Responses to Questions on
Unificationism on the Internet - Volume 32
Date: Sat, 3 Aug 1996 14:42:08 -0400
Subject: Welcome home
This message has been edited to protect the identity of the sender.
The names have been changed. Otherwise, this is my response to an
actual letter from a former member of the Unification Church who
is eager to rejoin the fold. I realize that the contents are
sensitive, but I include it because I think it will be of help to
others in a similar position.
One thing I forgot to mention to him is that he is the third person
this week to ask if their couple could join the Unification Church
and attend the Blessing given by True Parents. I am going to start
having to get an online form for people to sign up.
---
Hi Joe,
Thank you for writing. There are a lot of people in your position,
I believe, who have been in the church, loved and served God and
True Parents, and for whatever reason, have fallen by the wayside.
God is our Father and is infinitely loving and desires that all
people should find their way home to Him.
Allow me to answer your questions as they come:
On Sat, 3 Aug 1996, Joe wrote:
> Dear Damian,
>
> I used to be a member but have been hiding for twelve years. I love
> True Parents, but what good is that if I'm not doing anything? Once I
> left with a church sister back in '78 or '79, throwing off my
> timetable for the matching and eventual '82 Blessing. The girl with
> whom I left and I missed the church, so she returned to the east coast
> and I did CARP work at ____. Her course had allowed her to be Blessed
> by Father. I made it to the '82 Blessing and got matched with a
> Japanese sister. After fulfilling two of our three years of required
> abstinence, I left again and married my current wife, Mary, in
> '84. A lot of details are being left out here, but do you see the
> overall picture?
Yes.
> Father had gone to jail for the tax-evasion thing, and I gave up
> hope of ever bringing anyone to the church. Spiritual children were
> always so hard to get. Because I lost hope, one thing lead to another.
> My Japanese match got sick and went back to Japan. I was being a
> fringe member, working at a local ___________ in ____, trying to keep
> up with the separation requirements.
> __________ had rejected me for the seminary back in '82, and some
> Korean leader in _________ didn't want me working at ________,
> doing connected CARP work with family members. So I returned
> to ____ and resumed working with the _____.
> As I said, in '84 I left again to marry Mary. I just faded away
> and gave up on ever being successful with God and the church. I knew I
> had relinquished a tremendously valued marital position. I've been
> beating myself up ever since. Although I had shut up about my
> involvement with the Unification Church and never made it an issue
> with my wife, recently I exploded. Because we argue a lot, we've been
> seeing sets of shrinks.
> While I expected Mary's shrink to help her with her problems,
> he, instead, directly and rather bluntly told me I had to engage in
> more self-discovery. He said some other things, too, but that threw me
> into a deep, silent rage. I arrogantly, yet silently, knew I needed no
> self-discovery because I knew exactly what my problem was.
> I knew I missed God and True Parents. I knew I had something great
> and gave it up. I knew I had wasted twelve years hiding from the
> church. I wanted to participate in the Blessing again. I hated
> continual arguing with my wife. I hated not having a purpose and value
> and meaning and hope. I left for four days and tried to reach as deep
> as I could to figure out the depth and scope of my suppressions,
> including their ramifications.
> I returned to my wife, and for the first time in twelve years told
> her what I missed: Rev. Moon! I was shocked at how she listened to me
> go on and on about my need for spirituality, for the revival of the
> shrivelled raisin inside of me that used to be connected to beautiful
> grapes and vines.
You are fortunate to have a wife who is willing to love you and listen to
you in your time of need. It is the destiny of all humanity to come to
God, so I am sure there is a way for you two also.
> We called a friend of mine at _____ for a local
> church contact so we could end our hell, or at least, so I could get
> the kind of counseling I wanted. Of course, because of my former
> failures with church rules and regulations and because I feared levels
> of indemnity, I never bothered to call anyone in the church to ever
> see if I/we could be members. I just figured my hell was eternal. I
> figured I would have to do a million disruptive things to our life if
> ever the church were to be part of our salvation.
The conditions for the Blessing of True Parents are not as onerous
as they were. I believe that you are only able to be Blessed after
your original Japanese spouse has received the Blessing, since you
were the one to leave. After that point, you should be able to
receive the Blessing.
> My ______ contact gave me hope. He said the church had changed,
> lightened up in a few areas. I felt immediate relief and told him and
> Mary that I wanted to make it to the next Blessing. He seemed to
> indicate that it might not be as hard as I assumed. Is this true?
Father has opened up the Blessing for the whole world to participate.
The next one is to be held based in Washington DC with 3.6 million
couples participating worldwide. He has said that in the early
days, the conditions were most severe, but with the progression of
the providence and the merit of the age, the foundation of those
who went before us makes it easier for those who follow. He is
concerned that the standard be kept high and that there be no room
for Satan to accuse. But as the foundation increases, the standard
for participation can be relaxed. So, today, the conditions are
much less than they were. It used to be that a previously married
couple must be involved in mission work for several years and
complete a seven year period of abstinence, and a seven day fast.
Now, I understand that the main conditions are that one pledges
never to divorce and never to commit adultery, and that one
understands the value of the Blessing. One does not even need to
be a member of the Unification Church any more to receive the
Blessing. Many Muslim leaders in the Middle East received the
blessing without leaving Islam.
> Can someone like me, an '82 blessed member who left, and my wife,
> who hasn't yet heard the Divine Principle, ever have a chance to be
> considered for the very next Blessing? I want my ray of hope to become
> sunshine. I want my marriage with Mary to be officially
> sanctioned by True Parents through the next Blessing. Or will there be
> some regional big wig telling us there's no chance unless we do a
> million summersaults with our marriage?
If any regional big wig tells you that you can't go to the Blessing,
appeal to a higher authority! :-)
> Damian, today was the first time I looked up Father's name on the
> internet. I ran across your name and read one of your articles to
> somebody. It sounded good enough for me to trust you. Do you have
> names and numbers of church people who can counsel me and comfort my
> wife, who thinks that the church will end this marriage and take me
> away from her? What is the real period of separation?
Thank you for trusting me. I don't know the best person to contact,
but you might try:
Barbara Marks 703-768-2370
or Joo Yeon Amrine 301-590-0191
These are contacts that I have in the Washington area. I don't have
a lot of connections in New York or the West Coast. My network
consists mostly of people who are online. Betsy Jones in New York
may also be good, but I don't know her number.
The church WILL NOT ask you to end the marriage and take her away.
The usual period of separation after the Blessing these days is 40
days.
> For the first time, I told my shrink last week that I'm like Richard
> Dreyfuss in Encounters of the Third Kind. Some people are drawn toward
> Reverend Moon. I'm one of those persons. And I'm not alone. Thousands
> of people love Rev. Moon. I'm not crazy. The church is not a cult, and
> I don't care what he thinks.
Good for you. Stand up for your convictions. The experience I had
with shrinks was that they tend to make you dependent and less
responsible for deciding your own actions. My strategy these days
in times of crisis, of which I have had several, is to follow
Father's dictum:
(1) Separate from sin and Satan -- give up sinful habits.
(2) Come into the realm of God's love through reading
God's word and praying every day.
(3) Live for the sake of others.
Once you are doing that, follow your gut instincts, your conscience.
Not all leaders have God's point of view, and if you value the
Blessing that God is giving to humanity through True Parents, you
will do whatever it takes to obtain it.
> My recent self-discovery has taught me that I can no longer keep a
> lid on the spiritual side of myself; I can no longer tuck away in a
> little box my love for Rev. Moon, for what I had and lost, and for
> what might be another glorious day, providing the conditions for the
> next Blessing aren't so stringent that we can't join. Assuming
> Mary thinks the Divine Principle is okay and doesn't mind
> joining, what degree of joining can we do that won't be devastating to
> us? Does joining mean this marriage has to be wrenched apart?
Simply put, you don't need to join the church at all to attend the
Blessing. However, you pledge to live according to the principles
and ideals of the Blessing and to honor and uphold the family
pledge (May 1, 1994). You can find that on my web page at:
http://www.unification.net/misc/fampledge.html
You can find much more under:
http://www.unification.net/teachings.html
> I'm not a tough guy; I've been a coward for twelve years, and I'm
> afraid your comments or church authorities might dash my newly
> discovered hope for life.
You do what you can, and offer whatever you are capable of with a
pure heart, and God will certainly accept and love you for that.
Not everyone is capable of overcoming sin and fighting evil on
their own. That is why we needed a Messiah in the first place,
right? The doctor comes to heal the sick, not to congratulate the
healthy.
Those of us who have been made whole by the Messiah are called upon
to be Tribal Messiahs and National Messiahs ourselves as we become
strong and bold. We are all called to the messianic mission in as
much as we can take it on. I am taking on the mission of Internet
Messiah.
I find these words to be most appropriate:
The spirit of the Lord Yahweh has been given to me,
for Yahweh has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring good news to the poor,
to bind up hearts that are broken;
to proclaim liberty to captives,
freedom to those in prison;
to proclaim a year of favor from Yahweh,
a day of vengeance for our God,
to comfort all those who mourn and to give them
for ashes a garland;
for mourning robe the oil of gladness,
for despondency, praise.
They are to be called 'terebinths of integrity',
planted by Yahweh to glorify him.
Isaiah 61:1-3
> Nervously sincere,
>
> Joe
Sincerely yours,
In True Parents' Love,
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 13 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Date: Sat, 3 Aug 1996 22:35:54 -0400
Subject: Re: Information from America
On Sat, 3 Aug 1996, Alf Mønnesland wrote:
> Dear Damian
>
> Thank you very much for keeping us updated on the FFWP meeting and other
> church events in America. Usually it takes a long time for such things to
> reach us here in the outskirts of Europe.
>
> However, I would like to ask you one thing. Why are you sending out the
> negative articles of Washington Post and other newspapers. When we don't know
> anything about the events other than what you copy from these articles, it
> becomes impossible to get a good picture of what is going on. Doesn't the
> Washington Times write anything? I think we don't need to repeat what
> ignorant people write.
I apologize. It is easier to post material that I already have in
electronic format, than to write something. I should have access to the
prepared texts of some of the speakers, and maybe even the transcripts of
the deliberations before too long. Generally, the Washington Times does
not cover Unification Church related events, unless the other media report
it too. Also, it often uses wire stories of these events, to avoid any
question of impartiality. Whether you or I like that, that is what they
do.
> I would like to spread the news of this FFWP meeting for example to others,
> but with this kind of information like the article from the Washington Post I
> almost can't be sure of anything.
Yes, I apologize. It is a lot of work to produce any kind of consistent
news. Let's just say that the event happened and I have not heard any
reports yet. I only attended the first morning of the event, and no more.
> If this kind of article is your only source of information, I think it is
> better to edit it by cutting out the negative parts and passing on only the
> good and important information.
I posted it with a disclaimer, that was the best I could do.
> Also in Europe we have no access to C-SPAN. Maybe someone could tell us what
> kind of channel C-SPAN is (public, private etc.) and what has been sent out
> about True Father.
C-SPAN is a private network that covers many events of public interest, in
particular, the daily proceedings of the US House and Senate, committee
hearings, press conferences of government leaders, association meetings
and speeches such as ours, and whatever else is going on. It does not
editorialize at all, but simply has an "unblinking eye" camera there, no
editing, no frills, just the plain facts. People like this.
> Otherwise, thank you very much again for your hard work.
You're welcome. :-)
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 13 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Date: Sat, 3 Aug 1996 23:41:07 -0400
Subject: UNews: Parents' Day 1996
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release July 26, 1996
PARENTS' DAY, 1996
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
No job presents greater challenges, demands broader responsibilities,
or promises more profound rewards than parenthood. Parents are daily
caretakers and lifelong role models. They guide us and share the values
and lessons that enable us to grow and flourish. Throughout our lives, we
remember our parents' example, recognizing that their joys and
aspirations, triumphs and disappointments, have shaped our experience and
given us meaningful direction.
Our Nation has always depended on strong families, and we must
continue to do all we can to help hardworking men and women to shoulder
the duties of parenthood. It is vital to support today's parents, to honor
those who have taught us so much, and to impress upon young people the
awesome responsibility of parenthood.
On this day and throughout the year, let us take time to celebrate the
special, enduring bond between parents and children. Foster parents and
stepparents, biological and adoptive mothers and fathers .. all deserve
our respect and gratitude. Parents open their homes and hearts to nurture
and protect us; let us offer in return our deepest appreciation for their
devotion and care.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States
of America, by virtue if the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and laws of the United States and consistent with Public Law 103-362, do
hereby proclaim Sunday, July 26, 1996, as Parents' Day. I call upon the
States, communities, and all Americans to observe this day with
appreciative ceremonies and activities to express affectionate thanks to
our Nation's parents.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day
of July, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and of
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-first.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
---
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 13 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Aug 7, 1996 21:11
Subject: Re: Family Federation for World Peace
Newsgroups: alt.religion.unification,talk.religion.misc,alt.religion.christian,alt.christnet.theology
References: <32084D2C.5546@erols.com>
On Wed, 07 Aug 1996 04:00:44 -0400 Dennis Smith (dsmith2@erols.com) wrote:
> How could the Family Federation Convention not be a stunning success? It was
> the best convention money could buy. The only way people would show up was
> to be paid large sums of money or have their expenses paid. If Convicted
> Felon Sun Myung Moon didn't shell out cash no one would associate with him
> or his criminal organization masquerading as a church.
> D.Smith
You are calling the people who attended these events mercenaries
if you think that their only motivation ofr attending is money.
The how do you account for the fact that George Bush is donating
his honorarium to charity. No, former US President George Bush
attended botht eh FFWP and WFWP conferences this last week because
he fervently believes in what they stand for.
Sorry, to burst your bubble, but not everyone is motivated by money
as you claim. Your argument is weak and fallacious. Do you think
George Bush, Gerald Ford and Bill Cosby would have participated if
the KKK had been sponsoring the event and the subject was white
power? These people believe in the cause.
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 13 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Aug 7, 1996 21:16
Subject: Re: Rev. Moon and the Media
Newsgroups: alt.religion.unification,talk.religion.misc,alt.religion.christian,alt.christnet.theology
References: <3203ED8E.16A4@lava.net> <3208B8FA.2C93@erols.com>
On Wed, 07 Aug 1996 11:40:42 -0400 Dennis Smith (dsmith2@erols.com) wrote:
> Let's set the record straight here. Rev. Moon is not the Messiah.
> He is a delusional convicted felon. As a rule reasonable people
> don't accept someone to be the Messiah simply because that person
> declares themself to be the Messiah. If you don't believe this
> ask around. Ten out of ten people asked "do you believe Sun Myung
> Moon is the Messiah?" replied "no." This is an informal survey but
> I suspect most people would get the same results if they questioned
> people at random.
> D.Smith
Ha ha! You are so funny! If you were to ask 10 people in the time
of Jesus whether Jesus was the Messiah, what would they say? "Crucify
him!" is what they said. Messiahship is not a democratic position.
You don't get elected to it. God's position, and parents' position
are also not elected positions. Just because a million flies eat
dung does not mean to say we should all do it. There are times when
the majority does not rule.
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 13 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Aug 8, 1996 16:46
Subject: Re: Family Federation for World Peace
Newsgroups: alt.religion.unification,talk.religion.misc,alt.religion.christian,alt.christnet.theology
References: <32084D2C.5546@erols.com> <4ubets$quc@news2.cais.com> <4uckl4$hlm@beyond.escape.com>
On 8 Aug 1996 11:56:19 GMT ROSAPHILIA (rugosa@escape.com) wrote:
> if he donates the fee, he doesn't have to pay income taxes on
> the rest of the income he makes this year.
> and ditto his wife and maybe kdis.
Well, of course he can, but when the principle of the thing is that
he is demonstrating that he is not doing it for money.
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 13 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Aug 8, 1996 16:49
Subject: Re: Family Federation for World Peace
Newsgroups: alt.religion.unification,talk.religion.misc,alt.religion.christian,alt.christnet.theology
References: <32084D2C.5546@erols.com> <4ubets$quc@news2.cais.com> <4uckoq$hlm@beyond.escape.com>
On 8 Aug 1996 11:58:18 GMT ROSAPHILIA (rugosa@escape.com) wrote:
> bill cosby tried to get out of it but was threatened with
> massive and expensive lawsuits which he prolly woulda lost.
Well, I am inclined to believe that the Post was lying, since they
have lied about so many things regarding Rev. Moon.
> for sure bill cosby is not going back next year. ditto ford
> and prolly not bush if he wants to ever go back to japan
> and do anything but barf.
Pres. Bush appeared twice in one week at WFWP and FFWP conferences.
And he has appeared several times this year at the WFWP conferences,
last year toured Japan with Mrs. Moon and I have heard him say with
my own ears that he believes in it and considers it the "work of
God".
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 13 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Aug 11, 1996 00:38
Okay, Ali, here goes on a first attempt to answer your many questions. I
will start by responding to your earlier mails to me. I apologize for the
delay.
On Wed, 26 Jun 1996 Ali wrote:
> In a message dated 96-06-26 10:32:57 EDT, you write:
>
> << Hello Ali,
>
> I have received your e-mail messages, and I would like to review them and
> respond to them when I get time. If you don't hear back from me say
> within a week, contact me again to bug me. But I want to give your
> questions and comments a thorough reply.
>
> God bless you,
> >>
>
> No problem. Just to clarify my intentions for you - I used the numerous
> quotes from Baha'i scriptures and books about the Baha'i Faith to
> start our discussion off on notes of commonality. The intent is not to
> preach about the "superiority" of the Baha'i Faith.
That's fine. It would help me to understand something of our faith in
order to be able to relate to you and to know what would be of particular
interest to you.
> Another related intent is to demonstrate to other Baha'is the
> commonalities shared between the UC and the Baha'i Faith. Unfortunately
> many Baha'is have a perception of the UC that is from the misinformation
> given by the anti-"cult" groups. They can forget that these same
> groups will use the same attacks and libel against the Baha'i Faith. ;-)
I do not know much about what Baha'is think of the Unification
faith, except that most have not had the benefit of studying it
with UC members. They are likely to know only what they have learned
from the media.
> As a matter of discourse, Baha'is tend to use quotations from the
> Writings to support the viewpoints given. At the same time, no
> individual Baha'i has the power or authority to give an authoritative
> interpretation. Only the Head of the Faith has that power.
Okay, we do the same. We quote from Divine Principle, the Bible
and Rev. Moon's words, among others in our teachings. In fact, in
teaching to the Islamic world, teachers of the Divine Principle
may refer to the Qu'ran. One characteristic of truth is that it is
eternal, and no matter how much it is attacked and dissected, it
will remain true. So, analysis and scrutiny are not viewed as bad
in the Unification faith. After all, we spend a large amount of
our resources funding interfaith conferences, and conflict resolution
between various groups. So, Rev. Moon does not fear the ideas of
others and encourages us to study other faiths, and to elevate them
with the teaching of Divine Principle. I am sure that there is much
of mutual benefit to be derived from interfaith dialogue.
> Okay, now that I have basically established the Unificationist views
> on the fall of man, this should allow you to help clarify for me the
> Unificationist doctrine of atonement regarding the True Parents,
> etc... I know some of the terms but you will have to teach me the
> appropriate usage.
We do not speak about atonement, but restoration. However, the
theologians among us may know of a distinction. My understanding
is that Jesus atoned for the sin of humanity, but that it was
insufficient to create the Kingdom of God because he did not
establish a true family and establish the ideal of True Parents,
which we consider to be his primary mission.
What Jesus' death accomplished was to allow people to enter into a
realm free of Satan's accusation AFTER THEIR DEATH, Paradise, but
while they are in the body, they must deal with sin in their body.
God desires for us to overcome sin in this world and create heaven
here. One characteristic of the Kingdom of Heaven is that it is
populated with those who have accomplished the family ideal. Paradise
is a place for single people. For the conjugal love relationship to last
for eternity, it must have the Blessing given by God through the
True Parents.
> I would be interested in three things: 1) how is the "Unificationist
> tradition" (i.e. rituals - Blessing, Pledge service, Holy Days, other
> ceremonies) function in terms of facilitating the Unificationist
> doctrine of atonement,
The Blessing features in the atonement in that it is the starting
point of the relationship with God as His true child claimed out
of the world dominated by Satan, and given the authority and
permission to begin married life with God's approval. The Blessing
marks the entering into the realm of being able to perfect the four
loves. As a child, we experience in the family (1) parents' love
and (2) sibling love, but it is only through marriage that we are
able to experience (3) conjugal love and (4) parental love. The
perfection of love comes when we perfect each of these loves, in
relationship to those around us, on each level. We can perfect
love in the family, then in the extended family and community, and
then on to the nation and world, if we advance to that level of
leadership and altruism.
The Pledge Service is a family ritual where we recite the Family
Pledge, which you can find at:
http://www.unification.net/misc/fampledge.html
This ritual is a prayer service which we have at 5 am on Sundays
and first day of the month, and 7 am on Holy Days, which are True
God's Day, True Parents' Day, True Children's Day and the Day of
all True Things, also several other holy days. This service consists
of all bowing to God and True Parents and reciting this pledge,
followed by perhaps a representative prayer and unison prayer, or
each praying in turn, which is what we do in my family.
This service is intended for us to keep in mind the promises we
have made to God on a weekly basis. In fact, I do pledge service
daily, though not always at the 5 am time, though I have done it on
time for days or weeks at an end on time when my schedule permitted.
My family prays together every night before going to bed, and every
morning when we get up. Our kids are so united with this routine
that they will ask for us to pray together so that they can go to
school. They don't like to miss it.
After having receiving God's blessing, the primary vehicle for
spiritual growth is, as the old song goes, "to read God's words
and pray every day", and then also to act on it. I know from my
own experience that if I am having a bad day, the best thing I can
do for myself is to take a long meditative walk praying as I go,
and then to read something inspirational, and then maybe to reach
out to someone else and teach God's words to them. So, my work on
the Internet has been salvific for me.
> 2) the Unificationist view of other religions (e.g. the Baha'is
> believe in progressive revelation and the eternal progress of all
> souls),
The Unification faith teaches that all religions will be unified at
the time of the return of Christ by the revealing of a new expression
of the Truth which will elevate all religions and remove their
reasons for disunuity. We teach that the character of revelation
is progressive, and that people continue to grow in love and wisdom
for eternity. God also grows in love and wisdom. God has been
searching for an object of His love who would reciprocate it to
Him. That is why He created us.
> and 3) what "proofs", etc.. does
> Sun Myung Moon provide or fulfill to show that he is the "Lord of
> the Second Advent"?
It is more up to each one to discover the value of Rev. Sun Myung
Moon as the "Lord of the Second Advent". As Jesus said to John,
"Go back and tell John what you see and hear, the blind see again,
and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the
dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the
poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me." (Matt 11:4-5)
One could argue from the historical parallels in the Divine Principle
that the Messiah was supposed to come 400 years after Luther, or
around 1517 + 400 = 1917, or when the historical periods had
concluded, around 1930. However, that is merely an indicator that
this is the time of the coming of the Lord. It does not indicate
that HE is the one above others, merely that he was born around
the right time. Read what he says, look at what he does, and pray
hard for God to answer your question. but I say, Rev. Sun Myung
Moon is the Messiah that we have long awaited, along with his wife
Hak Ja Han Moon who is his constant companion. The book of Zechariah
4:1-14 talks of TWO anointed ones (Christs) and Revelation 11:1-13
talks of two witnesses.
> I called the HSA-UWC publications and ordered a 1996 paperback
> version of the Divine Principle. She told me that there are different
> version coming out this year. Any info or details (different translations,
> commentaries, or just format)? I'm looking forward to reading it for
> myself. For your information, I have found so far that the Unification
> Church is a bona-fide religion deserving of my respect and support.
> There are many similar concepts between our religions.
There is a new translation which came out this year called "Exposition of
the Divine Principle". I believe that you bought a copy of that. The later
versions this year would be just different bindings of the same book,
whether paper, cloth or 3-ring binder lecture format, color coded and so
on.
> One thing interests me - the Baha'i Faith has been described as
> "liberal and progressive" while the Unification Church has been
> described as "ultraconservative", yet many of their goals are the
> same. Of course, Baha'is are forbidden to be involved in partisan
> politics and therefore are not "liberal" (outsiders term them that they).
We have no aversion to partisan politics if one side is clearly
more on the side of good than the other.
> Baha'is are concerned with civil rights (equality between different
> races), equality of the sexes (while still recognizing the biological
> and psychological differences between them - this is in more of
> economic terms and letting them become more involved in decision
> making procedures), the fundamental oneness of religions, etc... In
> addition they work to bring about the Most Great Peace (God's
> Kingdom on Earth). Any significant differences here between us
> (besides that Unificationists can become involved in partisan
> politics?)?
Unificationists are not interested in women becoming like men, but finding
their true role as women. You need to read some of the talks of Mrs. Moon
on the role of women. For example,
The Central Role of Women in the Ideal World
http://www.unification.net/hjh/hjh920823.html
> Also what is the everyday life of a Unificationist like? Are there
> differences between the lifestyle of a "core member" and a
> "House Church" member? I tried to contact the HSA-UWC in
> _______ (it was listed in the phone book) but all I got was a fax
> machine. What's up with the HSA-UWC in the U.S.?
Well, there used to be a difference, but not so much any more. Most
members are married and live in their own homes. The ones who used
to be called "core members" were those who lived in communal
missionary houses and worked full time for the church. Such people
still exist, but they are definitely in the minority, at least in
America. In Korea, we never had such a communal lifestyle in the
church. If you are looking for phone numbers of the churches
nationwide, try the following:
http://www.unification.net/misc/uc_directory.html
> Looking forward to hearing from you.
>
> Allah'u'Abha,
>
> Ali
God bless you too,
ITPN,
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 13 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Date: Sat, 10 Aug 1996 03:21:36 -0400
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Newsgroups: alt.journalism
Subject: Washington Times vs. Washington Post
This full page notice appeared in the Friday August 9, 1996 edition
of The Washington Times.
---
A word to our readers
Many of you have called or written to The Times to express your
dismay and anger over the stories in The Washington Post about the
convention, held last week in Washington, of the Family Federation
for World Peace.
The stories in The Post attempted to ridicule the conference, and
by falsely implying that the conference was connected to The Times,
attempted to ridicule the newspaper.
This conference attracted a wide diversity of speakers and
participants, including two former presidents of the United States,
a former prime minister of Great Britain and 36 one-time heads of
state or governments, university presidents, the president of the
Family Research Council, the executive director of the Christian
Coalition, the widow of Martin Luther King, and other scholars,
clergymen of all faiths, and prominent political figures of all
parties and ideologies. The sponsoring Family Federation was founded
by the Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon.
The participants met to encourage a reawakening of family values,
to move beyond the clichés to consider how to create a new ethic of
family values appropriate to the times, to reconcile the family
and the explosive information age in which the prevailing media
casts itself as neutral in the struggle between the forces of social
decay and morality.
Representatives of all faiths met in what former President Gerald
Ford 6iiied "a spiritual Olympics" to consider what Sir Edward
Heath, the former British prime minister, described as "the position
of the family in world affairs?" Many prominent speakers rallied
participants to work to uphold the traditional values of faith and
family as understood and practiced throughout the history of our
country by leaders of all the mainstream religious and civic
institutions.
Oscar Arias, the former president of Costa Rica, cited the family
as "the oldest institution in human history," and said that
"everything that threatens the dignity and integrity of the family
threatens society." Former President George Bush admonished the
participants to remember the words of his wife, Barbara, to a
college graduating class: "What happens in your house is more
important than what happens at the White House." Coretta Scott
King, the widow of Martin Luther King, called for "a new revolution
based on nonviolence."
Maureen Reagan, the daughter of former President Ronald Reagan,
described the central role of women in restoring the values of a
society adrift: "The woman is essential to society. Deny her value
and there's chaos."
Few Americans would argue with such sentiments. Nevertheless, the
stories in The Washington Post, which consistently mocks and
trivializes the beliefs of men and women of faith, imputed dark
and sinister motives not only to the organizers of the conference,
but to the participants as well, by implication, this newspaper.
Many of you have asked, what's going on?
Only those in charge at The Post can answer this. But the rest of
us are entitled to speculate. The owners and editors of The Post,
contemptuous as they have demonstrated they are of men and women
of faith (The Post recently described evangelical Christians as
"largely poor, uneducated, and easy to command"), are not likely
to have had a theological purpose for this remarkable coverage,
consisting of three lengthy stories over the span of merely one
week.
The target is clearly The Washington Times, which has been an
obstacle to suppressing dissent since it came on the scene in 1982.
In the early days of our existence, The Post printed many stories,
with not-so-subtle allusions to ancestry and race, about the
ambitions and motives of the men who organized The Times. Ben
Bradlee, then the executive editor of The Post, labored tirelessly
and tediously to foster the fiction that the nation's capital,
despite the presence of The Times, remained "a one- newspaper town?"
When he retired, still bent badly by his failure to eliminate the
obstacle to a long-sought monopoly, The Times had begun to thrive.
These curious assaults ceased.
Last week, we saw a reprise of this sordid campaign, with "news"
stories riddled with inaccuracies and slurs, inventions and invective.
Recent months have not been kind to The Post. The Post has lost
circulation over the past three years, years in which the circulation
of The Times has grown dramatically. Advertising lineage, the
lifeblood of newspapers, is down sharply at The Post, up sharply
at The Times. The Post has reported that its advertising lineage
is down 15 percent so far this year.
During this same period, The Washington Times has prospered as
never before in its history, scoring dramatic gains in circulation
and advertising, and becoming one of the most influential newspapers
in the world, with its exclusives quoted daily in the major world
capitals. Whitewater, Travelgate, the FBI files scandal, a flood
of disclosures of secret arms and technology deals throughout the
world -- all stories broken or developed by The Times. Business
Week magazine said it best: The Post is out, The Times is in.
We have done it, not with attempts to undermine the credibility
and stability of our rivals, but by aggressive reporting, lively
writing, and spirited and balanced presentation of the news,
buttressed by the owners' guarantee of unqualified editorial
independence, crucial to all great newspapers of the world. Commentary
is not disguised as news, but clearly labeled as commentary. Our
readers know from experience that the editor-in-chief is the sole
arbiter of the editorial content of the newspaper.
The Times is now available to readers throughout the world on the
Internet's World Wide Web, and the phenomenal growth of the National
Weekly Edition of The Washington Times will almost certainly enable
it to surpass the circulation of The Post's national weekly edition
sometime later this year. The cloud once no bigger than a man's
hand is now a thunderhead above the presses on Fifteenth Street
NW.
In the parlance of the young, "we bad." We're going to get badder,
and we're here to stay. Our readers and advertisers --- and our
colleagues at The Post --- can count on it.
WESLEY PRUDEN, Editor in Chief
GEOFFREY H. EDWARDS, Vice President, General Manager
---
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 15 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Aug 11, 1996 15:57
Subject: Re: MOONIE SECRET REVEALED!
Newsgroups: alt.religion.unification,talk.religion.misc,alt.religion.christian,alt.christnet.theology,alt.support.ex-cult
References: <4ugjqk$l4s@news.ingress.net> <320E177F.3745@sound.net> <320E1309.5255@execpc.com>
joey arthur wrote:
> It always made me wonder how the moonies had so much time to post
> the trash on the news groups, now it is clear. YOU POST THE COMPANY
> POLICY OR GO TO THE STREET CAMPS AND SELL FLOWERS TO THE HEATHENS!
> So they all use the generic name "Damian Anderson" and copy the
> moonie babble from the Memoirs of Sun Moon. When one of the poor
> souls is caught asleep at the keyboard--WHAM! slapped with a Korean
> trout and shipped off to the Russian front. Apparently there are
> plenty of former flower peddlers who are willing to play the robot
> on the internet rather than get dragged into a phony marriage or
> spend their life pushing roses so that Myung can maintain his
> sumo-like profile.
Believe it or not, all the posts from "Damian J. Anderson" come
from me, a person with that same name. It is not a pseudonym,
that's my name. And if you want to know how come I have time to do
what I do, I work hard. In my mind, that is a virtue, not a reason
for accusation. Nobody told me to do this, but I chose to do it as
it is in my powers and ability to do so, and I do it freely, with
no compulsion from any quarter. Sorry to break your illusion of
how members of our church are. I happen to be a professional with
3 Master's degrees, and work as a software engineer, and I'm the
father of 4 kids.
And check out my web page, you migh actually learn something.
Damian Anderson +1-301-921-0082 Home damian@unification.net DamianAndr@aol.com
Unification Home Page http://www.unification.net
Web pages on Unificationist ideas and activities in 15 languages and growing.
See articles on alt.religion.unification. Subscribe to mailing lists:
Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe world-scripture your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com
Send "subscribe unif-evangelism your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com