Cheon Seong Gyeong 2094
What kind of people are True Parents? True Parents are the symbol of all hope, the symbol of absolute hope for fallen humankind. They are the fruit of history, the center of time, and the center of all nations of this world, in which six billion people live today. True Parents are the starting point of the future that can connect to the ideal world. (35-237, 1970.10.19)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1261
Because of the complex entanglement of the human lineage, restoration has taken six thousand years; otherwise, almighty God would have restored everything in a day. It’s as if there is a chronic disease in the bloodline; if it were to be pulled out all at once, everyone would die. That is why it has taken six thousand years. Did the first human ancestors fall through eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? How simple things would be if that were so. (155-295, 1965.11.1)
Tolerance, Religious Freedom and Interfaith Solidarity
2. Freedom of Religion
Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, Article 1
There is no compulsion in religion.
Qur’an 2.256
Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe? No soul can believe, except by the Will of God.
Qur’an 10.99-100
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18
Whoever honors his own sect and disparages another man’s, whether from blind loyalty or with the intention of showing his own sect in a favorable light, does his own sect the greatest possible harm. Concord is best, with each hearing and respecting the other’s teachings. It is the wish of the Emperor that members of all sects should be learned and should teach virtue.
Ashoka, Twelfth Rock Edict (Buddhism)
A Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered that [Peter and the apostles] be put outside for a while. And he said to the council, “Men of Israel, take care what you do with these men. For before these days Theudas arose, giving himself out to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was slain and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this undertaking is of men, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”7
Acts 5.34-39
When the Messenger of Allah arrived in Medina he made a treaty with the Jews there: “The Jews of the Bani Awf tribe are one community with the Muslim faithful. The Jews practice their religion and the Muslims practice theirs. For them shall be their own wealth, property and persons. Except for he who has committed oppression or transgression.”
Hadith (Islam)
The spirit can only acquiesce to that which seem to it to be true; the heart can only love that which seems to it to be good. Constraint will make a hypocrite of man if he is weak, a martyr if he is courageous. Weak or courageous, he will feel the injustice of persecution, and he will become indignant. Instruction, persuasion, and prayer: these are the only methods for the expansion of religion. Any method that excites hatred, indignation, or contempt is impious.
Denis Diderot (Humanism
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
Democracy is the system that God laboriously prepared over the last two thousand years. Democracy is the system that respects human rights. Democracy is the system in which a minority group can survive in the midst of a [hostile] majority. Democracy is the system that guarantees freedom—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of press, and freedom of assembly. America is the representative democratic nation, and in the American Constitution the most absolute among all freedoms is freedom of religion. It states that the Congress and government shall not make any laws that restrict religions. (100:246, October 19, 1978)
God’s spiritual providence of restoration during the two thousand years since Jesus’ day has prepared a democratic social and legal environment that will protect Christ at the Second Advent. Jesus was killed after being branded a heretic by the Jews and a rebel by the Roman Empire. In contrast, even if Christ at the Second Advent is persecuted as a heretic, in the democratic society to which he will come, such accusations will not be sufficient grounds for him to be condemned to death. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Moses and Jesus 3.3.2)
I am grateful to God that He is using me as His instrument to ignite a movement to spiritually awaken America, to call her to protect religious freedom in this most difficult time in human history.8(133:213, July 19, 1984)