Sun Myung Moon
May 21, 1977
At a meeting or service like this, the
person who makes the effort to arrive first and sit at the front is the most
prepared to receive some blessing. I want to ask all of you who just arrived
with the IOWCs from different parts of the country about what kind of feeling
you had when you came to New York. Were you excited, or did you feel it was
just another change? You were excited about coming to New York to see all the
skyscrapers and sights in this famous city, right?
I am not much to look at and I am so busy
that I do not have a second to spare, but even so, you wanted to see me. I just
finished a meeting with the European leaders and they all were anxious to know
when I was coming to Europe. I had to tell them that such a trip was not in
sight yet. I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you are excited to come
to New York because you want to see me, but I am also sorry that I cannot spend
the time with you that you desire. I arrived at East Garden at 3:30 this
morning and then got up at 5 o'clock. You too will get busier and have a tough
schedule. Do you mind?
Men normally have a very adventurous
character and like to go out to catch something, like animals and birds, right?
How about the women? Men and women certainly have different characteristics.
Would it be better for us to follow the men or women's direction? I tend to
agree with the men that we had better follow the men's direction because men
are basically born with an out-going, aggressive nature.
The characteristics of men and women are
very obvious when they have extra time; men are always going out to find some
adventure while women sit down to do needlework or draw pictures or work in the
kitchen. What would have happened to this world if there had been no men but
only women pioneering human civilization? If there were only women to advance
human civilization, we might still be living in a primitive age. Do you women
agree? It is women's nature to disagree and answer no, even though inside they
know it is true.
All things considered, what are women
really good for? Who designed your clothes, women or men? Answer me honestly,
who runs faster, men or women? Who designed the watches and created the
eyeglasses and made the beautiful rings that you women wear? You women are sitting
idle and trying to exploit men, aren't you? Do women at least show gratitude
and humbly accept whatever is given to them, or are they always trying to take
advantage, taking more whenever they are given something? What is a good woman?
What is a good man?
God has been watching the movement of
history, knowing very well the nature of women. He has been thinking that
before the end of the world women's true honor needs to be restored, that women
should become people who can live for a good purpose instead of being a
degraded group. He is also drinking that He will give them a hard time and have
them pay indemnity for all the things that women have done in history. If God
is really watching history, do you think He would have such thoughts?
If I were in God's position, I would have
thought about it. Is it a reasonable idea? There will certainly be a time for
the complete renewal of this fallen world and God is thinking about how to use
women as the champions who can really give their blood, sweat and tears, letting
them elevate their old situation before the new world begins.
Do you want to become men and women of
God? Putting yourself in that position, would you also think that this is the
time for women to really play a major role, to repent and indemnify the lives
of women in the past? Did you ever think about things in this way before? Women
must be revolutionized for the sake of God and the sake of the New Age. Is
there anyone here who disagrees? Do you women want to get married simply to be
loved and to be given lots of gifts?
Let me ask you another question. If God
really loved you, would He tell you to take it easy and sleep late and not
bother about doing any hard work? Or would God say, "Because I love you
I'm going to put you to work so that for the first time in history true women
may be seen. By working with all your heart and soul I want you to become women
that history will be proud of in the future." Which way truly expresses
the love of God? I am convinced that you know the right answer. I've given you
women a hard time this morning, but don't worry, we'll give the men a hard time
too.
Who in history has committed more
atrocities? Who killed more people in history, men or women? Acts of war and
the most horrible crimes have been committed primarily by men. Are you men
proud of this? Have men been good material or bad material? If you think men
are basically bad material then do you think God should treat them harshly or
leniently? When God starts to push you hard, will you welcome it without hesitation
or will you be rebellious? In examining history, we see that man has been a
rebellious animal, always complaining when God asks him to do something.
Are you good men or evil rascals? I heard
your answer. If you are evil rascals, should God treat you as decent gentlemen?
Suppose a tiger got loose in New York one day and ate one man. The police would
be mobilized and the event would be big news. Is it a good thing for tigers to
eat men? It is not good at all, but every day in broad daylight in New York how
many men kill other men? Is that worse than a tiger killing a man? The tiger
might eat the man for food, but a man doesn't have to kill another man. In
light of this, are you men superior or inferior to a tiger?
Men sometimes do things that are even worse
than the acts of animals. How would you treat that particular tiger if you
caught it? Would you praise it and give it food or would you punish it? If you
were captured and punished like the tiger, would you rebel at your treatment or
would you be resentful? Repentance makes sense to us, but what about the rest
of the world? There aren't many signs of repentance to be seen.
Is God willing to tackle the vast work
needed to tame evil men and change them into champions for His cause? If God
roughs you up, would you protest that He can't do that in America? When God
sees someone who can tame evil man and make him a champion for the cause of
good, would He worry about what method was used? Would God worry about whether
the work was too hard? If God knows that men and women have been evil
throughout history then He would certainly want to see to it that men and women
restored their lost honor and became committed to the side of good before He
began the task of rebuilding the old world into His new Kingdom.
Would God Himself do the work on earth or
would He summon men and women to do it? If that is the case, would you like to
be hand-picked by God when He needs a champion, or would you want to avoid that
role? You want to become God's champion, right? Who would become the leader of
a group of such people? If you were God would you choose someone who could only
complain or someone who was obedient and only wanted to fulfill God's will? You
say you want to become a leader. Have you already passed that test, or are you
still considering whether to go that route? Are you still mulling over the
question or are you going straight to the goal? Your answer doesn't sound
confident because it comes from your lips, not from your heart.
I am not just trying to entertain you; I have
a reason to say these things this morning because I want to hit a target. The
bullets I am shooting are God's words and my target is your heart. When I ask
you whether you really want to become men who pass the test of God, your answer
should show the confidence in your heart. That is a decision being made by
everyone. American young people do not think in this fashion.
God sees degrees of commitment among you.
God is sincerely trying to advance peace among man, longing for the realization
of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Will He make such efforts just to see all of
you pass only the third degree? Nothing comes easy in this world, particularly
the most excellent performance.
Suppose one of you gets very tired and
loses his will to go on but then is dragged by force and pushed so hard that he
cannot help but bring the Kingdom. Will that person be grateful later or not?
After that person enters the Kingdom the club he thought was so cruel will look
more precious than gold because that was what made him find God's world. From
that point of view will you welcome a beating from such a club? You answer yes
because you know that without such discipline you might never find that
blessing. There are two kinds of whipping. When a whipping is given for the
sake of someone's eternal life, it is a good whipping. American young people do
not understand this concept. They confuse it with another type of whipping,
which is given to satisfy one's own greediness. That is evil.
Is murder a sin or not? What about capital
punishment? When a criminal is executed for his crimes under the law, no one is
doing it for their personal benefit, but for the safety and security of all. If
any person is seeking revenge for his personal reasons, however, falsely
accusing someone in order that he be executed, then the person who actually
needs to be punished is the accuser, not the prisoner.
You must know clearly the definition of
good and evil. The outward action is not evil in itself; the motivation behind
it is the source of good or evil. This is a serious matter to consider. If God
felt that 1/2 of mankind had to be eliminated in order to save the other 2/3,
do you think He should do it or not? God is ready to do that if necessary.
Unless you completely understand this then the world will be confusing and you
will have no clear direction. The side of good always perseveres in hope,
trying to benefit mankind. The side of evil has no such characteristic. As soon
as evil people feel vulnerable or abused they strike out, regardless of who is
right.
Is God a good God or an evil God? Is Satan good or evil? Do you know the criterion for deciding whether God is good and Satan is evil?
You must think that you can persevere for the sake of good,
being patient and sometimes suppressing your anger, moving on with hope, not
despair. The reason for such perseverance is the need of the world and God for
your assistance. God is persevering and patient, not for His own sake, but for
the very enemy who harbors animosity toward Him.
Everyone in the universe has parents,
right? Were your parents good or evil? Many American young people say they
don't know and don't care one way or the other but that is not good. Do you
have a good mother and good father? Many of you didn't answer because you are
doubtful. There is much divorce in American society, but whose side does God
take? God will ask the husband and wife whether they considered the possibility
of getting a divorce before they committed themselves to marriage, and in order
to receive His sympathy their answer must be no. The partner who takes the
initiative in seeking separation is the person who is guilty of wrongdoing in
front of their children.
If
it is the mother who caused the separation then her child can even protest to
her and comfort his father by saying, "My mother does not deserve to be a
member of this family. As your son I want you to be happy. I will bring you
happiness, even if I must find and serve a new mother."
That
kind of young man would not be unhappy with having a new mother. Having a clear
sense of justice, he would be serving his father by bringing him a new wife to
make him happy again, knowing that he is a good man.
How
many American young people think in that fashion?
Most
of them could care less, thinking that if their parents want to separate that
it is their business. They aren't interested in calling their new stepparent
"father" or "mother."
Marriage
in America is like a business contract signed by two people and broken whenever
they feel like it. America's family life is absolutely miserable because
divorce is so prevalent and so casual.
The
Unification Church is going to be a different kind of movement. By having a
clear sense of judgment we can reconstruct American family life and create a
healthy, harmonious society. We will create permanent homes in our society.
Selfishness and unselfishness determine the value of everything and even in
family squabbles and divorces, the person who acts out of unselfishness and for
the sake of the children and the community is a good person.
Unless
we practice this clear principle, there is no way to reconstruct American
society.
In every comer of life, selfishness is your worst enemy.
You can evaluate your own home life from this standpoint. If
one of your parents was selfish or greedy, you felt disgust and your children
will be the same. This message is painful for those who cannot accept or live
this principle and I understand very well that they will oppose us. Will you
then support me or join the negative people who are opposing me out of
selfishness? Even if I chase you out, would you still come and support me? The
only reason for you to come is that I scold you and chase you out, not for your
own benefit, but for the benefit of all.
All through the past, present and future
anyone who has pursued this goal has also gone this drastic way. The parent who
tries to be patient and persevere through difficulty with his partner, hoping
until the very end for a reconciliation, is a good person. That person's future
will never be completely blocked. A selfish person may seem to be living a very
wise and clever way of life, but this life will eventually hit a stone wall.
Parents and children may not get along too
well sometimes, but the important thing is which side is closer to God's
principle. In individualistic America, many parents only think of themselves as
instruments for giving birth to children, nothing more. They go their own way
and let the children go theirs.
On
the other hand, there are children who regard their parents with contempt for
their lack of education or low station in life. Those sons and daughters may be
convinced that there is nothing to be learned from such insignificant, ignorant
people, regardless of the fact that they are their mother and father. Those
proud, boastful children will reject their parents, denying that they have any
responsibility to them.
Would you still become a pious, loyal son,
regardless of your parents' situation, or would you be boastful? Would you
still respect your own parents even if you became a professor at a famous
university?
Even
if there were not much to learn from listening to them, would you still pay
respect to your parents? Why?
Their
unselfish motivation is the reason you should respect them, the fact that they tell you certain things for your sake and not for
their own benefit or ego. One principle always operates in this universe, which
is that your motivation is the actual measure of the value of your actions.
True parental love is always given for the
sake of the child. Because it is not measured by money or by honor, parental
love does not tarnish or change. Even if you have knowledge that can change the
world, if you utilize it for you own benefit, you are no more than Satan is.
What can we consider precious, the vast knowledge of professors or the
unchanging, sacrificial love of parents? There is no comparison between the
two. American young people must know where true value lies.
I have the mission of grabbing the wild,
untamed young people of America, disciplining them, and revolutionizing the
life of American homes. I want you to become mothers and fathers who are
dedicated and sacrificial, who are not boastful about their own deeds but who
give totally. Your heart will resemble the heart of God when you steadily try
to serve the well being of your family every day, without change. That giving
and serving is equivalent to the actions of God. Then you possess true
authority, more than anyone who is trying to command everyone else.
If you can be totally unselfish then you
can offer certain advice sometimes, even to your father and mother. If you are
lovingly living that principle then your deeds will be noble and justified.
Even in that case, however, no son can compete with the degree of intensity of his
parent's true love; if you blindly serve and respect your parents, you still
feel no complaint because the intensity of parents' love and children's love
has no comparison. Parental love is far greater and more intense. We must make
this boundary absolutely clear.
This boundary line of truth is straight,
not crooked, extending from the individual all over the world. Can you clearly
see it or not? The significance of its straightness is that no one can
challenge it; that straightness is unselfishness. In living that principle you
can be patient and persevere and do your absolute best for the sake of others.
I am closely watching the many blessed
couples in our church. The couple, which assumes that the church should support
them is one kind, while the husband and wife who want to not only support
themselves and not be indebted to the church, but also even want, the church to
be indebted to them is another kind of couple.
No
matter how early you were blessed, if you are trying to use the members and the
church for your own benefit, you are no good. That is exactly how I think about
myself. There is no exception to this; that is the way of goodness.
I am fully aware that America has come
against me, thinking that I am a dangerous person who should be thrown out of
America, but I will change America's young people, and discipline them and give
them a hard time, all for the sake of America and for the sake of those who are
trying to destroy me. I want to make absolutely clear the truth that America
does not exist for the sake of the Unification Church and that we will not
exploit America.
The Unification Church is only an
instrument to bring this nation to God; America and the world come first. You
must never act by thinking only of what is beneficial for the Unification Church.
I never think like that. I will only support what will benefit America and the
world, whatever the penalty or sacrifice may be. If Satan puts up a roadblock
then I will penetrate it.
I ask you to come this way also. If you
hesitate to go this way then I will even spank you. By knowing my motivation
you will know whether that is a good or evil act. Even with a handful of people
like you I will confront the opposition and penetrate all the way to the final
goal.
When you look from the point of view of truth,
you realize how much ugliness there is outside. Is the motivation of our
opponents unselfish or selfish? On the other hand, is what I am trying to
achieve selfish or unselfish? That is the standard, which determines good and
evil. Our opposition is waging a war to destroy the Unification Church, but I
will never bend. They fabricate all kinds of allegations, but still we are
patient. We have profound truth to testify about and yet still we take beating
after beating.
Which side is pursuing a good cause? Do
you have confidence that you are pursuing a good cause or aren't you sure?
Because we are pursuing an unselfish cause, we are on the side of absolute
goodness. That is why God respects you, why He is with you. Furthermore, the
good people of the past and future will bow down before the strength of your
conviction; you are not pursuing this good cause with popularity and fame but
in the face of impossible misunderstanding. Because we persevere under those conditions,
our efforts have value. If we are totally on the side of God then the selfish
world will fall into chaos and the time will come for the harvest. You must
have that kind of confidence. We are men of justice who are not to be deterred
by events around us.
You did not have too much power or authority
in the past because your goals were not clear or were founded on incomplete
truth. But as soon as you clearly saw the truth in your heart you felt the
power to pursue this life. Truth is power; knowledge is power. Americans are
proud people who think they are first-class citizens, being very civilized and
very dedicated to justice, even sometimes giving up their lives to save others.
Are you really proud Americans? The most important thing is whether you are
really proud to be a member of the Unification Church, even though you are
persecuted. Are you here because you have no other choice? You are a coward if
you take cover every day.
If I were a coward, I would not have ever
challenged America. Instead, I stood up in the name of God and now I cannot tum
around. That is the way I have walked for thirty years, but I am never
defeated, even by fatigue. The people who adamantly opposed me twenty and
thirty years ago now bow down to me. Some years ago the Japanese media
publicized me as the worst rascal under the sun, but now the Japanese are
realizing that Asia needs my philosophy and conviction. Now the same situation
is happening in America, with impossible things being said about me. Our
opponents thought that I would easily be gotten rid of, but instead they have
found that I am getting stronger and that this movement is getting stronger and
that this movement is getting bigger. They see that I have a fearless attitude
and that the time will eventually come when even this country will change.
Would God feel excited to see such an
iron-willed man marching on or not? Would God tell me to relax and take it
easy, or would He say, "My son, go on. I am behind you 100% every
day"? What do you think God wants from me? How would He feel if I asked
for a vacation, even after thirty years? Instead, I tell God to take a
vacation.
What kind of teacher would you like to
have, the first type of person or the second type? How could you claim to love
me if you are trying to push me to work harder and receive greater suffering?
You have to answer, "This world needs you in order to be transformed into
goodness. Only you can liquidate all the evil. I absolutely support you. Please
be patient and go on, even though it is difficult." That is true respect.
If every year one out of a hundred people
dies, every year 40 million people are passing to spirit world and in most cases,
they are going into hell. It is love and respect to ask me to go on because you
know we can bring them to heaven. When you say that then I will bow down and
listen to you. If you are thinking of everything from God's point of view then
I can say that I love you. Such sons and daughters can rightfully inherit the
Kingdom.
That is exactly my position with God. I
say the same thing; "God, 40 million people every year end up in the
dungeons of hell. We must save them. I need your spirit and power in order to
do the job." God will not only listen but will always support such a
prayer; the man who walks in that spirit is a man of justice. His goal is clear
and noble; it is not even America's goal or one country's goal, but the goal of
the world, spirit world and God. The man of justice rises up for the liberation
of God.
We come to the conclusion that men of
justice are assembled in this room and in the Unification Church. This movement
is truly trying to do justice for God.
Why am I so busy every day? There is no
area I do not touch or become involved in. I go out to sea, set up factories
and businesses create newspapers and buy real estate, not just in New York but
also all over the world. There is absolutely nothing that I do not touch.
Sometimes even our members and leaders are confused about which project is top
priority. When we go to sea, we are fishermen and in the mountains we are
hunters. We are workers at our factories and journalists at our newspaper. What
is the central point?
Do I work this hard because I eat 100
meals a day? I haven't even had breakfast this morning. There is no one who
worries about money more than I do. If the whole American defense budget were given
to me I would still worry about money. Do I work this hard to get my food or
car or house? Am I working for my wife or children? For honor or fame? You
young people already give me much respect and love so what else could I be
doing all this for? I could discipline and run this organization to be more
powerful than even the most evil kind of organization like the Mafia, but I am
standing on the side of God, trying desperately every day to accomplish
something.
Are you lucky to be here because you do
not have to worry about having a place to sleep or about having some work? Why
are you lucky to meet me? I push you to go out to witness, fund raise and sell
the newspaper early in the morning. You are sometimes so busy working from
morning to night that you have not even a moment to relax over a meal, having
to eat standing up.
People will say that you are crazy, but
you are never crazy in the sight of God. Sometimes I wish that you were so busy
for the work of God that you even had no time to go to the bathroom. Become a
person who has no shame before God. Yesterday I saw a beggar pick up a rotten
apple, clean it and put it in his pocket. I thought, "I wish that beggar
could be a Unification Church member for the purpose of God." I am looking
for the man or woman who, even though he may have ample bread at home, so
strongly feels the urgency of God's work that he merely picks up a rotten apple
in the road and eats it and continues on. That person Would do that not because
he is in need, but because he is so dedicated to the work of God that he didn't
want to spare even one minute for himself. We need that kind of spirit to
accomplish the will of God. The saints in heaven, all good men and women,
Mother and I, and even God will bow down to that person.
I know very well that this is the way of
life of the saints and holy men. Would you be self-conscious and worry about
your own dignity and honor, or would you forget all those things and be crazy
about your mission? The more of a beggar you become the more you will be
reduced until you have nothing. Why would you want to pursue this way of life?
That is the life that God lives and that is the only way you can bring
restoration to mankind. It is the one way of life that does not perish but
remains eternally. The Kingdom of God is built in that humble fashion.
Yesterday I went to Barrytown to train the
seminarians in making nets. I found that buying the necessary materials in the
New York area would have cost thousands of dollars. I was looking for a way to
save God's money so I went all the way to New Haven, Connecticut, where I found
the right kind of surplus store and bought everything for only a few hundred
dollars. I was dressed very humbly and no one in the store knew who I was, yet
they sensed something different about me. When the Lincoln limousine pulled up
front to load in the materials the owners of the store were completely
flabbergasted! They stood in the door like robots as we drove away. Then they
realized that I was Reverend Moon.
Later at Barrytown everyone went through
intense training in making nets. I was teaching them until 1:30 in the morning,
but even then I didn't tell them to go to bed or just give them instructions
and leave. Then everyone realized I was going to speak to you at 6 a.m. so they
said, "Father, we will take care of this. We know how to do it now so you
go ahead and talk to the members in New York."
Why didn't the seminarians complain about
working all night? They knew that I was working harder than anyone else. I am
teaching you a hard way of life but that's really the good way. Only the
pursuit of a good purpose can produce people who don't complain about hard
work. As long as you feel you can go one step ahead of me and that you shall do
more than I do, the Unification Church will be a church of resurrection at the
place of death; we must climb down to the place of death in order to get our
glorious resurrection.
American people are clever people and I
know you understand what I am saying to you. The young people of America
outside of our Church are perishing every day because sexual immorality, drug
use and the VD epidemic are spreading. The result of that life is that many of
their children are born deformed. In a spiritual sense those young people have
already perished. They have abused their freedom and they don't seem to care
about their families, their society, nation or anything. How can such a society
survive?
I am not the only one talking about the
decline of America; parents, religious leaders and researchers confirm what I
am saying. Can America be restored as a God-centered nation by the armed forces
or the Pentagon? Can the knowledge of science that sends men to the moon cure
the ills of society? No scientists or government leaders can do it. Even if all
Americans were united together, they would still find it impossible to
accomplish by themselves.
In order to save America God sent one man
from Korea with a message of salvation, yet everyone considers him an enemy.
You young people of the Unification Church are the only hope for America and
you must become a stepping stone for this country's salvation. When America is
turned around, the entire world's population will have hope. This is why God
sent me to work in America, rather than to any other nation. You must not be
defeated.
I want you to know that I am a very lonely
person. I began a one-man crusade thirty years ago, when absolutely nobody
understood me. I stood up without fear at a time when the world was crumbling
in darkness. I have traveled from the distant mountainsides of Korea, through
many difficult years and have finally arrived in America, trying to install
God's movement here. Imagine how far I have traveled!
From the very first day, I undertook my
mission I dreamed of America because far before you were born God had a master
plan and the United States of America was its target. If God is concerned about
fulfilling His plan then He has to bring young people like you to the
Unification Church. We did not meet in the Unification Church just to save
ourselves; we have the much greater purpose and mission of liberating God,
heaven and earth, and all mankind. Since God sent you to me, I have the
responsibility of transforming you into champions of God, and after being
disciplined and trained, you will become historical persons. I want to make the
Unification Church members work harder than a beggar does, not because you are
hungry but because God and humanity are hungry. God thinks in this way.
Why did we buy this kind of building here
in New York, big enough to hold 5,000 people? Simply because we must prevent
New York from crumbling. I gave instructions that all our buildings were to be
restored and fixed up, not only physically but also in the spiritual sense by
our members giving their hard work. If everyone worked at the pace I do, with
the same purpose in mind, we would have beautifully finished the physical
restoration of our buildings in a year. All that work would not have been
prolonged this long.
You should never think that now we have many
comfortable bedrooms and plenty of hot water. The New Yorker does not exist for
your own comfort. You have no idea what a burden and responsibility our Church
is bearing economically because of our properties. Before you think of all the
wonderful things you have to think of how much sacrifice by brothers and
sisters it took to acquire such things. Do the leaders of our movement worry
about the financial situation? Heavenly Father pities me because I have taken
up that burden. If you know how many Korean families are suffering, how many
Japanese members are suffering, then you know why we must solve these financial
burdens in America.
President Carter's administration wants to
withdraw the troops from Korea, but I continue to bring people from Korea and
Japan to save America. America is still important in the sight of God as the
instrument to save the world. If America fails in its mission then America
shall become the enemy of God. Our mission must succeed even if we all must
become living sacrifices. America is deeply indebted not only to me but to the
Korean and Japanese members of the Unification Church. I have found that if I
am indebted to someone I simply cannot sleep well nor relax until I repay them.
Anyone with the tendency to take advantage of other people will never succeed
and never prosper.
Are any of you wearing the same
three-year-old T-shirts and pants over and over again? You have lots to eat
here, but in Asia the kind of food you eat is considered a precious meal and
three-year-old clothing is considered brand new.
You want to go to the same part of heaven
the Korean and Japanese members will go to, but does your conscience hurt if
you aren't working as hard as they? If you feel shame then you have felt hell,
not heaven. You must be liberated from that shame so you can stand proudly
before God and the spirit world. I want to help you be liberated from shame so
that we can enter heaven proudly, side by side. The Korean and Japanese members
have set conditions and sacrificed themselves for the sake of America. You
would be ashamed if you went to the spirit world without doing much here on
earth. Then I would also feel your shame because I would not have fulfilled my
responsibility to teach and discipline you. Then the spirit world would have to
chase you back to work in the physical world until you fulfill the necessary
conditions. My aim is to push you out and discipline you so that you can be
completely liberated from shame.
It takes a lot of money and manpower to
run the newspaper company and I have not committed us in that way as a hobby or
for entertainment. Why should we start a newspaper if it is only a burden
economically? I know that it is needed as God's instrument to fight against
communism. That fight is our ultimate responsibility and we must prepare today
or it will be too late by the time the confrontation becomes an emergency. Two
years ago I founded the Unification Theological Seminary amidst criticism about
wasting money and manpower, but no two years later the seminary has become
vitally important in the overall scheme to fulfill God's goal.
The newspaper will be equally important in
the future. Even though you and I are suffering to lay the cornerstone, we've
got to do it for the future. You say, "Father, we'll never let you down,
but you must realize that there are human limitations." I want you to know
that God's 6,000 year old history of restoration will never be consummated if
you think in that fashion.
We are trying to make a dream come true
and that's why I am leading you. If you could do it yourselves within the
normal limitations then I would not be needed. Nothing is impossible in God's
sight. You must trust the living God and know beyond the slightest doubt that
you can do anything. Everyone has been watching me and the Unification Church
for the last four years and they know that our movement is growing and
succeeding. After the successful Washington Monument - Rally I founded the News
World and our critics are confident that our newspaper company will crumble so
they scrutinize us with great interest and curiosity.
This venture is a real test because those
major newspapers which have a history of 100 years and more are struggling
financially today. The old established newspapers like the New York Times and
Daily News are watching to see if the News World will last even six months.
Even if we last one year they will say, "Well, Reverend Moon is an unusual
man, but his newspaper will certainly fold after another year." The
Unification Church will gain a reputation for being able to do the impossible
once the News World becomes an absolute success.
After we win our reputation for always
succeeding, people will come to join our work and be part of us. The die is
cast. We are committed to this goal and we shall achieve it. With a reputable
newspaper like the New York Times struggling to keep growing, the impact of a
booming News World, not only in New York but throughout the United States and
around the world, will be tremendous.
I am already proceeding with the next
project and have instructed Dennis Orme to lay the foundation for another
newspaper in London. The world has predicted that I will be destroyed and
become soup, but the entire spirit world is cheering and supporting us and God
is proud that the day has finally come when He has a real champion on earth.
I can understand why we look crazy to the
people who are struggling to keep newspapers going that are floundering now
after 100 years of success. This kind of crazy venture is exactly what I like.
I don't want to do just what ordinary men have done, but something that other
men cannot do. Do you like being challengers? Of course it's difficult, but can
you always stare at the goal without closing your eyes and march on? Compared
to our goal, this little newspaper company is a peanut; the Madison Square
Garden and the Empire State Building are just little toys. We must think that
way and not be intimidated by a peanut project. You should be like that because
no matter what, we are going to save New York and the entire country and world.
At the outset of this speech, I said that
men and women have been wicked from the very beginning. God wants to see the
day come at the end of the world when He can mobilize such wicked men and women
and put them into work far harder than slavery to let them really prove
themselves worthy at least once in history. You accepted that challenge, didn't
you? You are different from ordinary young men and women who are pursuing the
gratification of their carnal desires or seeking their own honor and knowledge;
you are giving your heart, sweat, life, and blood, everything for the sake of
God.
What will God say if you become crazy
about this mission, trying to bring the Kingdom of God here on earth? Would I
feel like rejecting you or like glorifying you? I am eager for the day when I
can ask you to stay behind and not go out because the work is already done. The
time will come when the entire world will work for you and you won't have to be
out on the front line. By the time that happens, I want you to have acquired a
record that no one can top, that will enable you to stand proud and without
shame. In order to obtain the greatest victory we must give our greatest
devotion and make extraordinary sacrifice. Those who can do it, raise your
hands. Thank you.
How many copies of the paper will you
sell? Some members reluctantly go out to sell the newspaper while others say,
"Father, I want to go out and I'll really live up to your
expectation." Which kind are you? I know that even some leaders have been
complaining. I'm sure that from this time on there will be no such person among
you.
We must create the journalism and the mass
communication of justice. Unless we can turn journalism around, how can we save
America? If I am basically a religious leader, why do I become ensnarled in
such a difficult worldly task? My goal is to save the world and unless we can
influence the media to become an instrument of good, the world will be ruined
even faster. Everything must focus on this problem. This newspaper is really a
showdown for us so your eyes must focus on the newspaper and your mouth and
ears and every other organ as well. Your mind and heart and will must be
focused upon the newspaper. I want you to know with complete certainty that
this is my own policy. No matter how good a leader someone may be, if he can't
do well in selling newspapers, I don't need him in that position.
I seldom send out personal letters, but I
recently sent out directions to all the foreign missions around the world that
they should serve as reporters for the News World. They have a dual mission as
missionaries and as reporters. When the European leaders came for a conference
I also emphasized to them how they must contribute to the News World. We must
follow God's pattern; God is holding His own will and ideal in one hand and in
the other He is pulling the satanic world to His side. That is exactly what we
must do-seize our Principle way of life and at the same time grab the media to
speak to the world. People controlling the channels of mass communication have
significant power to influence peoples' opinions so we must pull their work
toward God's goal. It is God's way to fulfill a dual responsibility with no
complaints.
I found an unusual inspiration in seeing
the Western way of life, particularly in the style of eating. No matter how
hungry Orientals may be they always use one hand, but Westerners use two hands
for cutting and holding and grabbing. By seeing this nature I knew that
Westerners are equipped to handle dual responsibilities. Yet even having that
tradition, Westerners are most single minded! You only think about one thing at
a time; if you are told to do two or more things you become totally confused
about where to start.
Your two eyes are both coordinated, as
well as your two ears and two hands. What does all this show? Can't you do two
missions at the same time? Some people say that if they try to do two things at
once that neither one gets done, but that is so ridiculous that you shouldn't
even talk about it. If you can't do two things well it is only because you lack
commitment.
You can be like the gunfighters in
Westerns who fire both guns at the same time. We don't want just one-gun
fighters! Isn't it more exciting to see someone using both guns at the same
time rather than just one? You must be able to pursue dual goals, but that does
not mean you need a dual spouse. That is the only exception and other than that
you can do many things. If you want to have a lot of children, go ahead and
have dozens of children!
Even though you may lose one hour of sleep
in order to reach your assigned newspaper area, go ahead. When God instructs me
to do something I may get no sleep at all, but I do it willingly. Likewise you
must do 100%. I am instructing you from the public point of view and from God's
standpoint. Not only will your fulfillment of those instructions give you
satisfaction, but it will benefit all of New York. If you are going around the
instructions and looking for the easy way out then your efforts are
unacceptable. The more effort is needed to bring your accomplishment, the more
blessing you can bring to the spirit world. If you sell 100 copies in a
convenient area but another seller has to travel a greater distance and then
sells 100 copies, his accomplishment has greater value. The person willing to
take up the worst kind of responsibility with enthusiasm shall control the
world. Are you trustworthy? I had all the IOWC teams come to New York and I
want to see them completely outdo the New York members.
I am speaking now to the blessed couples
stationed in New York. You must not become a burden to the church. The World
Mission Center is home to those on the front line and I will chase out anyone
who thinks their family is an excuse for not selling newspapers. If the
Japanese couples are like that, they should go back to Japan. They should not
become a burden to the hard-working men and women in the World Mission Center.
If any American couple is like that, they should go to another center. The
World Mission Center is the battlefield and everyone must keep pace with the
fighting forces who live in this building. Otherwise, they do not deserve to
live or eat here.
If you have a complaint, please raise your
hand and tell me. Is your complaining for the sake of America and the world or
are you complaining from a selfish point of view? If your answer is the latter,
you must stop centering upon yourself because it affects all those around you.
God needs men and women who can dedicate themselves to humanity and the world.
There are no exceptions.
God's dispensation cannot be entrusted to
selfish people. Men of honor and justice will live in the World Mission Center.
This is God's house and must be utilized solely for God's purpose. So much sweat,
blood, and sacrifice went into purchasing and restoring the World Mission
Center that any activity that is not for God's purpose must not occur here.
Sometimes I get very tired and I want to
lie down even for a few moments, but my conscience never permits me to do that.
If I am living like that then how can you take a nap? If you think of the
world, God and posterity, you realize there is a lot of work to be done. I want
to leave the most meaningful inheritance to you and my plans for our Church are
not for my own purpose but for you.
Anyone opposing God's will is our enemy.
The communists are watching and waiting to see us crumble but that day will
never come. If people curse you and scorn you, do not retaliate. Instead, say
to yourself, "Wait just three more years and we'll meet again then."
That is what I have been doing all these years. Opposition is like an elixir to
me; it always stimulates and spurs me on to accomplish more courageous things.
Anyone on the side of justice grows stronger with opposition and difficulty and
therefore we are bound to be successful.
Today after pledging a new determination,
will you rise up to a higher level of accomplishment, or will you continue at
the same pace that you have been keeping? When you come home after a day's work
and feel you have not fulfilled the day's quota, you have to cry out in
repentance and ask God for forgiveness. God's heart will be moved and He will
have mercy upon you. The dark night of evil is so close at hand that we cannot
let a day go by without having absolute commitment.
I do not want you to be defeated but to be
victorious men and women. I must do more than any of you. Anyone who can
survive and prosper under such discipline for ten years can then go out and do
anything in the world; he has nothing to fear and there is nothing he cannot be
successful at. This is how I think about myself.
Everyone who really understands the
purpose of the Unification Church, whether in spirit world or on earth, wants
us to be successful. I am restless because the goal is so near. It is like a
tug of war; the day is coming when the rope will break and we'll jump over the
victory line. I want you to be busy working hard from this time on and to be
proud of the schedule you are keeping. Perhaps you beautiful young ladies will
want to be transferred to a remote area if you cannot keep the pace I have set.
Actually I am a person to be pitied. I do not like to push you out either, but
for the sake of God and humanity I have to do it. Can you sympathize with me?
Throughout human history women have been
defeated by men, but from this time on I want you women to be victorious over
men. The small Japanese women have been working under adverse conditions here
in America, yet they are so determined to not fall behind the men that they
have been winning over them. You American women, however, do not think in that
manner, do you?
Do you want me to trust you? In order to
trust you I must train and discipline you and push you out. Will you stand for
that? Sometime I would like to invite only the women to Barrytown to catch carp
in the muddy lagoon. The carp are bigger than you are and they are so heavy
that You will just sink into the mud. Would you throw the carp away to lighten
your load and call for help or would you tenaciously cling to the carp and call
for help? I'm sure 99% of you women would throw the carp away!
Everyone knows that Mr. Ken Sudo is a
short man. When he was fishing in the Barrytown lake he sank in the mud and
could not move. Probably all of you women will sink in the mud too. If there
were only one or two of you then you could be pulled out, but if all of you
sank at once, what could we do? The high tide would cover you! Then all the
newspapers would print that I buried the women in the mud. Do you still think I
should take you to Barrytown? If I do we will need a special watch force
prepared to rescue you.
One year ago, the Korean Folk Ballet asked
to go out to sea with me. I told them that the sea is rough and that it would
be very difficult, but they persisted and finally I took them fishing for tuna.
After the boat had gone out one mile, the entire Korean Folk Ballet was wiped
out! If I hadn't taken them out then at least I would have remembered them for
having the willingness and guts to go, but instead the trip was a miserable
failure and it is not a pleasant memory. The same applies to you. I know that
no matter how loudly or how much you women shout, I cannot trust that you can
do it.
Can you surpass the men at selling
newspapers? I cannot trust that either until you show me you can do it. What
about you clumsy men? Will you be defeated by the women? I cannot trust you men
either because you are too easily distracted and are tempted by so many things.
Do you all want to show me what you can do? Will the men or the women be the
winners? I want you both to be the winners and then I will gladly be defeated.
In that way, the Unification Church will
never be defeated. If you can defeat me then the Unification Church will
prosper. If I can defeat you then the Unification Church will decline. I want
you to be champions! I trust that you can do it.