Pyeong Hwa Gyeong: Episode 215
Pyeong Hwa Gyeong: A Selection of True Parents’ Speeches
Book 5: Absolute Values and New World Order
Speech 12: Leaping Forward and Gaining Momentum, pg 767-769
Creating a new culture centered on God’s truth and love
Long before the first ICUS, I became convinced that scientists should play a decisive role in building a good and hopeful future society. My support and enthusiasm for ICUS for the past fourteen years has come from my respect and my expectation for scholars’ potential to solve the world’s problems. I hope that such a potential can be developed and mobilized through ICUS and that responsible scholars will actively contribute to the realization of the new cultural revolution.
This is the fourteenth ICUS. The number fourteen is twice the number seven. According to Unification theology, the importance of the number seven, like the number three, is that it signifies perfection. Up until now, ICUS has been committing itself to relating scientific studies to the discovery and realization of absolute values. In addition, it has been concerned with the integration of knowledge, that is, with an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to the understanding of reality. Yet an integrated approach is not possible without establishing absolute values, and the criteria for absolute values come from God, the origin of absolute love. Many people have now come to recognize the necessity of absolute values. I am grateful that the chairmen and the members of the planning committee have resolved misunderstandings and become pioneers on this new path.
From now on, where is ICUS supposed to head? Should we be satisfied with annual conferences carried out just as before? My answer is based on my recent emphasis on the new cultural revolution. I think that the potential and foundation for realizing the original ideals and happiness of humankind are greatly endangered, because evil is now challenging humankind most seriously and essentially.
We, as the ICUS family, should stand up and take on the great mission of creating a new culture in this world. We need to invest everything for its establishment. The exploration of absolute values for its own sake is meaningless. Truth has eternal direction, and the ideal world founded on absolute values must be concretely realized. This realization requires that we act determinedly and rise above the difficulties we encounter in the present reality.
Today, the world should change. Now is the time for scholars to responsibly come to the forefront, advancing a new cultural revolution based on God’s truth and love. We orient this new cultural revolution with God’s ideal for humanity and all creation. In order for this ideal to be accomplished, each of us needs to fulfill our responsibility in realizing true love, not only knowledge, as an absolute value.
Humankind should now leap forward. The creation of a culture of new dimension, enabling us to overcome the limits of our present reality, is necessary. We should wake up from the illusion wrought by arrogant beliefs that the power of human reason alone can bring about the perfection of individuals and the world, and the laxity it engenders. Our effort will remain in vain if we fail to relate to God’s expectations for the original human character and to God’s providence behind the turmoil of human history. Humbly recognizing our limitations as human beings, we are called to fulfill the ideal of unity with God through leaping forward, in sync with the historical momentum introduced by God’s providence. God’s ideal for the creation was meant wholly for human beings. We naturally conclude, therefore, that the ideal has to be fulfilled through our human response to God’s comprehensive concern.
Let us become pioneers who practice absolute values
Respected scholars! I have been committing my whole life to fulfilling God’s Will by fulfilling human responsibility. As a pioneer, I never tried to avoid even the most rugged path. For instance, I determined to offer an alternative to the existing biases of the news media. I have closely watched the process of how the news media offer information, the good points and bad. I know through my experience, as many of you know, that the misuse of the news media’s power can undermine and destroy the foundation of goodness. Therefore, for years we have been sponsoring at great cost The Washington Times. Recently, I inspired the publication of the weekly news magazine, Insight. Further, in this coming month, we are going to release a monthly magazine called The World & I. These projects will offer alternative media for education and mass communication that will contribute to the promotion of truth and the common good.
I ask you to become pioneers in a new cultural revolution through participating in the continuous pursuit of truth, and by contributing articles about your findings to e World & I. Furthermore, I envision the publication of dictionaries for the different specialized fields of science, with the help of our worldwide Professors World Peace Academy (PWPA) and Paragon House Publishers. All this is in preparation for the publishing of an encyclopedia of human events, which will, under the guidance of absolute values, contribute constructive educational material based on keen insights into original human character.
Respected scholars! We would not fulfill our leadership and social responsibility by remaining indifferent to the existing world of contradictions and presenting no alternatives. We have to show a new standard, not missing this precious historical and global momentum. It has come not by chance; God has granted it to us. We should set an example by leaping ahead and firmly awakening all people to fight against injustice. Leaping ahead involves risks and adventure. A full-fledged adventure on a false foundation would result in greater difficulties. However, where there is truth, practice is always bound to follow in its wake. We need to become champions in the practice of absolute values and actively lead the world.
I hope this conference will not only become a forum for free and open discussions, in which useful conclusions are reached, but also a historic event through which we determine to energize this suffering world, that it may give birth to the world of a new culture.
I deeply thank the members of the planning committee for their very hard work for this conference. May God bless all of you and your families!
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