The idea of freedom is destroying this nation

The mission we are undertaking (2)

Sun Myung Moon March 16, 1975

Tarrytown, New York, Translated by Won Pok Choi

The idea of freedom is destroying this nation

When I made my tour all through the 50 states of America, one thing I saw clearly was that it has been the idea of freedom that has been destroying this nation step by step.

I wanted to find out which of the fifty states contributed the most soldiers in World War II. Population-wise, the cities of New York and Los Angeles should have sent more soldiers, but what I found was that in the remote rural areas, such as North Dakota and other such states, they sent out more soldiers than other states. Do you know that?

There is no equality or fairness there. After all, those who brought victory to America were not New Yorkers or those in Los Angeles but the farmers in the rural states. You advocate peace and freedom, but peace and freedom cannot be won without fighting against the enemy and defeating them. So while there is a fierce enemy always lying in ambush, can you just claim and advocate peace and freedom without going against them with guns and weapons?

In the existing churches, people entertain the idea that even though in the Communist world they make weapons and atomic bombs, in the free world we should never do that. They are so strong in the faith that God will protect them. In that case, do you think that God will protect them? Well, God had His people make atomic bombs because the enemy was arming. When people do not know how to use technology, if they do not do their part, can God help them? Atomic bombs and weapons are your strength.

For instance you must train yourself with karate. If you have the technique and you don't have to use it, then that's okay; but shouldn't you train yourself in that art while your enemies are doing that? For instance, in the Communist world they are expanding and making more armaments, and yet you say that you are not going to manufacture armaments because it is an evil thing.

Then can people in your nation have an easy mind when the enemies have formidable weapons? (No!) So it is better for you to manufacture heavy armaments, strengthen your army, and wait without declaring war. They will find you stronger than they are, and then they cannot attack you. Which of the two ways is better? For the Unification Church, as a religious group, which of the two would we want?

We must advocate the manufacture of armaments. Then what if the existing churches would protest against us, saying that we are advocating the manufacture of armaments and weapons? In that case, are we going to shrink back; or are we going to go beyond the opposition and go on doing that? Can I tell you to build a big factory where we will manufacture weapons? (Yes!) At least we must have our goal clear enough otherwise America will come to naught, shattered into pieces. There will be no order.

There are many Christian denominations and religious sects. They want to carry out their portion of responsibility that is smaller in scope than ours, but in the Unification Church, we claim the unification of all the denominations of Christianity and religious sects. So our responsibility is to approach the goal of salvation of the whole world. We must be responsible for the whole population of the world. Unification is what it means. We must approach the goal from all directions, east, west, south and north, not leaving out any one of them.

In order to save this nation, if war is necessary we would mobilize ourselves to the frontline to fight against the enemy. In that case would you be reluctant, scared to go ahead? (No!) You might think that it is something far in the future but for instance, if it is coming in 20 years, would you prepare starting now or later? (Now!) We have a wonderful mission in the Unification Church. Is that right? (Yes!) What is the wonderful mission? Our mission is to save the world, but how, is the question.

Communists, being the ultimate and greatest enemy to God, must be shattered into pieces first. After that, all of the rest of the Satan’s must be annihilated from the face of the earth. Any other opposing groups will be either digested or swallowed up by us or annihilated. For God to be able to save the world through us He has set before us three important things: to shatter Communism completely, to annihilate Satan and his devils to the last one, and to swallow up or exterminate any evil groups. This we are going to do not only on the physical level but on the spiritual level, too. That is why in the Unification Church we have a goal, a wonderful goal, a four-sided goal.

Do you want the Unification Church to always be chased away by opposition, or to cope with it, go against it and overcome it? (Win!) Have you ever seen Rev. Moon being swallowed up and being defeated or chased away by the enemy, or is it the other way around? (The other way around!) You saw picketing groups, the Communists, and the established church ministers and laymen outside Madison Square Garden. What does that mean?

That means that Communism and the established churches were united into one in opposing Rev. Moon. From the viewpoint of God, would the Communists alone be wretched in God's sight, or also the established churches? (Both!) From God's part, can He smash Communists alone, or together with the established churches? What is He going to do? At best, God will ignore the established churches; He cannot help them. When He thinks of the established churches which He has been educating for so long but which don't know the exact goal of God and mankind, what does God think of them?

Every moment of our life is a battle. While you are listening to me it is a battle, too. You are fighting against Satan. Satan is luring you away, by way of sleep and things like that. You are his target. You are getting trained at every moment. Is it a sign of your good training when you doze off like this? Didn't I tell you last time that when you find someone sleeping next to you just nudge him, pinch him?

Then why do Communists and established church members oppose us, even though we have not taken any positive measures against them? We have only been trying our best to restrain them from doing any harm to our group. Why are they opposing us? They are afraid of us. They are frightened. At first glance, there is no reason for their having to oppose our movement because Christianity has between 600 and 800 million people.

They have laid quite a large foundation, and the foundation is so solid that they think that it will never crumble. Then why do they come against such a small group as this? The Communists, too, have one-third of the whole world. Then why do they come against such a small group as ours? Think of it. Let me explain by way of an analogy.

If there is a hammer which is the strongest hammer in the world even though it is the smallest in size, and there are countless other hammers made of weaker iron, which would you prefer to have? The same theory applies to us, come what may, even though the countless other hammers may beat against our small hammer, they are doomed to be destroyed and shattered. Is that true? Is what we have that strong? (Yes!) If each one of you is that strong, then it means that you can go on doing the job even though I may leave this country. (Yes!) Well, that's wonderful, I'm flattered. I feel very good.

In the Unification Church, once we set the goal, we prepare, train well, and make the goal at all costs. The name Unification Church means that united we are strong, the strongest in the world. Is every one of you like that? (Yes!) When I say that is our goal, you are all headed for that. America, Europe, Japan, every country is our target.

Do we draw a straight line to reach the goal after going through so many nations, or would you rather have us go a zigzag way? (Straight!) It is easy to answer straight. But can you really go on the straight way? (Yes!) The Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Rocky Mountains are in the way. Can you still go straight ahead? (Yes!) If you are on foot then you have to go the zigzag way, making a detour sometimes. But I want your eyes set straight ahead on the goal.

There is the goal, and if you are going to the bathroom, still your spiritual eyes must be set in the right direction. If you are on the wedding march with your spouses, your eyes must still be set on the goal. Is it right? (Yes!) Even when the 1,800 couples were married in holy matrimony in Korea their eyes were still -- at that moment -- set on the goal. Is that right? (Yes!) Is there anything wrong with that? (No!) This is the most wonderful thing in the whole world.

At the time of the recent wedding, many Japanese people protested against us because of their children and relatives having to marry in Korea under Rev. Moon. But I said, "Well, wait and see. We will accomplish this, however hard you may protest against us," and we were successful. Who was the victor, those opposing people or us?

I have seen many funny things happen. Those parents, who had been opposing us until the day before the wedding, came to Korea, and seeing their sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, were flabbergasted; they became joyous, touched and happy. It was an amusing comparison to what they had been before coming to Korea.

It was very funny, at first, seven parents formed a group to protest against us but six fell away and came to our side, and one was left alone but that one was a Communist. This is good evidence that Communists would infiltrate any place. It was a good play for them because if there is any opposing power to their enemy, then they would come in guile as though they were the parents or relatives of our members, and manipulate other people to enter the group to protest against us.

Where is our goal? Way up there. Would you want to draw a straight line headed for the goal? Our geographical situation may vary, but from everywhere we are headed for the same goal. What are you like? In what way, in what manner are you going? Do you like straightness? (Yes!) To answer yes is easy you know, but action is very difficult.

Which one do you choose -- the difficult way or the easy way? (Difficult!) Why? Because it is the best short cut to reach the goal and has the biggest possibility of achieving the goal. But when we are making a detour, who knows, sometimes we are going nowhere. Are you determined to go the shortest way? Are you determined now? Have you been doing that, are you going to do that?

Then it means that you have not been doing that up to this moment. What do you mean by "no" then, you have not been doing that? (We have been doing that!) Well, suppose you are dashing on the straight road, are you going to do that for 24 hours or for less than that because you want to rest from time to time?

If I'm allowed to explain, I would say, "Why do you have to go only on 24 hours a day, and not 35 or 40 hours a day?" I regret that there are only 24 hours in a day. Who decided on having eight hours out of 24 to sleep? I have not done that. Who decided on that? Someone ignorant of God's providence did that. Maybe it was the son of evil and the most formidable enemy that did so.

If there are 48 hours a day you may be allowed to sleep eight hours a day. In the Unification Church I know that whatever I decide on you are ready to accept. So, why not decide here on less hours of sleep? (Yes!) Well, you can say, "Let the people in the satanic world sleep eight hours out of 24, while we will sleep four hours or less and work harder than they do."

Eight hours in 48 hours, that means four hours a day. Then would you want to accomplish the goal earlier or the other way around? Then your ears, your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your limbs and your every cell and every ounce of your energy must be used and must be headed for the goal. Is that right? (Yes!) Have you been doing that up to the present moment? (No.)

Then are you going to do that right from this moment, or would you rather not do it? You want that? (Yes!) Hold up your hands. Then you have decided on your own to do this from now on. You have decided on that. You will go on with four hours sleep, but on the way are you going to run or just walk slowly? (Push!)

Would you want to have me tell you to rest from time to time and get relaxed, or just watch you always increasing your pace? Would you want me, when I find some of you dozing off, to poke you and wake you up, or just leave you alone? (Poke!) Even those of you who have been dozing off said "Yes".

Well if I am going to hit you, would you like me to hit your head or somewhere else? What if I poked through your eye-ball? Well, which way can I wake you up faster? Answer me, please. (Eyeball!) Well, whatever is the best way for you to be awakened, and from now on I am going to do that to you. You have decided on it and you cannot complain; if you go on complaining you cannot attain the goal.

Let me suggest something. This is my question: who is more of a wretched man, the leader who always pushes you ahead or those who are being pushed? Who is in the more difficult position? There is no doubt of the answer. However hard I may be pushing you, you have an escape somewhere.

I don't have hundreds of hands and eyes, and you can escape and go in to a hole, and there you can rest. Haven't you been doing that? But as a leader, I cannot do that. There are hundreds and thousands of eyes staring at me. "Well, he himself is doing that while he has told us not to do that." If you say that then the leader cannot be a leader.

When I set the goal, that goal is not for the leader alone, but for the whole group. In America, for instance, we have set the goal in terms of the seven year course, but we must have a plan for one year, two years and so on. What is our goal for this year? Our ultimate goal is the actual building of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. But what is our goal for this year?

The motto we have this year is "The Realization of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth." Where does that start? Where does the realization of the Kingdom start? Here, from your own individual person. In order for us to be able to erect the Kingdom of God on earth it means that unity must come about between the spirit world and the earthly world. So it starts right from yourself, because your spirit represents the spirit world, your body represents the physical world. In every one of you there must be unity between your spirit and body. With your body and spirit in unity, then your whole self will be guided by God.

In order for us to erect the Kingdom of God there must not be many people always accusing us. Have you become like that? That is the question. If you have unity between your mind and body there can be no such thing as complaining and dissatisfaction, but you would always be grateful and happy and dash forward on the way towards the goal.

Only by your doing it, will the realization of the Kingdom of God on earth be made possible. We are going to make the world into the heavenly kingdom. You frown and make faces like that because you are hungry, because you are exhausted; but is that the facial expression of the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven? (No!)

When you skip a meal you are happy to think that in that way you are earning one meal for others. Even on the spiritual level, many, many people are going to be fed because of you going through the fast so many days. In doing that one meal a day will satisfy you. On the spiritual level, the four billion population of the world can be fed at one time when you skip one meal; that is what happens on the spiritual level.

Instead of saying, "Oh! It must be the Oriental way, how harsh our Master is!", if you think of things the other way around and say, "I am so grateful that I have learned this way of life because of Master and because of the movement. By my doing this we can save the whole world, and even the spirit world is cheering us at this moment," you will be all grateful and happy. By your doing that, God, having been disappointed by the human world, is becoming happier and cheered up by our acts. Which way would you choose? It is wonderful to belong to this movement and go this way of life. (Yes!)

Human thought is a wonderful thing. With one thought, you can think of the same thing in an evil way, and be headed for hell. But with another thought you can think of it the other way around, and you are positive in your thinking and you are all glad, and with that happiness you are entitled to heaven. Every moment you must be thinking of how to swallow the bad things and digest them.

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