Cheon Seong Gyeong – Sun Myung Moon

Book Seven - Etiquette And Ceremonies
Chapter Three - Worship Service and Etiquette in Church Life
Section 9. Rules and Etiquette among Members

9.1. Members relate through heavenly love

We call our Unification Church members "family members." Members should have the connections of brothers and sisters and be born under the same parents' heart. Only then can we become a member. We should have the relationship of brothers under the same parents. We should directly inherit the way of life, habits, and traditions of the parents. Then, we should create a family that God can be pleased with. Only then can we become members. (155-211, 1955.10.30)

Today, we are gathered here, hand in hand. Young and old, men and women who used to be complete strangers are gathered together. We have inherited the same lineage with the same heart of God. Since we started off being holy, we should also attain results worthy of this position. (67-325, 1973.7.22)

You should know that the relationship between us has been a three-dimensional one. It is not something based on an ideology that existed in previous history. It is based on God's heart and His ideal of creation; it began based on the standard of original character. This is the core of all relationships and thus should he regarded as absolute. (49-206, 1971.10.10)

We are gathered here to form new relationships. Therefore, those gathered here are not physical siblings. People who are not siblings should come together and have stronger relationships than their physical siblings. This is different. The relationship of those who are not your siblings should govern the relationship between you and your physical siblings. Unless this happens, your home has no spiritual ties to you. Actually, you cannot directly interfere with this. Thus, we should treat our church brothers and sisters with more care. (49-209, 1971.10.10)

When you deal with members, you should be careful not to hurt them or say the kind of things that would discourage them in their life of faith. (18-43, 1967.5.17)

You should have sympathy with other members who are in difficulties and face trouble in certain circumstances as though you yourself were facing trouble. (23-291, 1969.10.5)

I cannot tolerate such a thing as someone criticizing and deliberately attacking other members. If we wish to love the world, where should we begin to love? We should begin to love by loving each other. We have gathered here from north, south, east, and west under the same connections, and therefore we should love each other. It should be unbearable to live if we cannot see or meet each other. Since we are connected by such a bond, the Unification Church is proud of having something that the evil world does not have. If we lose this bond, we are nothing at all. (49-62, 1971.10.3)

We are wonderful people. We are wonderful people who are walking on the road of a proud life that the world envies, heaven and earth envy, and all the saints and sages in the spirit world envy. We are people whom God cannot abandon, who have the background and content for which God will not just praise us but also come and tell us that He loves us. (171-29, 1987.12.5)

If there is someone who has good ancestors here, those ancestors will actively cooperate with him. You are standing in such a position. The spirit world will be eternally happy if you, who are in such a position, fight with excitement and good technique, and win all the time wherever you go. Evil spirits will fall back with surprise even before they show up. It works out like that. So these ancestors will attend you as though attending a king. You should feel this kind of feeling. (14-21, 1964.4.19)

Would it be alright for this substantial fruit of six thousand years to fall without being ripened, like a fruit that falls from the tree? Would it do to worry that the wind might blow and to say, `Oh no, it looks like I might fall. If the wind blows a bit more, I am going to fall. True Father, don't shake me. Just let me be still." There are some people here like that. On the other hand, there are those who say, "Even if True Father takes an axe and shakes the branches as he pleases, my branches will never fall until they have been cut." Which side are you on? Are you the ones who worry whether the wind will blow? Or are you the group that won't fall even if you are shaken? (46.155, 1971.8.13)

What is the purpose for which you came here? You did not come to solve some external problem. You came here to clarify the fundamental problem of humankind, to stand in front of the Absolute Being and to be recognized and confirmed by the Absolute Being. (11.224, 1961.9.20)

9.2. Cain-Abel relationships between members

When we look at the members of the Unification Church and ask the question who is Cain and who is Abel, horizontally. Those who joined earlier are Abel, while vertically, those who joined recently are Abel. In the vertical and horizontal relationships, the horizontal must be attentive to the vertical and not the other way around. This is how it will become. (49-214, 1971.10 10)

What is the secret in becoming an Abel figure? It is safeguarding the tradition. One who does not rebel even when facing death can become Abel. You have to understand this. Jesus is said to be the young lamb, right? Therefore, even if you are pierced, you must not rebel. (49-214, 1971.10.10)

Abel must love Cain. He must subjugate him naturally with love. He must stand in the position of loving him with tears and blood. He must give love that is the loftiest. Otherwise, Cain will not relent and restoration cannot be carried out. We must do this for the sake of the Christian church, the Republic of Korea, and North Korea. This is the reason that I am praying for North Korea right now. (34-283, 1970.9.13)

What does Abel have to do? He has to restore three generations. First, Cain must be restored. Then, parents must be restored. Then God must be liberated. These are the three great missions. In other words, without liberating the satanic world, parents cannot appear. Without liberating the parents, God cannot be liberated. It is Abel's mission to be responsible for the three realms of liberation. (58-68, 1972.6.6)

Within the church, you should know how to discern who is Abel and who is Cain. If there are two people, one is surely Abel and the other Cain; if there are three, one can be the Abel figure, one can be Cain, and the other can be in either Abel's or Cain's position. You should be able to clearly discern between the most central Abel and Cain. (3-206, 1957.11.1)

Cain and Abel should not be disunited and separated. One side is the right hand while the other is the left. Therefore, everyone should seek and attend their Abel figure with the belief that my God is your God and that He loves me as well as you. Each should do their best to avoid the position of Cain. If you fail to become such a person, you should clearly understand that at any time you will end up being caught by heaven's judgment. (3-206, 1957.11.1)

Where are the positions of Cain and Abel decided? Cain and Abel positions will not be decided in some nice and comfortable place. Why do we need Cain and Abel? They are needed for the sake of restoration through indemnity. What do we have to do to undertake restoration through indemnity? We have to become a sacrificial offering. (34-91, 1970.8.29)

Where does God decide upon the Abel figure? He makes the choice in a place where Satan cannot accuse. This is the position where unity with God is achieved, but this is not a position of joy, but the most sorrowful and difficult position. In other words, in the position where one is willing to die in the most miserable situation, you can become one with God. (34-51, 1970.8.29)

9.3. Definition of Cain and Abel

Among the members of the Unification Church today, there are those crazy ones who say, "Hey, I am Abel because I joined earlier and those who joined later are Cain, so you should serve me!" What kind of person is Abel? Abel is the one who lives according to God's will. The one who is more public-minded is Abel.

Who is Cain? He stands on the side of Satan. Satan starts off from selfish thoughts. Abel begins with thinking not about himself, but about God. You should understand this. (58-48, 1972.6.6)

Even among those who joined earlier, the one who is satisfying his own greed is Cain. The one who thinks about himself first is Cain. This is the principle that I use when I am dealing with people. No matter how long one has been in the church, if someone is living selfishly, I completely ignore that person. I cannot do anything about it now, but when the time comes, I will tell him to pack up and leave. You are not Abel just because you joined earlier. The one who pursues personal agendas first is Cain and the one who thinks more about public matters and Heaven than about himself is Abel. (58-68, 1972.6.6)

In deciding upon the brotherly order among the members of the Unification Church, one who joined first stands in the Abel position but is at the same time also Cain, and one who joined later is in the position of Cain but is also Abel simultaneously. (24-348, 1969.9.14)

From the perspective of the Principle, Abel is the center. God has to enter the middle of the center. However, have you become Abel? To become Abel, you must obey. You must obey God and become one with Him. In order to become one with God, you must do everything that God tells you to do. You cannot be an Abel unless you can do all that God tells you to do. Even if you did ninety-nine of one hundred tasks, if you fail to do the last one, you cannot become the Abel figure. (34-46, 1970.8.29)

Among the members of the Unification Church, what kind of person would be Cain? Those who raise their head high and order people around are all Cain. Then who is Abel? The person who strives to fulfill their responsibility is Abel.

Originally, those who joined earlier are Cain-type, but they hold their head high and try to be the Abel figure. They are digging their own graves. No matter how hard they try, I will not use them if they do not live according to the rules and principles. (49-214, 1971.10.10)

What kind of beings are Abel and Cain? In short, from the viewpoint of the Principle, Cain is someone who puts his concerns on others; Abel is one who takes on other people's concerns even while having his own. That's the difference. (62-189, 1972.9.25)

To define which person is Cain and which one is Abel, the one who is struck is Abel and one who strikes is Cain. Let's take an example and say there are two sons before their parents, and the age difference between the two is quite substantial. The older brother may act on behalf of the parents for consultation or any other purpose. However, if he hits the younger brother who is without fault, then the parents will stand on the side of the younger son rather than the older. People do not understand that this is the criterion for judging good and evil in today's society. The one who is harming others always becomes the Cain figure. (56-85, 1972.5.14)

Among the Unification members, if you mock someone who is working hard and exhibiting great devotion for the sake of the church, saying, "Why does he act so special?" then you become Cain. You must understand this. This is how Cain and Abel set themselves apart from each other. The one who is being criticized and being harmed without having committed any sin is always Abel, while the one who criticizes and strikes others always becomes Cain. (56-85, 1972.5.14)

Even when you are speaking, the one who speaks words that are beneficial is Abel, and the one who speaks words that harm others is Cain. When you benefit someone else, you are bringing benefits to him; but when you are doing something for your own sake, it is the same as harming that person. For this reason, the public position is the place whose purpose is to benefit others, and the private position is the place where one lives for the sake of one's own benefit. In this way, centering on public and private, Abel and Cain, as well as good and evil, are differentiated. You must understand this. (56-35, 1972.5.14)

The one who is more public-minded is Abel. Among the members of the Unification Church, there are those who believe they are Abel because they joined first, but even if they joined early, if they cannot be public-minded, then they are Cain. They are Cain for sure. Cain was born first, but because he was less public than Abel, he had to follow Abel.

There might be those among the members of the Unification Church who insist, "Because 1 joined early, am Abel." However, those who cannot he more public-minded than those who joined later are Cain. The Abel figure is the one who stands in a more public-minded position. (31-165, 1970.5.24)

You will naturally come to admire me because I have offered my life as a sacrifice more for the sake of the public cause than for my own benefit and invested such quality and quantity of raw materials that you are not aware of. This is the Principle and the heavenly fortune. (64-81, 1972.10.24)

The restoration of the global Kingdom of Heaven cannot come into being unless the foundations for the perfection of Abel on the levels of individual, family, tribe, people, nation, and world can be linked. We who understand this must apply this principle in our daily life, regardless of day or night, and in order to carry on the development of this fundamental principle, we have to be on the run without rest. We can say that this type of person is a person of God. Do you understand? (64-81, 1972.10.24) 

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