Aug 26, 2008
Dear Unification Church,
Dear Unification Church,
As an American, I appreciate your (our) efforts to win hearts for God and educate the public about the potential dangers of extreme "left-wing" Marxist-Leninism ideology. However, if I may humbly offer some constructive feedback, it is very important to remember that our own beloved fathers and family members experienced imprisonment, torture, injury and death fighting in World War II against the ideology of religious fascism (the "right-wing" extreme). My own father was on the USS Oklahoma in Pearl Harbor when it was sunk and hundreds of his shipmates were lost. Millions of innocent civilians overseas also suffered injury and death.
The ideology of fascism (in all of its various forms) has also been responsible for the suffering and death of millions of good people of religious faith throughout history. Unfortunately, and tragically, out of misguided ignorance, many of these atrocities were perpetrated in the name of God to the damage of the spiritual lives of millions. At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I think I can safely say that, not just communism, but fascism also, breaks God's heart.
The ideology of fascism (in all of its various forms) has also been responsible for the suffering and death of millions of good people of religious faith throughout history. Unfortunately, and tragically, out of misguided ignorance, many of these atrocities were perpetrated in the name of God to the damage of the spiritual lives of millions. At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I think I can safely say that, not just communism, but fascism also, breaks God's heart.
Some awareness of these facts need to be expressed by the Unification Church, especially in light of the recent church focus on political activism. I would like to humbly suggest that taking a balanced approach towards educating the members of the Unification Church and the public about the potential dangers of both communism and fascism would go a long way towards winning hearts and minds. Better yet, it seems to me, that the church needs to be a "church", and return to focusing on the saving of souls (no matter what their political bent), and distance itself from politics and government as much as possible. Both "liberals" and "conservatives" need compassion and understanding. I wish the best of success to you (us) in this effort.
Sincerely and Respectfully
Here is a very good Encyclopedia Britannica article describing fascism:
