THE UNIFICATION CHURCH OF

REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON

Text: "And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words."—(Colossians 2:4)

Reverend Sun Myung Moon organized the Unification Church in Korea in 1954. It publishes much of its material by The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, and distributes others through the Rose of Sharon Press. It has founded such organizations as the New ERA, or the New Ecumenical Research Association; ICC, or Interdenominational Conferences for Clergy; and CAUSA. Are we therefore to conclude members of the Unification Church are brethren in the sense of being believers of Biblical truth?

It is certain they are men and women, and as such they should be treated with decency and with common courtesy. They too have feelings and therefore they should not be taunted as being "moonies." It is an undeniable truth that people who have experienced saving work of Jesus Christ cannot influence others as long as they are haughty and shut their hearts to compassion.

The remarkable appeal of the Unification Church to the masses is understood first, because of their strong resistance to Communism.

In fact, the documentaries by the Unification Church recounting the rise and spread, and the inherent evils of Communism are probably unexcelled.

Second, the Unification Church is not demeaning to the poor, the uneducated, or to Hispanics, to blacks, or to other people. When "evangelical, Bible-believers" are filled with feelings of superiority, it is hardly surprising the Unification Church is appealing. He who was "higher than the Heavens" "made Himself of no reputation, but took upon Him the form of a servant." It is tragic that any Christians should think of themselves more highly than they ought to think. Therefore Scripture exhorts to esteem others better than ourselves.

Third, another reason for the massive growth of the Unification Church is their "universal" theology. Reader, have you seen posters on utility poles that read, "One world under God?" This is the work by people promoting the Unification Church. The question that needs to be asked is, "One world under whose God?" for members of the Unification Church believe in bowing before every shrine and acknowledging every god.

Reverend Moon and members of the Unification Church accept Jesus Christ much like the Greeks on Mar’s Hill who sought to honor every god. They are like the Romans who built the Pantheon to house every god. In fact the ring of the Unification Church is a modification of the "Yin" and the "Yang" which represents the Confucianist and Taoist dualism of Female and Male; negative and Positive; Evil and Good, Darkness and Light; Death and Life; Winter and Summer; Passive and Active; Earth and Heaven. According to the Unificationists, it represents the give and take in God, man and creation that is the basis of harmony.

Reverend Tom McDevitt, a propounder of the Unificationsist teaching, declares Christ came "not for Jews or Christians only, but for the whole world." (The Unification Principle, Tape One.) Is it a truism that all religions are legitimate, and that they worship God simply by a different name?

"What saith the Scripture?" "...The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." (I Corinthians 10:20) False religionists do not worship God but demons, and all who do such things are unacceptable to Him.

Local leaders of the Unification Church refer to themselves as "missionaries," but are they come from God to spread the blessed Word of God? Or are they tempting to "evangelize" the Christian Church with the doctrines of Reverend Sun Myung Moon? And, keep in mind that error, of and by itself, is easily detected, but when mixed with truth it becomes a deadly force.

Should we as Christians welcome them into our churches, and treat them as Christian brethren? It is my prayer that after reading of their doctrinal beliefs that you may come to the right conclusion.

GOD

In Speeches on Unification Teaching, Dr. Young Oon Kim quotes from the Westminster Confession of Faith and states, "Most of you would agree with almost everything in this creed. So do we." (Pp. 3,4) But do they really? Dr. Kim goes on to say, "Many Christians seem to worship three Gods: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Jews and Muslims believe in one God.... Strictly speaking, Many or even most Christians are not monotheists in faith and in practice. We Unificationists believe in one living God." (p. 4)

Dr. Kim refers to the "process theologians" who "repudiated the unchanging nature of God. They say that though the primordial nature of God is unchanging, His consequent nature is always affected by the activity of all creation, including man. Thus God is in the process of change and development." (p. 7)

Leaders of the Unification Church consistently make reference to liberal, or unbelieving theologians there being no way they could legitimize their claims by using the scholarship of Bible-believers.

Reverend McDevitt even courts black Christians calling Dr. Martin Luther King "the greatest religious leader in America," (Tape One) when it is common knowledge Dr. King called the Virgin Birth a myth, that he denied men are born sinners, and refused the doctrine of a literal Hell.

"According to Divine Principle (the name of the book that expounds Reverend Moon’s theology) God is perpetual, self-generating energy; the first cause and primal source of all that exists. The ultimate source of energy is manifested in the universe as God’s outer form with Heart as His inner character." (p. 7) With Carl Sagan, the high priest of contemporary teaching on evolution who has openly confirmed he believes "God" to be the sum of all energy --i.e. magnetism, electricity, etc., Dr. Kim implies the Unification Church worships the "God of Forces" prophecied by Daniel. (Daniel 11:37,38) Instead of the Christian parting, "May God be with you," we have been hearing "May the Force be with you."

With Hindus who worship stones, birds, snakes, monkeys, and hundreds of thousands more gods, members of the Unification Church are taught to worship the creation instead of the Creator who is blessed forevermore.

Members of this Church believe in an ancient pagan dualism within the Godhead. "According to Unification theology, the God of infinite love and energy has masculine and feminine qualities, or fatherly and motherly attributes." (p. 8) This dualism is continued in the universe. Reverend McDevitt declares God and Satan are opposing forces and History is the record of the struggle between the two. (Tape 2)

CREATION

Concerning the doctrine of Creation, Dr. Kim tells us, "Man and the universe were not created out of nothing, but out of God’s love and Divine Energy." He then goes on to deny God is perfect, complete and self-sufficient. Arguing from the fact God is love, Dr. Kim maintains "Love cannot be reciprocated unless there is a subject and an object, a giver and a receiver, a lover and a beloved. Therefore, the Almighty Creator God needs a tangible human partner.... He is not smug, or self- sufficient, or complete in Himself. Our universe was created in order for God to experience ultimate joy by loving give and take with true man and woman, without whom He must remain lonely and unfulfilled." Poor God!

The teaching of the Unification Church as Dr. Kim tells us is that "Although some denominations believe in the Nicene and Chalcedon creeds, modern theologians generally agree that Christology should be based on the Jesus of history rather than on creedal doctrines. Jesus was a human leader chosen by God for a divine mission." (p. 5)

"Protestant theologians for the past 100 years, from Schlaiermacher, Ritschl, Harnack etc. (all rank unbelievers) have emphasized the human nature of Jesus. This is Reverend Moon’s teaching as well." (p. 6)

"In the Unification view, Jesus was a human being ordained by God for a messianic mission. Therefore, Jesus is not equal to God. ...For these reasons, we believe the doctrine of the Trinity is mistaken if it means that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three personal Gods." (Pp.6, 7)

It is a true saying that if one would know how Biblical a sect or cult is, let him check out the understanding of the doctrine of Christ. The Unification Church of Reverend Moon does not understand the doctrine of the Trinity. Like all Arians, they assume that to believe in one God who is manifested in three persons (Triune) is to believe in three gods (tri-theism). This is true of the Apostolic faith and the followers of William Branham, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and others.

The Unification Church not only denies the Immutability and Sovereignty of God, but the Deity of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity. Reverend McDevitt declares, "God has not already decided who will have eternal life. He leaves that up to us to choose, God is powerless to influence our lives," yet he maintains, "God definitely predestines His will." (Tape One)

Dr. Kim presents the modernist concept of the doctrine of the incarnation. "By ‘Incarnation,’ we mean what Schleiermacher describes as having God-consciousness within us.... Schleiermacher affirmed that the difference between Jesus and us is not in kind, but in degree. The Hindu concept of incarnation is very similar. A great Avatar and, to a lesser degree, any theocentric saint, sage, or prophet is a human being who consciously embodies God, knows Who He is, and can therefore effectively remind other human beings of what they have forgotten. They have forgotten their potential oneness with God." (Pp. 9,10) "Oneness with God" is a Buddhist concept.

Reverend McDevitt declares that although God dwelt in Jesus, He was not equivalent to the Creator.... We become the incarnation of the Word." (Tape One) And, although the Prophet Micah declares, "His goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2) Reverend

McDevitt does not allow the Pre-existence of Christ. (Tape Two)

Regarding the doctrine of "oneness with God," Dr. Kim declares

"No one reaches the highest level of growth and education until he unites with God through complete harmony with the Divine Heart." (p. 14) "No one in the Spirit world has reached his uttermost destiny. Everybody is now in a transitional stage." (p. 15) Reverend McDevitt maintains "We each can achieve oneness with God." (Tape One) This is the teaching of Buddhism.

The confusion in the Unification Principles is further evidenced by their teaching on the Holy Spirit. Dr. Kim asks, "Is it the Spirit of the Lord? or the Spirit of God? or the Spirit of Christ? ...

"1.) Is the Holy Spirit a person, a self-conscious entity different from God the Father, or Jesus Christ the Son?

"2.) If the Holy Spirit is a distinct being, is it masculine, feminine or neuter?

"3.) If it is a separate entity, is the Spirit equal to or subordinate to God the Father and Christ the Son?

Dr. Kim asserts, "These questions have never been answered clearly." (p. 4)

It is not that Unificationists have never heard of the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.), or the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.), or the Council of Constantinople (381 A.D.); nor is it true they have been unable to find the Biblical teaching, nor that teaching, nor that teaching enumerated and defended by Godly preachers and teachers. The frustrated answers by the Unificationists is owing to the fact they choose to ignore Biblical truth, and Bible-believing theologians.

Dr. Kim plainly teaches the position of the Unification Church is that the Holy Spirit is an "influence." "Unification theology portrays the Holy Spirit not as an individual person but rather as divine energy, a sign of God’s work in history and his spiritual influence upon individual life. As such the Holy Spirit operates through many intermediaries: Jesus Christ, angels, saints, sages and all good ancestors." (p. 5) Ancestor Worship is a cardinal doctrine among Hindus and Shintos.

According to the teaching of the Unification Church, "God had originally intended for Adam and Eve, the first couple, to be united in marriage through divine blessing as they came to maturity .... God had created man and woman, and their family to make the basic foundation for His Kingdom on faith. Since the first couple failed to realize this, God had to send the Messiah in order to fulfill His delayed dispensation." (Pp.10, 11)

"But what saith the Scripture?" "He (God) hath chosen us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will; to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:4-6)

The position of the Unification Church pertaining to the Fall is admittedly "a new view" according to Reverend McDevitt. He views Satan, represented as an angel, as seducing the woman to commit fornication first with it, then with Adam. According to Unification teaching, God’s injection "Thou shalt not eat" meant they were not to bear Children until they were grown to perfection by obeying the commandment. The "fruit" was not literal, but "Love." (Tape ONE)

Reverend McDevitt maintains children are born with original sin (Tape One) but that they have the potential of good and evil. (Tape Two) As he lacks understanding of the doctrine of Original Sin, he denies the doctrine of Total Depravity.

While Reverend McDevitt maintains "Children are born with Original Sin," he believes "God wanted them to experience their ‘divinity.’ According to Unification Church teaching, action by itself is neither good nor evil but becomes good or evil used for God or Satan."

I would pose a question: "Is lying neither good nor evil but only according to how it is used? What about adultery? Or stealing?" Actions are either good or evil, moral or contrary to morality.

SALVATION -- continued

ON REPUTATION

Text: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation..." (Philippians 2:5-7a)

It is a true saying "a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches," and it is "better than precious ointment;" but the man who regards his reputation is little worth. He who seeks the approval and applause of men loves himself and intends to please himself. (Proverbs 22:1; Ecclesiastes 7:1)

It is the nature and tendency of men of this world to regard their reputation. It is for this reason they do not regard truth. Such people are said to "honor one another." They intend to be well thought of. They are elated when men esteem them, and they are dejected when they fall out of their favor. They are satisfied as long as men think well of them.

Opinions which please natural men are the ones embraced by these sycophants. Truth is naturally repulsive to worldly men so it should not seem strange that their lackeys will shun it in an attempt to curry their favor.

Jesus, however, "made Himself of no reputation." The result was that He was despised and rejected by the very people held in high repute. Things have not changed much since then.

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