Pyeong Hwa Gyeong: Episode 209
Pyeong Hwa Gyeong: A Selection of True Parents’ Speeches
Book 5: Absolute Values and New World Order
Speech 9: Unification Thought as the Basis of a New Cultural Revolution, pg 744-747
Unification Thought as the Basis of a New Cultural Revolution
November 25, 1983
Chicago Marriott Hotel, Chicago, USA
Twelfth International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences
Honorable chairmen, committee chairpersons, distinguished scholars, ladies and gentlemen:
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to you for coming to Chicago to participate in the twelfth International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences. Since the first ICUS, these conferences have progressed greatly.
The ICUS achievement is a result of the coordination and dedicated work of many of you, performed in the face of enormous negative peer pressure and persecution. Your work has created in the ICUS a conference unsurpassed in the entire world. I would like to express my deepest appreciation for your efforts and contributions and at the same time congratulate you for what you have accomplished.
The new cultural revolution should be based on absolute values
The world is undergoing rapid changes that correspond to the remarkable development of science and technology. As a result the established values of society are being shaken to their foundation, causing confusion and conflict on every level. This trend has been accelerated by the growing influence of atheistic materialism. All of these factors have driven many difficult problems to beset our world today. Until now, people have not been able to find genuine solutions to these problems.
It is clear that neither democracy nor communism provides the means to cure the ills of society. Originally both democracy and communism developed from the desire to solve humanity’s common problems. Yet not only has democracy been unsuccessful at this task, it has proved itself unable to resist and overcome the destructiveness of communism. Communism on the other hand also is completely unable to solve the world’s problems and ironically creates even more woes for the human race. Thus the world is at an impasse; democracy and communism are faced with a no-win situation leading to a dead end. This being our present reality, the future of humankind seems bleak and unpredictable.
Why then are democracy and communism not the answer? A careful analysis of both systems shows that neither has a core of truth in the ultimate sense. Democracy may serve as the basis for a political system, but it does not provide a clear and comprehensive worldview. Communism offers an inclusive, systematic worldview, but it is one based on false assumptions and distorted facts.
What is needed then is a third alternative—a movement based on a new understanding of truth, one that gives hope by presenting a new vision of world society. This is in fact the Unification movement, with the Unification Thought system—a complete, systematic worldview grounded in truth and absolute values. A new cultural revolution is coming, and all scholars and professionals are called to participate in creating it.
Learning from the shortcomings of democracy and communism, we conclude that a new cultural revolution can come only on the foundation of absolute values. These cannot be relative values grounded in the changing world of phenomena. Rather they must be universal and ultimate values, grounded in the unchanging world of essence and cause, in the fundamental relationships between God, human beings and the universe.
We initiated the ICUS meetings for the purpose of resolving the present world problems and developing this third alternative worldview. When I founded the ICUS conferences twelve years ago, I established “absolute values” as their central theme. I did so because I believe that unchanging, universal values are the essential foundation for a true worldview. In addition to the ICUS meetings, I initiated many other conferences and projects in order to prepare for the building of an ideal society, society as it exists in the dreams and hopes of all people. The Unification movement’s purpose, for which I have been working all my life, is to create the new cultural revolution based on this new systematic worldview. Our movement has expanded to over 130 countries. As a result many conscientious people now seriously consider our guiding principles—the Unification Thought system—as a new expression of truth.
Generally, there has been openness to the Unification ideology in the democratic world and great interest in its potential. The communist world on the other hand has been consistently hostile toward the Unification movement, and communist elements within democracies have used the democratic system as a tool to try to destroy us. Communist leaders regard us as their primary enemy and have opposed each and every project related to Rev. Moon. The ICUS organization is no exception. Communists know that Rev. Moon founded this conference and has always considered it to be of the highest importance. This is a major cause of the accusation and persecution ICUS has received since its inception.
The communists’ work against the Unification movement
Communists use deceit and terrorism to undermine the free world. You undoubtedly are aware of communist slander and sabotage in your own countries, just as I am aware of their work against the Unification movement. We cannot overlook this problem any longer. Therefore, I have chosen this occasion to speak to you clearly about the reality of the communist attack against the Unification movement and the entire free world. I think it is necessary for you to know these things for your own sake, for the sake of defending academic freedom and defending the free world as a whole.
As the Unification movement has developed worldwide there have been many incidents of hostility and persecution from communists. As a result we have suffered many setbacks everywhere. It originally was a mystery to us why we received such opposition when our activities were so beneficial to society. To discover the real source of the opposition, we began an investigation. Today I am going to speak about the information we have uncovered in Japan, where the Unification movement is successful and very well known. I believe this information will be useful to people in all countries, since the communist effort to destroy the free world as well as our movement is consistent worldwide. A more detailed exposition of what I am about to say will soon be published as a book, which I hope you all will read.
Like the United States, Japan boasts great freedom for her citizens. Few people realize, however, that in the midst of such an advanced society, the KGB and Japanese Communist Party are attacking freedom by instigating “deprogramming” actions against people who decide to join our movement. At times they even obtain help from the courts. Our investigation reveals conclusively that communists have organized to spread lies, distortions and unfounded allegations in a conspiracy to destroy the Unification movement and me. Through the systematic spread of disinformation, the communists work to mobilize allies and establish a “unified front” against the Unification movement. This creates polarization, conflict and struggle—a mix that communists always capitalize on in order to eliminate all possible opposition.
The Japanese Communist Party regards the Unification movement as its principal enemy. It has publicly declared that the struggle against our movement is more important than even the struggle against “Japanese capitalism” and “American imperialism.” At the Japanese Communist Party’s National Leaders Conference held June 5-7, 1978, Chairman Kenji Miyamoto stated that the destruction of the Unification movement is a “righteous battle that will be remembered in history.” Furthermore he urged all “democratic forces” to unite and launch an all-out effort to accomplish this “historic task.” The communists in Japan have mobilized several hundred groups to oppose us.
I founded the Unification movement for the purpose of realizing the ultimate ideal of God and humankind: the kingdom of heaven on earth. Ours is a movement to revive religion and to educate people in all aspects of human endeavor. It is historically inevitable that a spiritual movement such as ours encounter opposition from established forces with different interests and directions. All religious movements had to go through intense persecution and hostility at their outset. Only by overcoming those difficulties were they able to enter the mainstream of thought and become a guiding force for future generations. Judaism, Christianity and even democracy and communism are examples of this pattern.
FFWPU, USA