Responses to Questions on
Unificationism on the Internet - Volume 46
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 01:19:23 -0500 (EST)
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Subject: Blessing of 360 million couples
On Sat, 24 Jan 1998, Gunnard Z. Johnston wrote:
> What I REALLY want to know, though, is HOW are we going to Bless
> 360,000,000 couples this year ???
We need to reaffirm the basic traditions that True Parents have taught
us and what we learned at Chung Pyung. The things for Blessed families
to emphasize are:
(1) Daily fervent prayer individually and as a family to build a spiritual
foundation.
(2) Read Father's words daily as a family. Father asks us to do this
at 6 am daily. This is the new tradition of Hoon Dok Hae.
(3) Contribute to the new fund that Father established for the reunification
of Korea, an offering based on the number 12, per family member.
(4) Make regular tithes of time and money to providential work.
(5) Strict adherence to the traditions of 5 am Pledge on Sundays and
holidays, and Sunday church attendance.
(6) If you have not been to Chung Pyung Lake workshop to purify your
spirit and your body and your family, make arrangements as soon as
possible to go.
(7) Go out and give the Blessing.
Don't wait for your elders or leaders to tell you what to do, but based
on your prayer and spiritual foundation, do what your conscience moves
you to do without being told. If we all do that, then we will
accomplish the 360 million couples blessing even more easily than we
accomplished the 3.6 million and 36 million couples blessings last
year. This time last year, 3.6 million looked just as impossible as
360 million looks now, but it happened, based on God's hand in the
action of brothers and sisters worldwide, and based on the merit of
True Parents which now wants to harvest the fruit of the 40 year
indemnity course, and 6000 years of historical han.
The reunification of Korea is at hand. The president of South Korea has
received the holy wine, and the president of North Korea has allowed
True Parents to build a church in the North Korean capital of Pyung
Yang. Since both have made good conditions, the day must be close at
hand that God can unify Korea, and then the whole world, Heaven and
Earth, centered on True Parents. Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is
truly at hand, at the very gates.
ITPN,
--
Damian J. Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 1998 23:05:53 -0500 (EST)
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Subject: Re: your mail
On Sun, 8 Feb 1998, Dave Bazer wrote:
> I'm starting to think that life here in the big city is superficial. I
> long for a simpler more honest way of life. Are there ways of joining
> the Unification Church and living a rural more peaceful existance? Let
> me know of a contact by you...
>
> May the stars in the western sky guide us to peace...
> Dave
Hello Dave,
If you are looking for a quiet peaceful life, perhaps the Unification
Church is not the place for you. We are a very activist church committed
to creating God's Kingdom on the Earth and we are very much invloved in
the world, not retreating from it.
If you want to find a church, look at the directory listed on my web page
at:
http://www.unification.net/misc/uc_directory.html
Sincerely,
--
Damian J. Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 01:35:15 -0500
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Subject: Misleading generalizations about the Unification Church
George Nimmo wrote:
> Sadly there are many people in the world who have been badly hurt by the
> actions of some members of the unification movement. Think of all the
> distraught parents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children and
> friends of people who become involved in the movement. Such friends and
> relatives (and I am one such) have no respect for the movement because
> it has brought them nothing but pain.
>
> The unification movement has in her ranks some (note I only say some)
> members who have behaved appallingly. The Japanese members who treated
> the Fukuoka widow so disgracefully are one such example. It is very hard
> indeed for those who have already suffered to see anything other than
> their worst fears confirmed when this repulsive tale is explained.
George,
Even if the worst tales you describe are true, not that I know one way
or another, but what if you were to change the names and talk about the
Catholic Church? Would you say that because some Catholics at some time
did something bad, then the whole organization is bad? Of course that
is ludicrous. We consider the actions of the Spanish Inquisition evil
because they were part of the official policy of the church at the
time. Even then, the church reformed itself.
There are priests who are pedophiles. Does that mean that pedophilia is
the policy of the Catholic Church? No. If anything, they are trying to
erase it as it is costing them a lot in credibility and lawsuits, and
it is an evil in their midst. Likewise for the foolish actions of some
members of the Unification Church. Individuals are responsible for
their own behavior. Organizations are responsible only when the person
acts with the approval of the organization.
So, for you to suggest that because you have had some bad experiences
with individual members of the Unification Church, then the whole
church and everything that it stands for is bad, that is an
unreasonable extrapolation. And if you are concerned about the ills of
the church in Japan, surely you have better things to do with your
time. Take the beam out of your own eye, before taking the splinter out
of your brother's eye.
Sincerely,
--
Damian Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 11:19:04 -0500 (EST)
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Subject: Re: How soon was the kingdom supposed to come?
On Mon, 16 Feb 1998, Paul Greene wrote:
> When I joined (1978) I was given the impression that it was going to take
> just 5 years.
>
> But it's not surprising that people had a lot of differing opinions and
> were told different things when they joined. If someone thinks
> realistically about what it takes to change the centuries of habits that
> humankind has built up over time, it should seem natural that it's going to
> take a long time to get things back to where they're supposed to be.
>
> On the other hand, when someone just joins the UC and is all on fire to
> "save the world" and is newly inspired with DP, and a fresh sense of
> rebirth, it's not too hard to get the apocalyptic feeling that "the kingdom
> is imminent".
>
> It's not hard for me to understand why there were two streams of thought as
> to how soon the kingdom was going to come.
>
> Paul
On December 19, 1990, (http://www.unification.net/1990/901219.html) Father said:
You just don't know how the providence is progressing. Father
is doing things all by himself, so that many members who have
been following for years do not even know what he is doing.
History is going on and the world is becoming more and more
complex every day. Things are interchanging and intermingling
like a tangled web. Under those circumstances, only Father
knows how history is going and in what way it will end. He is
talking about the free world and the communist world and how
the two are intertwined.
Nobody really takes seriously the fact that the evil world will
come to an end and a good history will begin. Christian
ministers say, "Rev. Moon says that, but it is too
idealistic." But I want you to know that God has absolutely
determined that evil history will come to an end and good
history will begin.
While Father does not put a date on the coming of the Kingdom, he does
emphasize that the history of evil absolutely must end. In another
speech which I have not been able to locate, Father indicates that a
time will come when all of a sudden, the world will come into unity
centered on the True Parents of Heaven and Earth when the conditions
are right. It was in the 1990s but I cannot place it. Does anyone else
remember this speech?
In "The Age of Great Victory in the History of God's Providence", April
23, 1995, (http://www.unification.net/1995/950423.html) Father said:
Once we accomplish the reunification of North and South Korea,
the next stage is the reunification of the entire world, which
is easier because it is the battle between atheism and theism.
Atheism will be eliminated. The separation between the western
culture and the eastern culture will be neutralized. Based on
the different religions, there are many different cultures all
over the world, but gradually these kinds of differences will
be narrowed and unification will take place. That's why I am
even right now working on the reunification of North and South
Korea and the reunification of the countries in the Middle
East. Eventually I want to combine all these different
religions. That's why I established the Religious Federation
for World Peace and the Federation for World Peace. These two
organizations represent unifying the mind and body, centering
on parents.
In the same speech, Father emphasized also that the unification of
North and South America will also help in the unification of Europe
and then the whole world.
For years, Father said communism would end and few believed him. Now he
is saying that the conflict between eastern and western society will
end and the world will be unified. I believe him.
ITPN,
--
Damian J. Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net
On Tue, 24 Feb 1998, joyce m alim wrote:
> Where was this search conducted and where did he look when supposedly he
> was in heaven all along?
>
> On Mon, 23 Feb 1998, Damian J. Anderson wrote:
>
> >
> > Blessing and Ideal Family
> > by Reverend Sun Myung Moon
> >
> > Chapter Three
> > Part 2
> >
> > REBIRTH AND THE ORIGIN OF THE BLESSING
> >
> > 2. REBIRTH THROUGH JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
> >
> > Jesus Christ is the one person for whom God searched 4,000 years and then
> > sent to this earth. This Jesus is the new ancestor of goodness and as the
> > True Parent he is working hard continually in order that we who once died
> > might be reborn.
Jesus was not in Heaven all along. God sought to raise up one man who
could fulfill God's ideal of a man and it took 4000 years by Biblical
reckoning to do that, more if you consider that mankind is probably
millions of years old. Jesus, who was born 2000 years ago, finally
fulfilled that ideal which God had kept close to His heart since the
creation of mankind. It was not the man Jesus who was with God since
the creation, but the ideal of a man such as him. More than that, God
wants every man to become like Jesus. Likewise, we need a model of a
woman whom women can aspire to emulate. The man and woman who first
fulfill God's ideal as a man and a woman and as a couple are called the
True Parents in Unification Theology.
Sincerely,
--
Damian J. Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 12:33:30 -0500 (EST)
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Subject: Re: France 'secte' site: freedom or false witness
On Fri, 27 Feb 1998, Gunnard Z. Johnston wrote:
> >> .....so the next quetion is, are spiritual laws in effect here or is it
> >> a 'purely political' activity that is occurring?
> >
> >If it's purely political, all the more reason to honor the principle of free
> >speech. I don't know what the French equivalent of the first amendment is, but
> >once you start saying "no internet discussion groups for guys I disagree with"
> >you're setting yourself up to be silenced.
> >
> >Dan F
> It's not that I disagree with these folks' VIEWS that I voted "non", it's
> because the creation of such a newsgroup would establish a precedent of
> establishing newsgroups who arbitrarily deny the freedom of speech of
> others, the VERY THING you say you are so against !!!
> Gunnard Johnston
Gunnard, Dan,
The creation and deletion of newsgroups happens every day, and anyone
can create one if he knows the commands. The only difference with this
group is WHERE it is in the Internet hierarchy. Anyone, any time can
create a newsgroup in the "alt.*" hierarchy. However, to create
newsgroups in other hierarchies requires a vote. It does not really
matter whether someone creates a newsgroup anyway, since you still have
to persuade providers to carry it. Alt.religion.unification exists
worldwide, since I created it about 3 years ago. No vote was required.
I did it because I perceived a need. Someone else could create
alt.religion.anti-cult today, and you would have no say.
To cut a long story short, this whole discussion is pointless. The only
difference between a group in "alt.*" and "fr.*" or anywhere else is
the perceived prestige of the name, nothing more.
Sincerely,
ITPN,
--
Damian J. Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 17:00:53 -0500
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Subject: Re: WOGW: Sermons
Yes, he has had a very hard life. He was imprisoned and tortured in both
Japan and Korea in his early life. You can find more about his life at:
http://www.unification.net/fcolf/
Regards,
Damian
On Tue, 3 Mar 1998, joyce m alim wrote:
> Did Rev. Moon have a hard life or does he have a hard life.
> On Fri, 27 Feb 1998, Damian J. Anderson wrote:
> > THE WAY OF GOD'S WILL
> > Rev. Sun Myung Moon
> >
> > ON FAITH
> >
> > V. Sermons
> >
> > True sermons are words from a life that has been full of blood, tears
> > and sweat.
--
Damian J. Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 09:58:35 -0500 (EST)
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Subject: Re: the unification church information
On Tue, 24 Mar 1998, Lauren wrote:
> Dear Mr. Anderson,
> Hello, my name is Lauren, and I am a sophmore at Los Altos High School
> in CA. I am doing a research paper on so-called "cults" for my english
> class, and recently read a book about an ex-member of the Unification
> Church. Of course, he does not have a high opinion of the church.
> However, I realize that this is only one side to the story, and I was
> wondering if you or another member of the church would be willing to
> answer some questions about your religion, why you decided to join the
> church, etc. I am not trying to undermine your religion in any way. I
> merely want a different perspective than the negative one I got from
> reading that book. If you would be so kind as to allow me to ask you
> questions, please let me know.
>
> Thank you very much
>
> Lauren
Hello Lauren,
Yes, I would be happy to answer your questions.
Sincerely,
Damian Anderson
--
Damian J. Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 10:11:22 -0500 (EST)
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Subject: The Unification Church
On Tue, 24 Mar 1998, Lauren wrote:
> Dear Mr. Anderson,
> After reading your resume, I am not so sure you are a member of the
> Unification church. If not, I am sorry for the interruption.
>
> Lauren
Dear Lauren,
I have been a member of the Unification Church since 1977. Why would my
resume suggest that I am not a member? Does it break your stereotypical
view of what a Unification Church member is? That resume is for the
purpose of obtaining work in the computer industry and does not reflect
my church experience, except the time at the Unification Theological
Seminary. Also, I am the author of the Unification Home Page which is the
largest archives of Rev. Sun Myung Moon's teachings on the Internet.
The typical member of the Unification Church is married, has a job and
a family, and tithes times and money to the church in addition to those
other responsibilities. Many have recently gone overseas to foreign
missions, four families to each nation of the 185 represented in the
United Nations. The four families include representatives from Korea,
Japan, America and Germany, all former enemy nations. Rev. Moon teaches
that if we can show an example of love and service among former
enemies, then we can heal the world. In addition to this, we must
promote the vision and ideal of the true family, blessed by God.
You will no doubt have received such a different view of the church from
its critics, that you would hardly think we were talking about the same
group of people.
If you are still interested in asking questions, go ahead.
Sincerely,
--
Damian J. Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 13:35:46 -0500
From: "Damian J. Anderson"
Subject: The Unification Church
Dear Lauren,
My responses follow:
Lauren wrote:
> Dear Mr. Anderson,
> Well, I've finally gotten my act together and come up with a few
> interview questions. Please understand that I know perfectly well that
> I'm not an expert on the UC, and I apologize if any of my questions are
> stereotypical. It's your job to tell me the truth! But before I write
> the questions down, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your
> previous letter.
>
> You wrote:
> >
> >The typical member of the Unification Church is married, has a job and
> >a family, and tithes times and money to the church in addition to
> >those other responsibilities.
>
> In the book I read, a man joined the UC in Berkely, and lived in a
> communal type arrangement with many other people. He was encouraged to
> drop out of Berkely to travel around the US raising money for the UC,
> also. He sold flowers and candles and lived in a van. Is this
> uncommon? Or is this only common to certain parts of the church,
> depending on the area and group?
This was common in America in the 1960s and 1970s but is not the case
any more. It was never the case in other countries such as Korea where
the church began. The fundraising and witnessing experiences that
people had in the church in the early years in America were a training
experience. Those who did that then became experienced in later
outreach efforts that we have conducted.
> When you say the typical member
> tithes time and money to the church, what kind of work and how much
> money? (if this is personal, you don't have to answer, I'm just trying
> to get as much info. as possible)
A typical member has a job, and may work on outreach campaigns, and
give 10 per cent of his salary to the church as a tithe. Church work is
not usually paid. It is voluntary. Very few people have paid
positions, such as pastors and clerical staff.
> Also, is it true that you are
> encouraged to cut ties with family members outside of the Church?
This is not true. We are encouraged on the contrary to reach out to our
family members in love. However, many young adult members went out on
mission work around the world, not always with the approval of their
families, so this has caused tension. Also, Rev. Moon teaches that we
must love God more than we love our families, or else we cannot come to
belong fully to God. Many people find that they need distance from
their families for a time in order to work out their own path of faith
independently.
> Also, are you married and do you have kids? Are all your family
> members part of the UC?
I have a wife and four children. We were married in the Unification
Church. My parents, and siblings are not church members, nor are my
in-laws, except one sister in law and her husband
> > Korea,
> >Japan, America and Germany, all former enemy nations.
>
> By "former enemy nations", do you mean that Korea, Japan, America, and
> Germany were enemies as nations, or that these countries were
> considered enemies to the UC.
They were enemies to one another in that they fought one another in
wars in this century. Japan was a brutal colonial oppressor of Korea
from 1905 to 1945. America fought Germany in World War I, and Japan and
Germany in World War II.
> > we must
> >promote the vision and ideal of the true family, blessed by God.
>
> What are the visions and ideals of the True Family?
That is a question requiring an extensive answer. I suggest you read
some of my material on the web for that. One book which describes it in
great detail is:
Blessing and Ideal Family
http://www.unification.net/bif/
Introductory materials include:
Healing the World
http://www.unification.net/misc/healing.html
Building a World of True Love
http://www.unification.net/misc/building.html
> Okay, here come the interview questions:
>
> When did you join the UC.
I joined the Unification Church in August 1977 in Paris, France.
> How did you find it (through recruiting members, etc.)?
Someone was selling magazines outside a Catholic Church that I was
attending in Paris. I was interested in what the magazine was saying
and asked her if I could learn more about it. As a result, the same day
I attended a Unification Church in Paris, and began learning what the
church teaches. Within three weeks, I became a member.
> What aspects of your religion do you like the most?
I like the strong emphasis on the sanctity of marriage and the family.
Also, the church teaches that we may overcome sin in our lifetime and
build the Kingdom of God through the coming of the Messiah and the
building true families with God's love at their center. We also teach
that God is a being of great compassion who suffers as a result of
human suffering. However, it is the responsibility of humanity to end
that suffering, so we must work in cooperation with God to end human
suffering, and so end God's suffering too.
You will find a very clear expression of our goals in:
The Family Pledge
http://www.unification.net/misc/fampledge.html
> Have you ever disagreed with any part of the church doctrine?
I believe that what Rev. Moon teaches comes from God, so I am not in a
position to agree or disagree with God. However, I have not yet fulfilled
all that is required of me as a faithful son to God, since the Kingdom
of God is not yet a present reality.
> If so, are you allowed to voice your opinion?
Of course I can say what I want, but then I have to deal with the
consequences of my actions, as in any human relationship.
> Does the UC ask you for money/labor? I understand this answer is yes,
> and if so, what do you do and is there a required giving amount?
The standard of a faithful member is to give 10 per cent of his income
to the church. Some give more, some give less. This is a
long-established tradition in many churches and dates all the way back
to Jacob in the Old Testament. Many times we are asked to work on
outreach campaigns, such as one right now in which Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon
is conducting a nationwide speaking tour. In this case, members have
been asked to invite guests to the event to that people can hear what
she has to say.
> Are you required to sell things for the church?
No. Some people do this however, if they find that this helps them in
their ability to give more to the church than they otherwise could from
having a low income. I do not have the problem of a low income, being
a highly paid professional in the computer industry.
> Do you believe that Rev. Moon is the Messiah?
Yes. That answer may need some qualification however, in that we see
the mission of the Messiah to do what Adam and Jesus left undone, which
was the creation of the Kingdom of God, involving the attainment of the
three great blessings given to Adam in Genesis 1:28. They were:
- Achieving maturity and perfection of love (be fruitful),
- Build a family based on the perfection of love and give birth to
children (multiply),
- Take ownership and stewardship of God's creation (have dominion
over the creation.)
The person who first fulfills that mission and teaches other to do that
is fulfilling the mission of the Messiah. The couple who form that
Godly family are fulfilling the role of True Parents, and their family
fulfills the role of the True Family. This is the cornerstone of the
Messianic mission.
Since it had not been done up until now, Jesus appeared to Rev. Moon
asking him to complete what he had left undone. Rev. Moon in turn asks
us to fulfill the same things in our lives and to teach others to do
that, so that we also inherit the mission of the Messiah. So, each of
us who is doing the work of God is taking on the mission of the Messiah
in the way in which we are capable, to end human suffering and God's
suffering and to build the world of God's ideal. So, I also am a
messiah for my family and extended family. This is described in detail
in the book:
Tribal Messiah
http://www.unification.net/trmes/
> If you ever wanted to leave, do you feel free to do so?
Completely. I am not constrained by anything other than loyalty to God
and my God-given calling.
> What are your views on the world outside of the church?
That would take a book to explain adequately. But briefly, I believe
that God prepared America for a special mission in the world. God
advanced the way of science in the Western world and advanced the way
of religion in the Eastern world. When they can come together and work
for the purpose of building a peaceful world, based on one world family
under God, then we can see Heaven on Earth. But right now, we are
engaged in a moral and spiritual war against the forces of evil,
determined to destroy the family through the promotion of violence and
sex in movies, magazines, books, and art, through the promotion of
promiscuous sex, homosexuality, moral relativism, selfish hedonistic
individualism at the expense of the sacred God-given institutions of
marriage and family and love of God and the world. However, I believe
firmly that God will be victorious in the end, and we will see a
collapse of the hedonistic profane culture that dominates our society,
and the emergence of a culture that promotes the Godly virtues, that
will then go on to create a peaceful and prosperous world. The
twenty-first century will be very different from the twentieth century,
and will usher in the one world of Godly culture.
> How do your views differ from traditional Judeo-Christian views? What are
> these beliefs?
The main points of difference begin with a belief that God had a plan
to create heaven on Earth from the outset, and that he intended to
fulfill this through Jesus' life, not his death on the cross. Since
this was not fulfilled, it must be fulfilled at the return of Christ.
Since Christ must form a family, then he must come as a man among us,
and not on the clouds as many Christians believe. We also teach that
the fall of man in the dawn of history was caused by sexual sin, in
which Eve was seduced by an angel, and then in turn had a sexual
relationship with her spouse-to-be without the Blessing of God. So the
whole of human history and the birth of all human beings has been in
the lineage of Satan and not in the lineage of God. For this reason,
Jesus taught that we must be born again.
All humanity must receive the Blessing of God on their families so that
they can enter the Kingdom of God You will see our next major
celebration of family in Blessing 98 in which we hope to see 120
million couples worldwide rededicate their families to the goals and
ideals of the Blessed Family that Rev. Moon has taught about for many
years.
> Thank you for responding to these questions. If you have any other
> things that you would like to tell me, please do so. My deadline for
> this interview is Friday, April 3. Earlier is great, but if you can't
> respond in time, I would rather have a late response than none at all.
> Thanks again!
>
> Lauren
I hope this has helped.
Sincerely,
Damian Anderson
--
Damian J. Anderson damian@unification.net http://www.unification.net