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Free book or DVD for visitors who join our mailing list!
Join our mailing list and receive a copy of Reverend Moon's autobiography in book form for only $3 to cover postage costs or choose a Divine Principle introductory lecture free on DVD, plus get frequent updates on new videos and programs. The DVD introductory lecture is #1 of 15 and is 60 minutes long, presented by Rev McCarthy. It provides an overall summary of our theology, the Divine Principle.
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The Advent of the Cheon Seong Gyeong
The translation and publication of the Cheon Seong Gyeong has been the most ambitious translation project ever undertaken in relation to the words of Reverend Moon. This was a project of biblical proportions, with translators and editors striving both in Korea and in their native countries to capture the depths and complexity of Reverend Moon’s discourse and prepare books, beautifully bound, to present to Reverend and Mrs. Moon at the palace entrance ceremony on June 13 this year. It continues with new languages joining the project every week.
The Cheon Seong Gyeong brings together selections from Reverend Moon’s speeches given since 1956 – 50 years ago. These have been organized into a single volume in English of 2,500 pages divided into 16 books.
Up to now the work has been printed in English, French, Spanish, Romanian, Ukranian, Mongolian, Thai, Chinese and Taiwanese Chinese. It is now being translated into some 30 other languages, though some of these are right at the very beginning. Reverend Moon has explained the Cheon Seong Gyeong as follows:
“This is the holy book for the Kingdom of Heaven. In Cheon Seong Gyeong, the word Cheon consists of the Chinese characters meaning two and people. When you think of who are the two central people in a family, you think of the husband and wife. The separation of heaven and earth came about because husband and wife in the Garden of Eden lost the way to love. Therefore, in order for heaven and earth to reach completion, these two people must follow the holy way in which they must love completely. This way is elucidated in Cheon Seong Gyeong.” He adds, “Cheon Seong Gyeong defines the way for two people to walk towards holiness; this way is none other than the family.”
To each era of His providence, God has given His word. Reverend Moon has indicated that Cheon Seong Gyeong contains the word for the era of God’s Kingdom of Cheon Il Guk; that is, Cheon Seong Gyeong is a foundation, internally speaking, for the establishment of the new heaven and earth under God’s direct dominion, hence the timing of its emergence.
If one wants to make a comparison with the Bible, it would be an equivalent of the earliest printed edition, which as special providential and historical significance.
The work to translate and edit demanded a reassessment of the way many of the concepts Reverend Moon addresses are expressed in English. Cheon Seong Gyeong thus creates a virtual university of study material, poses challenging questions and demands us to seek solutions – in the areas of both theology and translation.
Cheon Seong Gyeong carries a lot of new material that has not been adequately represented in the English language. There are interesting retranslations of previously published material that offer more internal reconstructions, and thus more intimately reveal the nuance of Reverend Moon’s thinking and feeling. Included, for example, is an entire book on blessed family etiquette and ceremonies, and a book devoted to Reverend Moon’s discourse on the Family Pledge and guidance on the content we regularly pledge to fulfill. All of Reverend Moon’s emotions are present from the wrathful to the tender and compassionate.
Cheon Seong Gyeong was not created to be a flowery summary of Reverend Moon’s basic teachings. It strives more towards the core and is somewhat untamed; one might say it is more for the seasoned practitioner than for the novice, but there are many passages offering touching insight to whomever might be reading.
The words of Cheon Seong Gyeong express True Parents’ life-long experience of the sorrowful heart of Gold, and of the painful history of the providence of restoration. As such, they contain eternal guiding principles for our own lives.
Click here to understand more about the Cheon Seong Gyeong!
German Supreme Court Overturns Eleven Year Ban Against Reverend & Mrs. Moon
Thursday, November 9, 2006
Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, founders of the Family Federation for World Peace and the Universal Peace Federation, today won a major victory in the German Supreme Court. The court overturned an 11-year ban preventing the couple from entering Germany or any of the other 14 nations in Europe party to the Schengen Treaty which sets up a common immigration policy among them all.
The case had aroused indignation around the world from international statesmen, human rights organizations and religious leaders, among others. In 2001 then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had lodged an official protest about the case with the German government and in June of this year 40 international statesmen wrote an open letter to Chancellor Merkel calling for the ban to be lifted. It had also been the subject of litigation for the past 11 years.
The Supreme Court stated that it "overruled the verdict by the lower courts because:
"[I]t was based upon an unfounded understanding of the sphere protected by Art. 4 Para.1 and 2 of the German Constitution [Religious Liberty and the Right of Free Religious Practice]."
Lower courts had upheld Rev Moon's movement as a bona fide religion entitled to full constitutional protection but had not thought that preventing Reverend and Mrs. Moon from entering Germany to meet members of the religion and its supporters was a sufficent violation of religious freedom to warrant their intervention. The Supreme Court strongly disagreed. It said:-
"[T]he court based its decision on evaluating genuinely religious concerns, belonging to the internal affairs of the plaintiff, which governmental institutions are not supposed to deal with. Concerning the question, what would be the significance of a personal encounter by the members of a religious community with their founder or spiritual leader, only the understanding of the community itself can be authoritative."
Most importantly the government had tried to utilise the Schengen treaty (which is designed to protect national security) to prevent the exercise, the growth and development of a religion. Reverend and Mrs. Moon's lawyers had argued that the government's insistence that a visit would threaten national security was spurious. Clearly agreeing with this, the Supreme Court stated:-
"[I]t has to be duly considered that in accordance with the Schengen Agreement the listing implies the existence of dangers for public security and order or national security. It is not obvious that a visit by the Moon Couple would entail such dangers that would justify the continuation of the listing of the Moon Couple."
Mr Timothy Read, National Director of the Family Federation in the UK, said today:-
"This German decision is the latest sign that a radical global reappraisal of Reverend and Mrs Moon's life and work is underway. A series of highest court decisions in Europe has vindicated them of the kind of baseless allegations that used to be bandied about in the tabloids. Our charitable status was upheld here in 1988 and last year the government [in the UK] lifted a similar ban to the German one after being criticised by the Immigration Appeal Tribunal.
"Governments around the world are turning to Reverend Moon for advice about solving global conflicts and are now seeing him as very much part of the solution rather than as part of the problem. A dramatic turnaround is taking place in the same way it did with many religious and other leaders in history, including Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela in modern times. These are exciting times for the Unification Movement around the world."
For more information contact - Robin Marsh 07956210768
(Translation from German to English by a government certified translator.)
Supreme Court of Germany
Press Release
Nr. 109/2006 from November 9th 2006
Verdict of October 24th, 2006-11-09 2 BvR 1908/03
Successful Constitutional Complaint by the German Unification Church Against the Entry Ban for the Moon Couple.
Mr. Moon is the founder of the worldwide Unification Church, whose members in Germany are organised as an association, which is litigating the case. At the end of 1995, the Moon Couple intended to enter Germany as part of a world tour. The program envisioned Mr. Moon to deliver a speech with title, "The True Family and I" under the auspices of another association associated with the plaintiff; furthermore the Moon Couple wanted to hold council with their members. In order to prevent this from happening, the Border Police of Koblenz, upon request from the Ministry of Interior, listed the Moon couple with the Schengen Information System as prohibited from entering the Schengen countries, initially for a period of 3 years. The listing was renewed continuously, the last prolongation was in 2004. The legal complaint by the plaintiff, challenging the lawfulness of the listing, remained unsuccessful in the cases with the administrative courts.
The 2nd chamber of the Second Senate of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Germany, overruled the verdict by the lower court.
The verdict is largely based on the following elaborations:
The Upper Administrative court rejected the complaint by the plaintiff because, in its view, the planned visit of the Moon Couple did not be of specific importance for the communal practice of religion and did not have any specific religious content for the members of the plaintiff. By doing so, the court based its decision on evaluating genuinely religious concerns, belonging to the internal affairs of the plaintiff, which governmental institutions are not supposed to deal with. Concerning the question, what would be the significance of a personal encounter by the members of a religious community with their founder or spiritual leader, only the understanding of the community itself can be authoritative. Thus Art, 4 Para 1 and 2 of the German Constitution deal with the central question of caring for and promoting matters of faith and denomination; governmental institutions are not to evaluate these as a matter of principle. The intended visit by the Moon Couple also was supposed to serve - as part of the plan - the purpose of fostering contact among the believers and their religious founders, which, according to the understanding of the Unification Church, does have religious significance. In view of the central role the founder enjoys, as is the case with any religions centering on such a person, special reasons would have been necessary to justify any different opinion.
However Art. 4 Para 1 and 2 of the German constitution does not grant a right of entrance for persons willing to enter, nor a right to a religious community wishing anybody to enter. However, it is mandatory to consider the self-understanding of the religious community as much as possible. Taking into consideration the interests and concerns of the plaintiff in doing the listing in the Schengen Information System and its binding character to all Schengen member states, it has to be duly considered that in accordance with the Schengen Agreement the listing implies the existence of dangers for public security and order or national security. It is not obvious that a visit by the Moon Couple would entail such dangers that would justify the continuation of the listing of the Moon Couple, when considering the interests of the plaintiff. As far as the Ministry of Interior bases its decision to forbid entry upon contradictions between the content of believes by the plaintiff and the value system of the constitution, it has to be clarified that religious communities, their belief system and other matters of purely internal concern, in principle are not bound to follow the views and values, which the state deems appropriate according to the constitution. This should not play a role in governing the balance between Religious Liberty on one hand and closing the border on the other.
Full account in German
http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/entscheidungen/rk20061024_2bvr190803.html
Blessing the Family and the Nation!
'God's Ideal Family: The Kingdom of the Peaceful Ideal World'
Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon (Mrs. Sun Myung Moon) gave a major address on Saturday, April 29, 2006 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, part of her world tour. Several thousand people of all faiths came to hear her inspiring message, which revealed critically important insights about God's mission for America. Her topic, "God's Ideal Family: The Kingdom of the Peaceful Ideal World," was the centerpiece of a wonderful blessing and marriage event, which created an important spiritual condition for America.
The Original Palace:
True Parents' Benediction
The beautiful and grand Original Palace is being erected at Korea's Cheongpyong Holy Ground, which the Reverend and Mrs. Moon established and for which they have offered sincere devotion since the 1960s. To paraphrase Reverend Moon, he said that after beginning his mission to the world, he hoped to unite the religious world and build the Original Palace in Korea by the age of 40. (Nov. 8, 1999) The Original Palace was to be built in 1960 when he turned 40 years old. However, the Original Palace providence could not be fulfilled due to the opposition of the Korean government and Christianity at that time. Only after the coming of the Cheon Il Guk era is the Original Palace that can receive God and True Parents finally and substantially being erected on the face of Cheonseong Mountain. His son Heung Jin Nim explained: "With the completion of the construction of the Original Palace, and with Reverend and Mrs. Moon's entry into it in 2006, the circumstances of the spiritual and physical worlds will change completely. The heavenly fortune of God will overflow both on the earth and in the spirit world. God's providence will make rapid progress, hastening the establishment of God's peace kingdom. Hence, all blessed families and members throughout the world should devote themselves to the construction of the Original Palace and filfill their responsibility as sons and daughters." (Sept. 19, 2005, Chuseok of the Liberation of Heaven and Earth) It is thus their hope that all of us try to understand the spiritual significance of the Original Palace and invest time to understand God's purpose for it.
Reverend Moon's Peace Initiative Garners Unexpected Support:
100-City Tour Visits District
Contact: Arthur Herstein, 301-793-8839 (cell)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- From African American preachers to U.N. diplomats to the Governor of Alaska, it seems that more and more people are taking interest in the peace initiatives of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The outspoken 85-year-old Korean evangelist will visit the District this evening as the "Now is God's Time" tour comes to the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road NW, in Washington. A reception begins at 5:30 p.m., press conference will be held at 5:30 p.m., and the program starts at 6:30 p.m.
Washington is the fifth of 12 cities that the energetic preacher and founder of the Washington Times will visit. More than 12,000 clergy and civic leaders are expected to gather over several nights to join in the launch of a new global body for the resolution of conflict, the Universal Peace Federation. The tour began Sept. 12 in New York with a program at the Lincoln Center, attended by U.N. officials, past and present heads of state and 375 religious and community leaders from 128 countries, and will visit 100 cities worldwide by the end of this year.
The Universal Peace Federation grows out of the affiliation of other world organizations, including the Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace and the 50,000-member Ambassadors for Peace. "We are hoping to be in every nation of the world," said spokesman Sir James Mancham, founding president of the Seychelles, "as a way of changing the global conversation about how nations work together beyond the traditional channels." Membership includes current and former heads-of-state, diplomats, religious and community leaders. In recent weeks, U.S. Ambassadors for Peace have been working in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina. Nominations for Ambassadors for Peace appointments at tonight's program include a former U.S. senator, an Iraqi women's rights activist, as well as ambassadors and other international leaders.
The Ambassadors for Peace have also made hopeful inroads in some of the world's most difficult flashpoints. The "Middle East Peace Initiative" launched by Rev. Moon brought more than 10,000 religious and civic leaders to
Israel and Gaza in the past two years, promoting interreligious reconciliation and dialogue with both sides. Rev. Walter Fauntroy, noted civil rights leader and ten-term congressman for the District of Columbia has shared with Palestinian leaders the work of Martin Luther King, and in particular his successful strategy of non-violence. "There is genuine, deep interest in learning new strategies," said Fauntroy, "and a willingness to see religious and spiritual values as part of the solution rather than the problem." Jewish and Muslim leaders also agree, says four-term Jerusalem City Councilman Dr. Eleazar Glaubach. "Rev. Moon's efforts bringing thousands of pilgrims of every faith to Israel in just two years have done more to advance peace than ten years of discussing roadmaps."
The federation's ultimate goal is to address the cultural and religious dimensions of conflict, and promote reconciliation through "forgiving one's enemies." "We hope to bind nations together in a way that the
United Nations has thus far been unable to," said Stanislav Shushkevich, former president of Belarus. At the tour's opening, Moon addressed a crowd that included U.N. diplomats. "The U.N. has yet to discover the way to fulfill its founding purpose," he noted, admonishing its member nations for putting the interests of their own countries above that of world peace. The federation will also promote global family renewal and service work as instruments for peacemaking.
The aging but energetic evangelist has been outspoken in challenging countries to redirect their energies from wars to cooperative projects for peace and development. "Why must we continue pouring countless dollars into wars that, in the end, will never bring the reconciliation of enemies?" Moon asks. "The time has come for the countries of the world to pool their resources and advance toward the world of peace desired by God."
Among the projects that Moon will unveil this evening is the most ambitious civil engineering project in history, the "Peace Tunnel," a 52-mile, $200 billion link between the United States and Russia across the Bering Strait that will physically link the two nations for the first time since the last ice age. The idea has been favorably received by Russian scholars and political leaders, who say that it will open up their country to completely new opportunities for peaceful trade and cultural exchange. According to the Ketchikan Daily News (Sept. 18), Moon's proposal prompted Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski to raise the issue in talks with former Russian president Boris Yeltsin.
"Some may doubt that such a project can be completed," says Moon in his speech, "But where there is a will, there is always a way -- especially if it is the will of God."
"He has been building bridges all his life to bring the races and religions of the world together," says Archbishop George Stallings of the African American Catholic Congregation based in Washington, D.C. "It is natural that he would now launch this visionary appeal to physically unite the world in a project that demands peaceful cooperation."
Addressing divisions of class, race and politics such as those brought to light by the recent tragedy in the Gulf, Moon said, "It is time to set new coordinates for our lives and to come out from behind the barriers of our own nation, our own religion, our own race and culture and make a decisive effort for peace. God has been longing to see the human family reunited, and this is His time." Moon's various peace initiatives have garnered increasing support for the often controversial leader from a variety of sources. "Rev. Moon is fulfilling the ideals that were first taught to me by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr," Fauntroy told a similar gathering in D.C. in June. Rabbi Mordechai Waldman of Detroit expressed, "such a movement of all races, faiths and nations is a miracle of God. We should all pray that Father and Mother Moon live for 120 years."
Moon's claim that he has a divine mandate has generated controversy, but a number of religious leaders joining the tour support it. "He speaks with the authority of God," Stallings told the Connecticut Post (Sept. 22), adding he doesn't mind that Moon is controversial or misunderstood. "I've never met anyone like him." Reverend Darryl Gray, former Kansas State Representative and communications director for the SCLC noted, "The man is hitting on all the spiritual hot buttons of contemporary society, including racial and interfaith relations, marriage and family, homosexuality, fighting AIDS, peace in the Middle East, and what is more, he's never pulled his punches." Added Mancham, "Rev. Moon's vision and commitment are incredible."
"The role of the prophet is to speak truth to power," says Dr. Amos Brown, San Francisco pastor and former member of the Board of Supervisors. "And the prophet is always misunderstood. It happened to Martin Luther King, and the same thing is happening to Rev. Moon."
http://www.usnewswire.com/
Copyright © 2005 U.S. Newswire
Read Reverend Moon's special Sept. 12 address!
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For Reverend Moon's June 25 New York City speech:
Click here!
For Reverend Moon's ACLC speech:
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Wednesday Family Meeting:
You're invited to fellowship and fascinating conversation among friendly brothers and sisters each Wednesday at the Hempstead Family Church Center, 7:00 PM. Everyone is welcome. Please contact Pastor Corley by email or phone. Refreshments will be served. The programs are free of charge. Come one, come all.
Long Island Program in East Meadow, NY
By Gregory Davis
Once we were enemies, now we are friends. That simple statement seemed to capture the spirit and atmosphere of a recent gathering at an educational conference hosted by the Family Federation of Long Island (FFWPU) on Saturday, January 29 in East Meadow, NY. The focus of the conference, which featured a lecture presentation by William Lay to approximately 35 people, addressed the critical issue of how to put aside the barriers we find in our different faith traditions and cultures and move more effectively toward a true world peace.
Pastor Tom Corley, head of the Long Island FFWPU, was the emcee and event organizer along with several families in the community. He introduced the discussion topics by pointing out that now is the time for faith communities and leaders to put aside bias and find ways to appreciate and value each other's belief traditions. Pastor Corley emphasized that much of the conflict in the modern era focuses on historical differences that must be resolved with a wider understanding of God's purpose if we are to solve today's global crises. He asked, "Is this not the responsibility of the religious leaders of the various faith communities?" His message of hope and reconciliation set the tone for the entire morning and laid the spiritual and heartistic foundation for the guests to enjoy the program.
Pastor Corley asked a Christian minister from the community, Dr. Margaret Savage, who had brought her family, a minister and his wife, to offer the invocation. Her prayer was followed by an original song - "Peace in Our Time" - which I composed and performed. Based on Jesus' teaching to love your enemy, the song was also a prayer and call for peace. Pastor Corley followed up by introducing the main speaker, Mr. William Lay, Esq., a native Long Islander, who spoke eloquently and passionately about the need for appreciation and reconciliation among the world's great religious traditions. His presentation, which included personal anecdotes and colorful examples, was based on expositions and clarifications of the teaching of Reverend Sun Myung Moon, and was direct and to the point. Mr. Lay emphasized that what we need in order to unite is a fundamental understanding of God and his universal truths of life - principles which, in spite of our spiritual diversity, we can all understand are ecumenical and empowering.
The diverse gathering was truly a representation of the Long Island community and was indeed a mirror of what creates America: people from all over the globe living together and representing the faiths and traditions of their respective cultures. According to Mr. Lay, this variety of culture and tradition, together with deeply held religious conviction, has been the source of much of the unique strength and spirit that is America. The guests seemed to agree. Throughout the program there was applause, appreciation and laughter, hardly the stuff that you might expect from a "stuffy religious gathering."
Among the guests were several Christian ministers, representing a variety of traditions, and several people who had come into contact with the Family Federation of Long Island by way of our current cable TV show, called Divine Principles, which is broadcast on public access across Long Island. The TV program is based on the teachings of Reverend Moon and features an ongoing series of lectures by Reverend Kevin McCarthy of Washington, D.C.
The diner hosted an eclectic mix. There were representatives of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religions, as well as people with no religion at all, curious onlookers who wanted to "see what this was all about." After about an hour, a delicious meal served in the diner. Together with various multimedia presentations outlining other efforts by the FFWPU, the participants were well satisfied by the program's end - you might say stuffed spiritually and physically. It was clear to all who attended that this was about faith, family and friends - a concept that translates well in any culture.
I spoke with several attendees at the conference who expressed satisfaction that something could be "so simple, yet so deep" and others who were surprised that this was Reverend Moon's teaching. One guest with whom I spoke revealed that when she saw that the conference was about Reverend Moon she was tempted to leave. She then realized it was her previous negative bias and that she should really give it a chance. She liked what she heard. "It made sense," she admitted, so she decided to stay. She later confided to me that she had a really great time and especially enjoyed the presentations. She was glad she "gave it a chance."
Another young woman, representing the high school generation, expressed real interest in "something religious" and said that she had "never heard anything quite like this before." She expressed some initial reluctance to attending a "religious event" but was glad that she came. It appears that perhaps Pastor Corley and the FFWPU Long Island have found the right mix, something that can inspire a younger generation as well about spiritual things. Good news, indeed.
One of the many highlights of the program was the personal testimony of the Reverend H.G. McGee, a Baptist minister from Brentwood, NY. He explained, with the spiritual force of a sermon, how he used to be against the teachings and the followers of the Reverend Moon. In descriptive detail, he shared how he used to persecute the missionaries who would come to his church and try to talk to him about the activities of the FFWPU. "They would try to get me to come to this program or that program," he said, "all the while smiling. They were loving me as I was rejecting them." With a tearful recollection, he described how he used to tear up their flowers when he would see family members on the street trying to raise donations. But he changed his attitude and his heart toward Reverend Moon and his work. He expressed with a repentful heart that he had wasted much time fighting against these people instead of working with Reverend Moon and his followers. Reverend McGee told how the catalyst for this change had been a dream in which his deceased father came to him saying clearly that he should work with Reverend Moon, that he was doing "God's work." He testified that now he was doing exactly that.
Pastor Corley concluded the conference by expressing his appreciation to all who attended. He encouraged the guests to reach out in their communities and work across barriers to educate and serve the public. While paying tribute to the good things that have already been done, he encouraged participants to continue to be involved in their community work, to bring awareness that there is importance and strength in our differences and great power in our unity. Finally, he expressed hope that through meetings such as these we could overcome the barriers which divide us. We need to build relationships of trust and friendship that can stand together for faith, family and peace. In order words, it's a work in progress. In the words of a song, "this is a beginning, not the end."
The Family Federation of Long Island will continue to hold conferences throughout the year. All are welcome. For information continue to visit our website or call 516-481-7322 for events and locations.
ACLC Drawing Together the Family of God
[Note: The following comments of the ACLC participants are their own and may not completely represent the views of Reverend Moon or FFWPU Long Island. For example, the only separation of church and state we accept is that there should be no state church.]
Report on the American Clergy Leadership Conference
December 12-14, Washington, DC.
By Joy Schmidt Pople
When an imam and a Jewish scholar walked side by side down an aisle and sat down beside a Pentecostal preacher, perhaps they were answering some altar call to repent for strife in the family of Abraham. Rev. Jesse Edwards from Philadelphia looked pleased when Baruch Shalev and Mohammad Jodeh sat by him during the American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) gathering in Washington, DC, December 12-14, 2004.
Nearly every session concluded with a diverse group of religious leaders on stage, holding hands and praising the one God. There was clapping, singing, joking, shouting, hugging, praying and crying throughout the Wardman Park Marriott Hotel as the spirit of God stirred people's hearts, both individually and collectively.
Rebuilding the Nation
After a divisive presidential election campaign, people assembled in the name of common moral values that lead to peace. "Can you love a right-winger? How about a left-winger?" Rev. Michael Jenkins asked. "A plane cannot fly with just one wing," the ACLC National Co-convener reminded the religious leaders. "It needs two. Fasten your seat belts." ACLC Secretary General, Rev. Levy Daugherty, added: "When you come to a conference like this, bring your rubber band mind and be prepared to be stretched."
Speakers applied lessons from biblical figures to modern times. Rev. Jenkins referred to King Saul, who lost the anointing when he thought he no longer needed the prophet Samuel who had anointed and advised him. "Our nations and our leaders need prophets to bring God's anointing and guidance," he declared. "Imams, rabbis and ministers, rise up and build this nation together."
Imam Jodeh, from Denver, Colorado, stated that God blessed America for two reasons: (1) separation of church and state and (2) religious, racial and cultural diversity. Countering common misconceptions about Islam, he quoted the Qurans declaration that God created humankind from a single pair, Adam and Eve, and made them so that they may know each other and not despise each other. "This is the diversity we should protect and celebrate," he concluded.
Breaking down religious walls
"God did not construct walls," Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, Jr., stated. "Since we constructed them we must tear them down." The National Co-convener of ACLC and founder of Imani Temple in Washington, DC, observed that some people use religion to bind people to doctrine rather than connect them to God. "But we can call out to God using the name from another religion," he added, "and love what is in another's religion. We can be comfortable with the way each other believes, without wedding ourselves to doctrine."
Racial and religious barriers have been separating God's people, and they are breaking down. Rev. Edwards, chair of the ACLC Executive Committee and pastor of Pentecostals of Philadelphia, stated, "I never imagined I would be traveling the country with a Catholic priest, let alone an African-American Catholic priest. I grew up in Tennessee, where there were separate water fountains for blacks and whites. I thank God for meeting Bishop Stallings as a friend and a brother."
Bishop William Wayne Pugh of Bridge Builders International, Atlanta, Georgia, warned people that when they cross the Jordan River, things change. "We dis-fellowship over stupid stuff, like hairstyle, color of clothes, shoe styles," the bishop remarked. "Watch it, brother!" some of the audience answered back, in the call-and-response style. "We are brothers and sisters," he continued, "so we should get together and fellowship on what we can agree on."
Describing himself as a "recovering Fundamentalist," Rev. Carlton Pearson of Azusa International Ministries in Tulsa, Oklahoma, announced that unity of faiths is the ultimate spiritual destiny of humanity. "Is God going to burn millions and billions of people for sin?" he asked. "If so, that would make Him worse than Hitler, who killed only 6 million Jews. If you assume that God is sending all these people to hell, you don't mind bombing them!" In contrast, the Bible speaks of mercy triumphing over judgment and God throwing people's sins into the sea of forgetfulness.
Quoting Isaiah's prophecy that the lame will walk, Dr. William Johnson, a Christian Methodist Episcopal pastor from Pasadena, California, said, "Jews, Muslims and Christians have been walking around lame when they fail to recognize their brothers and sisters. Can we understand that even though we are not all in the same fold, we are still God's sheep?" Rabbi David Ben Ami, president of the American Forum for Jewish-Muslim-Christian Cooperation, quoted the prophet Malachi, "Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us all?" In honor of the rabbi's 80th birthday, a bishop and two imams presented him with a bouquet of flowers. At various times, rabbis, imams and Christian leaders embraced, demonstrating the reality of the family of Abraham coming together in forgiveness and love.
Rebuilding families
"It's time to be bold about the family!" Rev. Walter Fauntroy, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Washington, DC, announced. "Every child needs a man and a woman for procreation and a man and woman to be bonded to for socialization."
Dr. Gloria Wright, pastor of Simmons Chapel AME Zion Church in Atlanta, Georgia, calls the family a moving target: "It has changed so much over the years, and there are so many needs: grandmas raising grandkids, spare-key husbands, negligent wives. We need to focus not just on the problems but on the solutions. We have so much to do!"
"I Feel Like Going On," Rev. Bennit Hayes, of Gloryland Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, sang before explaining how the family structure was broken when Adam and Eve fell during their growing period. "This growing period was necessary for them in order to become the temple of God. Mankind united with Satan instead and became his dwelling place. Instead of having a divine nature, we have an evil nature. That is why we have problems in the family. We have to go back to the status where Adam was before he sinned and get right with God."
In contrast with values, which are changeable, Archbishop Stallings emphasized virtues, which are eternal principles worth striving to embody. "Virtues are permanent, virtues are constant, virtues are eternal. We may not necessarily measure up to them, but we should shoot for them." People in the audience nodded in agreement, and subsequent speakers echoed the theme of unchanging virtues.
Archbishop Stallings referred to the triple blessing God bestowed in Genesis 1:20 and talked about how Adam and Eve lost their way but God desires to bind people back to Him in oneness. "Our true identity is not flesh and blood but spirit. We are incarnational beings, as it says in John 1: The word became flesh and dwelt among us. There was an enfleshment of a spiritual presence dwelling among us so we might find our way back to God." Archbishop Stallings quoted an Ethiopian proverb: "The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people," and proposed that the reverse is also true: "The healing of a nation begins in the homes of its people." The challenge begins with husband and wife getting right with God and right with each other and then parents being parents and letting the children know they are parents. "Let's claim our homes for God, based on virtues that are permanent and eternal," he concluded.
"If America abandons its morals, people won't have anything to stand on, because they will lose their foundation," Bishop Floyd Nelson, pastor of Lively Stone Worship Center in Landover, Maryland, stated. "God gave me my bride, and it has lasted 40 years. I would not be the man I am if He had not given me the woman he gave me. Because God blessed us I am still in love." Bishop Nelson challenged each pastor to extend the marriage blessing to 12 couples in their church, blessing them so that they in turn will bless others. He referred to Numbers 11, in which God said He was going to take the spirit that was on Moses and put it on the 70 elders. "The blessing is so important," he explained, "because it causes people to be committed to ministry. When you are committed you are not shaken by the situations you face. When you bless couples, let them know where you got the commitment. Go out and multiply yourselves."
Giving birth to the world
On March 24, Rev. Moon commissioned women, especially American women, to give birth to the world. The wives of many American ACLC leaders stand by their husbands in ministry. Rev. Ethel Hayes repeated the question asked of Queen Esther: "Who else but God has chosen you for such a time as this?" She gave examples of women used by God as catalysts to move history forward. "Women of faith are coming together, because we want to do something for God," Reiko Jenkins explained. Rev. Catherine Ono from Boston, MA, reminded people of Rev. Moon's call for women to rise up as Ambassadors for Peace.
Claire Daugherty added, "We are the female aspect of God, the nurturer, the comforter, the teacher. Without us, God is only half represented. We call the daughters of God to fulfill the vital role for which we are created: to bring God alive through us." Rev. Tanya Edwards added, "If we find our place lifting our husband up as he is supposed to be lifted up, he can do the work of God. If we find our place, our children will find their place. Pray for all our children." Rev. Tessie Willis, from Dallas, Texas, quoted from the book of Proverbs, "When a man finds a wife, he finds a good thing." She challenged the men, "If you don't have a wife, prepare yourself."
Rev. Debbie Taylor, from Washington, DC, spoke prophetically about stepping out on faith to answer Gods call. "Arise, O women of God: mothers, daughters, wives, sisters. Theres work to be done. ... The children are being shot down today by drugs, bullets, sex, immorality. My men are weary. They need support. Yet I have no body. I need your heart, your hands, your feet. Come, my daughters, and let me live through you to comfort them. Rise up, daughters, I need your heart, your hands, your feet. Let me live in you, for I have called you and destined you for a time as this. When you are tired, draw near to me, and I will comfort you and give you rest."
"Women all over the world are fighting for freedom-to be at peace with themselves and with God," proclaimed Jennifer Mohammad, a Nation of Islam woman who came with her husband from England to participate in the conference. "The women whom I have met here have such an awesome presence. I can feel the spirit of God with them. Shake off that coat of heaviness and get to the essence inside. It is the duty of women to civilize the world. It is time for us to step out and do the work of God. We have to come to birth as women of God."
Reaching the youth
Rev. Mark Abernathy, of New Life Assembly, Snellville, Georgia, is excited about youth ministry. "Young people want things that fire them up and motivate them," he said. "What they want you to do is love them. They want you to show them that you love them. This generation is too enticed by stuff. Young people are broke, busted and disgusted. In America alone every 22 seconds somebody is beaten, stabbed, robbed. Every nine seconds another suicide is attempted by a teenager. Three out of four children say their parents don't care about them. Our children want to see a change in you."
Rev. Dannie Holmes, pastor of the Greater Hope Baptist Church, echoed his appeal and suggested that parents cut off the television and eat with their children. "Our children want to know that they are loved," he stated.
Strategic vision
Dr. Lonnie McLeod, pastor of the Church of the Living Hope in East Harlem, New York, challenged leaders to think and act strategically. "Assess your community," he said. "Know your congregation. Set goals and objectives. Decide what kind of work you have to do in order to get to the next level. Increase your capacity. Identify your financial needs and resources (if you want to build something, have everyone donate $100 and meet monthly to carry it out). Provide ongoing training for yourselves. Reverend Moon is trying to get us to take the streets back from Satan, take our government back from Satan, and take the world back from Satan."
People in the audience wanted to know the ACLCs' strategy to put prayer back in schools and to reach out to young black males. In response, Dr. McLeod explained the original intent of the American founding fathers to protect the church from the state and promised educational materials on the issue, and Bishop Nelson described how his congregation is going to the street corners where young men hang out and building relationships with them.
"Dont think that if you dont agree with every part of ACLC you cant be part of it," Archbishop Stallings said in conclusion. "You need to stay and help make this body representative. There are three positions you can take in life: make things happen, watch things happen, or wonder what happened." Bishop Joseph Showell, pastor of the Gospel Ark Temple Church in Randallstown, Maryland, envisions God leading ACLC to "places we have never been before." Rev. Carl V. Rawls, pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church in Selma, AL, challenged people with two words: No excuses. "Its up to use to bring heaven to every family, city, and nation. Its our charge to build with bricks of love, of peace, of kindness, and of understanding." Bishop C. Phillip Johnson, pastor of New Prospect Family Worship and Praise Center in Washington, DC, warned, "If we fail, heaven has made no other provision."
Reverend and Mrs. Moon were being honored as king and queen of peace by religious and political leaders from five continents. For several months, Imam Haitham Bundakji has been calling them Father and Mother Moon and "their majesties" since March 23, 2004. To objectors he says, "These terms have been wrongly used for leaders who have brought nothing but bloodshed and war. Reverend Moon man was unjustly jailed, deprived of food and water by the communists, but he came to teach us love and forgiveness. We have to follow the footsteps of the righteous ones who are investing everything they own."
Rev. Hayes testified, "I tell you the Messiah is already here. It takes faith to say that. I never saw anybody in the Christian faith do what True Father has done. I never saw anybody in the Islamic faith do what True Father has done. I never saw anybody in the Jewish faith do what True Father has done."
Rev. Moon said to the audience, "Your time will come and you also will be crowned." Rev. Daugherty explained God's intention for His children to become rulers of the earth and exercise dominion. "We should love and serve our family so well that they would crown us!" he exclaimed.
Read Reverend Moon's special Sept. 12 address!
Click here!
For Reverend Moon's June 25 New York City speech:
Click here!
Reverend Moon's Dec. 13 ACLC speech:
Click here!
Our Deepest Sorrow, Prayers and Donations
Dear Family,
As we close this year we are deeply sorrowful over the huge loss of life and immense suffering of our brothers and sisters from Haiti and Chile.
We ask all Family Federation members in North America to pray ernestly and prepare donations that will be collected to send for relief and support of our key Ambassadors for Peace and WANGO Associates in the region that are directly dealing with this tragedy and suffering. - For Wango's website, click here.
We are grateful for your sacrifice. We may ask task forces to go there. Please stay in close communication for the directions we will take. All should contribute to help in this time of disaster.
Sincerely in God's Name,
Rev. Michael Jenkins
President
Family Federation for World Peace and Unification USA
[Note: Donations can also be sent to the American Red Cross. - For the Red Cross website, click here. We just want to be careful that most of the money will actually go to the cause and not to some bureaucracy.]
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 The Principle of Creation
How can we know the nature of God, who is invisible? We can know it through observing the Creation. Just as the work of an artist is a visible manifestation of its makers invisible nature, every being in the Creation is a substantial manifestation of the invisible nature of God, its Creator.
 The Fall of Man
Every person has an original mind whose nature is to pursue goodness and repel evil. But fallen people are unconsciously driven by an evil force to commit evil acts, contrary to the desires of their original mind. In Christianity, the one who controls this evil force is known as Satan. This chapter, "The Fall," makes clear the identity of Satan and the origin of evil.
 Mission of the Messiah
What is salvation? Salvation in restoration: to save a drowning person is to rescue him and restore him to the state he was in before he began to drown. Gods salvation of man means Gods restoration of fallen and sinful man to his original state of goodness -- to the position where he can fulfill the Purpose of the Creation. |
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