The Tradition, Book OneChung Hwan Kwak |
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Chapter 12 History and Significance Father first announced the establishment of the Indemnity Fund on May 12, 1964. Father explained that fallen people have a debt to God because of the denial, betrayal, and murder of the Messiah, Jesus. The crime of betrayal was not only Judas' mistake; Judas was the representative of all humanity. Judas "sold" Jesus for thirty pieces of silver; because of the overwhelmingly negative historical meaning of this action, it cannot even be monetarily indemnified by donating this amount of money only once. According to the Principle, four is the number of foundation. Therefore, each Unification Church member must fulfill a condition of offering the Indemnity Fund four times (a total offering of $120.00), sharing their hearts of repentance and building a foundation of purity. Offering the Indemnity Fund Obtaining the Money This fund represents our heartistic donation to God, and if possible, each member should earn the money personally either through fund raising or employment. Amount. Since the initiation of this tradition in Korea, the amount has remained 3,000 won; in America, thirty dollars (per year for four years) has always been offered. When to Offer As previously mentioned, each member traditionally offers the Indemnity Fund four times (i.e., over four consecutive years). There is, however, no designated time of year that this donation may be offered; the four donations may be made within a period of four years or less (i.e., it can be given at one time), according to the member's individual situation and decision. Where to Offer The money should be donated to the financial department of the member's national headquarters (either the member's home nation or the nation in which he or she is working at the time the donation is made). Each national headquarters should keep accurate records (name, date, amount) of each donation received in order to determine when each member has fulfilled the condition. Use of the Fund This money signifies Jesus' blood, and therefore should not be used by headquarters to pay monthly bills or regular expenses, etc. Rather, it should be reserved for commemorative purposes. Approval may be given to purchase land, build a headquarters, etc., with money from this fund. As a Condition for the Blessing According to Father's direction, offering the Indemnity Fund is one of the external conditions to fulfill before attending the Blessing; however, it is not part of the "Blessing fee" itself. If it was not donated before the Blessing, blessed members should arrange to donate the money ($30.00 x 4 = $120.00 for each blessed member) to the national headquarters of either the member's home nation or the country in which the member works, as soon after the Blessing as possible. In this case it may be offered all at once, if desired. |
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