The Words of the Tanate Family
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The Words of the Tanate Family |
Dear Brother and Sisters,
I joined Unification Church since 1984. Although the path I have chosen to take for 25 years is never an easy one, I never regretted offering most of the youthful years of my life to God and True Parents. I intend to go this way the rest of my life.
I was a frustrated soldier because I decided to give up a promising career in the military and decided to become a full-time member of the Unification Church although there is no salary and a clear source of funds for financial security in the future. I was trained as a military man for 10 years (1 year as an officer of CAT-1, 4 years as ROTC Officer, and 5 years as a Tactical Officer). I was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant of the Philippine Army last 1988 (signed by the President of the Republic of the Philippines) and was one of the youngest military officer in the country. I was offered to be an Integree by HQ Philippine Army which means I will have a serial number like a graduate of PMA for that year. This is because I graduated number 4 in the Final Order of Merit in a Military Training for Officers in Fort Bonifacio, graduated cum laude in PNU with a Major in Physics as a DOST Scholar, and a top-notcher in the AFP-GCT.
I am the eldest and the only son in the family. As a breadwinner, I am expected to support my family and send my 3 sisters to college. My relatives are expecting me to be the economic messiah of our family and tribe being the "smartest" relative they have. When I joined Full-time, everybody hated my decision. Even the leaders in my hometown criticized me. The parish priest told the people not to associate with me during a Sunday mass. The chief of police criticized my mother warning her that he will shoot me if I will continue my involvement in the movement. My relatives were blaming my mother for allowing me to be Full-time. My mother was crying to me when she told me these stories. She's so ashamed to go to the Catholic Church and decided to visit the center instead. She also decided to join Full-time with us (my 3 other sisters decided to stop going to school and joined MFT).
My military training helped me a lot as a Full-time member of the Unification Church. In the military, "Obey first before you complain", is strictly enforced. A true story which happened during the Korean War: A company of soldiers led by a Captain encountered a heavily armed group much bigger than their company. Because of their excellent skills in combat, they were able to gain the upper hand and was able to occupy a strategic position where they can totally destroy the enemy and win victory. Suddenly, a radio call from the HQ directed them to withdraw and proceed to a specified location. The Captain was so upset saying," HQ doesn't know our actual situation here! We are winning and we fought hard for this. We can do this even without HQ's support."
After few minutes, bombs were dropped by war planes and artillery fire pulverized the area. If the Captain only followed the order, his life and the lives of his men would have been spared. The General in the HQ received reports from other sources in the field that enemy forces coming from different directions are headed towards the position of the Captains men. If the enemy forces gain control of that area, the forward defense of the HQ will be compromised and the entire HQ operation will be totally destroyed. All air and artillery support should be directed to that area in the shortest possible time without delay. "Obey first before you complain" is a life and death situation in the battlefield.
I learned that we are in a spiritual battlefield fighting against the forces of evil. True Father even declared after God's Coronation ceremony that the path he had trodden is a path where not even an iota of mistake is allowed.
It is like walking on a rope where accuracy and preciseness is required for you not to fall down. One mistake and the enemy Satan will accuse and everything will come to naught. True Father won the victory over Satan for more than 70 years. Do you think his decisions can easily be influenced and swayed by Hyung Jin Nim, Kook Jin Nim, True Mother and the Continental Directors? Can he be senile and can commit mistakes because he is just a human being?
True Father is the general and the leaders are the captains. When True Father gave the direction not to involve in Global Peace Conference and not follow Hyun Jin Nim, I never doubted Father's direction. I don't have to analyze it nor compare it with Hyung Jin Nim's explanations. The General gave his orders, the Captains should follow the marching orders.
When somebody who cannot even identify himself in public criticizes the leaders who followed True Father's direction, I was really surprised. Why did he join this movement? Did he really believe that Father is the Messiah?
I tell you my brother, it is more difficult for me to go to Tanay than to the Manila Hotel.
If I go to Tanay to follow True Father's direction, Hyun Jin Nim will surely be angry to me for not going to Manila Hotel to join his victory celebration.
If Hyun Jin Nim will reconcile with True Father, I will be in big trouble because Hyun Jin Nim is already angry at me. I may be close to True Father internally but Hyun Jin Nim will remember me betraying him. How about those who followed Hyun Jin Nim and went to Manila Hotel?
They will be in a better position because even though they will lose their position and not receive allowance from HQ, Hyun Jin Nim promised to support them. Then, when Hyun Jin Nim reconciles with True Father, Hyun Jin Nim can easily bring those leaders who followed him to True Father and asked them to also be forgiven by True Father. So, the Manila Hotel Leaders will be both closer to Hyun Jin Nim and True Father while the Tanay Leaders will be internally close to True Father only and will be a betrayer to Hyun Jin Nim.
Brothers and Sisters, going to Tanay to follow True Father's direction is more difficult than going to Manila Hotel and follow Hyun Jin Nim. Doing this is a sacrifice for me in order to grant the wish of a 90-year old man whom I deeply respect and love as my savior and Messiah.
I was trained by True Father for 25 years through my frontline missions and central figures. I received the greatest Blessings in life by being blessed to my wife and having a wonderful son. My entire family and clan respect and follow me as their model and leader. Based on True Father's direction and guidance, I was able to stand in the position as a Tribal Messiah which is an eternal position. Nobody can kick me out of this position as long as I am aligned with the vertical axial line connected with True Parents. My other current positions can always change (VP for Admin-UTS, President-Sun Hwa International Academy, President-Tongil Moo Do Phils., and VP for Education-UC Phils.), but my position as a Tribal Messiah and a son of God and True Parents is an eternal position.
Am I afraid to lose my other current positions? Brother and sisters, the only position I'm afraid of losing is the position of Tribal Messiah and a filial son of God and True Parents!
Even though Hyun Jin Nim, Manila Hotel Leaders, and some brother and sisters will be angry to me, I cannot compromise or destroy my internal heart of filial piety to True Parents. Asking me to go to Manila Hotel is like dying for me, severing my sacred bond of heart and blood with my beloved True Parents.
Let us all repent that we made True Parents worry because of our immaturity, unguided emotions, and self-centered horizontal relationships.
In My Name,
Edgar T. Tanate,
CBF, D.D.