Sex Before Marriage Disrupts Growth of Heart, Character

When people view sex as just a physical matter, even between consensual partners who agree to just use each other for sex, the levels of harm are deeper.

Harm means one has done wrong and someone has to be held accountable for his or her actions.

No harm means that if one feels distressed after having an uncommitted sexual relationship, then the problem lies within that person, not in the practice.

Those who feel guilt may be thought of as too sensitive or having an conscience that is overactive or the person has a belief in outdated religious values.

No harm means that social fallout can be blamed on socio-economics and no one has to question their personal conduct.

No harm means that one can believe the falsity of sex without consequences.

Reverend Moon speaks about sexual misconduct affects the individual personal development, future pursuit of loving relationship, and upon the next generation.


Effects on the Individual

The emotional, psychological and spiritual harm that is caused through insecure sexual relationships is felt on a semi-conscious level if at all.  This is eclipsed from the pleasure that arises from sexual relations and the belief that one benefits from such an experience.

Unfortunately, the damage of having sex outside of marriage may only been seen years later.

Child psychologist Thomas Lickona relates the story of one woman psychiatrist describes the aftermath of being sexually promiscuous in her college years.

She says, “That sick, used feeling of having given a precious part of myself . . . to so many and for nothing, still aches. I never imagined I’d pay so dearly and for so long.”

These feelings are common.

The Biblical explanation of the union brought through sex is actually bringing two people into ‘one flesh’, even if that was not the partners’ intentions.

Lickona further states that when two people break this bond and go into other relationships, the personality disintegrates and the person feels deeply-seated frustration and a dissatisfaction.

There are many facets of this disintegration on the psychological and level of moral health among young adolescents.


Effects of non-marital sex on the Individual

1. Spiritual and moral growth stunted
2. Character becomes corrupted
3. Guilt, regret and diminished sense of worth
4. Heartbreak and destructive behavior
5. Spiritual disorientation
6. Degradation of love, life and lineage


1. Stunting of Spiritual and Moral Growth


The most central challenge to becoming mature is learning to be unselfish and live for others.

In adolescence, one needs to learn how to discipline their sexual impulses that are awakened, just as they learn about toilet training.

Learning to be unselfish is obviously the central challenge of growing up.

The reason why a person’s development is impeded when they delve into premature physical involvement is because their egos are boosted just to gratify only their own desire - to take rather than give.

A person learns selfishness instead of nurturing their unselfish love and compounds their self-centeredness. Within marriage, sexual intimacy supports the partners’ mutual love and commitment.

Everyone should reach a certain developmental period and sufficient growth within the heart within the child’s realm and sibling ream, a person is not prepared for the potent power of sex.

As Genesis describes it, his or her ’fruit’ of love is not yet ripe for eating.

It is a challenge for to hold one’s sexual desire for just one person for life, especially for the males.  Sarah Hinckley speaks about how sex ruins this:  “a crucial challenge to the man—an essential test of his masculinity— is lost or failed.”

Sleeping Beauty, and other counterparts in other lands, express the moral reality.

A princess has a spell cast on her through the piercing of her skin and drawing blood.  This represents the onset of puberty.

She falls into a deep sleep and is restrained in the forest.  But she is protected until the bravest and most virtuous gentleman, mature in heart and character, overcomes the obstacles to awaken her with a gentle kiss.  He then introduces her to the world of true love forever.

On the other hand, the tale of Snow White tells of the story when a young girl makes a mistake by eating of a poisoned ‘fruit’.  This symbolizes the virgin who fails the test to save herself for maturity.

Fortunately, a pure-hearted prince frees her from the consequence of her mistake.

The scars from sexual intimacy in uncommitted relationships all too often cause lasting emotional desolation and a sense of irretrievable loss. 

This can jade a young person who may become cynical about life clouded by crushed hopes.

Allan Bloom of the University of Chicago lamented how early sexual experience impoverishes the imagination.

Virginal students are still “fresh and naive, excited by the mysteries to which they have not yet been fully initiated,” while those who “have nothing more to learn about the erotic” are “flat-souled . . . unadorned by imagination and devoid of ideals.”

Moreover, when people are involved in sex within insecure relationships, it drains the individuals, especially the youth.

At the time of adolescence they are starving for attention and energy which is needed for their emotional, moral, creative and intellectual growth.

When people are promiscuous or continue to have sex outside of a committed relationship, there is always anxiety over the possible unwanted physical consequences from the union.



2. Character Corruption

The people of Paradise quickly went from innocence to deceit.  This illustrates how unprincipled sex hinders character growth.

People look to others not as holy spiritual beings, but as bodies which they can use to get their own gratification.  They have to practice cunning techniques to try to get another to have sex.

Most sexual liaisons are not like the romantic notion of two lovers drawn naturally into lovemaking, but are the result of one partner seducing the other.

Lust can come to motivate nearly every word or action in regards to others, as one is constantly grooming friends and acquaintances towards a sexual encounter. 

A study showed that this behavior has become acceptable among singles.

Dating singles regard “lying, cheating and dumping each other” as ordinary behavior outside of committed relationships.

A large number of men revealed that they would even hide a deadly infection like AIDS from would-be lovers in order to receive sex.

Even though these same people would never practice such treachery in their business dealings or tolerate others doing this to them, when it comes to physical love, they debase themselves.

There are countless statesmen, clergy and business executives who have a trusted character and leadership who are loosed from their moral standard by the power of sex.

The cheater may not even notice the profound violation of the partner, any children or relatives and friends.

Even though the lies, and blatant cover-ups, silent deceptions and trust is exploited wreak havoc on the cheater’s conscience may not know the depth of how they are using their lover.

Finally, self-deceit must complete the picture in order for the cheater to live with himself.

He will rattle off walls of reasons why he had to partake in such behavior - about how he or she is the victim himself because the other did or did not do this or that.

By trying to hold onto any semblance of integrity, this leads to moral blind spots not just in their love life, but in other areas of their lives.

Tomorrow we will continue the next four effects that having sex before marriage has on a person.  See you then!



Return for Tomorrow's Post: Effects Sex Before Marriage on a Person


This post was rewritten and derived from the religious textbook, "Educating for True Love" written by a team of writers to explain Reverend Sun Myung Moon's philosophy on love and marriage.

A Relationship With God is Fundamental for Life

Throughout history, man has tried to search for the true meaning of everlasting happiness and human behavior through philosophy and philosophers.

This quest leads them to ask the basic question of God's very existence.  Isn't this where every philosophical battle eventually ends up, to whether a being who created this world exists? 

We still have not reached a satisfactory conclusion which every philosopher and scientist can agree upon.  Even if they were to all take a vote and vote that He exist, would he exist from that moment on? 

What if they all voted that God did not exist?

Would such a being come into existence upon human realization that He exists or vice versa?

God does not fit into human logic too well.  Perhaps the last time you tried to explain or prove such an existence showed you how limited words or examples can be to your case.

How about your mind?  Are you able to show it and explain to someone.  If you were able to 100% understand you mind then you would have the capacity to recreate it from scratch from such knowledge.  Because you cannot know your mind totally, this shows the greatness of your mind. 


"Human beings have a mysterious aspect, and human logic can never perceive the greatness of God or human existence."


The same is for the explanation of God.  If you could explain His existence through logic then God would be small enough to fit into human logic. this would mean that humanity would be able to create God and know all about Him.

People of religion already know that there is a God, that He exists from beginning to end, and He exists throughout eternity.  He created all things and He occupies the central position.

We should clearly understand our relationship to God.

Humanity has tried several approaches to bring us closer to an understanding of this relationship, but this question remains unsettled.

Our relationship to God is the fundamental block to our existence.  A true, living relationship to God is fundamental to life that we should clarify this question.

Several religions have to come to the same principle which is common to all religions to clear up the confusion of what our relationship with God should be?

Is it like a friend, daughter/son or should we view God as an equal?  What is our true relationship with Him?

God wants us to understand this relationship to the ultimate sense - He definitely needs us human beings...why else would He create us?  Therefore, He will do everything possible to develop this relationship.


What is the most precious thing in your life?  Did you answer money or power?


When we look at this question deply, other thoughts emerge.  We conclude that the most precious thing is love - what we value most is tied to the element of love.

Second to love is life itself which is most precious.  We value these two things above all else.

If we have love and life, we need one thing further-an ideal.

Love, life an ideals are the most precious and profound in vlue and make our live woth living.

We all in some way wish fo eternal life.  Therefore, we naturally feel that we want our love and ideals to also be foreve, unchanging and unique.

We have seen writers who write about the beauty of eternal love.

Has there been a writer in history that has glorified love that changes day and night or ends forever?

There are many religions in the world which testify to the life beyond this one that we live on earth and testify to our desires for eternity.

The words 'love' and 'ideals' are empty and do not have meaning when they are isolated.  Love can only exist when there is someone to love and someone to be loved by.

Also, an ideal needs to be shared with someone. 

We are always in a position to be loved by someone in the subject position.  Things that are supremely important in human life can only come about through relationships.

Many think that humans are the cause of the universe, but how can we be the cause if we did not create ouselves?  Therefore, a subject or creator must xist.  This subject or cause is the essential reality.

Whatever name you choose for the cause does not matter; we should be certain of the cause as we are of our own existence.

We call the cause "God".  So, let's put our question to God:

God, what is the most precious thing in existence to you God?

 God will answer, "Love, life, and my ideal are the most precious things to me."

Think about this.  Does God need money?  Everything in creation belongs to God anyway.  He does not need money. He is already the Source of all power and knowledge.  God is all of these things, therefore, these two also He does not need. 

Instead, God wants to share and have give and take with someone ina reciprocal relationship.

Even though God is almighty, He cannot have love, life and ideal when He is alone.  This is why He created man and woman.

 

All human traits originate in God.

This is the meaning in the Bible where it states that humans are created in the image of God.

We reflect the characteristics of God like a mirror.  God is the Origin, therefore, our lvoe comes from the love of God.  Our life comes from the life of God, and so do our ideals.

The very dream that you wish to accomplish all your life comes from God.

God is the Subject of love, the Subject of life, and the Subject of ideals. We are the objects of love, the objects of life, and the objects of ideals.

Therefore, since God is an absolute being, we are also absolute.  Since God is eternal, His objects, men and women, are also created for eternity.  Otherwise, we would not reflect he nature of the eternal God.

If God is love, life and ideals, then He would be a God of defeat if He did not create a being with the same qualities.

 

 

God is the Subject to man and woman, and we are the objects to God.

Even though God is absolute, man and woman seem to reflect another type of being that is far from God.

When we as objects are not perfect as our Creator, then we cannot reflect fully the love, life and ideal of God.  God and humans are one.  Humans is incarnate of God. Man and woman are meant to be the visible form of God and God is the invisible form of man and woman.

Because we are the reflection and object of God whom He cannot feel love without us, this gives us as much importance and value as God Himself.

If man had followed God completely, there would be no question of His existence - HGe would have been a living reality to us.

In our present fallen, sinful ways, we should be very careful of our words and actions.  On the other hand, if humanity had obtained perfection, we would automatically reflect the universal, loving mind that is God.

There would be no religion to teach us about how to behave like God, or arguments of His existence.

One that is perfect would not be able to deny God.

If Adam and Eve had followed God and become mature in their love instead of following Lucifer's advice to give into their love in their immaturity they would have become true parents to Cain and Abel.  The good family tradition they envoked would have remained generation after generation.

Our relationship with God would not be a question - it would have been of perfect oneness; you would not be able to separate yourself from your own godly mind.  This would have been human perfection.

Such people who did not fall away from God would have become the nucleus of the universe.

Adam and Eve's perfect home life and children would have expanded to a heavenly society, nation and world.

Who would have been the center of this perfect universe or world of peace?

Instead of creating a hell on earth where "Satan was the ruler of this world", God and Adam and Eve would have formed the central axis of the universe.

Why did God need a perfect relationship with Adam and Eve?

First of all, God could only fulfill His ideal of true love through Adam and Eve.

Secondly, God who does not have a physical body would have been visible through working through men and women.

In other words, Adam and Eve were to be the phsyical manifestation of God through their perfected relationship with Him.  Thus, God could have a relationship with the visible, phsycial world through them.

What is God's reason for creating Adam and Eve?

Once Adam and Eve wre perfected on earth in a relationship of oneness of God, their spirit selves after passing to the next world would be like the body of God.  God would have been the mind of Adam and Eve and they would have been the spirit body of God.  Then God and people in the spirit world would have been eternally inseparable, one body.

Inside them God would dwell in their minds - God Himself would be the mind of Adam and Eve.

Unfortunately, due to our relationship with Lucifer's will and love, we have an inseparable relationship between the two. 

We come to speak about death and dying, but there is no such thing in the context of God's original world.  Instead of dying, we would have just passed to a new realm after giving up the physical body.  Your body would be the spirit and God would be the center of that body.

After we followed the will of Satan through our first human ancestors, all of God's ideals for a world of love and peace was separated from humanity until His first true son on earth fulfilled the responsibility to change the blood lineage to God's.


This post was rewritten and derived from the text of the writings of Reverend Sun Myung Moon.

God's Rules for Successful Relationships

When we look at love relationships today, on the whole, there seems to be a lot of confusion, a lot of advice and nonsense that just further the confusion when it comes to the love of a man and a woman.

Wouldn't God make a certain standard for relationships?

Most certainly, God has an absolute standard and order, and model of love He has in mind.

It depends on whether the love a man and a woman share is in accord with God's will that determines success or destruction.

That is a relief to know that God has already placed within the creation a set standard for how a man and a woman should love one another.

Once these certain standards are set in place, not only do they receive God's protection in their love, but they are guaranteed a successful and loving relationship full of happiness.

Many relationship gurus fight amongst themselves over who has the better solution to acquire love and how to keep it, but the highest best advice comes from the master of love Himself, God.

Let's go back to the beginning of the very first love relationship, Adam and Eve.

We by now know the story that if they had become one in love that was based on the love of God, then this world would have turned out completely opposite from what we witness now.

They would have matured and become perfect individually and then they would have become the universal model of love.  This is what God desired from human beings.

Likewise, man and woman must also have wanted to have united based on this true love of God, wouldn't they?

The true love of that couple would be the core of the universe.  That love would have become the standard of measurement for the rest of humanity and for eternity.  God's love and human love is the same in essence.

Love causes oneness. 

Why does a man and a woman long for each other?

They feel such a natural desire because it is the only way man can possess God is through a woman and a woman can possess God only through a man.

In other words, they have a longing for one another because God comes and dwells where a man and a woman have become one in love.

God is the source of man and woman.

Therefore, we should sing praises for the noble value of God and the dignity and value of men and women.  When God's beloved woman lives in a man's heart and God's beloved man lives in a woman's heart as well, these two will become object partners to God.

When they love each other, God will be delighted to see such love and all things will rejoice.

Heaven and earth will rejoice to see such a man and a woman embrace who have such values.  When man and woman embrace each other in mutual fondness, that fondness becomes the point where the universe unifies.

This was how God's original ideal for the world of peace was to unfold.  Originally, a man should meet a woman where he can rejoice, and a woman should meet a man with whom she can rejoice.

More than this, their encounter should be a place where both God and all things in creation can rejoice.

Then, all of creation will be mobilized for this couple.  They want to be ruled by them.  Birds will sing and butterflies will flutter and dance joy at this sight.  God will rejoice, people will rejoice, everything will rejoice.

This would have been the original scene if the first ancestors started history based on such a position. The world would have had a different origin and it would have been centered on God.

The Reason Men and Women Are Born

What is the original purpose of man to be born on earth?  It is undeniable that man was born for the sake of a woman.

Of course many Westerners would shake their head at such a notion, but this fact is undeniable.

Likewise, woman was not born for her own sake.  Even her breasts and sexual organs are not for her, but her children and husband.  We should know that problems arise if a woman fails to understand her own purpose for being born for the sake of man.

Since the 70s of modern feminism and equal rights, women have fallen far away from the traditional view of marriage and life.

No matter how much it is fought, God ultimately established the world based on these principles.

Therefore, we cannot enter the world of goodness, truth, happiness and peace or the world of love and the ideal unless we follow this principle.

A woman is born to meet a man, and a man is born to meet a woman.  Isn't this so?  This is the highest truth whether it is recognized or not.

When we deviate from this highest truth, that constitutes the highest evil.

God created men and women physically opposite and complementary to one another.

Women are one-directional, men are three or four-directional.  Women are more likely to enjoy staying at home while men are more likely to enjoy traveling the world.

There are many books, movies and discussions over the differences between men and women and that it is almost impossible to come together in unity.

How is it possible for men and women to become one?  Surely, a perfect God would not create such beings that would not be able to unite.

Men and women unite through love.  Love has the ability to unite human beings and God.

Man was not born for the sake for academic accomplishments, money or political power.  He is born for the sake of a woman.

Man was born with a larger physique, not so that he can live only for himself, but so he can earn a living for their children and wives.

No one can argue the fact that men and women's sexual organs are different from one another.

Of course these organs do not exist for their own sake.  Man's sexual organ came into existence for the woman, likewise, woman's sexual organ is for the sake of man.

Have you ever stopped to think about this?  This is not a funny matter.

Where is the final destination of love?

Since the coming together of the male and female sexual organ makes them one, this is the final destination.

That which man has is not his, and that which woman has is not hers.  In other words, man has what belongs to woman, and woman has what belongs to man.  The sexual organ becomes a channel through which the mind and body come merged through love.

We should clearly know that we are each born for the sake of our one partner.

This is important, because if we know our final destination, there is no confusion and we know clearly the path we should take in life.

So, why are men and women born on earth?

Men and women are born to love each other.  Since God is the great king of wisdom, He switched ownership of their love organs.

A man is not the owner of his sexual organ.  The same is true for women.

Those who behaved carelessly in regard to the ownership of their love organs will be ultimately judged.

If men were to suffer punishment under the most harshest and fearful of laws, would they even think of other women instead of their wives.  Conversely, can wives think of other men instead of their own husbands?

Men and Women Absolutely Need Each Other

How much do men and women need each other?

Just think, no matter how much men boasts about their accomplishments, it does not matter because it would all disappear in 100 years if there were no women.

Therefore women are absolutely necessary.

When we look at a single man, we think he needs to be with a woman and when we look at a woman, she has to be with a man.

Man can not be born based on his own desire, nor woman be born through her own desire.  Both need each other.

The reason one is born a woman is that there is a man who needs her. Likewise, the reason I am born as a man like this is that there is a woman who needs me.  Isn't that right?  We are all born in this way, with God's knowledge.

Man absolutely needs God, but before this, he needs a partner called woman.

This is where human history has failed miserably.  Men have failed to correctly understand the absolute need for women.  Also, women have not understood they absolutely need for men.

A true man and a true woman who pursue true love are joined through their efforts of becoming one in heart.

When such a man and woman are joined as one, God comes and dwells with them.

God does not like to see a couple that is joined by true love to separate.  Therefore the love of an absolute man and woman is eternal.

God is omnipotent and omniscient, but even God's existence will have no meaning if He is alone.

On the same token, no matter how handsome or fit a man may be, these things have no meaning if he is without a woman.

Men who are in love with their own existence and good looks lead such an ugly existence.

He has no value before God. This is the problem that many men in the world have fallen into such narcissism. This is the reason why history has moved toward tragedy.

God's providence works to change and improve this world that has been immersed in such self-centeredness.


Photos courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net


Return for Tomorrow's Post: Become Part of God's Direct Lineage

This post was rewritten and derived from the textbook, Cheong Seong Gyeong Book Four - True Family, Chapter Five Section 1 - 3

The Family is a Training Center

Everyone is a  part of a family unit.  The parents may have divorced, the sisters and brothers may live in separate houses, but the family still exists.

When we stand in the world of space, in order to stay balanced, you need top and bottom, left and right and front and back.

When we deal with relationships concerning top and bottom, left and right, and front and back, also problems in the family, nation and world, there is only one solution.

Just as there has to be these six positions with the individual in the center, there also have to be parents and children, husband and wife, and brothers and sisters.  This also applies to the nation.

The leader is at the center of the nation.  All families should embrace the civilization of east and west, and the civilization of north and south, and all the people of the world as brothers and sister.  Eventually, establishing a family model.

This model is the same for all.  You are the center of that model.  This model represents a principle that requires that from you sprouts your family and expands into the nation world, heaven and earth all the way to God.

The Family is the Central Model for All Beings

You not only want to be the center of the universe, but you want to be the center.

In the same way, the family is the center of the universe.  If you were to think of heaven as the parents, then earth represents the children.

In relation to east and west, east symbolizes the man and the west the woman.  So, after marriage, the woman goes to the place where her husband is.

This is similar to the west reflecting the sunlight that shines from the east.

This is the same for the brother and sister relationship.  When the eldest brother leads a task, the younger brothers and sisters will cooperate.

Each person should, therefore, be in a parent-child relationship, a conjugal relationship and a sibling relationship.  Do you see how this rounds out. These three relationships should meet at some point.

Also, you can see that in these Last Days that all of these relationships have been broken up. This is directly the root cause of all of the world's problems which expands from relationships within the family all the way to the worldwide level.

The central point is one.  The center for the top and bottom, left and right, front and back should be the same.

If the centers are different, then the relationships will all be imbalanced.

So the common central point of top and bottom, left and right, front and back must add up to the number seven.

When this happens, then the family is united in true love with God at the center.  This is where all things form a complete sphere bringing about harmony and unification.

We often think of the number seven as the luckiest number.  Therefore, when we hear this about the number seven it seems believable.  As long as true love never changes, then the central core will turn forever without changing, therefore, realizing the idea of a true family.

Also, since everything is connected to this core, then each of the position are equal.  For example, if the grandfather and his sons and daughters want something and the grandchild is not against it, then all the three generations will come to want it.

The grandfather, grandmother, husband and wife, and sons and daughters will all follow the center.  The parent-child relationship becomes one in terms of love.    The conjugal relationship is one and the sibling relationship becomes one.

They become one body.  So, what do these relationships revolve around?

They revolve around the true love of God who is the center of true love.  In this way, the value of everything becomes equal.

The Family is the Textbook of Love through Which We Can Connect with Universal Love

What is the universe?

God created everything in the universe as a sort of a training aid to help His beloved sons and daughters find the ideal of His true love.

This is why you see a reciprocal relationship in all of existence.

For instance, minerals are based on the reciprocal relationship of subject and object partners.  Protons and electrons exist based on a relationship of subject and object partners.

What is the universe?

We see this in human relationships of teacher and student, husband and wife, and parent and child where there is also interactions between a subject and object partner.

The universe is simply the expansion of a true family.  If you take a close look at the family that has been able to become an ideal of family love, you see that it has a top, middle and bottom.  That is the parents, husband and wife, and children.  You will see left and right and front and back.

This is the principle.

When we talk about top and bottom, this refers to the parents and children.  When we talk about left and right, we mean the husband and wife.  The front and back refers to the brothers and sisters.

How are all of these positions able to become one?

There is no way for it to become eternally one through power, knowledge or money.  If a family was to be united through force, smarts or money, then once these things disappear, the family will separate.  So, what would determine eternal unity of a family?

It is only through love that a family will truly unite.  This is the absolute truth.

If this does not happen, then the sphere cannot be formed.  The top, middle and bottom of the family is the textbook of love.

This is the textbook through which we can experience universal love.

We then go into society and put it into practice.  So, how should we love?

Jesus taught about the kind of love for your neighbor as you love yourself.  What should we do to follow this kind of teaching?  Do we see even Christians living this way in this time and age?

Do Christians unite with brothers and sisters of other faiths?

When you go into the world and see an elderly man who is the same age as your grandfather, treat him the same way you would your own grandfather.  Treat people like your own mothers, fathers and your own sons.

When you are able to go out into the world and live in this way and love people in this way, God will dwell in the midst of that love.

You should know that the world is an exhibition of all people.

  

The people of top, middle bottom, front and back, and left and right are all displayed in the exhibition of all of the world.

What does the Kingdom of Heaven look like?

It is the place where you love the people of the world the way you love your own family. It is where people who do this are the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Your grandfather and grandmother, your mother and father, your wife, brothers and sisters and your own children are four generations.  What do they represent?

They are the textbook where you can deeply experience love, the true love of the universe as people of Heaven. In other words, the family is the foundation, a type of textbook that

They are the textbook through whom you can deeply experience love, the true love of the universe as people of the Kingdom of Heaven. The family is the foundation, a type of textbook that teaches you this love.

We cannot live without learning the love of the universe. 

Your grandfather and grandmother were sent as representatives of all the grandmothers and grandfathers in the spirit world.

God has prepared textbooks and scriptures containing promises which openly say, "Love your grandmother and grandfather."

"Therefore if you love them, I will take it as if you had loved all grandmothers and grandfathers."

Next God would say that since your mother and father are representatives of all the countless mothers and fathers of the world, if you love them to the utmost it will be the exact same as having loved all mothers and fathers because they are the textbook and model of love.

It would be the equivalent of graduating college after many lessons on how to love mothers and fathers.

Furthermore, if you as a man, who represents all men, love a woman who represents all women, then it will be a condition of having loved all women.

Then God would say, "I will take your loving your sons and daughters as you having loved all sons and daughters."

This is how the family becomes the training center to receive such training on loving the world.

This training process which God developed is in accordance with the scriptures.  If the trainees are willing to go out into the world and love the grandmothers and grandfathers of the world in place of their own grandparents, this will save the world and bring a world of peace.

If all the people of the world were raised in such true families, where brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, grandparents and grandchildren each treated each other with respect and true love, when this expands to the world level, then Heaven on Earth is recreated automatically.  Therefore, there will not be true peace in the world until there is peace in the family.

A Training Ground of Love for Entering the Kingdom of Love

This is God's will: to realize the kingdom of love.

Then if God wishes to develop a globalized ideal world of love, then the family is the experimental ground where you earn your credits at such a school.  This is obtained all the way from the elementary level to the bachelor's degree and PhD.

If you were to examine the world carefully, you will see that it is a world where grandfathers and grandmothers live.  It is a world where adults like your aunts and uncles live.

It is a place where your elder brothers and sisters live.  It is a world where youth live and where children live.

So, this place where the middle-aged, elderly, young people and children live are just a larger expansion of the family.  Isn't this so?

The family is the smallest unit within the training center.

It is also a textbook for how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven automatically.

It has four levels: grandfather's level, mother's level, couple's level and siblings level.

Then each of these levels expands into a larger group of grandmothers and grandfather's, mothers and fathers, your own peers, and your own sons and daughters.  Together, they form humanity.

Only families that can love all of humanity as their own spouse and parents, and serve them as their own sons and daughter can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is amazing.

This is where the right to inherit all of the power and authority of heaven and earth lies.

You receive the right to be registered at the Palace of Peace and the Kingdom of Heaven once you pass to the spirit world.

As discussed, the family is the training ground for the true way to love all of humanity.  

The extension of the family is the world.

The world is made up of smaller worlds: grandfathers' world, grandmothers' world, a world of fathers and mothers, there are husbands' and wives' worlds and sons' and daughters' worlds.

When all of these combine, they make up the whole world.  Therefore, if you are able to love all of the people of the world as your own family, this will lead you toward a straight path to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thus, the first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul and with all of your mind.

The second commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself".  With these two practiced together of loving God and humanity, then everything will be accomplished.  A world of love will follow a people that live in such a way.

No matter how much spiritual training you obtain, if you are unable to love in this way, your training is in vain.  If you do not know how to love God, humankind or the whole universe, you will fail the test.

You should deeply experience love by going through this family training center which is an encapsulation of the whole universe.  Then this expands to loving the world.

When we see the clear-cut point of God's way to train humanity how to love and look at the current situation of the world of broken homes, we see where true restoration should begin.

You have inherited this tradition from your family, which is your training ground, where your mother and father raised you.

If you are able to love your parents more than your wife, love your sons and daughters more than your wife, love humanity more than your wife, and love God more than  your wife, then everything will be accomplished.

Of course, this does not mean to abandon your wife, because loving in this way, each recipient of that love will come to love your wife as well.

Could there be a more glorious place than this?

If you want to love your wife, follow this proper order of love.

Return for Tomorrow's Post: Everyone Desires Good


This post was rewritten and derived from the textbook Cheon Seong Gyeong Book Four, True Family Chapter 3

We are the Fruit of God's Love

God and human beings are related as parent and child, but how did this relationship come to be?

Where did the parent-child relationship between God and human beings begin?  If you were to meditate and ask what is the center of the universe, the answer would be the parent-child relationship.

If you ask God, "What is the center of heaven and earth? What is the root of the universe?" God would answer that it is the relationship between the father, his sons and daughters, the parent-child relationship.

This is more important than any other relationship.

One who doesn't understand the depth of this answer will think this refers to the relationship between a physical father and mother and their children.  We are speaking about the basic relationship with God.

God created human beings because being alone brings no stimulation. 

Joy comes through a relationship.

Even when God is alone, He cannot receive the stimulation of joy without a partner.  Thus, the purpose behind creation.

When we are in the position of God's partner, we receive the highest love.  Then God's internal becomes substantial through His partner.

If God is sorrowful, humankind will inevitably be sorrowful.  This is why humanity's relationship with God cannot be severed.

This is the conclusion.

What is so special about the parent-child relationship?

It is the highest place where father and son can meet at the central point where their love, life and ideals connect.  Then, love, life and ideals are in one place.

There, God is love, and so are we.  God is life and so are we.  God's ideals are our ideals.  The first place where these qualities can be established is in the parent-child relationship.

When God gives us love, how much would He want to give?  God's love does not have a set limit.  He would want to give to humanity infinitely.  Even after giving everything, God will say, "Because of you, I want to live in you."

Which sentiment makes this possible?

It is love.  Even if God had to live as a servant, he would be happy, just as long as that life were lived inside of love.  

Love transcends law.

Throughout fallen history, God never abandoned humanity.  He has been continuously giving his love to us.  He has done so without complaining.  He still gives you everything without reserve.

Why do you not give back to God?

It is the same as a spoiled child.  How can we be like this?

God is made of absolute love. He is still frustrated due to humanity severing a true direct relationship with Him.  He is not able to give all of his love.

He is limited by our choices.

God cannot assert Himself into anyone's lives.  Since God's purpose in creating man was to give perfect love, then even though the human world prohibits Him from doing so until now, He will still pour out His love to us.

When we think that our Father has unconditionally been giving to us, the better we feel.

If God was the type of person that says, "I have given everything, so now you give back," then there would not be a need for that type of God.

God is the Father of human beings, and human beings are God's sons and daughters. 

Since we fell away from the standard of God and followed another, we are at best God's adopted children awaiting the full restoration of our sinful fallen lineage to God's pure lineage through the Messiah.

God invested the core of His bone marrow when He created humanity.

If we pull on God, God cannot help but follow.  God created for the purpose of love.  That is why God likes to see a man and woman love each other.

For this reason, God appears in the world as the essence of love.

A child is the fruit, the manifestation of the parents' love, an extension of their life.

Children are the embodiment of their parents' ideals.

Children are born based on their parents' love, life and ideals.  Therefore the more the parents see them, the more loveable they become.  The more they become the ideal people, the more vibrant life becomes.

Human beings are born through the relationship of love as God's absolute partners. This is where God becomes Father and we become His sons and daughters.  

If there was a position that was higher than that, then humans would desire to occupy that position.  If there is something that is better, because human desire seeks the best, then God would have to give it to us.

Since God has this highest form of love, He is surely the Father of humankind and human beings are His sons and daughters.

Clearly, God created us with value.

If God created us without Him knowing this, then He would be an incomplete God.  But God is the Absolute Being and thus He created us as His absolute partners. 

What kind of being is God, the Creator of heaven and earth? He is a being of utmost goodness, the root of all things, and the Lord of love. 

God wanted to give all the precious things in the whole universe to humankind.  If there is someone that God could believe in and entrust everything to, He would pass on the most precious things to him in their entirety.

Since God is our Father, He wouldn't have created us as mediocre or incompetent partners.  Who would even want a spouse that is like this?

He created us to stand in an equal position to Him.  The all-knowing, all-powerful God  created us to be the same level.

Therefore, our conscience seeks the best.

Since God is the Absolute Being, why did He need to create human beings?  He did not create them for the sake of money, knowledge or power.  He created man so He could feel love.

If the connection between God and human beings are made, then absolutely nothing can sever the relationship of loving oneness between God and humankind.

In the creation of human beings, He invested every bit of Himself to fashion us into the most precious ideal perfect form.

Many believe God to be a being that demands to be worshiped, but God's reason for creating human beings is out of love.

God created Adam and Eve only wanting to exist for their sake.

An ideal being does not live for his own sake; an ideal being lives for the sake of others.

An ideal being lives for the sake of its object partner.  This principle is the basic core of the universe.

No matter how all-knowing, all-powerful, and absolute God may be, God cannot be happy all alone.

The words "happiness" and "it's good" do not have meaning if you are alone.  You can say life is good when you have give and take between a partner in a relationship.  Is there anyone who can truly say that they are happy when he is alone?

No matter how all-knowing and almighty God may be, He is not happy when He is alone. 

Let's say a singer was stuck on an island by himself.

Would he be happy if he had no one to listen to his song?  He will only be joyful when that give and take exists with a partner.  Likewise, God needs an object partner in order to experience joy.

God, by completely investing Himself, created His object of love because He needed an object of love. You cannot love by yourself. 

God created human beings as such objects of love because He, also cannot love without such objects of love.

The Bible says that God created us through the Word, but He was not lax with His work.  He created them by investing Himself 120 percent through excruciating hardship and difficulty.

When established Church members think about God's creation of heaven and the earth they focus on His omniscience and power.  Thereby, they believe simply that He created everything by His words within six physical days instead of time periods.

The creation did not, however, come about through any type of magic.

He created us through investing His entire being with a sincere heart.

This is why we love Him.  Just as we fully love something for which we have invested our utmost efforts and blood and flesh in.

We place what we have invested in the object of our sincerest hope because it is the core of our entire being.

God does not tell us to give everything for His sake, rather than Him instructing us to cleave to Him, He invests Himself.

He placed the starting point of of the ideal of world peace upon the principle of existing for the sake of others.

This is why God invested Himself for our sake.  From this viewpoint, we understand that God exists for mankind's sake.

What does God mean when He says, "I am love"?  He is teaching us to cherish love by night and day, during any activities even while dancing and crying.  In this manner, He could say, "I have love in its entirety."

Having love in its entirety means that everything was invested into it.

The one who cherishes love the most is God.

God possesses all of that love, yet once we get a taste of it, we are unable to let go of it even in death.

As an omniscient, omnipresent being, there is nothing God wants to withhold for Himself.  He already has everything, He lacks nothing.

What He values most and takes pride in, it is love.

Apart from love, God does not need anything.

How will we be able to bring completion to the ideal world God had in mind?  Surprisingly, it does not start with God, but with human beings.

Human beings were destined to stand at the center of creation.  For this reason, unless humanity who are God's object can become perfect, there is no way for God to become fully perfect.

This is because humankind and God are one.

What element makes us unite with God and His will?

Is it any of God's qualities: His omnipotence, omnipresence, power?  No. 

Then what should it be?  God is alive and dwells in the spirit world, transcendent of time and space.

What is the center of God's life.  God lives with love as His central focal point.  

God's focus from the very beginning was love and throughout His present course.  He will do so for eternity, live for love.  This is because when he has a true object of His love, God feels joy.

God has a storehouse of love which keeps replenishing itself even after He gives and gives from it.

Even if we were to steal a lot of love from this storehouse and give it out day and night, God would not punish us.  He would say that it was okay and that it was good.

He would even encourage us to take as much as we wanted and keep doing it forever.  There is always love left no matter how much we take.  That is why He is God.

God will say, "That is why I am the Subject. As the Subject Partner must have more than He can give to the object partner, otherwise I would not be God.  That is what I am like!"

If you want to steal love from God and distribute it like a power plant of love, He will supply as much as you need.

When God runs out of love, you will want to get more so you can connect to His pipeline of love.  God will say, "If you want, go ahead!"  This is how great God's love is.

Return for Tomorrow's Post: Your Parents are Your False Parents

This post was rewritten and derived from The Original Being of God Chapter One, Cheon Seong Gyeong Section 4

God is the Closest Person to You

What is the highest embodiment of truth?

Parents, husband and wife, and children; there is nothing higher.

What then is at the center of that truth?  Love.

What is the center of the highest truth based on the principle?  We say that God is the ultimate source of truth, goodness, love and life.

They all go to the same point.  The establishment of truth requires love and life.

For this reason, God is the ultimate source of life, love and truth and He is the deepest core.

What kind of being is God?

He is both Father and Mother with dual characteristics.  The core is the parents.  When we view God from this point of view, God becomes a person.

Since God is all-powerful and all-knowing, His face will look rough when He appears to men.  

When God appears to Adam, God's face will look masculine; to women like Eve, God will have an appearance of a women can like.

If God existed before the creation of heaven and earth, how old do you think He is?

If a person can only count up to 70, then God will be 70.  When a kid can only count up to five asks God how old He is, He will say that He is five years old because they do not know anything above that.

No matter how many numbers there are, God cannot be calculated in terms of numbers. 

God is beyond numbers.  That is how our God is.

God also has a grand sense of humor.  He likes jokes very much.  Who do you think would be the greatest king of humor?  It is God.

He has a good sense of humor because He knows every aspect of existence and is all-powerful.

 Who is the great king that can get an audience to burst over in laughter?  It is God.
I am saying that this great king is God. 

Externally, God resembles men and internally He resembles women.  God is all-knowing and omnipotent, but He is also merciful with a heart that can embroider flowers on Buddha's smile.

God should also have a heart like that of the most feminine woman.  Only then can these two side have life.

God is the great Master of the universe.  He is a being that is not lacking in anything.  He has powers and is all-knowing about everything in existence.

Nevertheless, if a loving son pushed His way to God's bosom, would God ask Him How well His son knows Him?

Even if God tried to stop Him, the son would keep pressing forward to snuggle up to his own father's chest telling him that He wanted to touch His chest because he used to touch his own father's chest for so long.

Would God feel offended?  No.  Any father would be very happy.

When children reach physical maturity, they leave their parents' laps, house and leave for another area.   

When the children finally come home and put on old clothes and try to snuggle to their father's chest, would the father protest this?  Even a grandfather on his deathbed would be happy and tell his grandchild to snuggle and touch his chest.

God is the Creator. 

What more could be added to God?

If something is to grow bigger, it has to pull in and absorb something, or somebody has to add something to it.

How can God grow bigger if there is nothing added to Him and there is nothing for Him to pull in?  

This is an important question. I have not discussed it because if I did, you would talk about it carelessly and cause problems. So please research this. I am giving you this as homework. Do some research; write a paper and I will grade it. 

Have you ever thought where God originally began?

Was He born all of a sudden?  People of faith may say that it is blasphemy to speak about the holy Creator.  Haven't you ever been curious as to whether God came into being or He always existed?

How do you think the absolute God originally began? Do you think He was born all of a sudden, coming out quickly? 

We need to have a logical basis to go on.

Dr. Yoon! How did God come into being? Shouldn't someone with a doctorate in physics know this? Isn't it a shame if the holder of a doctoral degree covers his face like that? Church members can only say, "God naturally exists," but this is not the case.

God Himself also had to develop. This is the correct answer. 

What is it that has the power of the matchless beauty of creation? 

Even though God is all-knowing and all-powerful, God is a personal God.  He is a person when He relates to love.  He will want to sleep there in peaceful rest.  God would not tell you do not rest or demand that you work on restoration of the world through indemnity day and night.

This is God's Principle.  It is just like breathing.   When you exhale, you have to inhale.

God also has to rest after work because He wishes to feel the joy of rest.

Everything is connected to God through a give and take relationship.  If God exists, what kind of being is He?

He is all-knowing, all-powerful and His presence is pervading. He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.  He can do anything.  What if God was to one day tell everyone to serve Him alone?

What if God told all of the spirit world that they must serve Him absolutely because of He is absolute, all-knowing and almighty?

What if everything was ordered to serve only God?

What would take place?  

Because of the essence of our conscience, we would not be able to embrace that in the long term.  This would inevitably cause conflict.  Your hearts would eventually conflict with that kind of law in the future.

The only partner that God can love is human beings.

Why can't God create another God among His creatures?

You may think that God could just create another God just like Himself.  What would happen as a result?  The other God would eat with God, follow Him, they would work together, and stand together.

When God sat down, then the other God would sit down together with Him.

How would life be if they acted exactly the same for hundreds of millions of years?  How stifled would they feel?

Their eyes would turn inside out in a day.  How many days do you think you could talk to each other.  They would say that everything is the same and would complain.

What is at the center of religion?  It is God.

Of course, each religion has a different name for God, but the name does not matter.

God is one.  God is not two.  When people talk about God, they use different names to refer to Him because each nation has a different nation, but the Original Being is one.

Heaven and earth did not just come into being by itself because it wanted to.  Surely, some origin and some motivation based on some source of power initiated this creation.

When we look at this from a higher level, there has to be a basic agent of power who, as a central subject partner moves heaven and earth or creates things.  This being is called God.

No matter which name He is given, the universe needs to have a center.

Although existing beings act and move around, the central being does not move around with them in their world.

Therefore, there has to be a central original being who remains forever fixed at the center of the world of relationships, which are in motion.

Photos courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net


Return for Tomorrow's Post: We are the Fruit of God's Love


This post was rewritten and derived from "True Parents and Us" Chapter One, Cheon Seong Gyeong section 4

How to Progress

One cannot make progress single-handedly. Therefore, in the days ahead, building the new ideal world also cannot be done alone. One in the position of an object cannot do it just by oneself.

Give and take between subject and object brings multiplication where you are not true subject - God is.


Making Progress


Where is the beginning of development?  Development is only possible when two beings both increasingly assume the role of subject withing an environment that has conditions of reciprocity.  Also, when both subject and object can both become the subject reaching the stage where both are better than before.

Action is required for the origin of a being.  In order to do any activity, force is needed.  Where does force come from?  It is not generated alone, there needs to be a subject-object relationship.

In order for existence to occur, action is necessary.  For action to be produced, there must be a subject and an object.  Without subject and object, no activity is possible.

Any attempt for nations to establish good diplomatic relations, it will be successful only when there is a common purpose that would bring both of them progress.

There has been a continuous fight between the communist and democratic world.  Recently there has been a stage set for reconciliation.  If either side can gain a perspective of the over all purpose that promises progress, the two worlds will certainly be able to unite.  But either side lacks this perspective and understanding.

What do we need here?

All beings seek after those who are better than themselves.

The whole world will become one and have unity if there can be shown a new purpose that points the way to gain qualifications of a subject and make up for inadequacies and imperfect traits that force one to become a minus.  Then the world will become one.

Why is it that actions are based on pursuits after beings that are better?

Such a Principle during the creation process is used by someone who is absolute in order to bestow reciprocal wholeness before the absolute subject.

All things originate from one source.  To progress, they divide into many entities and finally rejoin into one large being.  From one thing they divide into many, then come together as one.  From there they divide again becoming a bigger being.  Then all beings will enter one world that is greater than before.

If something is to develop into something larger than what is at the present, then subject and object must have give and take interaction.  Without this interaction, there can't be something greater that comes into being than the present.  Then men and creation try to have a reciprocal relationship pursuing greater and more valuable things.  The universe is created to have relationships in continual stages.


The Basic Rules of Progress

In order to become greater, one must invest oneself. 

"One must invest oneself to become greater," is the truth.

This is the simple basic concept to progress in the phenomenal world.  Everyone has a desire to make progress, correct?  Then to have progress, one must invest oneself.  When one sincerely makes investment, one will make sincere expansion and development possible.  Haphazard results come about when one puts in casual investment and sincere investment brings serious results.  This is true.

Sacrifice yourself in true ways and believe that this is only possible through the road of true sacrifice. What is the definition of sacrifice?  To pour in and invest in oneself.

If you want to do business you should give up money. You must give up the money that you have earned with the deepest love. Investing is the same. Do you understand? [Yes] Sacrifice in true ways means investing oneself. True investment . . . it means that you should make a true investment.

!

In order to make progress, there must be replacement with something of corresponding value. Without such supplement, development is not possible.

Everything is arranged much like the breathing of air that is needed for life. Why do you eat when you are hungry? In order for me to live on, I must provide myself with food. Providing alone is not enough. There must be metabolic activities to consume it. It must go around in circles.

What are the basic laws of progress? These must become one. You must follow them. If you follow them from now on, you will not face destruction. (He speaks while pointing to something he wrote on the board.)

At this moment, you should know that it is a new age of embarkation. So, what does God do? Among those who live for the sake of themselves and those who live for the sake of their families, who should remain? Those who cherish family should remain. Therefore, God blesses those here who cherish family and lets them lead a good life. Thus these (those who put themselves at the front) will copy the other group's example and naturally follow them. Do you understand?

A perfect plus will beget a perfect minus. Therefore, if their heart becomes one, there will come forth a complete object of heart, and if they cannot establish the vertical relationship of bridegroom and bride by . . . the couple's . . . heart, they will establish horizontal relationship of comrades, family, or compatriots and multiply these relationships.

Without God's love there cannot be any progress, and where there is absence of God's love, existence itself will be destroyed.

The core of love is created in such a way that there can always be harmony; so, when the original heart is touched, the object will without fail try to become one there. In that way, when the object desires to be created into a substantial being by the hands of the subject, then there can be progress. From that moment, development centering on God is possible.

The origin of our life is the relationship between father and son. It is the realm where I can say God is the father and I am the son. Without father, I cannot prosper.


The Form of Progress

Does progress proceed forward in a straight line? No. You should understand that. Even a bullet does not travel in a straight line. It makes this type of turns. What is that? Like the breathing of air, it is carrying on the action of give and take. Do you understand what I mean? [Yes]

Progress moves forward in circular action, in a line similar to a spiral.


The Actual Conditions of Progress
1) Progress of Society
For a man, it is not enough to just become a true individual; but he must develop a true family. A true family should not end with just being a family, but must develop further into a true society. Likewise, a true society must progress into true people, true people into a true nation, and a true nation into a true world.

For any organization to make progress, there must be a center that can influence the organization and there must be a purpose that the organization can pursue. The greater the scale of the organization that seeks to reach its goals, the greater is the probability that the organization will be divided into departments.

In each department, there is a leader who works under the central figure of the organization. The organization can progress forward and realize all of its goals and plans when departmental heads and their members can unite vertically as well as become one with those in other departments. By looking at examples in society and our daily life, we can see that this is true.

To found a company, three factors -- management, facility, and technology -- must be harmonized as one. All things and events follow this rule of three. Philosophers nowadays talk about the "great three" philosophy, but we have established the philosophy of four-position foundation. It is much greater.

Until yesterday it was like a two-dimensional plane, but our philosophy is three-dimensional. Therefore, the only one that will live on is our Divine Principles. Do you or do you not know this fact? [We know] You know? [Yes]

2) The Progress of a Nation

A nation is always composed of a network of administrative personnel and institutions throughout the nation that center on a figure of authority that dictates national policies. On this foundation, it establishes organizational structure inside and outside, which can connect all of them together as one whole entity.

Even if the organizational structure, down to the grass-roots nation wide, is as complex as the cells in a body, so long as all of them can unite based on the wishes of the central leader without being in conflict, and promote an environment of harmony, then no matter how big the national environment is, it will surely continue to develop.

The person of authority will perish if he is not always in the position of giving. After I rise to a high position I must be able to give to those in the low positions. Only by abiding by this Principle will everything develop.

A nation is divided into several political parties. They are bound to collide. But even during this conflict, if the two can give-and-take well, they will both develop. In the shape of a spiral, carrying on a circular motion, they will advance on. However, the reality is that they are unable to engage in beneficial activities, but rather engage in conflicting and destructive actions as if moving on a flat plane. We must also come up with a way of bringing unity to this type of situation.

A wealthy individual or nation was not always that way from the beginning. If it is a large nation, then for that nation to become wealthy, it had to experience misery and suffering that corresponds to the scale of its final success, and in the process had to determine its destiny on the forked road of life and death. You should know that history has progressed thus far with numerous such stories behind it.

When the resolution to a crisis came, it came not based on the merit of one individual, but because the nation and its people, united as one centering on the destiny of the whole, made their utmost effort. When a nation was overcoming a crisis, it went through the process of resolving the difficulty by the vertical and universal unity of the whole, and on that foundation brought the continual result in development. As a result, it was able to build an advanced nation. We cannot deny this fact.

3) The Progress of History

Viewed from the perspective of the principles and fundamental rules, the world today is not a

simple world. This world is to be restored. Originally, there was to be a realization of a cultural world through the connection with the parents in heaven. But until today, all was done based on Satan.

The original history of creation was to begin centering on Adam and Eve and evolve into a world, but since that was not materialized, there must be conflicts during the course of restoration through indemnity.

Until now, the history of fallen men has progressed centering on the foundation which can bring the development into a world greater than the individual, family, the nation, the world, and the universe. But this is not how it should be. It has been six thousand years since the fall of Adam and Eve. If humanity had the world view which led them to cherish the day six thousand years ago rather than place all hopes in the world six thousands years later, then the world would have already been unified. But because humanity was in the position where they had to place all hopes in the future, the history was delayed until today.

Those in the daytime mock those in the night, but you must know that history was advanced by those who were mocked and chased. Those who were chased around and driven out have revolutionized the world and brought its progress.

Only after walking through the path of night and going past the midnight, can one greet the bright morning light. Therefore, those who did the chasing and driving have not actually brought destruction. Instead of blocking their path, they have made contributions by chasing them forward and encouraged them on. In this way, history until today made continual advancement by those who were being chased.

What is the ultimate cardinal point with which we can pursue an ideal and bring the resolution? It is the words of God. In other words, we should know that history advanced until today in order to determine a standard through which the truth sought by the humanity and the truth that God tried to establish join together as one, and this in turn becomes one with God.

The external world evolved also in preparation for this standard of truth. In other words, the material world also has been making progress. This task was assigned to science.


4) The Progress of Religion

God has never made advancement in the dispensation by striking the enemy. Rather than striking the enemy to further the dispensation, he sacrificed those whom he loved the most and were closest to him. This is how he advanced the dispensation. This advancement is progressing toward the Kingdom of Heaven.

The world should have created the environment where God can dwell, and since such a place was not built, a new perspective should have been formed and a new place should have been created. If we cannot accomplish this while alive, we must achieve it even after our death. Thus Christianity advanced forward while shedding much blood. Everyone wants to live in a place that they prefer. Why would anyone want to die?


When does religion progress?

It makes advancement while undergoing difficulty and persecution. Why? Because in that situation there is the possibility of God's Will to be realized. Because God works when there is such possibility, every religion makes progress while being persecuted.

If there is no persecution, when would the Unification Church advance forward? It must voluntarily seek after a path of suffering. Until the day that the whole world follows the ideals of the church, it must take the road opposite to the society. Why? The good world and the evil world walk two different paths.

Even if the world welcomes the Unification Church, its members should not think, "Now, since the world welcomes us, and the time when we can materialize all our wishes has come, we should do all that the people in the society do, and live a similar lifestyle!"

The less the persecution, the more the church should voluntarily take the attitude, "Since we are trying to influence this evil world and are trying to digest this environment, we should walk the path of suffering." Some people ask, "When would this road of persecution come to an end? When would the Unification Church realize all of its ideals?" This type of thought is very different from the initial attitude at the time of the church's founding, which is in agreement with God's wishes.

The religion is bound to develop when under persecution. Why is that so? In such a place, Satan feels powerless, and thus retreats. Why? Because we are loving the enemy, we have set the foundation of having loved Satan, the devil, the number one perpetrator, and his sons and daughters.

Therefore, the place where one loves and prays for blessing is connected with the place where God exhibited his love. Do you understand? Thus the door of persecution has opened up to the religious world. Although there have been many religious leaders and followers of faiths, they all did not realize this fact.

Today, with the advent of the Unification Church, with the coming of this teacher of the Unification Church, all of this has been revealed.


Return for Tomorrow's Post: Unification Church Progress Toward Heaven on Earth

Everybody Wants True Love

Does this seem like a false statement?  Is it possible that even a criminal, a mob boss or a seemingly heartless person deep down wants love?

All of the worlds problem can be solved through true love.

Where does this love begin?  It would begin in the family as two individuals mature in love , come together and bear their fruit of love expanding it on the family level.  Family is the textbook for love.  This level expands to the society, nation and the world.


Every human no matter how evil they may appear to be, wants true love.

Reverend Moon had tapped into the truth of the world's major headaches and found the root and cause of these problems. He explains the topic of True love in his following speech:

"Respected religious leaders, I am truly grateful that so many of you have taken time out of your busy schedules to gather here for the Fourth True Family Values Ministry Awards Banquet.

Ladies and Gentlemen, what is the most important thing that we need more than anything else?

It is not money, power or knowledge. It is true love. True love is more precious than life itself and more important to us than air or water.

Why is true love so precious and important? It is because it is the means by which we can meet God. Just as human beings desire to meet God, God also wants to meet true human beings because of love.

The love by which God can see, touch and share with men and women at the same time, is the love by which men and women love each other.

If anything other than love were to be recognized as the most valuable thing in the universe, men and women would fight each other to try to claim it for themselves.

Once we realize that love is the highest value, however, we can strive to live for each other and become one with each other, sharing the happiness of possessing love together.



Everyone desires love. 

Love is the only thing that can satisfy all human desires. It is humankind’s, and God’s, unfailing attraction to love that makes God’s providence of salvation possible. Fundamentally, love belongs to God. Yet even God cannot possess love all by Himself. Love requires a mutual relationship. A man by himself or a woman by herself cannot experience love.

Women exist for the sake of men’s love and men exist for the sake of women’s love. Regardless of external appearance, in our heart each of us desires a mate with whom we can give and receive the highest level of love.

When we examine the universe, we see that all beings exist in pairs relating to one another as subject and object. In the mineral world, we observe the relationship of plus and minus. In the plant world, the animal world and the world of human beings, we see the relationship between masculine and feminine.

This is because God created the universe in order to fulfill the expression of love. All beings desire the experience of true love through a mutual relationship. Love is the one power in the universe that absolutely no one can possess by himself.

Once we have a partner, however, love gives us the power to share the entire universe. Likewise, a husband and wife need children in order to experience the profound joy of parental love.

Thus, we can say that God created human beings and the universe as His reciprocal partners in order to bring about true love. All types of love -- including love of children, love of siblings, love of husband and wife, and love of parents -- come about through the unity of subject and object partners.

When two partners become one in true love, it is impossible to separate them. If for any reason separation occurs, true love is destroyed. Therefore, in true love there is no concept of divorce.

When a man feels love, the feeling is not generated on its own. The feeling awakens in his heart because of a particular woman. Likewise, the fire of love is kindled in the heart of a woman not by herself alone but by the man she loves.

In other words, our love belongs to our partner. Thus, we should honor our partner’s love as being even more precious than our love.

True love comes through both horizontal and vertical reciprocal relationships. A horizontal relationship of true love is gradually elevated in a vertical direction until it eventually reaches the pinnacle. This pinnacle is the position of the "King and Queen of True Love." We are born for the sake of love, live for the sake of love, and finally die for the sake of love.


Adam and Eve's False Love

God’s ideal was for one couple, Adam and Eve, centering on true love, to become the seed from which all the world’s families, clans, nations and, finally, the multitudinous citizenry of the Kingdom of Heaven would be descended. Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven can be created only in accordance with God’s tradition of true love.

In all creation, the most precious entities are human beings -- men and women.

Furthermore, the most precious part of the human body is not the nose, the eyes, the hands, or even the brain. It is the sexual organs, the main organs of love. Everything in the universe can be recreated through the sexual parts.

Most living things -- whether plants or animals -- multiply through sex.

The most precious and outstanding family begins with a husband and wife who are one with each other. Our love organs are the main sanctuary of life, occupying a position of incredible value where blood lineage and history are connected. God’s fundamental principle is to create through male and female.

For a man and woman to share absolute love, however, they should have only one partner. We must not have two or more partners, but only one, eternally.

There is absolutely only one man for each woman and one woman for each man. That is why God did not create two Adams or two Eves. Tragically, in the world today we see children who have had as many as ten stepfathers. How false and degraded love has become!

When men and women uphold and preserve chastity, they are protecting the universe. The discipline of love between men and women is the foundation of the universe. We must not abuse our love as if we were animals. Our love can only have one owner. The word "true" in "true love" does not allow for the possibility of more than one partner. There can be only one. This is an absolute law.

Not just anyone can say they have 'true love'. Only God can really love with true love, and only God absolutely owns true love. God’s true life, God’s true lineage, and God’s true conscience emerges from true love. In this way, the most fundamental essence of God is true love.


God’s Children

We are created as God’s children. As we grow in love, relating to brothers and sisters, becoming husbands and wives, giving birth and raising children, God is present each step of the way, harvesting true love. God observes and guides us as we develop, and He becomes the owner of love at each stage.

In this sense, it can be said that human beings, through whom God comes to own all love, are more precious to God than He is to Himself. In the same way, we attach a thousand times more value to the person we love than to ourselves. God invests Himself for those He loves and then forgets this investment.

Then he invests again and again. In the same way, a wife who wants her husband to be a success invests herself in her husband and then forgets this investment.

By investing herself and forgetting, she enables him to achieve his full potential in life. When we as partners continue to invest in each other and forget, the level of our love is elevated, and we will ultimately find ourselves connected to God. This is how we can fulfill our parent-child relationship with God and have eternal life.

Everyone wants to go to heaven, but those whose attitude is "Everyone should live for me," will not get there. True love begins with embracing and living for the sake of all God’s masterpieces of creation. The way we can reach heaven is to live for all humankind and ultimately for God.

Again, the ideal family and ideal nation are the places where all of us -- as parents, children, couples, brothers and sisters, and nations -- want to establish ownership of true love. From there, eternal world peace will emerge, the Kingdom of God on Earth will dawn, and the Kingdom of God in Heaven will blossom.

Beginning from the year 2000, in every corner of the globe, countless blessed families united with the Parents of Heaven and Earth will initiate a new family revolution and worldwide moral revolution, centering on true love. God is longing to see the eternal ideal Kingdom of God built on Earth as well as in Heaven. Let us join in this holy task. May God’s blessing be abundant upon you and your family."SMM


Return for Tomorrow's Post: True Love is Center of God's Desire

This post was derived from the Religious Book: 40 Years in America