Cham Bumo Gyeong: Episode 310

Cham Bumo Gyeong
Book 11: Ecumenical Initiatives
Chapter 1: Ecumenical and Interfaith Initiatives
Section 3: The Movement to Transcend Religion, Movement toward oneness
Section 4. Religious Coalition and World Peace, Paragraph 04

Movement toward oneness

A series of three seminars, where representatives of the Unification Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church appeared as speakers, was held in Seoul beginning August 15, 1966. Taking this opportunity, True Parents founded a Christian ecumenical office on November 11, 1966, and inaugurated the Supra-Denominational Christian Association in 1974. On March 28, 1981, they founded the International Christian Professors Association (ICPA) and on August 14, 1981, the International Christian Student Association (ICSA).

17  On September 9, 1968, at the Christian Academy House, the Unification Church held a dialogue with some 40 Christian leaders at a meeting entitled "Current Research on New Religions." Participants included the highest leaders of the Christian world, people who had opposed me for many years. To them I appeared worthless, but as the meeting proceeded, they saw that I was not what they had expected. I have come to hold a heart of real compassion for them. The fact that they consented to meet me and were able to hear the truth of the Unification Church is evidence that they had come to a stage where they could reconsider. We had aroused extraordinary interest throughout Korea. They said, "The Unification Church frightens us. We can never match its theories." Amid persecution, the Unification Church pioneered the path of restoration. Even if the whole country stands up to oppose us, I will express love as broad as the sea to embrace and welcome everyone.

18  If the Unification Church is to become Abel, it must restore the Cain churches. We must pour out everything in our capacity for the sake of Cain, not for the sake of Abel. This is why the Unification Church has held seminars on the Unification Principle for Christian ministers since 1971. In order to perfect Abel, we must restore the Cain realm. Failure to do so means we cannot return to our victorious position as Abel. Thus, the Unification Church cannot exist just for itself. This is its historical destiny. Due to the failure of the first Cain and Abel, the cancer of the Fall spread. We cannot go back unless we resolve that. So the Unification Church, as the Abel group, must push on until the Cain group gives in willingly. When Cain and Abel unite and go forward in the same direction, together they will absorb Korea, which will become the Abel-type country. On the foundation of Christianity and the Unification Church becoming one and advancing in the same direction, we will be able to absorb the Republic of Korea and make it the Abel-type nation. On the foundation of Christianity and the Unification Church becoming one, the nation and people will take the center, and together we will be able to take responsibility for the mission of Abel.

19  The Unification Church has been fiercely opposed so far, but now at the end of 1971, the situation is such that individuals in positions representing that of a chief priest come to study the Principle and afterward write confidential reports. Many people say they will join our association. Christianity has changed. Pastors who used to burst out in anger if a Unification Church believer so much as appeared on their church doorstep now welcome our members. There are many who welcome us. These days they say that they want our religious workers to hold public presentations on the Divine Principle, not just for pastors but even for lay ministers.

20  About 100 pastors have heard the Principle of the Unification Church. They were moved and said things like, "For a long time I did not understand the kind of person Reverend Moon is." They said that in the past they did not know anything about us, and tried to get rid of this Mr. Moon. The world has changed. Now, even pastors in their pulpits cannot warn people against visiting the Unification Church. Eminent pastors themselves visit the Unification Church. If they are learning the Principle, they certainly cannot tell their members not to visit the Unification Church.

21  Recently a famous Korean theologian lectured about us at a church in Seoul. After he finished, the audience came to realize that the Unification Church is not going to go away, and a group of attendees even became possessed with fear of us. But Christian leaders are becoming highly interested in our ecumenical movement. Because we have arrived in this position, we must expeditiously develop activities at Christian universities, even a university student movement. From the ideological perspective, we must bring about awareness of the Unification Church throughout the country. Now the song of unification must go forth around the world.

22  The day is dawning when we can be welcomed throughout the country. Therefore, we will work to stir up a fresh breeze. The fastest way is by holding seminars. If we hold these in Seoul, the breeze will spread to the whole country. If we cannot hold them in Seoul, then we must hold them in each district. Even if we have them in only one province, we must concentrate on that place and carry out a movement to bring harmony between Unificationists and Christians. That is the only way the nation and the world can survive. The direction of the providence can be determined from a single point. When Korea becomes that one point, we can raise a banner that announces to the world that we have completed the mission in our homeland.

23  If Christian students hear the Principle just once, they become elite troops for heaven. In contrast, ordinary people need to spend six months to a year and a half to learn the Principle. Now the issue is, who can move Christians in the university towns? So far, working to impact professors through PWPA and students through CARP has not worked so well. But when we center on the Christians on university campuses, bringing the Christian professors and Christian students into oneness, we will be able to move the non-Christian professors.

24  When I told major Christian leaders that I would sponsor a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, an uproar broke out in Christian circles. I am working for the sake of reviving Christianity. When church elders or pastors listen to my words, even for only eight hours, they come to our side. They do not offer any counter-arguments, but say it is all good. In a sense, for them the sun is already setting and night is falling, while rays of light are shining upon the Unification Church. People of faith will find no alternative that equals us. In this sense, we are seeing the destinies of Christianity and the Unification Church reaching a crossing point. This shift in Christianity is an important opportunity in history. We have had nothing but a spiritual foundation, but we are entering the age in which we can inherit a foundation in this physical world.

Section 4. Religious Coalition and World Peace

God-centered religious coalition

True Parents made clear that the central being in whom each religion believes is actually one divinity, God. In accordance with this, True Parents founded a movement for religious dialogue and alliance based on God. To accomplish its purpose of achieving world peace, they said we must stop focusing on doctrines by which denominations separate, and correctly understand God, who has been working behind all religions.

1  Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Confucianism are today's great worldwide religions. The characteristics of peoples in different geographical regions are determined by their unique cultures, so these religious traditions had to emerge to form paths that are able to connect these cultures as one world. After developing within their own cultural realms, these faiths must advance to create one, world of peace. Accordingly, centering on the providence of the absolute God, as the Last Days draw near, believers will venture out and connect by means of a movement for religious coalition.

2  Today, idealists are emerging who are pursuing a unified, peaceful world. Nevertheless, religious believers still have not cast off their divisive denominational doctrines. When observed from the perspective of God's Will, their position is backward and senseless. God, after all, does not need a variety of religions. After religions unite based on His Will, God is expecting them to go forward in harmony to liberate the world, abolish evil on earth, and create a world of goodness. He does not want denominations to argue with each other over doctrine. When seen from this perspective, more inclusive cultures incorporate narrower ones—this does not happen by force, but takes place naturally. Because we want to better ourselves and the world, this is inevitable.

3  As God is absolute, there cannot be two worlds that God wants to see exist. There can be only one. Therefore, all historical directions that have proceeded according to His plan from the creation until now should have aligned as one, but that has not been the case. Why is this? It is because of the Fall, which has caused us to move in scattered directions with contradictory purposes. When one asks what can unify humanity in a cooperative direction toward a single goal, one finds that it is the providence of God, who is trying to save us from our tragic confusion and suffering.

God is called by different names in different religious traditions. But the central being in whom everyone believes is the same one God. The direction and purpose that religions always teach is one. Religions set that one direction and purpose as the standard. Eventually, therefore, all religions will welcome a great age of reformation after putting their own houses in order.

4  There are many religions in the world. Humanity is divided, so it is natural for religions to differ by ethnic group. Because different peoples' history, environment, cultural background, customs and practices are all so divergent, there must be many denominations. They exist in order to draw people together and focus them on a single purpose.

We can compare this to a river. Religions are like tributaries of a river. As the river flows downstream, the number of tributaries decreases and all eventually combine into one river. Likewise, the world's numerous religions are combining into one mainstream that, in the end, comes to remain in the place where all attend God in their heart and occupy the love of God.