speeches: fix retired Bible Gateway links in God Is Our King #9
1 changed files with 6 additions and 6 deletions
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@ -25,14 +25,14 @@ May 8, 2001</h3>
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<h3 align="center">Adam and Eve Lost God’s Blessing</h3>
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<h3 align="center">Adam and Eve Lost God’s Blessing</h3>
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<p>What is the reality of the environment in which we live? Our mind and body have been fighting against each other since the beginning of history. World wars eventually conclude with a truce, or the defeat of one side, but the struggle between the human mind and body cannot be stopped; it continues without end. The mind and body failed to form a ninety-degree angle in resemblance to God, within whom the mind completely controls the body. The fall of the human ancestors brought on this state of mutual conflict. Even non-religious people have to acknowledge that human beings descended from fallen ancestors.</p>
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<p>What is the reality of the environment in which we live? Our mind and body have been fighting against each other since the beginning of history. World wars eventually conclude with a truce, or the defeat of one side, but the struggle between the human mind and body cannot be stopped; it continues without end. The mind and body failed to form a ninety-degree angle in resemblance to God, within whom the mind completely controls the body. The fall of the human ancestors brought on this state of mutual conflict. Even non-religious people have to acknowledge that human beings descended from fallen ancestors.</p>
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<p>Did God expel Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden before or after they committed the fall? He expelled them from the Garden because of the fall, so it must have taken place after the fall, and before they could form a relationship of love, life and lineage with God.</p>
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<p>Did God expel Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden before or after they committed the fall? He expelled them from the Garden because of the fall, so it must have taken place after the fall, and before they could form a relationship of love, life and lineage with God.</p>
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<p>Thus, Adam and Eve could not have a marriage ceremony blessed by God. Instead, they married under Satan’s dominion. Doing so, they inherited Satan’s lineage and multiplied descendants. For this reason, Jesus spoke so sharply when he pointed out that the devil Satan is the father of fallen humankind, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.” (<a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=John+8:44">John 8:44</a>) The fall destroyed the eternal relationship of parent and child between God, on the one hand, and Adam and Eve, on the other. Therefore, Adam and Eve were unable to generate the love of true parents, true husband and wife, and true children. Because of this, God never had grandchildren of direct descent.</p>
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<p>Thus, Adam and Eve could not have a marriage ceremony blessed by God. Instead, they married under Satan’s dominion. Doing so, they inherited Satan’s lineage and multiplied descendants. For this reason, Jesus spoke so sharply when he pointed out that the devil Satan is the father of fallen humankind, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8:44">John 8:44</a>) The fall destroyed the eternal relationship of parent and child between God, on the one hand, and Adam and Eve, on the other. Therefore, Adam and Eve were unable to generate the love of true parents, true husband and wife, and true children. Because of this, God never had grandchildren of direct descent.</p>
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<p>Adam and Eve should have avoided the fall and reached completion, forming one mind and one body as true parents centering on God, their True Parent. Instead, they entered into a relationship with the enemy and found themselves in a position with their body in total control of their mind.</p>
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<p>Adam and Eve should have avoided the fall and reached completion, forming one mind and one body as true parents centering on God, their True Parent. Instead, they entered into a relationship with the enemy and found themselves in a position with their body in total control of their mind.</p>
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<h3 align="center">The Root of Human Sin</h3>
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<h3 align="center">The Root of Human Sin</h3>
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<p>What then is the truth behind the fall story? The Bible states that the fall originated when the first human ancestors in the Garden of Eden ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is one of many important passages that the Bible expresses in parables and symbols. It does not refer to a literal fruit. As Jesus says in <a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Matthew+15:11">Matthew 15:11</a>, “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.'”</p>
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<p>What then is the truth behind the fall story? The Bible states that the fall originated when the first human ancestors in the Garden of Eden ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is one of many important passages that the Bible expresses in parables and symbols. It does not refer to a literal fruit. As Jesus says in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+15:11">Matthew 15:11</a>, “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.'”</p>
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<p>It is human nature to try to hide our defects. A child caught stealing a cookie by his mother will instinctively hide his hands or cover his mouth. In the same way, if Adam and Eve had taken a piece of fruit and put it into their mouth, then they would have hidden their hands or covered their mouth when God called them. The fact that they hid their lower parts instead demonstrates that their crime was committed through the lower parts of their body.</p>
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<p>It is human nature to try to hide our defects. A child caught stealing a cookie by his mother will instinctively hide his hands or cover his mouth. In the same way, if Adam and Eve had taken a piece of fruit and put it into their mouth, then they would have hidden their hands or covered their mouth when God called them. The fact that they hid their lower parts instead demonstrates that their crime was committed through the lower parts of their body.</p>
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<p>There were five masculine figures in the Garden of Eden. First, there was God, who is the subject partner of the entire created world. Then there was Adam and the three angels, Lucifer, Gabriel and Michael. Eve was the only feminine figure. What do you think they felt, standing naked and without shame in the Garden of Eden, observing the insects and animals coming together in pairs?</p>
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<p>There were five masculine figures in the Garden of Eden. First, there was God, who is the subject partner of the entire created world. Then there was Adam and the three angels, Lucifer, Gabriel and Michael. Eve was the only feminine figure. What do you think they felt, standing naked and without shame in the Garden of Eden, observing the insects and animals coming together in pairs?</p>
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<p>The commandment given in <a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Genesis+2:17">Genesis 2:17</a>, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die,” was a strong warning about Eve’s love. Eve had to protect her sexual purity until she achieved maturity with a God-centered character and entered into a blessed marriage with God’s permission. Had she succeeded, she would have multiplied God’s eternal love, life and lineage.</p>
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<p>The commandment given in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2:17">Genesis 2:17</a>, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die,” was a strong warning about Eve’s love. Eve had to protect her sexual purity until she achieved maturity with a God-centered character and entered into a blessed marriage with God’s permission. Had she succeeded, she would have multiplied God’s eternal love, life and lineage.</p>
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<p>Eve fell, however, because Lucifer disregarded his servant’s position and drew her into an immoral relationship based on his excessive desire. Thus, in <a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=2+Peter+2:4">2 Peter 2:4</a> the Bible says, “…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;” and <a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Jude+6-7">Jude 6-7</a> states, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home — these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.” Clearly, the angels committed the sin of adultery.</p>
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<p>Eve fell, however, because Lucifer disregarded his servant’s position and drew her into an immoral relationship based on his excessive desire. Thus, in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+2:4">2 Peter 2:4</a> the Bible says, “…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;” and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude+6-7">Jude 6-7</a> states, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home — these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.” Clearly, the angels committed the sin of adultery.</p>
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<p>I repeat: the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents Eve’s reproductive organ, and God gave the commandment to protect her chastity. When He created us, God invested His entire heart and soul in our reproductive organs. He created them as the palace of true love, the palace of true life, and the palace of true lineage. The story places the fruit in the context of good and evil in order to tell us that if Eve were to have a relationship with a king, she would give birth to a prince, and if she were to have a relationship with a mafioso, she would give birth to a villain. The quality of the harvest depends upon the seed that is planted. It was called the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because it could manifest good or evil.</p>
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<p>I repeat: the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents Eve’s reproductive organ, and God gave the commandment to protect her chastity. When He created us, God invested His entire heart and soul in our reproductive organs. He created them as the palace of true love, the palace of true life, and the palace of true lineage. The story places the fruit in the context of good and evil in order to tell us that if Eve were to have a relationship with a king, she would give birth to a prince, and if she were to have a relationship with a mafioso, she would give birth to a villain. The quality of the harvest depends upon the seed that is planted. It was called the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because it could manifest good or evil.</p>
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<h3 align="center">The Fruit of Sexual Immorality</h3>
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<h3 align="center">The Fruit of Sexual Immorality</h3>
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<p>This is how the original sin, the root of all sin, came into existence. This is why it became necessary for human beings to find rebirth. Rebirth is necessary because the problem relates to lineage.</p>
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<p>This is how the original sin, the root of all sin, came into existence. This is why it became necessary for human beings to find rebirth. Rebirth is necessary because the problem relates to lineage.</p>
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@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ May 8, 2001</h3>
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<p>There are still formidable obstacles on the path, in particular racism and religious strife. These stand against the will of God. God is the first ancestor of humankind. In a manner of speaking, white people are a polar bear race. Starting in the Arctic regions they spread to Scandinavia, Britain, and on across the world. The yellow race lived mainly in Asia practicing agriculture. They had a deep love for the land, so their skin turned brown. Black people are like the black bear of the tropics. The reason their skin is black is that they lived near the equator, where the sun’s rays are intense. The different skin colors among the races have no significance in terms of superiority or inferiority. It is simply a matter of our having adapted to different environments.</p>
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<p>There are still formidable obstacles on the path, in particular racism and religious strife. These stand against the will of God. God is the first ancestor of humankind. In a manner of speaking, white people are a polar bear race. Starting in the Arctic regions they spread to Scandinavia, Britain, and on across the world. The yellow race lived mainly in Asia practicing agriculture. They had a deep love for the land, so their skin turned brown. Black people are like the black bear of the tropics. The reason their skin is black is that they lived near the equator, where the sun’s rays are intense. The different skin colors among the races have no significance in terms of superiority or inferiority. It is simply a matter of our having adapted to different environments.</p>
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<p>In fact, we know that the qualitative makeup of our bodies is 99.96% identical. From God’s standpoint, skin color has no qualitative significance whatsoever. In fact, the God of love is color blind. God did not create different races with differing skin colors. In the spirit world, there are no white people or black people. The only color that exists there is the color of true love.</p>
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<p>In fact, we know that the qualitative makeup of our bodies is 99.96% identical. From God’s standpoint, skin color has no qualitative significance whatsoever. In fact, the God of love is color blind. God did not create different races with differing skin colors. In the spirit world, there are no white people or black people. The only color that exists there is the color of true love.</p>
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<p>Strife among religious groups is a particularly serious obstacle blocking humanity’s effort to bring about world peace. God did not create denominations or religious groups. In fact, religion itself is a result of the fall. Satan fosters denominational schism and religious divisions. In the spirit world, there are no walls between nations, denominations, or religions. It is a world composed of one huge family.</p>
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<p>Strife among religious groups is a particularly serious obstacle blocking humanity’s effort to bring about world peace. God did not create denominations or religious groups. In fact, religion itself is a result of the fall. Satan fosters denominational schism and religious divisions. In the spirit world, there are no walls between nations, denominations, or religions. It is a world composed of one huge family.</p>
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<p>Jesus’ words in <a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=John+3:16">John 3:16</a>, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” take us beyond the boundaries of Christianity to reveal the global, ubiquitous, universal nature of salvation.</p>
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<p>Jesus’ words in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3:16">John 3:16</a>, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” take us beyond the boundaries of Christianity to reveal the global, ubiquitous, universal nature of salvation.</p>
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<p>Traditionally, Satan always works to build barriers between people, and God works to tear these down. With the progress of God’s providence, we see in the spirit world that already there are no barriers between the religions centering on the four great founders. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed and Confucius can go back and forth and communicate freely among themselves.</p>
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<p>Traditionally, Satan always works to build barriers between people, and God works to tear these down. With the progress of God’s providence, we see in the spirit world that already there are no barriers between the religions centering on the four great founders. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed and Confucius can go back and forth and communicate freely among themselves.</p>
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<p>Because I know these things well, I strongly encouraged all clergy during my recent fifty-state tour to transcend their denomination and unite as one. In fact, 144,000 churches are now leading this movement through the United Federation of Churches, centered on the American Clergy Leadership Conference. In the future, the <a href="http://www.unification.net/homechurch">home church</a> format, centered on the family unit, gradually will become well established.</p>
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<p>Because I know these things well, I strongly encouraged all clergy during my recent fifty-state tour to transcend their denomination and unite as one. In fact, 144,000 churches are now leading this movement through the United Federation of Churches, centered on the American Clergy Leadership Conference. In the future, the <a href="http://www.unification.net/homechurch">home church</a> format, centered on the family unit, gradually will become well established.</p>
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<p>Ultimately, organized churches, temples and mosques will disappear. In addition, the movement to break down barriers for the sake of world peace, which I explained at the United Nations, is rapidly moving forward. The Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace is leading the way. Centering on WANGO, the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, this movement is spreading from the United Nations headquarters in New York across the continents and oceans of the world.</p>
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<p>Ultimately, organized churches, temples and mosques will disappear. In addition, the movement to break down barriers for the sake of world peace, which I explained at the United Nations, is rapidly moving forward. The Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace is leading the way. Centering on WANGO, the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, this movement is spreading from the United Nations headquarters in New York across the continents and oceans of the world.</p>
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@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ May 8, 2001</h3>
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<p>How are we going to repair or undo this? Incest, illicit love relationships and all such problems stem from this confusion. Couplings between grandfathers and granddaughters, grandfathers and daughters-in-law, it’s all out there. Incestuous relationships occur because people revolve around without knowing the center. They don’t know whether to turn one degree, 180 degrees or 360 degrees. Consequently they grab and consume one another. In this era of confusion, of chaos and family-level disarray, everyone floats around randomly to hook up with one another without any sense of order, even beyond the national level. The self-indulgent life style of many diplomats testifies to this.</p>
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<p>How are we going to repair or undo this? Incest, illicit love relationships and all such problems stem from this confusion. Couplings between grandfathers and granddaughters, grandfathers and daughters-in-law, it’s all out there. Incestuous relationships occur because people revolve around without knowing the center. They don’t know whether to turn one degree, 180 degrees or 360 degrees. Consequently they grab and consume one another. In this era of confusion, of chaos and family-level disarray, everyone floats around randomly to hook up with one another without any sense of order, even beyond the national level. The self-indulgent life style of many diplomats testifies to this.</p>
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<p>Who can bring order to this world? God could not interfere with the fall or with marriages under Satan’s reign. Likewise even in the last days, there is no way God can interfere. Since false parents created false love and false life, true parents have to reject these and restore true love, life and lineage through indemnity.</p>
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<p>Who can bring order to this world? God could not interfere with the fall or with marriages under Satan’s reign. Likewise even in the last days, there is no way God can interfere. Since false parents created false love and false life, true parents have to reject these and restore true love, life and lineage through indemnity.</p>
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<h3 align="center">Liberation Through Sacrifice</h3>
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<h3 align="center">Liberation Through Sacrifice</h3>
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<p>What is the meaning of <a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Matthew+10:39">Matthew 10:39</a>, “Those who seek their life will lose it”? We should be able to reach beyond the level of death in fulfilling God’s providence. We should be able to say, “I still have energy to do God’s work, even after I die.” Then, we will live. There is no resurrection for those who fear death and run away to save themselves.</p>
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<p>What is the meaning of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+10:39">Matthew 10:39</a>, “Those who seek their life will lose it”? We should be able to reach beyond the level of death in fulfilling God’s providence. We should be able to say, “I still have energy to do God’s work, even after I die.” Then, we will live. There is no resurrection for those who fear death and run away to save themselves.</p>
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<p>Then, what about God and True Parents? What if God takes the position where He is willing to lose His life? He will live. If God lives for His own life, then there will be no completion. That is the way that God saves fallen humanity. If you throw a rope over a cliff to save the people at the bottom, you will have to pull the rope until you bring everybody up to the top. By the same token, when God offers everything for humankind, He too will live. Therefore, the Messiah should work even harder than God. He should be willing to lose his life.</p>
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<p>Then, what about God and True Parents? What if God takes the position where He is willing to lose His life? He will live. If God lives for His own life, then there will be no completion. That is the way that God saves fallen humanity. If you throw a rope over a cliff to save the people at the bottom, you will have to pull the rope until you bring everybody up to the top. By the same token, when God offers everything for humankind, He too will live. Therefore, the Messiah should work even harder than God. He should be willing to lose his life.</p>
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<p>In the Western world, people shout, “I want freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” Although Western education is good, it is still confined within the boundary of the fallen world. The concepts of family, society, world, religion and the providence of God are missing. In this regard, the Oriental and Western systems are 180 degrees opposite. Even the perspective on the family is different.</p>
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<p>In the Western world, people shout, “I want freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” Although Western education is good, it is still confined within the boundary of the fallen world. The concepts of family, society, world, religion and the providence of God are missing. In this regard, the Oriental and Western systems are 180 degrees opposite. Even the perspective on the family is different.</p>
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<p>Therefore, in the last days the western world’s tradition will decline. We cannot find the concepts of tribe, people, nation, world and cosmos in selfish individualism. How can we awaken the new concept in the world and cosmos? Reverend Moon has taught everything from the view of the family all the way to the view of God. Ultimately we even have to liberate God. I started from the smallest level and finally came to the position of liberating God.</p>
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<p>Therefore, in the last days the western world’s tradition will decline. We cannot find the concepts of tribe, people, nation, world and cosmos in selfish individualism. How can we awaken the new concept in the world and cosmos? Reverend Moon has taught everything from the view of the family all the way to the view of God. Ultimately we even have to liberate God. I started from the smallest level and finally came to the position of liberating God.</p>
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