and leaders were worried and expressed their doubts whether we could survive. When the Fraser committee tried to strike the Unification Church, it seemed to people that he had won 98% of a victory. But when Mr. Fraser was running for election to the Senate he thought he had won and declared victory on election night. He went to bed happy, but in the next few hours a miracle was in the making, and when he got up in the morning he had been defeated by a slim margin.

Now people look at me differently. They think I must have some mysterious power somewhere. I look normal, but they think I must have a hook-up to some special guidance.

This morning I gave Mother permission to come for just half an hour and then leave because she is expecting our baby any day now.

What are these people in the Unification Church? Your parents and society want to kidnap you and try to persuade you that they have a better world. But it is a dog world out there. We are a formidable entity that is a threat to that way of life. Everywhere in American life I am a phenomenon. If the issue of Reverend Moon comes up at the most dull dinner table, the barking begins on both sides, pro and con. People are starting to think that without me America will be a dull place to live. If that happens when they just talk about me, what would happen if I showed up in person?

I have heard that when a child is crying, an American mother might try to quiet him by saying, "Stop! Stop! A Chinese is coming!" Soon they will be saying, "Stop! Stop! Reverend Moon is coming!" I don't mind. People may misunderstand me, but I have had an impact on the American scene and we will make the truth known. Then they shall be saved by it.

Are you Americans? Are you dog people or not? If I rapped the average American on the head like this he would certainly start barking! People outside could never understand such a scene in our Church, and they only know to explain it by calling it brainwashing. There is no other way they could describe it. Suppose an American preacher came down to the pews and slapped one of the church elders; what would happen? The elder would yell, "What kind of minister are you?!" and a fight would start.

What are we here for? For disco dancing? Rock music? What kind of culture is this where we sit on a concrete floor, gathering early in the morning even without breakfast? Normally this place would be empty after two weeks, but instead more and more people try to get in, coming all the way from New York. Will we receive great honor by being here? You certainly don't have rich, expensive food. Many of you are engaged, but you are so busy that you hardly see your fiancees. What kind of life is this? You say this is a great life, but I say it is a grave life! Which is it?

What makes us great? We represent the only hope for America. We represent God's kingdom and some special godly power that no other power can compete with. When we are united together we are like a rock and nothing can disturb us.- We have the power of life which is connected to the ultimate power source, which cannot be disrupted by any means. We have the power of life and love centered upon God.

Why do I represent a source of strength, but also a source of fear when you do ungodly things? Because I am a channel of the power of life and love that comes from God. Whether you are white, black or yellow, once you clearly know my secret and what I really stand for, you cannot help but follow me. When I leave New York and go to Boston, as far as Unification Church member are concerned the sun of hope rises in Boston. When I go to England, the sun of hope rises in England. Do you agree because you are afraid of me? I am thinking it might be true, but if you believe it then you are greater than me. Because there is power coming from our give and take, when I go away you lose some strength and feel anchorites. You are my witnesses to that.

What are we trying to accomplish and where are we going? Would you mind if I made you captain of a boat that would be going out in high seas? How about you women, are you ready to be captains? When you go out to sea a shark will swim by and laugh at you, sneering, "What kind of captain are you?" Are you the kind of captain who will shout back, "I am your captain and I'm going to catch you"? Could you harpoon him right in the eye and catch him?

Why are we, as religious people, catching the living things of the sea? Whatever we catch from the sea becomes a sacrifice on the altar. We offer our catch to God and ask God to forgive mankind. Whatever we do is a sacrifice on the altar. Jesus told Simon Peter he would make Peter a fisher of men. Peter had been a catcher of fish, but Jesus was going to make him a catcher who could bring men to God. We go to sea and catch real fish as the representation of God's kingdom and offer them on God's altar. If God wants us to stop fishing then He must save the rest of the world first. We are doing it for the salvation of the world.

Twenty-four hours a day we catch fish and make them a sacrificial offering. Of course we need money for building God's kingdom, but so far none of the money from fishing has gone for that; it has been re-invested. More money has gone into the sea than has come back out. I have no intention of spending one penny from the sea for my own personal or family use.

This year I caught many tuna weighing over 1,000 pounds, and every time the fish was drawn in near the boat I was the one who speared it. Its blood gushed out and the water became crimson. Why? If America were to pay for all its sins, many people would have to be killed. The criminal reality of today's American culture deserves the bloodshed of many people, but by killing the fish I am thinking that somehow one more life is saved and one more death is prevented. That is my fervent desire. I look at the fish as a sacrificial offering, just as Abraham cut the offering in two without mercy. I am not sympathetic to the fish at that moment as I make it an offering for the world, but every time I offer a prayer that the killing of one fish may prevent the death of many sinful Americans.

Those who have met me for the first time since I returned from Boston, raise your hands please. Why did you come to the Unification Church? Do you think this morning that you made a wrong decision? I am merciless in pushing you out as a sacrificial offering for the sake of mankind. Will you accept that? Look at Jesus-what was his mission? He made himself a sacrificial offering for the sake of mankind. He did it on his own, not at the command of God. He voluntarily accepted his destiny. God is not commanding me to do certain things every day; I am telling Him to rest assured that everything shall be taken care of, that I will do it willingly.

There is no time for rest. Most people who sleep one hour extra feel good when they wake up. But if I rest one hour extra, when I get up I feel I must repent. I push myself that way. When I travel I seldom go to expensive restaurants. Usually I go to a McDonald's because I know the MFT and mobile teams frequently go there, and when I am there I think of them. I don't want to buy expensive clothes for myself. This suit I am wearing is one of the best suits I have; the slacks cost just a few dollars and they come from Poland. London has several excellent department stores, where one good suit normally costs at least $300. But I went to a cheap wholesale place and paid $90; then I saw on the label that it was made in Poland. Actually I went there to get Dr. Durst a suit when he came from America, but he said he wouldn't get one unless I did too. So I bought one.

My shoes cost $12, and just like MFT shoes they are all worn out. They are plastic, and so in the summer they are sweaty and smelly. But that's the way the MFT lives. When People magazine did an article on me a couple of years ago they came to one speech I made at a celebration in the Catskills. They described me as being expensively dressed, with leather shoes from London, a custom-made cashmere suit, and so on. They assumed that was the case and did not ask questions, but that is not true. I am stingy with myself, but for the sake of the members I spend much money. I am extravagant when I buy them clothes, food and houses.

What does the world think of me though? They think I am so money-hungry that I would take your eyeball and sell it for money. They think I would take your gold dental fillings and sell them. What a gap there is between the truth and their opinion! I am amused sometimes by the unfounded criticisms people make because eventually that will make a great story. My road in life leads in the humble direction, but people who bark at me are rushing in the other direction looking for me. Soon they will be so far away that I can't hear them barking any more. When those people can't find me they will eventually encircle the earth in their search, and they will be so tired that they need someone to help them. At that moment they will meet me. That is how I think.

I have received much criticism, but to me it just sounds like barking dogs. I feel that the children and grandchildren of these people will understand me, however. No matter what people say today, what I am telling you this morning will become reality. God is building a true force here-that's you. Even if people don't want to have anything to do with me, you will go after them one by one, and all of a sudden you will have touched everyone. Twenty-four hours a day you are thinking about it. Are you paid to do it? But somehow your heart and mind just cannot be idle, and the more you do the more fulfilled you feel. When you don't do anything you feel uncertain and nervous.

Those who volunteer for the dog world, raise your hands. Don't you like the dog world? You have every kind of freedom there to do whatever you like and no one will bother you, but as soon as you enter God's world there is discipline and you aren't allowed to abuse yourself. I don't think you like that, do you? In God's world you must walk straight, with your chin up, and when you sit down you sit very straight. When you sit cross-legged American style you are unstable, and if someone pulled the chair out you would fall over. But when you are anchored with two feet, sitting on the floor in the heavenly way, there is no way people can pull your chair out.

You can tell American chairs that because you will sit on the floor you will give them a vacation from being sat on and enduring smelling things. They will be thankful that someone thinks of liberating them. There is humor, literature and beautiful poetry in sitting on the floor. Do you feel good sitting on the floor? Sitting close together on the floor like this you cannot move away if two people you don't like sit or either side. Then when you change positions to relieve your legs you have to lean close to one of those people. Then you have some beautiful fellowship with the neighbor you hate. You can feel what a wonderful life it is here because you have suet fellowship and you have to work together.

You don't mind if we change the dog world? We need a rope to get to God's world, and that is the rope of life and love. When you cross the boundary you enter a completely new world. In order to get there religious people have emphasized celibacy as a way of life. The gate to heaven is rather narrow and only wide enough for one person at a time, so men and women cannot enter together side by side. One has to be in front. American women are unlikely to get to heaven because they would rather stand side by side instead of walking in back. Thus, there is no room for them!

Is the Messiah coming as a man? Inside you might be asking why God couldn't make the Messiah a woman. Religion starts out with the individual and because the gate is narrow it's best if you go into God's realm as an individual; so throughout history religions have emphasized celibacy. Who can come and go freely on earth without visas? That is the Messiah. You need a pass with the Messiah's name on it in big letters and yours in small letters in order to move freely. You can't say your name should be in big letters instead.

I think that soon American women will demonstrate against me for women's rights and want to get rid of me. You say no, but don't you have a little grudge inside?

There should be one single file to enter this gate; either men or women will have to go first, and it is unlikely women will go first. Men have to go in front. Someone will insist that I say this because I am a man, but that is not true. Woman is truly the one who caused the trouble in the garden of Eden. By man listening to a woman, everything in the garden of Eden became fallen, so if in restoration men let women lead them in the wrong direction the nation and world will crumble. That is true! The bridge to heaven is a single-file bridge, with no room for passing. One person should be up front leading everyone to the goal. That should be a man.

Why can't you have more freedom and flexibility? Because there is only room enough for one line marching forward. Therefore, each step is critically important. If you make one mistake then the whole path will crumble.

Have you ever seen one bride and two bridegrooms get married? Love is single-minded and goes in one direction. Do you have more than one life? Everything except life and love is unnecessary and you should cut if off. This is why religion always teaches self-denial. Higher religions even teach people to deny their family and society and to go away for meditation to awaken into a greater truth. Your goal is to become united with God, to be a man of God.

What is the basic difference between a dog-like man and a man of God? First, the lineage or origin is different. Second, their words are different. Third, their actions, and fourth, their love is different. What are God's characteristics? God will never compromise His lineage or position at all, but insists that it must be completely pure. Next, He emphasizes words of truth, and He always acts on His own words. There are no lies or deception in God's world. Finally, His love is genuine and pure. God wants to have His own lineage, and He exists for the sake of His own lineage and there is room for nothing else. When He makes a pronouncement, action follows in exact fulfillment. Ultimately it is all consummated in love.

Ultimately the goal of God's entire dispensation is love. Love starts from its own lineage and tradition. Then the word will blossom in His own actions. That is how love is consummated. Let us examine how this works. Are you in the image of God? If you resemble God then there are four principles to follow. God certainly maintains His own subjective role with its dignity and authority. In the same way each of you has his own dignity, and no one wants anyone to offend that. When you say something do you live up to it? It is not good to make a pronouncement and not live up to it yourself. When you say it you should live up to it, and then expect others to live up to it. Why should it be like that? You need someone else who can live up to your expectations because that is how you have an object of love. You need someone to love.

Men and women need someone for give and take of love. If there is some word to be spoken then there must be two parties-one to speak and the other to listen. When you speak would you want men and women in action together, or only one or the other? If they are together then you can have a channel for give and take of love; together you can find a subject and object so give and take is possible. We want to mingle and be together because we aspire to fulfill love, and love cannot be fulfilled by oneself.

When you are stimulated by love, particularly first love, it is an overwhelming experience. When you are in love you talk all night and still are not bored. You are temporarily blinded and can't think of anything else. For the sake of that love you would willingly sacrifice yourself. That is noble love. But today's Americans don't even think about finding a true love for which they could sacrifice. If they want to find out whether the other person truly loves them or not, they face a dilemma. Men and women come together just for convenience or fun, and there is no true love there, so even after several years a person cannot really know if the other person really loves him.

Divorce has become a business in this country and good-looking young women go into a marriage for some strategic purpose. They find a rich man, marry him, and then get divorced. Or they marry a rich old man for a few years and then divorce him, but both ways they get lots of money. Increasingly the custody of a husband and wife's money is a secret they keep from each other. If they revealed everything then the other person might want a divorce to get part of it!

But the world of God is different. What kind of lineage would you have? God is alpha and omega, first and last. Love is unchanging from beginning to end. Life is also alpha and omega, and no one can hide or lie about life. You want eternal life, don't you? That is because life continues eternally, without end. That is circular motion. Motion in a straight line always ends some time, and only circular motion is unending. Why is the earth round? Because it represents eternity. Atoms also move in circular motion. There is no square shape with sharp corners in the human body; your eyes face, head, limbs-everything is round.

What in our world should remain for eternity? What quality shall be preserved for eternity? You would like to keep love and life for eternity. Which comes first? For God, life comes first because first He existed and then He expressed love. But for man, love comes first. Love was the origin of man. Everyone's life was initiated in love of their parents, and they have value because they participated in that love. Your life was conceived in honest, true love. That is why your relationship with your parents is inseparable. Could you divorce your parents? No matter how much you insist you are independent and have no relationship, you cannot deny them.

The privilege of children is to be participants in their parents' love. The true desire of children, therefore, is not to be wealthy or honored by the world but to grow up in the love of their parents, then consummate and gloriously return that love. Therefore, God provides each child with a husband or wife and children of their own. Your husband and sons are representatives of your father. Your wife and daughters represent your mother. No matter how big and strong a husband may be, when he comes home he may become like a child with his wife, Lying on her lap, and even sometimes drinking the mother's milk. Sometimes a child will suck on his mother's finger, and sometimes the husband does it also. You can accept it in the future.

Some person might want to revolutionize everything and start a whole new order. Go ahead and change everything, but can you alter your relationship to your parents? You can say you won't be their child, but will it work? Husbands and wives get divorced, so why not parents and children? Men and women may separate, but not parents and children. There is a heavenly tie binding them eternally. Your parents are alpha, and when you marry you become omega. Then alpha and omega are one and the same. One is up, the other down; one is right and the other left, and they interact.

Are there any children who like to see their parents get divorced? Does anyone get married with the knowledge that he will get a divorce in the near future? Why does divorce come unexpectedly and against their will? In many cases divorce comes because of another love affair. Because there was no concrete love in the first place, the foundation of love easily breaks apart. Is there any wife who would like to see her husband dancing with another beautiful, charming woman? No husband wants to see his wife dancing with another man. Maybe if the other man is uglier or inferior to the husband then he will have confidence she will come back to him.

There are all kinds of formalities in social dancing, but no matter what, this particular principle persists in human affairs. If a husband knows his wife is having a good time and snuggling close with another handsome man, could he really enjoy himself? Would anyone welcome that? God provided a man and woman with each other and husband and wife are meant to be a pair, so if they go disco with each other then that's all right. Once a covenant is made between husband and wife, it becomes a tradition and lineage, a foundation which none can touch. It must be preserved for eternity.

On that foundation the words you speak become truth and have value, but if you stand on an improper foundation of lineage, the words you say will have no power. If you want to speak, you must live your words in action first. Why do my words have power? Because I have lived everything before I ever speak. There is nothing I say which I have not fulfilled. You think you are the master MFT members, but actually I am. I know best how to make a business and how to witness. No one has brought in more people to the family than I have. Therefore, when I speak my words have authority and power. When you don't live something yourself, your words are meaningless.

Many times when your parents tell you to do something you resist and say you can't do it, but it causes you no pain. But when I tell you to do something and you don't live up to it, you feel pain and misery. It is because what I am teaching you is meant to help you achieve the world of love, and when you don't live it, you don't get to the world of love. I push you out so you can fulfill it, and when you don't live it you feel pain and your conscience hurts. When you violate the heavenly principles I teach you, you feel pain and discouragement. Nothing you do brings you comfort.

Perhaps one time I tell you to do something that seems impossible. When you have the courage to live it you feel full of power and life because it has brought you out to the world of love. Then you have hope to fulfill love even more in the future. I am known as a man of strength and conviction because I have a fervent desire to love the people of the world. When you devote your will to deeds of love for mankind, love will return to you. That's why your energy increases. Look at what is happening right here-people of all five races have come to follow my way of life. When you live it you feel comforted and satisfied.

What are the True Parents? They are the alpha initiated by God, and wherever they go they are alpha seeking for an omega. If I left for Africa tomorrow, the same thing would happen there-alpha will attract omega. Why are you Unification Church members here? You want to receive alpha so you can receive the power of love and life. By receiving the energy of life and love you can rejoice together with God. Then you can be parallel with God's position. This power and authority I have is a privilege given by God, and I am meant to give that authority to you. When you receive life and love through True Parents it becomes your life and love which is parallel with God's.

It is my duty to bequeath that to you. If you receive and live up to that inheritance then you shall become a true father or mother of mankind as well. There is one Father and one Mother, one truth and one tradition. The Unification Church has come to begin that tradition in this promiscuous world. If the world does not respond but persecutes the Unification Church instead, the tradition of God shall go on regardless. Could you men become women tomorrow? Could you women become men? No one can change your manhood or womanhood, and no one can revolutionize the parent-child relationship either. Do you welcome that?

Here we have True Parents installed by God, and no one can change your spiritual sonship and daughtership centered on them. Are America's families probably destined for hell or heaven? No one likes to hear about doomsday and the world tries to shut me up. Even though I may be more persecuted for criticizing President Carter, I am not swayed. If I can see the death and decline of American society and do not say anything because I want to be popular, history will judge me severely. Even if the world judges me today, let them go ahead. I would rather be approved by history.

I was persecuted by Koreans because I spoke the frank, honest truth about that nation, and it persecuted me. When I spoke the truth in Japan, the nation didn't want to hear it and I was persecuted there. When I came to America and spoke the truth without fear, this nation persecuted me as well. Sometimes I chastise you when you do wrong and it is bitter to hear. A satanic person tries to hide his flaws and failures, but a heavenly man wants to expose them and repent. That is the best solution in every case.

It is the Unification Church tradition to confess when something wrong is done. I never volunteer to listen, but I hear many confessions from members, either in person or in letters. You want to unload all the iniquities in your heart. When I hear them and forgive you and tell you not to do them again, you feel liberated. That's why many people want to speak to me and unburden their hearts. Everyone has personal secrets, and though I never ask to hear them, people volunteer anyway. You hardly want to tell even your teachers or parents, but here in the Unification Church you want to unload your secrets to me. Why is that? By using me as a foundation you can reach out for a greater horizon of love.

Those who need love, raise your hands. What kind of love do you need? How is true love different from illicit love? Satanic love is always self-centered. Parental love is pure because it is unselfish. Why do we all crave the love of God? Because it is parental love, pure, genuine love. Every man and woman craves such love. A husband and wife desire pure, unselfish love that is unconditional. Sometimes in an airport I might see an elderly husband pushing his wife in a wheelchair, taking care of her and getting her on the plane. That is a beautiful scene. In my mind I wonder whether they married when they were young or middle-aged, or when they were old. I feel that if they started their pure love when they were young and kept it alive over the years then God must bless them. I pray momentarily for God's blessing on that couple.

That's the kind of world we want to build. God is very idealistic. In a pure, truthful, unselfish world you want to become husband and wife and parents, as well as leaders of the nation. That is truly heaven. If 220 million Americans crave only selfish love then there will be 220 million fights a day. But you want to feel love for 220 million Americans, whether they return that love or not. God's tradition is one of unconditional love; He doesn't want to receive love first and then give love. Parental love is unconditional, even towards sinners.

Therefore, you want to practice God's tradition, and whether people love you or not, you will love them first. Then your love is pure and genuine.

If your parents love you to degree ten, you love them to degree twenty. You should want never to be indebted to your parents, but to become a creditor of love. That is my tradition. That is the Unification Church tradition because it is God's tradition. Let others be indebted in love to you. When other people try to do you favors, always bring more blessing to them to clear away that indebtedness. When you live a self-centered life it will never reach out beyond your own boundary and become eternal. But when you go beyond your boundary and center upon God, there is no limit and you can travel all the way to God and embrace the whole universe.

When you want to live in unselfish love and have ambitions for the sake of the world, God knows that you need people and material resources to build the Kingdom and all these things will come to you. A low-pressure realm always attracts a high-pressure system to it. That is what causes storms. The give and take of love and high pressure systems can create a hurricane. Are we a destructive or constructive hurricane? Centered on the greediness of Reverend Moon? The greediness of all mankind? What is the craving and ambition of mankind? Unity of the world. Power, money and knowledge will all fail to bring unity.

I crave the oneness of the world also, but I will do it with the power of love. This is one area I cannot be surpassed in. It will be done with true, God centered love. How can you achieve this? The simplest way is to follow me. Taste persecution for the sake of mankind and God. God has been ridiculed and misunderstood, and now you should want to be in that position in the name of God and the world. If you want to avoid persecution then your love is only conditional. Many members try to live Unification life conditionally; they say they love True Parents, Divine Principle and the Church, but they can't stand being persecuted.

Engagement comes before-the wedding. An engagement is a covenant made between two people who promise to become one. You must go through this engagement period to prepare for complete oneness because later when children come there will be stormy weather and unexpected difficulties. In order to overcome all these with love you must practice with each other, learned to rely on and trust one another. When rainy days come in the future you will be able to handle them. It is beautiful, but not easy. When you finish, however, there is true value which commands the respect of the people..

Why are you persecuted? If you bother no one and just earn money to support yourself, why should anyone bother you? That's not how you will save America though you must do something extraordinary, including fundraising where you can earn more than your own share, and witnessing, where you bother some people and bring them to be members. The secular world thinks eight hours is good enough for one day, but we consider 24 hours a day to be adequate.

What do you do with the money you earn fund raising? Two thirds of the income should be devoted to the sake of others, and one third for your own needs. But you shouldmake a conscientious effort to reduce your needs, so you require only one tenth or one twentieth of the income and you can give more for others. Then more value can be created. That shall be recorded in the annals of the Unification Church. The MFT spirit is to strive to use 100% of their earnings for the public purpose. Always you feel you are not doing enough when you give everything you earn; you even take money out of your savings account to add to the result. That is my spirit and tradition.

I never feel indebted to you; instead you are indebted to me. America is indebted to me. When you are indebted to others you cannot be a leader or have dominion. I am, indebted in word or action or in love, and you must be like that because God is like that. You are Americans because you belong to American he American tradition. The Unification church has no particular nation. Our country is the planet earth. The earth is our hometown and family. Let's claim our home and build our nation.

You must feel that any place you go is your hometown, where many blessed people live because they want to make their nation. When you ask such people what is their aspiration, they will reply it is to have one world and one family, a free world where no war is warranted. The Unification Church is creating the new lineage and origin. We are speaking new words which never existed before, doing new actions and giving new love. These new things didn't come from me but from God. What is the ultimate goal? To make everyone here on earth men of God.

When you speak, do so on behalf of God. When you act, do so as God's representative. We worship God as our Parent. No one can remove you from the Unification Church any more than they can deny that you are an American citizen or have American parents. In the same way, no one can separate you from your heavenly citizenship. No one can deny and change your destiny; it is already sealed. Even if someone cuts my head off, it doesn't change anything. Just as a patriot shouts, "Long live my country, " at the moment of his death, so will I cry out at my death, "Long live my eternal Parent and nation here on earth, the Kingdom of God."

We live in a world of evil and the quickest way for us to unite completely is to suffer persecution together. That will only harden and toughen our unity. Many white people oppose you, but there are black people very close to your heart. When white people persecute us, it brings white and black and yellow closer together here. We have a multi-color blessing because all five colors of skin are married together here. This is a historical event.

This started with alpha and it will circle all the way around to omega. No one can stop it. What does Divine Principle mean? Actually the literal translation means "original principle." Since it originated from God and God is divine, we call it the Divine Principle, however. We are talking about principles of the original way of life, the original way to form a family, society, nation, world and cosmos.

Would you speak without action? You act by earning money to spend for others; you bring people so they can learn the original way of life. These are the most brilliant acts in the sight of God. First do these things and then speak. You show your action through MFT, witnessing, and many other things. After that you demonstrate how to truly love your neighbors and family, and people will see in you an example which they want to follow

If it happens that you marry a nasty husband then you should compare his nastiness to the worst persecution you faced when fund raising. Then you can say, "My husband, you are still better than those nasty people on the street and I still love you." I saw many horrible husbands in Korea who would burn their wife's face with cigarettes, or beat her. But those wives would pray to God that they had already forgiven their enemies and now they wanted to pass this test of their unselfish love by loving their husbands. Through such an extraordinary demonstration of love, God can give someone the title of special heroine or patriot. When husband and wife live together normally in love and peace there is no historical event taking place. History is made under abnormal conditions. When you face such an emergency you can always feel it is your God-given opportunity to do historical things. Are you ready to be historical persons?

Many people asked to marry a black husband or Oriental wife, and now some of them are thinking that maybe they did the wrong thing, yet they don't want to speak up. I am telling them now that they should look for an extraordinary situation so they can become historical people.

The black member of an interracial couple should give his or her mate the worst time because so far the white people have discriminated against black people. Now white people must have the opportunity to be heroic in the same way black people had to do. Thus, the white husband or wife have an opportunity to be recorded in history. All history will honor such couples, and flowers will be left on their tombs every day. Do you white people welcome it? Wouldn't you rather be ordinary, everyday people? White people will welcome it because you want to demonstrate that white people can love all mankind, from extreme to extreme.

My ambition and desire is to create historical, tradition-setting families which will be remembered. Would you like that? I will not forgive those who oppose this!

Would you complain? Before you complain, exercise obedience and loyalty. In order to practice love of mankind on the family level you must forgive, be loyal and be obedient. Our lineage should be different. You have many different colors of eyes, but you are of the same lineage. No one can alter or disrupt this, not even God. This is the king's lineage directly from God and you are born for it. If you deserve that lineage then you will speak like a heavenly man and live up to it in action. Ultimately all these will be fulfilled in God-centered love.

I persevered for decades through all kinds of agony and persecution just to live up to this position and fulfill it so I could bequeath it to you. There is a new world coming, something brilliant and exciting which is bringing hope for the world. Our pride is that we are marching forward to reach the final day when God's will is fulfilled on earth. Amen! The most important thing is to become men of God. We are harboring the hope of the future. Amen. Those who will fulfill that goal unto their lives, raise your hands. God bless you.


Home | Bibliography | Teachings | Index of Sermons | List of This Year's Sermons