Chambumo Gyeong - 220. Legal Recognition
The nationwide structure of the church was first organized on October 14, 1960 and since then the structure has evolved in accordance with the church's development. On May 31, 1963, a decade after its inauguration, it was legally registered as a social organization with the Korean government, and, on October 4 that same year, it obtained corporate authorization as a church. This opened the way for True Parents and the fledgling church to accelerate the work for the salvation of all people. 1 Until 1960, we were severely persecuted. Of course, we received persecution after that, but step by step we have been growing. The providence of restoration is the struggle between Cain and Abel. At that time, we were working on registering our association with the government. The Department of Culture and Education dealt with all registration affairs, and the then-department minister denied our application. We contested his decision, and after one week, it was overruled. That one week corresponded to 70 years, 700 years and also 7,000 years. If his initial decision had not been overruled at that time, we would not have been able to conduct any religious activities. But his decision was overruled, and finally, on May 31, 1963, the government formally registered the Holy Spirit Association. (052-187, 1971/12/29) 2 The Unification Church acceded to the position of a restored Judaism, where it could receive the blessing of the Third Israel and inherit the duties of loyalty and filial piety. Because of that, the government published the registration certificate of the church as an association. We also registered the church in the United States, which corresponds to the Roman Empire. Since we have thus completely prepared the way for the worldwide stage centering on religion, from now on no one will be able to expel us, and even if they wish to kill us, they will not be able to do so. The mission of Judaism was to teach the Israelites the way toward a new heaven and earth. Now the Unification Church has a similar responsibility on its shoulders. (013-051, 1963/10/16) 3 Registering our church with the government could be seen by some as a joyful event, but I did not see it as a time for self-congratulation. This was because there remained other struggles for me to take up. I will rejoice when God rejoices. In four years' time, the first seven-year course will be concluded, and my 21 -year course will also come to an end. We need to make preparations for that time. People are gradually falling into confusion. Outside the Unification Church, there is no altar for the atonement of sin. When these four years pass, we will need to mobilize to represent the people, and sacrifice and serve them for the sake of the world. We must restore the world by shedding our tears and blood. Korea is not the issue. We must pray to turn around the entire world and cosmos. (013-084, 1963/10/20) 4 Because I knew what others did not know, I became a man of suffering. Accordingly, in the initial three-year period of the first seven-year course, I could not sleep with my legs stretched out. I needed to make it so that men and women, young and old, would bow their heads before me and ask me to lead them, and I had to make the people and the nation follow. Now that the Unification Church is registered with the government, we have come to stand in a position where no power on earth can block the road we will go. God established democracy so that the Lord who comes again will not be killed. Nonetheless, although we talk about our association being registered, we cannot feel at ease. (013-079, 1963/10/19) 5 In what position is the Unification Church today? What is the nature of the initial three-year period of the first seven-year course? Jesus took up his cross at the end of his three-year public course. Accordingly, the period to prepare the victorious foothold for the people collapsed, and the time necessary to fulfill the Will of God was prolonged. But it cannot be prolonged again and again. In terms of the Divine Principle, Korea's 40 years under Japanese imperialist rule, plus the three-year period of US military administration, correspond to the 430-year period of slavery in Egypt.
What is the nature of the first year of our three-year period? Because we had no place to stand, the first year was the year for preparing our foothold by uniting the physical world and the spiritual world. For the Unification Church, it was that year that determined whether we lived or died. Through the Holy Wedding Ceremony held in 1960, the individual position was secured for the first time. We thus established one starting point.
What kind of starting point was that? It was similar to the three-day period just before Moses crossed the Red Sea. Everything in the history of restoration is included in this three-year period. Centering on the four-position foundation, which was accomplished by means of completing this period, we came to offer a proclamation ceremony for the registration of our association. This was on the 13th day of the 4th lunar month in 1963. (012-273, 1963/06/20) |