“What one generation tolerates, the
next generation will embrace.” John Wesley
The Unification Church Teaching:
Teachings: Moon claims to be the
messiah of the Second Coming and his wife is the Holy Spirit. He and
his wife, called The True Parents where he is the True Father and his
wife the True Mother, are the first couple to be able to bring forth
children with no original sin. "The cross is the symbol of the
defeat of Christianity." The Bible is considered scripture along
with Moon’s work "Divine Principles." Sin is genetically
based. It is not a moral issue. The thieves on the cross represent
political movements. The thief on the right side of Jesus represents
democracy. The thief on the left of Jesus is communism. Adam and Eve
fell because of sexual sin. Eve had sexual relations with Satan.
Jesus is a ‘true person’ though not God in flesh. The Holy
Spirit is ‘the True Mother,’ or ‘the Second Eve." The
church denies the doctrine of the Trinity.
http://carm.org/unification-church
Ravi Zacharias:
not one proponent of evolutionary
ethics has explained how an impersonal, amoral first cause through a
nonmoral process has produced a moral basis of life - especially as
they simultaneously deny any objective moral basis for good and evil.
Until i comprehend and accept the
depravity of man's heart including my own, i will never be able
to comprehend and accept the depth of redemption that is required to
redeem it.
We think we can fix it through 4 noble
truths and the 8 fold path or through more rituals and sacrifices or
through more door knocking or through monastic lifestyles or through
more therapy and counselling or through more scientific discoveries
and medicinal antidotes - but nothing, nothing naturally can
redeem an evil heart and it is only through a supernatural event and
cause demonstrating the power to overcome a natural one that has the
power and the motivation to fix such a mess.
Even if i wanted so desparatrly and
wholeheartedly to "do better" i would still only reach the
second floor on my stairway to heaven.
Matthew 5-7
New International Version (NIV)
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds,
he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3
“Blessed are the poor in
spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
4
Blessed are those who mourn,
for
they will be comforted.
5
Blessed are the meek,
for
they will inherit the earth.
6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7
Blessed are the merciful,
for
they will be shown mercy.
8
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for
they will see God.
9
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for
they will be called children of God.
10
Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against
you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your
reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets
who were before you.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the
earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty
again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and
trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the
world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do
people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on
its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In
the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see
your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
17 “Do not think that I have
come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish
them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven
and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of
a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is
accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the
least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called
least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches
these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For
I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the
Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter
the kingdom of heaven.
Murder
21 “You have heard that it was
said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and anyone
who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you
that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[b][c] will be
subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister,
‘Raca,’[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You
fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are
offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother
or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in
front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and
offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with
your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still
together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the
judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be
thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out
until you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was
said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[e] 28 But I tell you
that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed
adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you
to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to
lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into
hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it
off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your
body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Divorce
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone
who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[f]
32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for
sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who
marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again, you have heard that
it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but
fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell
you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s
throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by
Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not
swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything
beyond this comes from the evil one.[g]
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was
said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h] 39 But I tell
you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right
cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants
to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If
anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give
to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants
to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was
said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I
tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes
his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love
you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing
that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you
doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Giving to the Needy
6 “Be careful not to practice
your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do,
you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the
needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell
you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you
give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right
hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be
like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues
and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you,
they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go
into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is
unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will
reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like
pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many
words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you
need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should
pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed
be your name,
10
your kingdom come,
your will be
done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11
Give us today our daily bread.
12
And forgive us our debts,
as
we also have forgiven our debtors.
13
And lead us not into
temptation,[j]
but deliver us from the evil
one.[k]’
14 For if you forgive other people
when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father
will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
16 “When you fast, do not look
somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show
others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their
reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and
wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that
you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and
where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where
thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the
body. If your eyes are healthy,[l] your whole body will be full of
light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[m] your whole body
will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness,
how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two
masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will
be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both
God and money.
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your
body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body
more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not
sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father
feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any
one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[n]?
28 “And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or
spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his
splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God
clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is
thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of
little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’
or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For
the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows
that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Judging Others
7 “Do not judge, or you too will
be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be
judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck
of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank
in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me
take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank
in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of
your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from
your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is
sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample
them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock
7 “Ask and it will be given to
you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to
you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son
asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a
fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are
evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to
you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow
gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate
and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
True and False Prophets
15 “Watch out for false
prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they
are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad
tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by
their fruit you will recognize them.
True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one
who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will
say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many
miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears
these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man
who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the
streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it
did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into
practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The
rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against
that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying
these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because
he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the
law.
