The Church teaches that the Infinite God can be known by the study of His creation. Everything exists in pairs masculine and feminine, positive and negative, initiative and receptive. God contains the same polarity. All things also contain an inner and outer nature. In like measure, God's internal Nature (Sung sang) is His heart of infinite love, and HisExternal Form (Hyung sang) is the energy of the universe. God created the universe to bring Himself joy and to bring joy to man. Every man and woman has the capacity to fully reflect the image of God and become one with Him. We achieve that oneness when we come to develop fully our capacity to love. In family life, we ideally find the most complete expression of the range and depth of human love. God's love is the infinite counterpart of the three modes of human love love of parents for children, love of husband and wife, and love of children for parents. This ideal should have been established in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve, the original human ancestors. They would have become the first "True parents," had they not fallen. Since God is the substantial being of goodness and the eternal ideal, in accordance with His purpose, man was also created to become the ideal embodiment of goodness, in whom sin and suffering would be a contradiction and an impossibility. The reality of the contradictions and evil in which man finds himself is a result of his having lost his original value by falling. Traditional Christianity calls this state of man "the fall" and its details, motivation and process are found in the section of the Principle entitled "The Fall of Man." The men fallen into sin must tread the path of salvation under God's blessing; in the Unification Principle, salvation is restoration. In other words, the purpose of salvation is to return to the original state before the fall; therefore, God's providence of salvation is the providence of restoration. The section "Principle of Restoration" attempts to clarify the overall meaning and process of salvation. In this restoration process Christ plays a key role. Christ comes not only as our mediator but as our example of how to spiritually and physically live to become God's ideal. Therefore, by uniting our heart and action with Christ, we are "saved." The teachings postulate that Jesus was supposed to take a bride and create the ideal family but his early death limited that plan. The first Advent brought spiritual salvation and a promise to return. The Lord of the Second Advent will bring physical salvation. To Church members, the Second Coming is at hand and Rev. Moon, with his wife Hak Ja Han, are fulfilling the position of true parents. A spiritual world exists as the counterpart of the physical. In the physical world we mature our spirits, within the limits of time and so that we will be prepared to live with God eternally. Heaven is the highest level of the spiritual world where perfected people dwell in oneness with God. The Church accepts both Old and New Testament as Divine Revelation. The teachings of Rev. Moon, the Divine Principle, are largely an interpretation of the Bible, but do include significant additional revelations which are given equal authority. The Church also publishes many other materials to aid in understanding Rev. Moon's revelation, including study guides, condensations of the revelation on audio tapes, texts of Rev. Moon's speeches and periodicals. PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS: Members are expected to keep high moral standards and actively witness to their faith, but the only restrictions are on alcohol, tobacco and sex outside of the marriage relationship. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: Although the Unification Church has missions in over 120 countries, there is no formal international structure. Each country operates autonomously. In the United States, the Unification Church is focused in its national offices in New York City, and is headed by its national President. Local Resident Centers function in all 50 States and Puerto Rico; each is headed by a director appointed by the national office. Besides the local centers, the Unification Church encounters the public through a number of subsidiary structures which seek to implement specific parts of the Church program: International Family Association (IF A), Collegiate Associate for the Research of Principles (CARP), High School Association for the Research of Principles (HARP), and the Performing Arts Department which has a variety of groups, e.g., New Hope Singers International, Korean Folk Ballet, Ancestors (rock group), International Folk Ballet, and Go World Brass Band. NATURE AND ROLE OF MINISTERIAL LEADERSHIP: The Unification Church does not emphasize the ordained ministry. Local congregations are organized on the family model with a director or church elder (male or female) organizing the Center's activity. In 1975, Rev. Moon founded the Unification Theological Seminary in Tarrytown, New York. The Seminary offers a 2 year Master of Religious Education (M.R.E.) program and a 3 year Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program designed to develop students' abilities in theology, Biblical studies, religious education, and philosophy. WORSHIP: Group worship is not required, but if a person lived with a local center, he would be expected to meet with other members at least once a day. Public worship services are held twice weekly, on Sunday and Wednesday evening. Members can go to either or both. Each core member is, on a rotational basis, encouraged to give the sermon or conduct the service. No special equipment or facilities are required for worship. The Unification Church recognizes the traditional Christian holidays, and has four holidays of its own. Because some of these are determined by the lunar calendar, the exact day of the year will vary: God's Day (January l); Parent's Day (March); Day of All Things (June); Children's Day (November). DIETARY STANDARDS: No official laws; alcohol or tobacco are generally not used. FUNERAL AND BURIAL PRACTICES: To be conducted by a Church elder. It is desirable, but not required, that another Church member be present at time of death. There are no restrictions with respect to autopsy. The practice of cremation is not in accordance with the Unification view. MEDICAL TREATMENT: No restrictions. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: The Unification Church emphasizes the responsibility of citizenship but sets no official rules as to military service. The Church recruits by direct witnesses, public rallies and the distribution of the Church's literature. Generally interested persons attend single lectures and later weekend workshops in order to hear the teachings. Membership is based on acceptance of the Church's Principles. As is indicated by its name, the Church strives to work as a catalyst in bringing the religions of the world into closer communication and understanding of each other. It is supportive of efforts that lead people to God. Rev. Moon and the members of the Unification Church see themselves as the fulfillment of Christianity, and not contradictory of it. They teach that God loves each person, but that man is separated from God because of sin. In his separated state, he can neither know nor experience God and new life. Jesus Christ is God's solution to the problem of separation but the teachings of Jesus have never been practiced fully by Christians. Through the Second Advent of the Lord, the full truth is to be revealed (John 16: 12, 25) and the kingdom in earth and in heaven established. Today is the time of this fulfillment. GENERAL SOURCE BOOKS: Divine Principle. New York: HSC UWC, 1973. 536pp. Kim, Young Oom. Unification Theology and Christian Thought. 2 vols. New York: Golden Gate, 1975,1976. Vol. I, 289pp. Vol. II, 320pp. Moon, Sun Myung, New Hope 12 Talks. 2 vols. New York: HSA UWCC, 1973, 1984. Vol. I, 103pp. Vol. II, 96pp. True Love. 2 vols. New York: HSC, 1989. Vol. I,266pp. Vol. 2, forthcoming The Way of Tradition. 4 Vols. New York: HSC UWC, 1980. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Karen Ericson Public Affairs Office 4 West 43rd Street New York, NY 10036 (212) 997-0050 or (212) 827-0463 |
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| Black Rose Spiritual Center, Inc : Belief Systems |
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| Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity |
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| ADDRESS: 4 West 43rd Street New York, New York 10036 OTHER NAMES: Unification Church; Unificationist CURRENT LEADERSHIP: Rev. Sun Myung Moon is considered the founder and spiritual leader of the Church. NATIONAL LEADER: Dr. James A. Baughman, President MEMBERSHIP: There are currently an estimated 3 million members worldwide. HISTORICAL ROOTS: On Easter morning in 1936, while 16 year old Sun Myung Moon was in deep prayer on a mountainside in Korea, Jesus Christ appeared to him to tell him he had an important mission to accomplish in the fulfillment of God's providence. For the next nine years, The Reverend Moon studied intensely and struggled to prepare himself for his responsibility. In those years of prayer, he discovered a series of principles which made it possible to understand the spiritual and physical nature of the universe, the patterns and meaning of history, as well as the inner meanings of the parables and symbols of the Bible and the purpose of all religions. Rev. Moon began his public ministry in what is now North Korea and was imprisoned by the Communists for preaching the Word of God. After being liberated from the three year imprisonment, Rev. Moon moved his work to Seoul, Korea, where in 1954 he formally established the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (Unification Church). The Unification Church was established in the United States in 1959, by the first missionary to America, Dr. Young Oon Kim, who settled in Eugene, Oregon, and translated the Divine Principle, revealed to Rev. Moon, into English. In l972, the Unification Church of America was given a spur to growth when Rev. Moon began several national speaking tours. Rev. Moon travels extensively throughout the world, and resides in Tarrytown, New York with his wife and 13 children. BASIC BELIEFS: The teaching of the Unification Church, the Divine Principle, can largely be divided into three parts. The most fundamental part of the Principle is the "Principle of Creation" which explains who God is and how and why He created. |
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