No one knows the difficulties I had to go through in order to find this path, which was unknown by anyone. You cannot even begin to fathom the hard-ships I went through in my youth, groping blindly in the dark in my quest for an answer to life’s problems. I realized that the fundamental problems in our lives could be resolved only after history, the universe, and God’s anguish were solved. However, I was triumphant in the end, and built up an organization that can perform this task, not only in word but also in deed, and now the whole world testifies to it. Now the era has come, in which anyone who comes running to us and holds fast to the banner and turns around to stand with us, can enter God’s Kingdom. (209-292, 1990.11.30)
The differentiation between species is very strict. Suppose a bird that is similar in appearance to a frog goes to the world of frogs and suggests to one of them, “Will you mate with me?” Would that frog answer, “By all means!”? Wouldn’t it run away or fight? Such a thing could not happen. Evolutionary theory denies the fact that it is impossible for a new species to be born without passing through the gates of love in going from the amoeba to the monkey. In other words, if what it insists is true, then the amoeba must have passed through several thousands of gates of love. Can it do that? They are completely out of their minds. That is why communism disintegrated before me. I am curious to know how they will answer the question: “What comes first, reason or being?” Does mind come first or matter? You learnt about evolutionary theory at school, didn’t you? It is wrong. Evolutionary theory is wrong. Now I will start a revolution. (274-67, 1995.10.29)
The Biblical meaning of sin is to “miss the mark.” Thus, sin denotes how human beings deviate from the true standard of life. there are many ways to conceive of sin; here we present four. the first is evil deeds, which typically comprise murder, stealing, sexual immorality, lying and drunkenness. the world’s religions are unanimous in condemning these sins. the second meaning of sin is a self-centered mindset, by which we do harm to others whether intentionally or unintentionally. this is a more subtle understanding; it invites introspection about the motives behind our behavior and the way our daily life impinges on others. sin has power: it binds us and blocks our approach to God. a third way to understand sin is to see it as all-pervasive imperfection and fallenness, a universal condition of humankind. in this light, Father Moon explains that all sin is the result of human Fall, which severed our original relationship with God and left us in a state of alienation and strife.
Whoso in this world destroys life, tells lies, takes what is not given, goes to others’ wives, and is addicted to intoxicating drinks, such a one digs up his own root in this world.
Dhammapada 246-47
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6.9-10
The plunderer of gold, the liquor-drinker, the invader of a teacher’s bed, the brahmin-killer:
These four sink downward in the scale—
And, fifth, he who consorts with them.
Chandogya Upanishad 5.10.9
The Prophet said, “When a man commits forni-cation he is not a believer, when a man steals he is not a believer; when a man drinks wine he is not a believer; when he takes plunder on account of which others raise their eyes at him he is not a believer; and when a man defrauds his neighbor he is not a believer; so beware, beware!”
Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim (Islam)
If you, Rahula, are desirous of doing a deed with the body, you should reflect on that deed of your body, thus: “That deed that I am desir-ous of doing with the body is a deed of my body that might conduce to the harm of self and that might conduce to the harm of others and that might conduce to the harm of both; this deed of body is unskilled, its yield is anguish, its result is anguish.” If you, Rahula, reflecting thus, should find it so, a deed of body like this, Rahula, is cer-tainly not to be done by you.
Majjhima Nikaya 1.415 (Buddhism)
Behold, the lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
and your sins have hid his face from you so that he does not hear.
Isaiah 59.1-2
Bound by the fetters of the fruits of good and evil, like a cripple;
without freedom, like a man in prison.
Maitri Upanishad 4.2 (Hinduism)
When we choose to sin, what we want is to get some good or get rid of something bad. The lie is in this, that what is done for our good ends in something bad, or what is done to make things better ends by making them worse. Why this paradox, except that the happiness of man can come not from himself but only from God, and that to live according to oneself is to sin, and to sin is to lose God?
Saint Augustine, City of God 14.4 (Christianity)
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