Authors
All charges dropped
On October 4, 1955, True Father was found innocent and released by the Seoul District Court.
The members were overwhelmed with joy to welcome him back. Three days later, they moved the church from Jangchung-dong to Cheongpa-dong, and on October 10 the church celebrated Father's release from prison.
Everyone sang “New Song of Inspiration,” which True Father himself wrote in Pyongyang, and reflected deeply on the meaning of his ordeal.
1. The whole nation was furious in 1955 due to such incidents as the expulsion of students from Ehwa Woman's University. Under the influence of Syngman Rhee's government, they arrested me and tried to expose me for crimes, but I had committed none.
They charged me with all kinds of heinous things, but there was no crime with which to implicate me. When I came down from North Korea, I had short hair. I went to enroll in the armed forces, but they investigated me, thinking I had been in the North Korean People's Army.
As a result, they did not allow me into the armed forces. That is the reason I was not accepted. Since those were my circumstances, my accusers were unable to implicate me as a criminal. Therefore, I was released with the verdict of innocence.
Christians did not know that fact at all. At that time, we could have proclaimed that fact as we do now; however, back then it was not the time to do that. On my path, there was a cross I had to bear on a worldwide scale.
I could not be proud just because I had become the victor in the individual battle on the path of the cross. I could not forget that on the victorious foundation of the individual level, the cross of the family level was next. (184-273, 1989/01/01)
2. Newspapers played up the story that I was imprisoned with banner headlines. However, when they wrote about my release after the not-guilty verdict, they printed only one sentence in small letters. Hence, no one knew about my acquittal.
When I came out of prison, some people told me that we should fight over this matter. But I did not fight. By not fighting, we made a condition to pull out the root. Anyone who opposed me by fomenting this historical injustice will be uprooted in the end.
Their children may believe that their parents were good pastors who were loyal to the nation, but eventually, they will understand that their parents were betrayers.
When they realize that their mother and father stood in the position of betrayers who opposed the great Parents of Heaven and Earth as they strove to fulfill their duty in front of Heaven, they will want to dig up their parents' graves. These are not empty words. (240-231, 1992/12/13)
3. During the administration of the Liberal Party, five cabinet ministers tried to knock me down. President Syngman Rhee issued a special directive to five departments to eliminate the Unification Church. This included the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
After a perfunctory investigation, they used the rumors to fabricate stories about me and the Unification Church. For instance, they accused me of the crimes committed by the founder of the Pure White Sect.
Thus, they tried to tarnish me with all kinds of allegations.
Yet when I was brought to court and investigated, they could not find any fault.
Although they brought me to trial, they could find no evidence that would prove their case, and after 90 days I was acquitted and released.
In those days, Korean society truly believed I was a criminal. Later this became the basis for me to be accused throughout the world. Still, I have been silent these 40 years. Why? I knew the principle that after being struck, I can claim what I am entitled to.
They believed Reverend Moon was the worst person and tried to knock me down. Yet, I thought, “You are bound to perish! Go ahead and strike me! One day, you who strike me will be driven into a corner and shattered into pieces.” I could say that because I had done nothing wrong. (182-306, 1988/10/26)
4. We put up the sign of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity in 1954. In those days, I was opposed by the entire nation of South Korea. An incident occurred which resulted in my imprisonment.
Within any three years, there is always an indemnity to pay. There is no way to avoid the restoration through indemnity. It is a formula, and it works without fail.
In those days, the government of the Republic of Korea tried to knock me down; they took all kinds of measures to eliminate me. Christianity and the government joined forces for this purpose.
However, when my case came to trial, I was found not guilty and released. Thus, the Unification Church could continue, and it remains to this day.
(087-059, 1976/05/01)
5. What does it mean that the court released me with the verdict that I was innocent? If I was acquitted and discharged, shouldn't the Korean government offer me compensation? The Republic of Korea charged me, claiming that I was guilty when I had not been proven guilty. I declared I was innocent.
When God examines the Republic of Korea in His court, God's verdict will be, “The Republic of Korea, you are guilty. It is because you caused suffering to a man who committed no crime, and you charged him even though you already knew that he was innocent.”
The key officials in the Korean government who opposed me were Christians. Are Christians a group of people who support God, or a group of people who oppose God?
We read from the Bible, "One's foes will be members of one's own household." (Matt. 10:36)
These words came true. Indeed, Christianity sinned.
The person who supports a criminal is like a partner in his crime; hence, he may be convicted as an accomplice. Therefore, the Korean government and the Christian churches may perish, but not Father. (187-219, 1989/02/11)
The meaning of True Father's suffering in Seodaemun Prison
True Father's incarceration in Seodaemun Prison was his 5th imprisonment. We can view that ordeal as religious persecution because the government of Syngman Rhee was incited by some Christian leaders and negative publicity.
The consequence of that incarceration was that the Unification Church lost the God-given opportunity to launch the worldwide providence on the foundation of Christianity in the Republic of Korea. Instead, it had to once again face a wilderness course.
6. I did not perish. People were saying that Mr. Moon of the Unification Church danced naked. If they were cursing me because I danced naked, I would not have so much pain and grief about it. I have never seen anyone dancing naked; even so, I became known as the ringleader of a naked dancing cult.
Nevertheless, by accusing me that way, if the people of Korea could receive many blessings, I would welcome it unconditionally.
Let them strike and curse me all they like; if the Korean people would be greatly blessed by striking and cursing me, one person, then why not?
It would be good for the nation. In that case, I would be more than happy and willing to be cursed. If their motivation in doing so was for the love of the people and the nation, I would personally report to God that they had done a holy and righteous deed. (032-270, 1970/07/19)
- The providence of re-creation cannot be accomplished by manpower or knowledge. We can only do it with true love. Even when I was in Seodaemun Prison, I did not wish for the Republic of Korea to perish. I did not wish for Christianity to perish. Instead, my heart was, “Please forgive their sins, for they do not know what they are doing. Let me bear the burden of indemnifying the sins of the Republic of Korea.
Have compassion for the nation. They are cursing me, and I only hope that by my accepting their curse they will receive blessings. If that happens, there will be no greater joy.” With this heart, I overcame every challenge, one by one.
When we sow seeds, we can harvest a hundredfold and a thousandfold. Accordingly, now we can connect tens and hundreds of times more people to salvation in God's love.
Heaven's law operates according to this fundamental principle for multiplying the root of life. When we go the way of love based on heaven's law, we can harvest a hundredfold and even a thousandfold. In the universe, such things can occur in the bosom of love. (179-300, 1988/08/14)
8. The 30 million people of Korea said, “You ringleader of heretics, you must perish.” But did I perish? No, I did not. If they did not have a legitimate basis for striking me, they would have to pay me damages.
I was working for God under miserable circumstances while they were pointing fingers at me. While pioneering the path, they put me through all sorts of hardships.
Nevertheless, each time I thought, “God has suffered more hardships than I have; how can I not endure this degree of hardship?” The more hardships and difficulties you endure in a public position, the more your storehouse will be filled with treasures that no one else can ever have. (017-252, 1967/01/29)
9. The history of the Unification Church started in prison. Even after I came to South Korea, my path began with curses, betrayals, and persecution.
I am not a spineless man. I have not forgotten what the manager of the cell block said to me when I entered Seodaemun Prison.
Even after I die, I will not be able to forget it. But before one month had gone by, he came to me and said, “The Moon of the Unification Church that I heard about in the past is different from the Mr. Moon of the Unification Church that I know now.
I am sorry.” He apologized to me; I saw this clearly with my own eyes. In that experience, I witnessed that righteousness can defeat even the crudest prison chains.
Therefore, although the path of righteousness is difficult, we must not be discouraged. I am responsible for leading this group of people for whom God has been searching. This is my path, and I never let myself become discouraged along the way. I carry numerous scars from the ordeals, tribulations, and beatings, but I do not mind the wounds. (064-148, 1972/10/29)
10. When you are going through hardships, ordinary things can be lifted and become objects of absolute value. If you were to experience prison life or live through a severe famine, you would understand this.
Indeed, trials and suffering are not bad. Those who possess the strength, hope, and desire to affirm the value of life while undergoing trials and suffering are not crushed by the difficulties of those tests and hardships.
Rather, they become a stimulus to find joy in the future. Not only that, they can enable you to find a nation of hope, even God's kingdom.
If you keep your hope alive while you are going through difficulties, you can realize the joy of the kingdom of heaven. Without overcoming difficulties, you can never achieve your hopes.
Therefore, the God of love trains people so that they will be able to overcome a wide spectrum of trials that will come during their lives. In this sense, the course of that training is not an end in itself. It is a path of suffering that is given as a gift, enabling you to feel value and motivating you to find greater joy.
When we think like this, suffering and difficulties are not bad. They can become the foundation of our happiness today and the means enabling us to inherit the happiness of tomorrow. (042-320, 1971/04/04)
11. I have been walking a long and arduous path alone, pioneering the mission of a forerunner. But I did not speak about it to others. My mission requires me to risk my life. Nevertheless, I am not a lonely man. I do not need sympathy from you, either.
I am a happy person. Since God, the owner of the universe, recognizes me, I could be happy even through torture, when my tendons were cut, my flesh was torn and blood flowed from my torn flesh.
I could be happy because I knew the heart of God, who suffered more than I sent His Son on such a path. I was fighting to find the nation that would be able to embrace and comfort heaven.
For that, I could endure any torture, no matter how severe. Even when the path of the cross came to me unexpectedly, and even when that path drove me into difficult and despairing circumstances, I remained determined to go forward, renewing my resolve and renewing my hope. (065-091, 1972/11/13)
12. Looking at the trail of history until now, we see that the central figures of history are the ones who in their time surmounted suffering and fought unceasingly while never giving up hope for their nation and the kingdom. Such people own history.
Saints and sages are the people who honored the will of heaven. They gave up any attachment to what the human world valued, and more than that, they changed its direction.
They elevated the existing world to a world of hope by overcoming all the difficulties in their environment, even at the sacrifice of their lives. Hence, although their lives appeared to be miserable, all the pain and suffering they experienced internally became the motivating power that enabled them to connect the existing world to the world of joy.
The suffering path that God made the Unification Church walk until now was not to bring our church to ruin. On the contrary, its purpose was for the sake of God's love. The Unification Church has been developing so that it can meet the spring of tomorrow and become a greater light to the world.
(042-320, 1971/04/04)
13. When I entered Seodaemun Prison in shackles, I was not ashamed. I had nothing to be ashamed of before heaven or earth. I kept my back straight and walked tall. When I was released from prison, I remember that four prison guards stepped forward and said that they would become members of the Unification Church.
The warden came to see me several times. He was thinking, “Is this the man whom the people of?
Korea considered so bad? He is not the person they say he is.” Outside the prison, all the Unification Church members waited in line, competing to see me.
When the warden saw the young men and women lining up early in the morning, waiting to see me, he acknowledged, “Oh, I did not understand him.” This is the kind of path I have walked thus far. (065-063, 1972/11/13)
14. Never forget that I was chased out by the churches and the nation, which persecuted the Unification Church. Never forget that I stood before the presiding judge in a prison uniform, wearing shackles.
Now the season of sorrows is over, and our time has come. Springtime, the time for sowing seeds, has come. When we show them, they will sprout. However, sprouts will not germinate where people oppose us.
Throughout history until today, we have been accumulating the merit of life and merit of love on behalf of our fellow citizens, all the people of Korea.
The day will come when we can bequeath these merits to all those who are building the nation. Christians are still treating us as their enemies, but the path for those numerous Christians will be opened here. (048-318, 1971/09/26)
Sun Myung Moon