Why Unification Thought is More Urgently Needed for Thought and Life than Ever
By David Carlson
Dr. David Carlson is an educator and author with over 30 years of experience teaching world religions, philosophy, and family values. He holds a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University and spent more than a decade in South Korea as a professor of Korean history and culture. Until his retirement in 2014, Dr. Carlson served on the faculty of the Cheongshim Graduate School of Theology. His published works include Sunrise on Christology and The Dawning of a New Culture, as well as serving as co-editor of Explorations in Unificationism. Having held both academic and pastoral positions throughout his career, he currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“I wish to emphasize the urgent need for the worldview of Unification Thought. While much of this chapter is philosophical, this vision is meant to be lived to create a peaceful world. We do not live in a neutral environment; we are in the midst of an intense ‘culture war’ and face tangible global threats.
In this climate, Unification Thought is more than a philosophy—it is a necessity. I appeal to leaders, scholars, and people of goodwill across all sectors to study this vision. I believe it alone holds the potential to resolve our current conflicts, clarify essential values, and realize the world of peace for which we have all longed.”
Part 2 (Read Part 1)
11.3. The Current Situation of Communism
As just noted, Communism and Democracy came into being based on the two types of worldview which emerged earlier, and for many years, there existed a rather tense relationship between these two worlds. I can remember from my high school days (1960s), when this tension was at a very intense point, and many people in America were concerned about whether or not they should be building a bomb shelter, in the event of some major conflict between the two worlds, represented at that time by America (Democracy) and Russia (Communism). Of course, since that time Communism has “declined.” Many people credit United States President Ronald Reagan for the “downfall” of the “evil empire” when, in reality, it was the combined work of Rev. Moon and President Reagan which brought the actual collapse. I am sure that President Reagan contributed a great deal, especially with his proposal of SDI (which, according to a recent lecture at the Cheongshim Graduate School of Theology in March, 2014, by Bo Hi Pak, actually originated from Rev. Moon) and credit can rightly be accorded to both individuals. What is important, in any case, is that “communism declined.”
In this context, however, I wish to draw your attention to a comment made by Rev. Moon back in 1958. He stated: “when Communism collapses, it will revive through the Arab nations and oppose the democratic world again. What I am worried most [about] is the possible battle between Arab nations and the democratic world.”[1] At the time people may not have realized how serious these words were. But, in today’s context, this has become a very startling and worrisome prophecy. There are three important ideas in this statement by Rev. Moon: 1) communism will collapse; 2) it will revive through the Arab nations (basically Islamic, just as America is basically Christian); and 3) it will oppose the democratic world again. I believe we today must take this prophetic utterance very seriously. Who could have even known at the time (1958) that communism would, in fact, collapse, when it seemed, on the contrary, to be very strong? One scholar, Dr. Morton Kaplan, when asked by Rev. Moon to announce the end of communism at a PWPA meeting, was at first reluctant, but with Rev. Moon’s insistence, he decided to put his academic career and credibility on the line, and proceeded to announce the end of communism. Sure enough, these prophetic words were realized in the fall of communism. What is remarkable and worrisome, however, is that we are seeing the fulfillment of the second part of Rev. Moon’s prophetic words today, right now, in the form of radical Islamic Jihad. Jerome Corsi, a Harvard-trained scholar, states, concerning the NCRI (National Council for Resistance in Iran):
The NCRI has been identified by the U.S. State Department as a front group for the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (also known as the Mujahedeen Khalq or the People’s Mujahedin, MEK). Thus the State Department classifies the NCRI (in all its various designations) as a terrorist organization… Founded in Tehran in 1965, the MEK has professed a unique blend of radical Marxism and Islamic theology as their unique political-theological signature.[2] (emphasis mine)
It seems on the surface rather odd that a branch of Islam, a religion which believes in Allah (God), also has an element of radical Marxism (Marxism is, by definition, atheistic and materialistic!) mixed in with its ideology. But this is a part of what Rev. Moon predicted would happen. In the same way that Christianity formed the nature and character of America, Islam has formed the character of the Arab world. Furthermore, it is a fact that radical Islamic Jihad is opposing the democratic world, again, just as Rev. Moon prophesied. America is repeatedly called “the Great Satan” by certain radical Islamic leaders and the unprecedented World Trade Center disaster of 9/11 was just one notable event manifesting radical Islamic Jihad’s hatred for the West, and for America, in particular, a hatred which seems inherent in radical Islamic Jihad. Nov 31, 2017 was a recent expression of this hatred, taking place in Manhattan, in New York City. There have been a number of incidents since then. The group mentioned above (NCRI or MEK), at least, formally professes that it has some Marxism mixed in. That is exactly what Rev. Moon prophesied would occur.
Michelle Gabrielle, the New York Times’ best-selling author of Because They Hate,[3] grew up in Lebanon, and experienced, firsthand, the terror of living in the shadow of an Islamic regime.[4] She is now writing books warning the Western world, and America specifically, about the danger present in radical Islamic Jihad. She states, for example:
But for you to understand anything about how the Middle East and Islamic Jihad related to the West, you must remember this: without understanding the past you will never understand the present and will have no idea how to plan for the future,[5]
The subtitle of her book is revealing: “A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America.”[6] Of what is she warning America? She “warns that the United States is threatened by fundamentalist Islamic theology in the same way Lebanon was radical Islam will stop at nothing short of domination of all non-Islamic countries. “[7] Does this sound familiar? It should. This is the same claim previously made by Communism. In another book by Michelle Gabriel, They Must Be Stopped, she tells us “why we must defeat radical Islam and how we can do it.”[8] She gives this warning to the world: “We can no longer ignore the growth of radical Islam- we must act soon, and powerfully.”[9] She “challenges our Western and politically-correct notions about Islam, demonstrating why radical Islam is so deadly and how we can halt its progress.”[10] I believe that Gabriel’s books are a must-read for anyone concerned about America in its role as God’s nation and as God’s “elder son nation” and the spiritual work that needs to be done in America.
Notably, in this connection, a fairly recent internet article, apparently seeing the very connection that was long ago prophesied by Rev. Moon would come to appear, went so far as to label Islamic Jihad as the “21st century communism.”[11] The implications cannot easily be avoided.
11.4. Concerning Islam and Radical Islamic Jihad
Much has been said and written about Islam and radical Islamic Jihad,[12] Nevertheless, in my opinion, based on what I have come to learn about this religious tradition, Islam clearly has an Abel side and a Cain side. The Abel side of Islam is a genuine religion, along with Buddhism, Hinduism, etc., with good Muslims seeking Allah, and trying to raise good families. Rev. Moon has commented on Muhammed on several occasions, and it is believed in the Unification movement that Muhammed and Jesus are close in heart and spirit in the spirit world. Spiritual messages have been received from Muhammed.
Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha and Confucius are called the great saints of history. They left their traditions to posterity, which became organized as the time-honored religions and gave birth to the great civilizations of humankind. What did the founders of religions teach? They taught centered on God. They taught according to God’s teachings and guided their people to do God’s will.[13]
I have studied Islam to some extent,[14] and I have taught Islam in the past as part of my courses on Paths of Faith, so I believe I have some foundation for saying that Islam is a very interesting and genuine world faith. Young Oon Kim, and others, also speak highly of Islam as a world faith.[15] This is the Abel side of Islam and, like all genuine religious traditions it is an uplifting religion leading people along a path that leads to God.
Nevertheless, as good as the Abel-type Islam may be, the Cain side of Islam is just as evil, indeed unequivocally evil, advocating, and practicing, murder, mistreatment of women, sexual abuse, etc. There is little doubt in my mind, that the Cain side of Islam is every bit as evil as the Abel side of Islam is good.
I think we must realize that, just as Rev. Moon predicted, the Communist spirit is working in/through such entities as radical Islamic Jihad (Cain-type Islam). That is why individuals under its influence feel no hindrance against committing such atrocities as they do. But, I must strongly emphasize that that spirit is not limited to just radical Islamic Jihad. That same Communist spirit is also working in/through/with many other individuals, groups, organizations, social structures, and schools of thought at the present time, and through them is working pervasively throughout our societies, some of which I will mention shortly. Before I do so, however, let me make myself as clear as possible. Who is the real culprit behind all of this? Is it communism? Is it Islamic Jihad? Is it Osama bin Laden? Actually, it is none of these. These are merely instrumentalities.
11.5. The Real Culprit Identified
Who or what is behind “Communism”? Who or what is this “communist spirit” about which Rev. Moon speaks? Is it Karl Marx, or perhaps Lenin, or maybe Mao Tse Tung? Or perhaps it is Kim Il Sung, a man with whom Rev. Moon had some personal experience, or the present leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un? No, the real culprit is none of these human individuals. The real culprit is far more ominous. In this talk, I explained how “spiritual” entities can influence people on earth. Here is a prime example of such influence. The real culprit in this case is a spiritual entity: “Satan” (Dae Mo Nim, at the time, the spiritual leader of Cheongpyeong, used this term as a generic label, not a personal name. Thus, we can use the term “Satan” to refer to any evil entity/entities). As a spiritual entity, Satan is able to transcend time and space. This is the spirit that is working today. In short, there is a very real, and very demonic, force behind the communist spirit, working strongly to destroy everything that is of God. This demonic force, in the past, inspired Marx, Lenin, Mao, and Kim Il Sung to develop their ideologies. More ominous for us, however, is the fact that today this same demonic force continues to “inspire” radical Islamic Jihad, as well as many other individuals, and groups in various ways and in various social spheres. I will elaborate on this shortly.
It is this same demonic (purely evil) force that is “inspiring” radical Islamic Jihadists today. Such people are “extremists” in every sense of the word. When I read in the media about a man beheading his wife I can only think that this is evil. When I read about a man cutting his daughter’s head off because she “dishonored” his family I can only think that this is pure, unmitigated evil. Radical Muslims claim that such actions are “honor killings.” To me this is ridiculous; there is nothing whatsoever “honorable” about such actions. Murder is murder; killing is killing. Given what I have said about the family in this book, such actions are nothing less than pure evil. When I read about a suicide bomber blowing up innocent people, including young school children, with a bomb strapped to his/her waist, I can only think that this is unmitigated evil. When I read about a Muslim man having such rough intercourse with his 14-year old virgin “wife” that she bleeds to death, I can only think that this is evil. Koran 65:4 states:
If you are in doubt concerning those of your wives who have ceased menstruating, know that their waiting period is three months. And let the same be the waiting period of those who have not yet menstruated,[16] (emphasis mine)
The “waiting period” in question is that of the time which must pass before a Muslim man is legally allowed (by Shariah law) to divorce a “wife.” First note that the term is plural, “wives.” It is well-known that Muslim men are allowed to marry more than one wife. Second, note that one of these “wives” may be a young girl who has “not yet menstruated.” The reason they “have not yet menstruated” is, of course, because of their young age. In Islam child marriages were very common.[17] There are other instances, quoted in the news, which are even worse than what I have mentioned, but I do not note them here inasmuch as they are simply not appropriate to repeat in any form in a book of this nature.
There does exist an Abel-type Islam, honorable, and worthy of respect, but there is also, very clearly, a Cain-type Islam. Moreover, there is a demonic force acting “behind the scenes” in Cain-type Islam. The communist spirit (and the force behind it) has, indeed, gone to the Arab world and, in our time, that demonic spirit is confronting, threatening, and bringing devastation to the Western world once again, just as communism did before it.
To be continued …
[1] Father’s words on the Divine Principle, p102
[2] Jerome Corsi, Atomic Iran, Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland House Publishing, Inc., WNO Books, 74-5.
[3] Michelle Gabrielle, Because They Hate, New York: St. Martin’s Press, Griffin Books, 2006.
[4] Michelle Gabrielle grew up in Lebanon and experienced firsthand the terrors of Islamic Jihad. She even experienced the bombing of her own house. She managed to survive and later emigrated to America, became a journalist, and is now writing books to explain her story and to warn the Western world.
[5] Gabriel, Because, 2
[6] Gabriel, Because, jacket cover
[7] Gabriel, Because, back cover
[8] Gabriel, They Must Be Stopped, New York: St. Martin’s Press, Griffin Books, 2009, cover.
[9] Gabriel, They, back cover
[10] Gabriel, They, back cover
[11] Recent news item on the internet: “Islamism: 21st Century Communism, December 12, 2011
[12] Some recent books on the topic of Islam Jihad have been written, including Gabrielle, They; Gabriel, Why They Hate; Steyn, America Alone; Jerome Corsi, Atomic Iran, Stealth Jihad, The West’s Last Chance, Bernard Lewis, What Went Wrong, etc.).
[13] Universal Peace Federation, World Scripture II: World Scripture and the Teachings of Sun Myung Moon, New York: UPF, 431.
[14] I have taught classes on world religions and paths of faith for a number of years and, mpre recently, out of the Cheongshim Graduate School of Theology, my colleague, Professor Do Young Yoon and I have conducted a visitation program entitled “God Has Many Names,” through which we take students and interested parties to visit and participate in the religious rituals, etc. of various religions. These have included the religion of Islam, which has a mosque in Seoul.
[15] Many books are congenial towards the religion of Islam, including Young Oon Kim, World Religions; John Hutchison, Paths of Faith; Huston Smith, The Religions of Man; Ninian Smart, and others. I have had the privilege of studying directly with Young Oon Kim at the Unification Theological Seminary in New York, and with John Hutchison at the Claremont Graduate Sch ool, in Claremont, California.
[16] Dawood, The Koran, New York: Viking Penguin Classics, 1974, 385.
[17] There is also the case of the Koran authorizing, as I understand it, a Muslim man to engage in sexual intercourse with more than 1,000 virgins.