WS-II - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Peace The Peace of God GOD IS THE SOURCE OF PEACE. When we look around us and see only conflict and war, when we despair of finding peace on earth, we turn to God, the King of Peace. When God comes to us, He soothes the anger in our breasts and lets us see our enemy from a different perspective, as a brother or sister. God is love; therefore with God we gain the power to love even our enemy. (See Chapter 13: Love Your Enemy) Therefore, the key to peace is to live with God, and to manifest God’s love.

Father Moon adds an additional insight: since God’s love dwells especially in the thick relationships of marriage and family, the God-centered, peaceful family is the actual building block of a peaceful society, nation and world.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!1 Luke 2.14

Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee.

Isaiah 26.3

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Numbers 6.26

God is peace, his name is peace, and all is bound together in peace.2

Our Father, it is thy universe, it is thy will: Let us be at peace, let the souls of the people be cool.

Thou art our Father, remove all evil from our path.

Zohar 3.10b (Judaism)

Nuer Prayer (African Traditional Religions)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.

A man is a true Muslim when no other Muslim has to fear anything from either his tongue or his hand.

John 14.27

Hadith of Bukhari (Islam)

Allah summons to the abode of Peace, and leads whom He will to a straight path.

Qur’an 10.25

The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.

Talmud, Gittin 59b (Judaism)

Tao invariably takes no action, and yet there is nothing left undone.

If kings and barons can keep it, all things will transform spontaneously.

If, after transformation, they should desire to be active,

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I would restrain them with simplicity, which has no name.

Simplicity, which has no name, is free of desires.

Being free of desires, it is tranquil.

And the world will be at peace of its own accord.

Tao Te Ching 37 (Taoism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon God is the King of love, the King of peace and happiness and the Core of the ideal. Therefore, when human beings are blocked in their search after such things, there is no other way except through God. (72:11, May 7, 1974) If people are quarreling and God appears in their midst, they change and want to help each other.

(330:267, August 20, 2000) True peace, true happiness and true freedom do not originate from human beings, but from the true God. Therefore, we can expect that people who are not living in accordance with God’s Will, or who are entangled in sinful circumstances, cannot attain true peace, true happiness or true freedom.

(78:103, May 6, 1975) People have pursued peace throughout history. Nevertheless, this world is filled with distrust, treachery and hate; our efforts to establish a world of peace are at an impasse. Therefore, we are led to think that to attain our hope we must rely on an absolute and unchanging Being beyond time and space. That being must be God. We believe that God must be the Subject of all ideals—love, happiness and peace.

Nevertheless, God cannot establish happiness, love and peace by Himself. God needs relationships with object partners, human beings, to establish these ideals. God needs us to complete His love, His ideal, His joy and His peace. (74:46-47, November 27, 1974) Why is fighting evil? It is because God cannot dwell amidst fighting. God is the King of peace, unification, unity, and supreme goodness. Therefore, He just cannot dwell in places of struggle. This world became evil due to the departure of God. (61:291, July 24, 1994) When people say “peace,” what are they talking about? They are not talking about peace itself, but a mutual relationship. There has to be love there. There can be no peace unless there is love.

(175:196, April 17, 1988) The Chinese characters for peace (平和 pyeonghwa) signify “horizontal” (平 pyeong) and “harmony” (和 hwa). This means that when a partner goes around, the center wants to go around along with it. This is possible only when there is harmony—not conflict—between the center and his partners.3 (82:133, January 4, 1976) The landing-place for peace among humankind can only be prepared by people who are grateful to God as their Center and who establish a unified realm of love. It would be a spherical realm, with love flowing equally in all directions, north, south, east and west. (357:131, October 29, 2001)

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What educational materials will God employ to teach people how to realize peace on earth? He will use materials on love. Since love is invisible, God will find a man and a woman who love each other.

Observing them, we learn that the source of peace in their relationship is love. Only love has the power to make peace possible. (193:153, October 3, 1989) The basic unit of a peaceful world is not a peaceful nation but a peaceful family. A man and a woman, each with mind and body in harmony, who wed with God’s Blessing and make a family— this is the basic unit of a peaceful world. These peaceful families are the families that have received God’s Blessing through the True Parents—a blessing available for the first time in history. They structure their lives with true love and establish harmonious oneness. As these families prosper, they bring peace to their clans, to their communities, to their nations, and to the world. (December 27, 2002) Human beings were created as temples of God. The Spirit of God was to be dwelling with them every moment of every day. In that situation, could people possibly make war on each other?

In the original world of creation, fighting among human beings would be as if your right hand were fighting your left hand, or as if your hand were trying to pull out your eye. In other words, in the ideal world of God’s creation, war would be impossible. People would only be able to love each other and live in harmony. Their only challenge would be to compete in ways of glorifying their Creator.

In such a world there could be no conflict, no misunderstanding. There would only be harmony, cooperation and mutual assistance. People would be united in the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. It would truly be the world of peace that humanity has been seeking. This world would reflect the nature of God, whose primary characteristic is unselfishness, unselfish love, and unselfish peace. In religious terms it is called the Kingdom of God on earth. (219:116, August 28, 1991)

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Inner Peace PEACE BEGINS WITH PEACEFUL INDIVIDUALS. People who attain inner peace radiate peace to others. They possess inner strength, clarity and compassion with which to treat others peacefully, even in the face of hostility. By cultivating what Father Moon calls unity of mind and body, people can become vessels fit to receive God’s abundant love, with which to share with others.

Cultivating inner peace must be the starting-point for all peacemaking efforts in the outer world. No political or economic program can produce a just and equitable peace if the people it seeks to help are full of hatred and violence in their hearts.

Just as a deep lake is clear and still, even so, on hearing the teachings and realizing them, the wise become exceedingly peaceful.

Dhammapada 82 (Buddhism)

Men do not mirror themselves in running water—they mirror themselves in still water.

Only what is still can still the stillness of other things.4 Chuang Tzu 5 (Taoism)

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As rivers flow into the ocean but cannot make the vast ocean overflow, so flow the streams of the sense-world into the sea of peace that is the sage.

Bhagavad-Gita 2.70 (Hinduism)

Whence come wars, and fighting, and factions?

Where but from the body and the lusts of the body? For wars are occasioned by the love of money, and money has to be acquired for the sake and in the service of the body.

Socrates, in Plato, Phaedo (Hellenism)

If a person’s heart is peaceful, his body will be at ease, and if a person’s heart is malicious, the body will be malevolent.

Hadith (Islam)

The Lord lives in the heart of every creature.

He turns them round and round upon the wheel of his Maya. Take refuge utterly in Him. By His grace you will find supreme peace, and the state which is beyond all change.

Bhagavad-Gita 18.61-62 (Hinduism)

All this is full. All That is full.

From fullness, fullness comes.

When fullness is taken from fullness, Fullness still remains.

Om. Peace, peace, peace.5 Isa Upanishad: Peace Chant (Hinduism)

The monk looks for peace within himself, and not in any other place. For when a person is inwardly quiet, there is nowhere a self can be found; where, then, could a non-self be found?

There are no waves in the depths of the sea; it is still, unbroken. It is the same with the monk.

He is still, without any quiver of desire, without a remnant on which to build pride and desire.

Once the good are perfectly good, there can be no war between them. This much is true, however, that while a good man is still on the way to perfection, one part of him can be at war with another of his parts; because of this rebellious element, two good men can be at war with each other. The fact is that in everyone “the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.” (Gal. 5.17) Thus, the spiritual longing of one good man can be at war with the fleshly passion of another just as fleshly passion in one man can resist spiritual tendencies in another. And the war here is much like that between good and wicked men. So, too, a good deal like the war of the wicked against the wicked is the rivalry of fleshly desires in two good men, and this will continue until grace wins the ultimate victory of soundness over sickness in both of them.

Saint Augustine, City of God 15.5 (Christianity)

Wage jihad against the desires of your selves, and your hearts will be occupied by wisdom.

The best jihad is to ensure that one does not even consider transgressing against others.

Hadith (Islam)

Sutta Nipata 919-20 (Buddhism)

What causes wars, and what causes fighting among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James 4.1-3

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Only when a man invites insult will others insult him. Only when a family invites destruction will others destroy it. Only when a state invites invasion will others invade it. The T’ai Chia says, When Heaven sends down calamities, There is hope of weathering them; When man brings them upon himself, There is no hope of escape.

Mencius IV.A.8 (Confucianism)

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Mental violence has no potency and injures only the person whose thoughts are violent. It

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is otherwise with mental non-violence. It has potency which the world does not yet know.

Mohandas K. Gandhi (Hinduism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon Can you find peace if your mind and body are fighting? How can you find happiness and peace when your mind and body are not one? (242:60, December 27, 1992) Before we complain about the world’s conflicts and the absence of world peace, we should reflect on ourselves and consider whether our minds and bodies are united into one, whether we are the starting-points of peace, and whether God is at the center of our endeavors for peace. (140:17-18, February 1, 1986) From time immemorial, when saints and sages sought for the Kingdom of Heaven, they did not seek it by vying with their enemies, expressing wrath and anger, full of fury.

Rather, we understand that they forgot themselves even in front of their enemies’ swords. They sought the Kingdom while quietly longing for God, worshipping God, and feeling peaceful embrace in God’s bosom, while transcending the circumstances of the battle. (25:38-39, September 28, 1969) We commonly say that the human body is the temple of God, but what is a holy temple? Is it a place to work for a living? Is it a factory or an office? When we think of a holy temple, we visualize a tranquil place of rest.

Where can we take rest? It should be amidst love. A holy temple is a tranquil place filled with God’s love. If we wish to be God’s temples, we should have this same quality: inwardly tranquil and filled with God’s love. We want to elevate our inner selves to this high level. As people of God’s love, we become participants in the world of heart. That means our love is like a well that never runs dry; you can draw water from it all you want yet it never runs out. The reason it never runs out is because God is there. (91:78, January 30, 1977) What is peace? When your mind and body become one and you have a peaceful family, then there can be a peaceful nation and a peaceful world. Peace cannot come based on some man-made ideology. You have to make a foundation for peace in your mind and body, and then in your family among husband and wife, and parents and children, centering on God’s original heart. Such families are the cornerstones of peace. Even if your family were immersed in a universe of peace, it would still have to receive direction from the root. (305:203, July 14, 1998) The United Nations at its founding proclaimed a movement for world peace, and for sixty years it has dedicated itself to this task; yet world peace still remains far distant. Peace among nations can never come when those entrusted with the task have not resolved the Cain-Abel relationship between their own mind and body. (March 25, 2006) The question is how I can turn the war going on inside of me into peace. This is extremely important. If I cannot accomplish this, then even though the world might be at peace, to me it will still be hell. (131:34, March 11, 1984)

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Reconciliation and Peacemaking JESUS CALLED PEACEMAKERS GOD’S SONS AND DAUGHTERS. Indeed, reconciling parties in conflict is to participate in the work of God, who desires that all the members of His family live in peace with one another. Yet the work of a peacemaker can be difficult. Even though he or she tries to be even-handed, demonstrating concern and empathy for both sides, the peacemaker is liable to be attacked and blamed by one side or the other. A peacemaker must therefore be willing to make sacrifices and take risks for peace—even to the extent of sacrificing his life.

Reconciliation requires much of the quarreling parties. Beyond a temporary truce, it requires genuine forgiveness. Ultimately, it should lead to bonds of love and solidarity between the former enemies. Father Moon teaches us to apply the scriptural ethic to love our enemy (See Chapter 13: Love Your Enemy), to reconciling with enemy nations and enemy religions.

1. Reconciliation If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.6 Matthew 5.23-24

True constancy lies in forgiveness and patient forbearance.8 Qur’an 42.36-43

If they (the enemy) incline to peace, you incline to it also, and trust in God. Qur’an 8.61

Let us have concord with our own people, and concord with people who are strangers to us; The Divine Twins create between us and the strangers a unity of hearts.7 May we unite in our minds, unite in our purposes, and not fight against the divine spirit within us. nor the arrows of the War-god fall with the break of day.

Atharva Veda 7.52.1-2 (Hinduism)

Better and more rewarding is God’s reward to those who believe and put their trust in Him: who avoid gross sins and indecencies and, when angered, are willing to forgive… Let evil be rewarded by like evil, but he who forgives and seeks reconciliation shall be rewarded by God…

The Messenger of God said, “Shall I inform you of the best morals of this world and the hereafter? To forgive him who oppresses you, to make a bond with him who severs from you, to be kind to him who insults you, and to give to him who deprives you.”

Hadith (Islam)

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.

Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon You should offer your devotions in peaceful surroundings and with a peaceful heart. You should not worship where there is discord, because God is not present where there is discord. Your act of worship

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can bear fruit when there is goodness, with all evils having surrendered. It cannot bear fruit where there is conflict and complaint. That is why when there is a falling out among brothers, they should first reconcile before making an offering table for their ancestors.9 (286:209-10, August 11, 1997) If each side insists, “I exist for myself,” they can never be reconciled. To achieve the goal of peace, people on both sides need to take the stance, “I exist for you.” Then they can come to the point of consoling one another. Peace can arise only when we say to our opponent, “I am here for you.”

(60:21, August 1, 1972) Thus far, nations tried to expand their territory by invading others. However, from now on we should follow the principle that to reach the world we should deny ourselves. In order for your beloved nation to lead the world, it must go beyond national self-interest. If your nation cannot do this, it does not have the philosophy that can unify the world. (26:294, November 10, 1969) What kind of world would it be if each nation thought, “God is on my side,” while it treated other nations as the enemy? It would be a world of continual wars and conflicts.

To become God’s sons and daughters, you have to love the way God loves. You have to love humanity. I know that God wants enemy nations to reconcile, become friendly, connect with each other and unite into one. That is why I work to encourage nations to think beyond their borders and form a united world. (83:312, February 25, 1976)

❖ 2. Peacemaking Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5.9

If two parties of believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them. And if one party of them does wrong to the other, fight that wrong-doer until it returns to the ordinance of God; then, if it returns, make peace between them justly, and act equitably. Lo! God loves the equitable.

Qur’an 49.9

He brings together those who are divided, he encourages those who are friendly; he is a peacemaker, a lover of peace, impassioned for peace, a speaker of words that make for peace.

Digha Nikaya 13.75, Tevigga Sutta (Buddhism)

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During the short eons of swords, They meditate on love, Introducing to nonviolence Hundreds of millions of living beings.

In the midst of great battles They remain impartial to both sides; For bodhisattvas of great strength Delight in reconciliation of conflict.

Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti 8 (Buddhism)

Rabbi Baruqa of Huza often went to the marketplace at Lapet. One day, the prophet Elijah appeared to him there, and Rabbi Baruqa asked him, “Is there anyone among all these people who will have a share in the World to Come?”

Elijah answered… “Those two will have a share in the World to Come!” Rabbi Baruqa asked the newcomers, “What is your occupation?”

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They replied, “We are clowns. When we see someone who is sad, we cheer him up. When we see two people quarreling, we try to make peace between them.”

Talmud, Ta’anit 22a (Judaism)

After all the kings had been seated and perfect silence had ensued, Krishna, possessing fine teeth and having a voice as deep as that of a drum, began to speak, “In order that, O Bharata, peace may be established between the Kurus and the Pandavas without a slaughter of the heroes, I have come hither. Besides this, O king, I have no other beneficial words to utter… Know, O thou of Kuru’s race, that those wicked sons of thine, headed by Duryodhana, abandoning both virtue and profit, disregarding morality, and deprived of their senses by avarice, are now acting most unrighteously towards their foremost kinsmen.

The terrible danger [of universal slaughter thus]

has its origin in the conduct of the Kurus. If you become indifferent to it, it will then produce a universal slaughter. If, O Bharata, you are willing, you may be able to allay that danger even yet, for peace, I think, is not difficult of acquisition. The establishment of peace, O king, depends on you and me. Set right your sons, and I will set the Pandavas right.”10 Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva 95 (Hinduism)

I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Non-violence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could.

Mohandas K. Gandhi (Hinduism)

We are asking the nations of Europe between whom rivers of blood have flowed to forget the feuds of a thousand years.

Winston Churchill11

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon Antagonism has no place in God’s love, only unity and harmony. In light of this, you can understand what the Bible means in saying that peacemakers will be called sons of God. (Way of God’s Will 3.2) How patient is God, who has been enduring for millions of years? We, too, need to possess His patience. I’m not saying we that should never fight. But there is a right time to fight: when we can fight for the benefit of both sides. We should not fight those who oppose us seeking their destruction.

We should fight to educate both sides and bring them together in harmony. We should educate each side to no longer regard the other as the enemy. (104:33, March 25, 1979) To bring about a united, peaceful world we must overcome the many challenges arising from differences in region, race, religion, culture, custom, language and nationality. If we view the world from the perspective of the Creator—through God’s eyes of true love—we see that despite all these differences, the world is one.

When young people inspired by God’s true love dedicate themselves to sacrifice and service, they can begin to solve poverty and hunger throughout the world. They can begin to heal the wounds caused by differences between rich and poor. They can help people overcome the animosities and hatreds arising from different historical experiences.

True love means to love that which cannot be loved. From this definition we can acquire a clear sense of direction for overcoming relationships of enmity and conflict. (288:201-02, November 28, 1997)

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I have the mission to prevent racial conflict and make peace between the races, especially between blacks and whites. The best way to accomplish this is to inspire white people to humble themselves voluntarily and serve black people. (124:275, February 27, 1983) Black people in America walked the path of slavery, taking the role of Abel as their part in the restoration of the heavenly side. It was black people who established America, not white people. Black people were sacrificed to build this nation; also the Indians were sacrificed. You should know that if there were ever a racial war, black people would want revenge, and neither would the other colored races leave the white race alone. Why do you think I, Reverend Moon, came to America? Indians are like my cousins. We are brothers. They are all perishing, and I have to prevent it. I didn’t come here for revenge, but to save. I am here to help the races reconcile with each other.

Who can reconcile whites and blacks? Can a white person or a black person do it? No, it won’t work. Blacks won’t listen to a white person, and whites won’t follow a black person. But black people can listen to someone of the yellow race. Yellow people were also the victims of the white establishment.

If yellow people take the lead in forgiving their enemies—white Americans—and tell blacks to do the same, they will listen. A yellow man can teach black people to forgive, because their enemy, and the Indians’ enemy, is also my enemy. Representing all minorities, I will take the lead in forgiving. I explain to them that they are Abel, and this is Abel’s historical path. (106:241, December 30, 1979) Responsible Christian leaders could not resolve the problems in the Persian Gulf, so as a safeguard [against a full-scale religious war] I am convening a dialogue between prominent Christian and Muslim leaders. Most Koreans would say, “What has it got to do with me if Iraqis die or a nuclear bomb falls there?” But I know humanity’s dismal path, and I want to steer the world to avoid its hidden reefs. Hence, even though I am insulted and ridiculed, I am striving to save humanity through diplomatic efforts, even spending my own money. I am trying to get America and the Soviet Union aligned for this purpose. I have also worked for reconciliation between China and Taiwan, and recently I began efforts to reconcile Israel and the Arab world. (211:13, December 30, 1990) I have reached the advanced age of eighty-five, by the Korean way of counting. But I will continue to work harder than anyone else until the day the Earth overflows with God’s true families, guns in the Middle East fall silent and give way to fireworks of peace and joy, and shouts of “Mansei” celebrating the unification of my homeland Korea echo across the Pacific and are heard in America. (March 23, 2004)

❖ 3. Jesus’ Sacrificial Love as a Model for Peacemaking And when they came to the place which is called The Skull [Calvary], there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

Luke 23.33-34

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility…that he might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end.

Ephesians 2.13-16

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to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us

2 Corinthians 5.16-19

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon Jesus presented a new direction for this conflict-ridden world. Oppressor nations and oppressed nations, such as Rome and Israel, viewed each other as enemies, thus creating high walls between them. Jesus’ philosophy was that these walls needed to be demolished. He thought, “You Romans want to conquer me by force, but I will conquer you in the opposite way—with love.” That is why he even sought blessings for his enemies as he was hanging on the cross.

His plea for the Roman soldiers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” expressed this amazing philosophy. By making this plea, Jesus became the model and the archetype for all nations of the world to overcome the conventional way of seeing each other as enemies. He became the example of someone who has no regard for national borders. (March 9, 2000) Jesus’ saying, “Love your enemies” is God’s strategy to make evil surrender voluntarily. This is an amazing truth, full of grace. These simple-sounding words mark the boundary between victory and defeat in the battle between God and Satan. (316:81, February 10, 2000) Jesus taught, “Love your enemy,” but we are extending it even to loving enemy nations. After loving our personal enemies, we should leap over national boundaries to love and even save nations that attacked our nation in the past. This is the ideology of the Messiah. (93:160, May 22, 1977) The Bible says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called sons of God.” Because I knew God’s Will to establish the Kingdom of Heaven, I work to reconcile humankind. If either side throws a spear, I should be the first one to be hit. In order to bring reconciliation and save the two that are fighting, you shouldn’t mind if you get bloodied first. (211:13, December 30, 1990)

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Restitution PEACE FLOURISHES WHERE THERE IS JUSTICE. While justice may not appear the same to people on opposing sides of a conflict, steps should be taken to right wrongs, pay back debts, and restore trust when it has been violated. Usually it is not enough to repent for having wronged one’s neighbor; repentance should be accompanied by restitution.

Restitution is most effective when it is given freely by the guilty party to his victims, not exacted from him as the price of defeat. Compare the war reparations that Germany was forced to pay to France and England at the end of World War I by the Treaty of Versailles with the restitution Germany paid after World War II to

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Jews and other victims of the Nazis. In the former instance where the reparations were forced upon Germany, it created massive German resentment and fueled calls for revenge that led directly to the rise of Hitler. In the second instance where Germany felt sincere repentance for its Nazi crimes, the restitution has served to foster good will between Germany and its former enemies.

Thus it is a principle of peacemaking that we should offer restitution willingly to those we have harmed, accompanied by genuine repentance for the wrongs we committed. There are also the sins we commit without knowing, or debts we inherit from the past, or wrongs for which we are collectively responsible; we can also make restitution for these. Father Moon has developed this concept into a teaching called ‘restoration through indemnity.’ He teaches that ‘indemnity’ is not a fixed amount, like an insurance claim, but rather a matter of giving whatever is required to assuage the other party’s aggrieved heart. It can be small if the other party has a mind to forgive; or it can be great if the relationship has been strained by years of treachery and mistrust.

The phrase, “an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth” can be taken in its original biblical meaning as a legal formula for making restitution; and it is so understood in Judaism. People know innately that they should pay back the full amount of their debt. The phrase is often cited wrongly, however, as a justification for revenge.

That is a completely different matter. Revenge by the aggrieved party is a kind of rough justice, but it is not conducive to peace. It only furthers the cycle of violence. The scriptures teach that it is better to forgive.

O dweller in the body, make reparation for whatever you have done!

Garuda Purana 2.35 (Hinduism)

The Day of Atonement atones for sins against God, not for sins against man, unless the injured person has been appeased.

Mishnah, Yoma 8.9 (Judaism)

Sama’a asked Imam ‘Ali about whether there is a way to repentance for one who commits premeditated murder. He said, “No, not unless he pays the blood money to the murdered man’s relatives, frees a slave, fasts for two consecutive months, asks God’s forgiveness and offers voluntary prayers. If he does this then I would hope that his repentance would be accepted.”

Sama’a asked, “And if he has no money?” He said, “Then he should ask the Muslims for money so that he can pay the restitution to the blood-relatives.”

And We prescribed for them: “A life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds retaliation.” But whoever foregoes it in the way of charity, it shall be expiation for him.

Qur’an 5.45

In reconciling a great injury, Some injury is sure to remain.

How can this be good?

Therefore the sage holds the left-hand tally [obligation] of a contract; He does not blame others.

The person of virtue attends to the obligation; The person without virtue attends to the exactions.

Tao Te Ching 79 (Taoism)

Whoever, by a good deed, covers the evil done, such a one illumines this world like the moon freed from clouds.

Hadith (Shiite Islam)

Dhammapada 173 (Buddhism)

If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.12

If one has, indeed, done deeds of wickedness, but afterwards alters his way and repents, resolved not to do anything wicked, but to practice reverently all that is good, he is sure in the long run to obtain good fortune—this is called changing calamity into blessing.

Exodus 21.23-25

Treatise on Response and Retribution 5 (Taoism)

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Again, though I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” yet if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right, he shall surely live.

There was a rich man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich… And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house.”

Luke 19.2, 8-9

Ezekiel 33.14-16

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon It is God’s formula that the providence of restoration requires paying restitution, or indemnity.

Indemnity cleanses the past and opens up a new opportunity for development. Why do we need to make restitution? It is necessary to clear up past sins and at the same time to separate from Satan, who accuses people day and night based on past sins.

This formula applies not only to ourselves as individuals, but also includes the wholes of which we are a part. Each of us is not only an individual living in the present moment but also a descendant who has inherited the fruits of history. Each of us stands before divine Providence not just as an individual but as a representative of the entire world. (99:164-65, September 18, 1978) Restoration of indemnity means to restore what was lost to its original status. If you lose your health and become ill, it means to recover from illness to health. That is why the Old Testament teaches restitution according to the formula, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” (252:128, November 14, 1993) In a courtroom, a criminal who shows true repentance and willingness to make restitution for his crime wins mercy from the judge and prosecutor… No matter what kind of wrong he committed, if he makes a conscientious effort to extricate himself and give restitution he can win forgiveness. But if that person is hardheaded and claims he did no wrong, he has no way to be forgiven. (104:279, June 1, 1979) Among friends, if you say something or do something accidentally that offends your friend, it can damage the friendship. This also applies to a married couple, where even a small slight may become a reason for divorce. If you find yourself in that situation, clarify what the error was, discuss the problem with your spouse, and whoever was in the wrong should make amends. You cannot just ignore the matter and bury it, or it will remain a sticking point between you forever.

Likewise, after a war between nations there should be some judgment as to which nation was in the wrong. The nation in the wrong should willingly compensate the nations that it aggressed against in order to resolve their lingering hostility. (89:116-17, November 1, 1976) In the Bible, a king forgave the debts of his servant, but then the servant went and demanded payment from those who owed him money. On seeing this, the king demanded that the servant repay him the debt that he had forgiven, with interest. This is cause and effect. The Bible also teaches that

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giving even a glass of water to the least person will not be for nothing. These are lessons about how we should repay our debts. (85:35, March 2, 1976) If you owe something to someone, you have to become his servant; otherwise, you will perish. You can establish your position only when others cannot accuse it, however much they may want to do so. (Way of God’s Will 3.4) The vengeful legalism that says “a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a stripe for a stripe” cannot stem from the character of the Creator God. God is the God of love and forgiveness.13 (124:202, February 15, 1983) God supports me because I loved even those who opposed me. I did not seek revenge against my enemies. I did not requite an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. I took all the blows and tried to digest them with love. (168:204, September 20, 1987)

❖

The Futility of War WAR DOES NOT BRING PEACE, BUT ONLY BEGETS MORE WAR. World War I was billed the war to end all wars, yet less than thirty years later Europe was engulfed by World War II. Understanding this truth, the greatest saints taught the doctrine of non-violence. They willingly suffered blows without retaliating in kind. This is the highest teaching for establishing a peaceful world. The ideal of God’s Kingdom cannot be built in any other way.

Nevertheless, in the vicissitudes of history, when people encounter cruel aggressors, God permits them to defend themselves. Between the two parties in such a conflict, God aligns Himself on the side of the defender and against the aggressor. Hence through history, the aggressor who initiated war thinking he will win ended the loser. This again shows the futility of war as an instrument of national policy.

1. The Path of Non-Violence Then they came up and laid hands upon Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

Matthew 26.51-52

take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Matthew 5.39-41

Victory breeds hatred, for the defeated live in pain. Happily live the peaceful, giving up victory and defeat.

Dhammapada 201 (Buddhism)

Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and

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For behold, they had rather sacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy; and

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they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth, because of their love towards their brethren.

Book of Mormon, Alma 26.32 (Latter-day Saints)

How do you pray that sinners die? Rather pray that they should repent, and thus there will be no more wickedness.

Talmud, Berakot 10a (Judaism)

The force of arms cannot do what peace does.

If you can gain your desired end with sugar, why use poison?

Somadeva, Nitivaktyamrita 344 (Jainism)

Abruptly King Hsiang asked me, “Through what can the Empire be settled?”

“Through unity,” I said.

“Who can unite it?”

“One who is not fond of killing can unite it,” I said.

kept their castles separate and would not allow any mistakes about which was whose. When the castles were all finished, one child kicked over someone else’s castle and completely destroyed it. The owner of the castle flew into a rage, pulled the other child’s hair, struck him with his fist and bawled out, “He has spoiled my castle!

Come along all of you and help me to punish him as he deserves.” The others all came to his help. They beat the child with a stick and then stamped on him as he lay on the ground…

Then they went on playing in their sand castles, each saying, “This is mine; no one else may have it. Keep away! Don’t touch my castle!” But evening came, it was getting dark and they all thought they ought to be going home. No one now cared what became of his castle. One child stamped on his, another pushed his over with both hands. Then they turned away and went back, each to his home.14 Yogacara Bhumi Sutra 4 (Buddhism)

Mencius I.A.6 (Confucianism)

Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (Christianity)

Some children were playing beside a river. They made castles of sand, and each child defended his castle and said, “This one is mine.” They

Anger and hatred cannot bring harmony. The noble task of arms control and disarmament cannot be accomplished by confrontation and condemnation.

Tenzin Gyatso, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama (Buddhism)

They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 2.4

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon God certainly does not want to unite the world with weapons, and neither do I. Weapons are instruments of power, but God is thinking how to unite the world with love. (103:184, February 25, 1979) Among the historical great figures of the past…those who met opposition by defending themselves as being in the right cannot join the ranks of the saints. The people of Jesus’ day condemned him to death. Although it grieved him, he endured his path in silence. Even so, he re-emerged as an historical victor. Why? Because he did not fight with those who condemned him. (80:34, October 4, 1975)

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Why don’t religious believers fight back when they are attacked? Why don’t we teach people to fight with those in power? If humanity could find hope through violence, our way would be foolish. The original way of life in the Garden of Eden has nothing to do with violence or revenge. God’s ideal of creation is not like that.

We cannot realize the ideal world by the sword. The original Garden of Eden is not a place of conflict. Its inhabitants are humble and full of love; they do not compete to exalt themselves. Yet up to the present, God had no choice but to coach with believers who were accustomed to fighting and struggling for power.

Now that we know how it is to live in the original world, we can clearly see that people who are self-centered and arrogant have nothing to do with God. True religion does not teach people to fight, exploit others and dominate others. We should live with “love” as our motto…

We cannot fight, because we have to live as we would in the original world. There we would be humble, and being humble, we would live for the sake of others and love others. We who pursue the heavenly nation should live by these three values. Then, although we may face all manner of opposition, we will gradually expand the realm where people practice this way of life. (98:33, April 8, 1978)

❖ 2. The Immorality and Futility of Aggressive War In wars to gain land, the dead fill the plains; in wars to gain cities, the dead fill the cities. This is known as showing the land the way to devour human flesh. Death is too light a punishment for such men who wage war. Hence those skilled in war should suffer the most severe punishments.

Mencius IV.A.14 (Confucianism)

Fine weapons are instruments of evil.

They are hated by men.

Therefore those who possess Tao turn away from them…

Weapons are instruments of evil, not the instruments of a good ruler.

When he uses them unavoidably, he regards calm restraint as the best principle.

Even when he is victorious, he does not regard it as praiseworthy, For to praise victory is to delight in the slaughter of men.

He who delights in the slaughter of men will not succeed in the empire…

For the slaughter of the multitude, let us weep with sorrow and grief.

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For a victory, let us observe the occasion with funeral ceremonies.

Tao Te Ching 31 (Taoism)

If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12.18-21

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

For the wicked shall be cut off; but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land.

Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look well at his place, he will not be there.

But the meek shall possess the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

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The wicked plots against the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.

The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows, to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those who walk uprightly; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

Psalm 37.8-15

Imam ‘Ali found a letter in the scabbard of the Messenger of God’s sword on which was written, “The worst of people in the sight of God is

the killer of one who does not fight him, and he who beats one who does not beat him…for he has committed the crime of kufr (disbelief) in what God has sent down upon Muhammad.

Hadith (Shiite Islam)

Do not fight the people until they initiate fighting, for then by the grace of God you will have justification, and leaving them alone until they initiate fighting is yet another justification. Then if you defeat them, do not kill the one who is fleeing, and do not finish off the wounded or expose nakedness or mutilate the dead.

Amir-ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali, Da’aim al-Islam (Islam)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon Think of how much money the world is wasting on war. Humanity needs to realize that we are committing fearful sins in the presence of history and our descendants. Let us take one example.

How much money has the United States spent on the war in Iraq during the past three years? It is approaching $200 billion…

In this age, war is a most primitive and destructive means of resolving conflict, and will never lead to lasting peace. Now is the time, as the prophet Isaiah taught, to beat our swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks. Humankind should end the perverse cycle of war, which only sacrifices our children’s lives and squanders astronomical sums of money. The time has come for the countries of the world to pool their resources15 and advance toward the world of peace desired by God, the Master of this great universe. (September 21, 2005) God will not forgive a nation if it utilizes only for its own benefit the scientific technology it was given as a means to bring peace for all humankind. God granted science and technology to humanity for the happiness of all. It should not be monopolized only for the white race. Nor should it be used to create weapons, disregarding the realization of world peace. (190:178, June 19, 1986) In a war, how do you distinguish between the good side and the evil side? The evil side strikes while the other side is at ease. That is why when two students are fighting, the teacher asks them, “Who started it?” and takes the side of the student who was attacked. The student who attacks first always loses, because the teacher takes the side of the one who was attacked. Likewise, throughout history, God takes the side of the defender.

Why is it wrong to attack first? Originally, goodness should have taken the lead in the universe, but instead evil took the initiative. At the Human Fall, Adam and Eve were struck when they were doing nothing wrong. God was attacked when He was doing nothing wrong. Thus, a characteristic of evil is aggression. When an attacker inflicts harm, he should pay for the violation. The person whom he attacked may request compensation for damages.

God knows this principle. Do you think He initiates wars? No, God’s strategy is to be the defender, not the aggressor. Likewise, people on God’s side receive blows; they do not attack.

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They are not aggressors because God is not an aggressor, and they strive to follow God’s example.

God’s people take the beating and endure, never giving up. Then they have the right to seek for compensation.

Satan is the king of aggressors. He is the father of all aggressors and evil people. God is the king of defenseless people who take beatings. The more a person is beaten, the more he can shorten the length of the indemnity period according to the principle of restoration through indemnity.

We can recognize this pattern throughout history: Satan attacks first and loses, while God is attacked but gains in the end. Look at the example of World War I: Germany started that war, but they lost. The Germans thought they could win the war; otherwise they would not have started it.

Satan always thinks he can win; that is why his forces start wars. But no one can win by violating heavenly law. Look at World War II: Germany and Japan started the war, but they lost. God, the Supreme Judge, admonished the aggressors, “You are in the wrong.” (91:243-44, February 23, 1977)

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The Rise and Fall of Nations GOD IS ACTIVE IN HISTORY AND GUIDES THE COURSE OF NATIONS: this was a first principle of God’s revelation to Israel. The prophets of Israel recognized that God dispensed blessings and punishments to the nation according to whether they were faithful to God’s will. Confucianism speaks of the Mandate of Heaven as a higher power that supports righteous rulers and causes the downfall of corrupt dynasties. The Qur’an likewise discerns the judgments of a righteous God in the history of the rise and fall of mighty nations, which left evidence of their former greatness in the ruins dotting the Arabian and Egyptian deserts. The downfall of the once mighty Roman Empire is further evidence that godlessness and moral decay lead to ruin. Father Moon continues this scriptural tradition in his warnings to America and the Western nations that they are liable to suffer the same fate. Nevertheless, he holds out hope that their impending downfall can be reversed, if only their people will turn to God.

I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me, “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O people of Israel.

If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from this evil, I will repent of the evil that I intended to do it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice,

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then I will repent of the good, which I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you.

Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.’”

Jeremiah 18.3-11

Dishonesty about spoil has not appeared among a people without God casting terror into their hearts; fornication does not become widespread among a people without death being prevalent among them; people do not give short measure and weight without having their provision cut off; people do not judge unjustly without bloodshed becoming widespread among them; and people

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are not treacherous about a covenant without the enemy being given authority over them.

Hadith of Malik (Islam)

The Three Dynasties won the empire through benevolence and lost it through cruelty. This is true of the rise and fall, survival and collapse, of states as well. An emperor cannot keep the empire within the Four Seas unless he is benevolent; a feudal lord cannot preserve the altars to the gods of earth and grain unless he is benevolent; a minister or a counselor cannot preserve his ancestral temple unless he is benevolent; a gentleman or a commoner cannot preserve his four limbs unless he is benevolent.

Mencius IV.A.3 (Confucianism)

The Thirty-three great gods grow angry in their palaces When the king disregards the evil done in his kingdom.

Then the land is afflicted with fierce and terrible crime, And it perishes and falls into the power of the enemy.

Then property, families, and hoarded wealth all vanish, And with varied deeds of deceit men ruin one another.

Whatever his reasons, if a king does not do his duty He ruins his kingdom, as a great elephant a bed of lotuses.

Harsh winds blow, and rain falls out of season, Planets and stars are unpropitious, as are the moon and sun, Corn, flowers, and fruit and seed do not ripen properly, And there is famine, when the king is negligent…

Then all the kings of the gods say to one another, “This king is unrighteous; he has taken the side of unrighteousness!”

Such a king will not for long anger the gods; From the wrath of the gods his kingdom will perish.

Golden Light Sutra 12 (Buddhism)

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Have they not traveled in the land to see the nature of the consequence for those who disbelieved before them? They were mightier than those in power [today] and in the traces which they left behind them in the earth.16 Yet God seized them for their sins, and they had no protector from God. That was because their messengers kept bringing them clear proofs of God’s sovereignty but they disbelieved; so God seized them. Lo! He is Strong, Severe in punishment.

Qur’an 40.21-22

Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of Ad, With the city of Iram, with lofty pillars, The like of which were not produced in all the land?

And with the people of Thamud, who cut out huge rocks in the valley?

And with Pharaoh, Lord of Stakes?

All these transgressed beyond bounds in the lands And heaped therein mischief on mischief.

Therefore did your Lord pour on them a scourge of diverse chastisements: For your Lord is as a guardian on a watchtower.

Qur’an 89.6-14

The Duke of Chou said, “I make an announcement to all Yin and managers of affairs. Oh, august Heaven, the Lord-on-High, has changed his principal son [the ruler] and this great state Yin’s mandate. Now that the king has received the mandate, unbounded is the grace, but also unbounded is the solicitude. Oh, how can he be but careful!

“Heaven has removed and made an end to the great state Yin’s mandate. There were many former wise kings of Yin in Heaven, and the later kings and people here managed their mandate.

But in the end [under the last king] wise and good men lived in misery so that, leading their wives and carrying their children, wailing and calling to Heaven, they went to where no one could come and seize them. Oh, Heaven had pity on the people of the four quarters, and looking with affection and giving its mandate,

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it employed the zealous ones [the leaders of the Chou]. May the [new] king now urgently pay careful attention to his virtue.”

Book of History 5.12.2, Announcement of the Duke of Chou (Confucianism)

Great is the appointment of Heaven!

There were the descendants of Shang— The descendants of the sovereigns of Shang Were in number more than hundreds of thousands; But when God gave the command, They became subject to Chou.

They became subject to Chou; The appointment of Heaven is not constant…

Before Yin lost the multitudes, Its kings were the assessors of God. Look to Yin as a beacon; The great appointment is not easily preserved.

The appointment is not easily preserved; Do not cause your own extinction.

Display and make bright your righteousness and name, And look at the fate of Yin in the light of Heaven.17 Book of Songs, Ode 235 (Confucianism)

If there is an evil-minded king who practices wrong teachings, interferes with the disciples of the Buddha, slanders them, speaks ill of them, hurts them with sticks and swords, robs them of their daily necessities, and bothers those who support them, the king of Brahma Heaven and Indra will immediately send foreign armies to attack him. Also his evil acts will cause several sufferings: civil wars, famines, unseasonable storms, fighting, and lawsuits in his country. They will also cause him to lose his country before long.

Great Collection of Sutras (Buddhism)

In the land of softly lapping waves, the Heart of the kami has turned hard.

Leaving the capital in ruins, which I see, and feel how sad.

Man’yoshu I (Shinto)

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The Lord protected Khorasan from Babur’s invasion And on Hindustan let loose terror.

The Lord Himself punishes not: So He sent down the Mughal Babur, dealing death as Yama.

As the people wailed in their agony of suffering, Didst Thou feel no compassion for them?

Thou who art Creator of all— Should a powerful foe molest one equally powerful, Little would the mind be grieved; But when a ferocious tiger falls upon a herd of kine, Then must the Master be called to account.

These dogs that despoiled the jewels [India’s resources] and wasted them, Now shameful will be their end.

Thou alone dost join and unjoin— Such is the greatness of Thy might.

Whoever arrogates to himself greatness, Tasting all pleasures to satiety, In the eyes of the Lord is only a worm picking grain.

Adi Granth, Asa, M.1, p. 360 (Sikhism)

Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes— they trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same maiden, so that my holy name is profaned;18 they lay themselves down beside every altar upon garments taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

“Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above, and his roots beneath.

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Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites.19 Is this not indeed so, O people of Israel?” says the Lord.

“But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’

“Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down.

Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life; he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life; and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day,” says the Lord.

Amos 2.6-16

A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great Spirit,

will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours.

But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We will see.

Chief Seattle20 (Native American Religion)

On us shall descend some awful curse, Like the curse that descended in far-off times.

Thus speaks the Creator of men, But the men refuse to listen.

On us shall descend some awful curse, Like the curse that descended in far-off times: We have but one word to say: Idle about! Sink in sloth!

Men of such kind will gain nothing from the Father, For they know not His voice.

He is the one who loves man.

Dinka Prayer (African Traditional Religion)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon History does not progress by itself. God, working in the background, intervenes and leads its development over certain times and periods. (4:191, April 20, 1958) Many civilizations rose and fell throughout history. Once-great cultures are now ruined and forgotten.

Sometimes they declined due to external causes like weather, disease, or natural disasters, but mostly the cause was internal corruption, especially decline of religion or morality. (343:155, January 27, 2001) A nation rises or falls depending on whether its drive for unification and preeminence is self-centered or for the peace of the entire world. (369:178, February 14, 2002) Is there any country in the world today that says it will sacrifice itself for the sake of saving the world? America prospered when it worked together with other countries for their sake. But it has been declining ever since it began to say, “We have to hang on to just our country.” (69:87, October 20, 1973)

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Throughout human history there have been many great civilizations. Why did they perish? As their civilizations developed, rather than living for the sake of the world they became self-centered and devoured the rest of the world to satisfy their appetites. Do you think America is an exception?

America is the leading nation of the world; especially its culture moves the whole world. Yet America has become arrogant and discriminatory. If she continues this way, she will inevitably decline. Despite her worldwide fame, internally her children are being struck. Children are a nation’s most precious possession and hope for the future, but they are being struck. (97:322, April 1, 1978) At one time, Great Britain unified the world under the banner of Christianity. Yet the British thought the world existed for the sake of Britain. They did not understand that Great Britain was given its empire for the sake of the world. For that reason, Britain lost its empire. Today the United States is the worldwide power, but Americans should never think that the world exists to serve America’s interests. America should serve the interests of the world. Otherwise America, like Britain before her, will decline. (247:111, April 25, 1993) History goes around in cycles. People that were oppressed come to rule their former oppressors.

Once they develop a superior ideology or way of life, they come to rule those who once ruled them…

It is inevitable—a principle in this fallen world. (95:105-06, November 1, 1977) As the historian Spengler pointed out, civilizations, like the four seasons of the year, repeatedly rise and fall. Today the age of the Atlantic civilization is passing, and the age of the Pacific civilization is emerging. (115:171, November 10, 1981) When there is a low pressure, there is also a high pressure. Does the high pressure tell the low pressure to go away? High pressure will automatically feed the low pressure without asking permission.

This is the natural law. Likewise, when water is high here and low there, it cannot remain still but seeks the same level.

Does this occur in today’s fallen world? One nation is very rich and another is very poor; does this disparity create a flow like water and air to bring equity? Who, then, is going against the law of nature? Advanced nations are. If they go against God’s law, they will eventually be destroyed. One way that God is punishing and warning these advanced nations is through AIDS and drug problems.

He permits unlawful things like homosexuality and free sex, things that Satan loves.

Therefore, to prevent America’s destruction, it should permit leveling to occur. Therefore, I will encourage the American people to fast occasionally and with the excess food help the starving people in the poor nations. Like the natural world, the human world has to come into balance and harmony under the natural law. (260:192, May 8, 1994) We learn from history that even the powerful Roman Empire collapsed from within because of its sexual immorality. Ancient Pompeii was wiped out by a volcano, and when it was excavated centuries later it was clear why the city was destroyed—its people were focused on sex, drinking and sensual pleasure.

Whenever a society becomes morally corrupt it faces a quick downfall. This is not my opinion, but the lesson of history. It doesn’t matter whether you are black, white or yellow, this rule applies to everyone. Moral corruption usually infects nations that have much money, power and knowledge.

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America today is in the same position as the Roman Empire. You think it is the greatest country with its money, power and knowledge, but its moral standard is worse than in underdeveloped countries. Internally it has an incurable disease. Once a nation catches this disease, it inevitably declines. It cannot maintain its culture. Young people lose any discipline in their lives, families break down, churches lose their authority, and the social order breaks down. Is it or is it not the reality in America? Looking at the proud American people, I wonder how long their time of prosperity can last. (103:97-98, February 11, 1979) Today’s climate of free sex leads young people to kiss and sleep around with whomever they please. It is the path of destruction. America, Great Britain, France, Italy and the whole world have no defense.

And since this is the trend in the advanced nations, the developing nations want to follow.

To protect the world from further harm, God would want to hasten the decline of these advanced nations. God would do this to protect the rest of the world, especially the relatively unstained third world nations, from this moral contagion. Don’t you think God is in this situation? Thoughtful people will be searching for a new direction. (117:201-02, March 7, 1982) God blessed America, but what did God have in mind? It is God’s Will to save all humankind. God wanted America to become good and strong to be a foundation for world peace and the liberation of humanity according to God’s Will. God wanted America to use its strength to chase out Satan and liberate this hell on earth.

When you go about in your fine clothes, do you remember that countless people left their blood-stained tracks on history, people who went through valleys of misery and wept bitter tears? Do you realize as you put on your clothes that you owe a debt to these people? Likewise, the house you live in and the environment you enjoy represent your indebtedness to all humanity.

You Americans were not given these blessings because you are a superior people. Would that you viewed these things according to God’s Will, God’s heart and God’s ideal for the world, and think of the heavenly responsibility that comes with them. But since you do not, but just enjoy your blessings without realizing why you have them, they will surely be taken away. God will give them to another people who live more for the sake of the world.

Consider the countless American Indians whom your forbearers killed and drove off their land. Did they just disappear, or are they dwelling in the spirit world and nursing a desire for revenge? In addition to American Indians, white people invaded and looted many small and weak nations. Still, America has done better than Europe in serving God’s Will. America surpassed even England in sending missionaries to the world. America came to Europe’s aid in the World Wars and afterwards…

Having colonies would not be a bad thing if America served the people of her colonies more than she serves her own people. God would encourage America to spend more of its treasure to help the impoverished people of Asia. No one would oppose Americans if they served them, if they even sold their houses to raise the funds to help them. In that case, the people of the colonies would welcome Americans. They would say, “Thank you, America,” and follow the American people as they would follow God. By such service to the needy of the world, the world could have become one. That was God’s desire. Yet it didn’t happen that way. Americans took the wealth for themselves and trampled upon the people. America rebelled against God’s work in history. From that point on, things started to go wrong. (202:332-33, May 27, 1990)

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Spiritually attuned people throughout the world are saying that the world is undergoing a sudden and dramatic change. Where is the world headed? Ordinary people think the dangers will only grow worse and the world will deteriorate into hopelessness. Only a very small number of people believe that the world will reach a place of hope. People have been predicting the decline of Western civilization; many think the world is headed into an age of darkness. As you know, Christianity has been the backbone of Western civilization, giving strength to its families, communities and nations. But now it is crumbling.

Young people in particular are pessimistic about the future. Still, we believe that almighty God will not leave His people without hope. He has prepared a path of hope that leads to a new world.

(103:39-40, February 2, 1979) I am not the only one talking about the decline of America. Intelligent people, politicians, scholars and religious leaders confirm what I am saying. What can cure America’s ills? Can the American military do it? Can the knowledge of science that sends men to the moon cure this illness? Neither economists nor politicians nor scientists can do it. It is impossible to heal it without God. That is why God sent me to America. (93:122, May 21, 1977)

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World Peace IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM, with the world facing the global problems of environmental degradation, competition for scarce natural resources, terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the time calls out for the establishment of world peace. What was formerly only a distant dream of prophets and visionaries must now become a reality—for humanity’s very survival. As this circumstance has only arisen in modern times, we have supplemented texts from scriptures with statements by significant religious figures and visionaries of the last century.

God has inspired Father Moon to present numerous practical proposals for world peace. This modern-day prophet has quite a different view from the secular apostles of peace in our time, who held that through scientific and technological advances humanity would create a world of shared affluence in which the old prejudices of religion and culture would yield to secular democratic values and the freedom of the marketplace. Instead, Father Moon teaches that peace must be founded in God, and religion and spirituality must play a central role to move the peoples of the world towards one global family.

As optimistic hope in progress towards a secular utopia has faded, and people are reconsidering the importance of religion and the internal foundations necessary for world peace, his words have taken on new cogency.

Father Moon has some rather specific proposals for building world peace, including reforming the United Nations to add a spiritual dimension, the demise of national borders, the joining of cultures through intercultural marriages, and an international highway linking all the world’s cities. They are each an expression of his fundamental belief that world peace is built through the practice of true love.

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1. God is the Basis of World Peace Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; That he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.

For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 2.2-4

I see no hope for permanent world peace. We have tried and failed miserably. Unless the world has a spiritual rebirth, civilization is doomed.

Dag Hammarskjöld

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid…21 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11.6-9

Our hope is that the world’s religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely afflicted world the remedy it requires.

Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh 110 (Baha’i Faith)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon When the Cold War ended, the world had a brief moment of celebration, as if peace had arrived.

But humanity soon realized that the end of the Cold War did not automatically mean the advent of an era of world peace. Fierce battles continued. Even at this moment, brutal massacres are occuring in numerous places. This is the reality.

Conflicts arise for many reasons. But one of the primary factors contributing to their emergence is the deep-rooted disharmony that exists among the world’s religions. Therefore, we should recognize how critically important it is that the religions dialogue with one another, learn to accept one another, and harmonize with each other.

In the modern age, in most nations, religious ideals have come to hold a place wholly separate from the centers of secular political power, and most people have come to accept this reality as the way things ought to be. I believe, however, that it is time for the international organizations whose purpose is to support the ideal of world peace to reconsider their relationship with the great religious traditions of the world…

At their root, human problems are not entirely social or political, and so social and political approaches will always be of limited effectiveness. Although secular authorities rule most human societies, religion lies at the heart of most national and cultural identities. In fact, religious faith and devotion have far greater importance in most peoples’ hearts than do political loyalties.

The time has come for religion to renew itself and manifest true leadership in the world. People of faith should feel responsibility for the plight, suffering and injustices experienced by the world’s peoples. Religious people have not been good examples in the practice of love and living for the sake of others and for this reason should engage in deep self-reflection. It is time for religious people to

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repent for their preoccupation with individual salvation and narrow denominational interests. Such practices have prevented religious bodies from giving their utmost to the cause of world salvation.

Our age more than any other demands that we go beyond our faiths, and the interests of particular religions, and put our love and ideals into practice for the sake of the world.

In particular, God calls upon us leaders, especially religious leaders, in hope that we will stand against the injustices and evils of the world, and bestow His true love upon the world. Hence, all people of faith must become one in heart in order to give full expression, both in words and actions, to God’s passionate desire for humanity’s restoration and peace. (332:245-47, August 18, 2000) From the viewpoint of God’s historical dispensation, humankind is one large family that is to live by attending God as the True Parent, transcending national boundaries and racial and religious differences. Humankind is destined to cooperate as a global family and become as a single community. We live in an age when we can no longer feel that we have nothing to do with the problems of our neighbors or the suffering of other countries. We cannot ignore the reality of humanity ravaged by war, crime, drug abuse, pollution, the destruction of ecosystems, moral corruption and the scourge of AIDS. Today, with the eyes of history upon us, we must answer to God. How can humankind, whose mandate is the realization of complete harmony and unity, overcome the unfortunate reality and greet the coming millennium with hope? How can we realize a peaceful world, in which everyone lives for and trusts others irrespective of personal and national interests? What is the new value system by which we shall attain this ideal? Rather than riding the chariot of science and technology pulled by the horses of secular humanism, we must humbly seek the answers within our original mind. If we cannot find the solution on earth, we must find it through listening to the voice of Heaven. (279:211-12, August 20, 1996)

❖ 2. The United Nations and Global Governance We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

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And for these ends— to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples —have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.

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Accordingly, our respective governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.

Preamble of the United Nations Charter

Now is the gracious Lord’s ordinance promulgated, No one shall cause another pain or injury; All mankind shall live in peace together, Under a shield of administrative benevolence.

Adi Granth, Sri Raga, M.5, p. 74 (Sikhism)

In times past, one would be justified in feeling that the public authorities of the different political communities might be in a position to provide for the universal common good, either through normal diplomatic channels or through top-level meetings, by making use of juridical instruments such as conventions and treaties…

Today the universal common good presents us with problems which are worldwide in their dimensions; problems, therefore, which cannot

be solved except by a public authority with power, organization and means co-extensive with these problems, and with a world-wide sphere of activity. Consequently the moral order itself demands the establishment of some such general form of public authority…set up by common accord and not imposed by force…

By the principle of subsidiarity…the public authority of the world community is not intended to limit the sphere of action of the public authority of the individual political community, much less to take its place. On the contrary, its purpose is to create, on a world basis, an environment in which the public authorities of each political community, its citizens and intermediate associations, can carry out their tasks, fulfill their duties and exercise their rights with greater security…

It is Our earnest wish that the United Nations Organization—in its structure and in its means—may become ever more equal to the magnitude and nobility of its tasks… This is all the more to be hoped for since all human beings…are becoming more consciously aware that they are living members of a universal family of humankind.

Pope John XXIII, Pacem in Terris (Christianity)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon The biblical account of Cain and Abel reveals the beginnings of human conflict right in Adam’s family. It provides the archetype for humankind’s unending history of struggle, war and conflict. We are conflicted on many levels, beginning with the war between body and mind within each individual and extending to wars between nations and even to the global conflict between materialism and theism.

Who can untie this ancient knot of Cain and Abel? It has been tightened for thousands of years and grows ever more tangled. Do you think the United Nations can do it? The U.N. at its founding proclaimed a movement for world peace, and for sixty years it has dedicated itself to this task; yet world peace still remains far distant. Peace among nations can never come when those entrusted with the task have not resolved the Cain-Abel relationship between their own mind and body.

Therefore, the time has come to launch the Abel-type sovereignty for the peaceful, ideal world that will set its course according to God’s Will.22 (September 21, 2005) World peace can be fully accomplished only when the wisdom and efforts of the world’s religious leaders, who represent the internal concerns of the mind and conscience, work cooperatively and respectfully with national leaders who have much practical wisdom and worldly experience about

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the external reality or “body.” In this light, it is time for us to give serious consideration even to the prospect of restructuring the United Nations. For example, perhaps it is possible to envision the United Nations as a bicameral institution.

The existing United Nations structure, composed of national representatives, may be regarded as a congress where the interests of each member nation are represented. However, I submit that serious consideration should be given to forming a religious assembly, or council of religious representatives within the structure of the United Nations. This assembly or council would consist of respected spiritual leaders in fields such as religion, culture and education. Of course, the members of this interreligious assembly will need to have demonstrated an ability to transcend the limited interests of individual nations and to speak for the concerns of the entire world and humanity at large.

The two chambers, working together in mutual respect and cooperation, will be able to make great advances in ushering in a world of peace. The wisdom and vision of great religious leaders will substantially supplement the political insight, experience and skill of the world’s political leaders.

(August 18, 2000)

❖ 3. Building a Culture of Peace that Unites the Peoples of the Earth as One O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you might know each other [not that you might despise each other].

support of the peoples of the world, and that the peace must therefore be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind.

Qur’an 49.13

Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO

For the development of a peaceful, friendly human family of nations with a rich variety of faith and political and economic systems, each of us has the responsibility to strive towards such harmony. There is no alternative.

Peace is not something that you and I or a few great souls can create at once, by command. Even a million Christs or Krishnas could not do it. Try as he would, Lord Krishna could not prevent the great war between the Pandavas and Kauravas which is described in the Mahabharata. All humanity has to become Christ-like to bring peace on earth.

When each one of us shapes his life according to the wisdom and example of a Christ, a Krishna, a Buddha, we can have peace here; not before…

So long as God’s children differentiate, “We are Indians and you are Americans; we are Germans, you are English,” so long will they be bound by delusion and the world divided.

Much war and suffering and destruction will be prevented if we cease to emphasize differences and learn to love all without distinction or prejudice. Be more proud that you are made in the image of God than that you are of a certain nationality; for “American” and “Indian” and all the other nationalities are just outer coats, which

Tenzin Gyatso, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama (Buddhism)

Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed; That ignorance of each other’s ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world through which their differences have all too often broken into war…

That a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere

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in time will be discarded. But you are a child of God throughout eternity. Isn’t it better to teach that ideal to your children? It is the only way to peace: Establish the true ideals of peace in the schools, and live peace in your own life.

Paramahansa Yogananda (Hinduism)

Let there be a small country with a few inhabitants. Though there be labor-saving contrivances, the people would not use them. Let the people mind death and not migrate far. Though there be boats and carriages, there would be no occasion to ride in them. Though there be armor and weapons, there would be no occasion to display them.

Let people revert to the practice of knotting ropes [instead of writing], and be contented with their food, pleased with their clothing, satisfied with their houses, and happy with their customs.

Though there be a neighboring country in sight, and the people hear each other’s cocks crowing and dogs barking, they would grow old and die without having anything to do with each other.23 Tao Te Ching 80 (Taoism)

When the eighty-four thousand kings of the eighty-four thousand cities of India are contented with their own territories and with their own kingly state and their own hoards of treasure, they will not attack one another or raise mutual strife. They will gain their thrones by the due accumulation of the merit of their former

deeds; they will be satisfied with their own royal state, and will not destroy one another nor show their mettle by laying waste whole provinces.

When all the eighty-four thousand kings of the eighty-four thousand capital cities of India think of their mutual welfare and feel mutual affection and joy…contented in their own domains…

India will be prosperous, well-fed, pleasant, and populous.

Golden Light Sutra (Buddhism)

World peace is inconceivable unless the world’s leaders come to recognize the interdependence in itself demands the abandonment of the politics of blocs, the sacrifice of all forms of economic, military or political imperialism, and the transformation of mutual distrust into collaboration. This is precisely the act proper to solidarity among individuals and nations.

Pope John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (Christianity)

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my heritage.”

Isaiah 19.23-25

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon In the 21st century, people will not be able to exercise dominion on the earth, or even exist there, while disregarding the ultimate principle of the Creator. The future of humanity will require closer relationships among people. In the future people will have no choice but to live very closely together, transcending their region, nationality and race. In other words, the vision of global family will become a reality. People will not only have to understand others who have different religions, cultures, traditions and lifestyles; they will have to accept them and interrelate with them. No individual or group will be able to selfishly maintain its own sanctuary. (219:9, August 24, 1991) Today, on every level, boundaries cause division and conflict. If we can eliminate all the boundaries in this world, a world of peace would inevitably come about. We must recognize who owns those

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boundaries. Clearly, it is not God. It was the devil, Satan, who first created boundaries. Wherever a boundary exists, there is always the devil and his cohorts.

This is a result of the Human Fall, when the first human ancestors switched their lineage, and good and evil began to diverge from each other. When we look at the division between the East and the West, we see that different cultural spheres have led to antagonism at their boundaries and that the devil is encamped there. It was Satan, not God, who created boundaries, by digging all sorts of traps and enmeshing people in racial discrimination and evil cultures, histories, and traditions.

God’s desire is for a world of goodness and unity—a world of oneness in which all humanity lives as one great family. Boundaries have no place in such a world. In a world without boundaries, there can be no enemies. The concept of “enemy” entails the existence of boundaries.

When we love our enemies and make oneness with them, the boundaries between us will collapse. That is why God’s strategy and tactic has always been “Love your enemy.” There can be no greater strategy for peace than this. Throughout history, this incredible fact has escaped humanity’s understanding, and it has yet to be grasped even in modern times. (October 3, 2003) The spirit world does not acknowledge national borders; it transcends them. We were given the responsibility to lead this dispensation on earth; hence, we all have to go beyond national boundaries… We bring Asian people to live in the West and Western people to the Orient. By virtue of this work, Oriental spirits are able to live in the West and Western spirits can move to the East. Muslim spirits can visit the Christian world and Christian spirits can visit the Islamic world. Before [this work was done] they were separated from one another, but now they can come and go anywhere they want.

Movements to make external unity have come into being, like the European Union that permits Europeans to travel freely throughout Europe. No power can succeed in blocking this trend. The world can have a future only when people are free to move about and live anywhere on earth. Yet still America restricts immigration and the communists prevent their people from leaving. That is not our way in the Unification Church. We don’t say only Whites can join or that Blacks are not welcome. I come from Asia, but I don’t say that anyone who is not an Asian should leave. We are colorblind and recognize no borders. (101:331-32, November 12, 1978) Once true love is perfected in the human world, what possible political, economic, cultural, or environmental problems could persist? In the world of true love, every problem can be solved. It is a world of freedom, peace and happiness, replete with joy. It is the world of God’s ideal. It is a world where joy and happiness are magnified infinitely and eternally, and where everyone has the right to equal position, equal participation, and equal inheritance. (294:65, June 11, 1998) In the future there will be no fighting. Up to now we have had useless fights centering on the self.

People fought to rob each other. In the unified world under God’s sovereignty where people live for the sake of others, there will be no need for wars. Brothers do not need to rob each other; rather a needy person will have to run away as others try to give him more than he can use…

Laws will all disappear. When all people govern themselves by love, they will observe the law automatically. If all people practice love for the sake of others, there will be no crime. Higher and lower become one, and front and back, left and right, all become one. (224:173, November 24, 1991) When minorities can receive equal benefit from the system, and when advanced nations supply the less advanced nations with technology in the spirit of helping them become economically

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independent, instead of exploiting them and their resources, then humankind will eliminate war and starvation. Then the conditions will be right for God’s love to blossom and open the hearts of all humankind to establish the world of peace.

We should go beyond racism and even overcome the whole world with this thought. In the future, the five races should become one. Because God’s love is one, and because God beholds beauty in oneness, God’s interest and affection cannot differ among the lands He created. Interracial marriage is a symbol of God’s love and will. Even the secular world recognizes that love does not respect national borders. How much more is it true in God’s dominion? God’s love is fundamentally different from the tragic bonds of love formed in a world historically dominated by power and authority. God’s love does not just seek individual security and self-interest. It is the way of dedication for the benefit of God, the world and all humankind. (Blessing and Ideal Family 6.4.3) For the sake of peace and human welfare, I propose that we build a passage for transit across the Bering Strait, where Satan has historically divided East and West, and North and South, and where the North American and Russian land masses are separated. This passage, which I call the “World Peace King Bridge and Tunnel,” will link an International Highway System that will allow people to travel on land from Africa’s Cape of Good Hope to Santiago, Chile, and from London to New York, across the Bering Strait, connecting the world as a single community.

God is warning that He will no longer tolerate separation and division. Carrying out this project will bind the world together as one village. It will tear down the manmade walls of race, culture, religion and country, and establish the world of peace that has been God’s cherished desire.

The United States and Russia can become as one. The European Union, China, India, Japan, Brazil and all nations, and also the world’s religions, can combine their energies to succeed in this project. The success of this project will be decisive in establishing the kingdom of the peaceful, ideal world, where people will no longer make war with each other.24 (September 12, 2005)

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