Renaissance to the Second Advent - Day 7

The most beloved Heavenly Father, our Heavenly Parent, we thank You so much that we are able to meet again this evening. Thank You for the many blessings and incredible grace that we receive from You, to live in such a wonderful world and to have such wonderful families and friends. We are grateful for the grace of living in the time of our True Parents and for the freedom to study, read, speak, and do many things that so many people throughout human history have longed to do. We appreciate and are grateful for this incredible blessing, a result of Your providence and the people who responded to it to create this realm for freedom where our True Parents could be born and carry out their mission. We pray, Heavenly Father, to unite with them and to expand Your sovereignty now in this world and in the next world as well. Our Father is working so diligently, and I pray You will guide us this evening and bless all the things that we study. I ask this in my name, William Haines, of the Central Blessed Family.

I'm going to carry on from where I left off on Thursday. We looked at tracing God's providence for the law of the Second Heaven to be born and how things developed in Korea. We saw the incredible persecution that Christians went through in Korea, particularly the Catholic Church, which led to about 10,000 Korean Catholics being martyred in 1866. We also looked at how Protestantism came to Korea. There was a person, Robert Jermaine Thomas, who came from Wales and went as a missionary first to China. He learned to speak Chinese fluently within a very short time and began delivering sermons and doing evangelical work in China. He heard that there were Christians in Korea who didn't have Bibles, so he decided to take Chinese Bibles to Korea, as there were no Korean translations of the Bible at that time.

In August 1866, during the intense persecution of Korean Catholics, he found a trading ship, the General Sherman, that was traveling to Korea. Many different countries were trying to establish trading relationships with Korea, which was very xenophobic. The Korean court and king did not want to have any trading relationships with other countries and kept rebuffing them. The General Sherman went up the river that Seoul is on, trying to get landing rights, but they were told to go away. However, they carried on, and some of them landed, leading to a clash between the crew of the General Sherman and the local Korean militia. The General Sherman ran aground and was attacked by Koreans, who set fire to it. Thomas, who was on the boat, grabbed as many Bibles as he could, jumped into the water, and waded to the land, where he started handing out Bibles to the Koreans present. He was executed on the spot and handed his last Bible to the man who beheaded him, becoming a martyr.

Interestingly, it was against the law to accept Bibles in Korea at that time, and he would have been put to death anyway for bringing Chinese Bibles to Korea. Before he boarded the General Sherman, he had been traveling incognito in Korea, pretending to be a Korean while distributing Bibles. The risk he took was significant. After his martyrdom, many of the Koreans who received these Bibles did not burn them or throw them away, as they were supposed to do. Instead, they took the Bibles home, ripped out the pages, and used the paper to wallpaper their rooms. When winter came, they would sit around in their homes, keeping warm and getting bored, and began reading the walls. Through this, they encountered the Word of God and experienced God's message through the pages of the Bible that were stuck to their walls. Many of them came to believe in God and had a rebirth experience with Jesus through the Holy Spirit, feeling the Holy Spirit speaking to them through the Bible they had used to wallpaper their homes.

This remarkable event shows that Protestant Christianity started in Korea not through missionaries but directly through the Word of God speaking to people's hearts and souls. People began to gather together to read the walls and form study groups based on the Bible pasted onto their wallpaper. In 1877, a Scotsman from a tiny village on the east coast of Scotland felt a calling to become a missionary. He went to China, learned Chinese, then Korean, and translated parts of the Bible into Korean. He traveled around Korea distributing these translations. It's interesting how missionaries came from Wales and Scotland to spread Christianity. The next person who took over translating the Bible into Korean was an Anglican bishop named Bishop Crosswaite, who set up an institute to complete the translation.

As I mentioned on Thursday, Britain had a responsibility to give birth to the First, Second, and Third Israels. It re-established the First Israel into the Jewish homeland, Israel, becoming an independent nation again in 1948. It also gave birth to the Second Israel, which is the United States of America, and the Third Israel, which is Korea. This is an interesting perspective on how Protestant Christianity began to spread in Korea. I also mentioned how things hadn't gone right in Korea, and that was the most Britain could do towards fulfilling its responsibilities as a mother nation to Korea. Had things gone differently in 1866, when there was an opportunity for Korea to form an alliance or protectorate with Britain and France, Korea could have become a British protectorate and inherited the Christian liberal democratic tradition of education, industrialization, and governance from Britain. Unfortunately, Korea rebuffed Britain and did not want any relationship with them or with America, which was also trying to establish a relationship with Korea.

In 1854, the United States signed a treaty with Japan, where Commodore Perry went into Japan with gunboats and made a treaty. Through this, Japan was able to inherit Western technology and modernize, leading to the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Korea, on the other hand, made an unequal trade treaty with Japan. Until this time, Korea had been under Chinese hegemony, paying tribute to the Chinese emperor. At the same time, Russia was moving east, interested in Korea, and there were many Russian, Chinese, and Japanese diplomats in Korea, all trying to dominate it in some way. In such a situation, Korea had to choose whether to be dominated by China, Japan, or Russia, or to find another protector. Korea did not want to be dominated by anyone, which was a strategic error. If they had aligned with the British, they would have received significant benefits.

Japan was particularly interested in Korea as it viewed it as a launching pad for expansion into Manchuria. In 1876, Korea rebuffed Japan and other countries, but Japan forced Korea into an unequal trade treaty, similar to what America had done with Japan. In 1882, Korea approached Japan and America for a trade treaty. The Korean king wanted American goods, technology, and protection but did not want Christianity or democracy. This made the agreement less appealing for the Americans. America promised to protect Korea, but the Americans were not very enthusiastic about it, as there was little in it for them. Generally, the Korean court rejected close relationships with the West, but Japan's unequal trade treaty separated Korea from its relationship with China, making Korea independent from Chinese control. This led to the First Sino-Japanese War from 1894 to 1895, where Japan sought to expand into Manchuria, and Korea became known as the Empire of Korea, indicating its independence from other powers.

Afterward, there was the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, which was significant. Britain was particularly interested in stopping Russian expansion, as there was conflict between Britain and Russia over India. Japan also regarded Russia as a threat, leading to an alliance between Britain and Japan. This created space for Japan to further dominate Korea. The Russo-Japanese War resulted in Japan sinking the Russian navy, leading to a significant uprising in Russia and the Treaty of Portsmouth, which agreed that Japan could have a free hand in Korea in exchange for America having a free hand in the Philippines. This arrangement allowed America to dominate the Philippines while Japan gained more control over Korea. Subsequently, the Ulsa Treaty of 1905 made Korea a protectorate of Japan, and the Japan-Korea Treaty further solidified Japan's control over Korea, culminating in the Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty, which resulted in a complete loss of Korean sovereignty. Japan claimed that Korea and Japan were a unified nation, and during this occupation, Japan sought to expand into Manchuria, using Korea as a means to do so. A hundred thousand Japanese families settled in Korea, taking much of the farming land and cultural resources.

Symbols in Korea were destroyed, such as palaces and many historic artifacts. The forced worship of Japanese gods, like Shinto shrines, aimed to create a single unified people. Koreans were encouraged and pressured to adopt Japanese names, essentially trying to eradicate Korean culture. This led to intense resentment and hatred among Koreans towards the Japanese, which persists to this day. The language coming out of South Korea and North Korea, especially towards Japan, is incredibly aggressive and resentful, posing a real threat to peace in East Asia. I believe this occupation was a mistake.

As I mentioned, Korean Christianity began to grow during this period. Protestantism gradually gained traction, with missionaries arriving from America and Britain. A significant revival occurred in Wales between 1904 and 1905, where hundreds of thousands of Welsh people experienced a remarkable rebirth through the Holy Spirit. This revival in Wales was part of a series of spiritual awakenings that spread to India and eventually reached Korea in 1907. Interestingly, there is a small village in Wales where Korean Christians trace the origins of this Korean Pentecost, and they often visit as a form of pilgrimage.

In Korea, a prayer meeting among missionaries led to a powerful outpouring of prayer, repentance, and confession, which spread rapidly throughout the country. While a larger number of people were converted in Wales during this period, the revival there eventually fizzled out. In contrast, Korean Christianity today is among the most vital in the world, sending out the most missionaries after America and hosting some of the largest congregations globally. However, Korea was still under Japanese occupation, and the Koreans were unhappy with how the occupation was progressing.

In 1919, Korean Christians and democrats were inspired by Woodrow Wilson's declaration advocating for the independence of colonised nations. They sought to declare Korean independence, sending a delegation to the Versailles Conference. Japan, having allied with Britain during World War I, was present at the conference, which complicated matters for the Koreans. The Japanese refused to allow the Korean delegation to present their case, despite the fact that other empires, like Germany and Austria-Hungary, were being dismantled.

The Korean delegation faced significant challenges, with two million Koreans participating in demonstrations, resulting in thousands of deaths and arrests. The Korean desire for independence was met with resistance, and the Japanese occupation continued. This context is crucial for understanding the foundation laid for the birth of the Messiah, as outlined in the Divine Principle. The successful outcome of World War I established a foundation for overcoming Cain and Abel, which is significant in the context of Korea's struggle for independence.

Recently, I mentioned that Koreans and Jews share similar family structures, which sparked a discussion. I revisited a book by Emmanuel Todd, a French anthropologist, who studied the anthropology of family structures and their impact on societal values. He argued that the family is the basis of society, and different family structures lead to different ideological orientations. This perspective helps explain why various nations, such as the French, Germans, Japanese, and Russians, have distinct values and ideologies.

Todd's research indicates that the world's ideologies, including communism, Islam, and liberalism, are projections of the values learned within families. He analysed data over 400 years, focusing on legal frameworks, inheritance rules, and marriage customs across different countries. His insights are particularly relevant in understanding the collapse of communism, which he predicted based on the Russian family structure. He also anticipated various socio-political changes in America and Europe, linking them to family dynamics.

One of Todd's key points is the concept of the communitarian family, where equality among brothers is defined by inheritance rules. In such families, married sons often cohabit with their parents, leading to complex dynamics and authority structures. This family model is prevalent in countries that have embraced communism, as it aligns with values of equality and authority. However, without a spiritual foundation, these structures can devolve into authoritarianism, as seen in historical revolutions where sons overthrow their fathers. This intense familial relationship can lead to significant societal upheaval.

The cultural revolution is shocking when you consider how many teachers and professors were murdered during that time. There was an overthrow of the older generation, and in places like Russia and China, there were even instances of cannibalism, with students eating their professors. This intense hatred stemmed from authoritarian parenting, which created a pathological expression of relationships within families. Another type of family structure I mentioned briefly on Thursday is the stem family, characterised by the inequality of brothers established by inheritance rules. In many cultures, including those in France, Russia, and Germany, laws dictate how inheritance is divided among sons, often favouring the oldest son who inherits the family business or farm. This creates a situation where one son lives with the parents while the others must find their own way, leading to an acceptance of inequality as a natural state of affairs.

The stem family structure is prevalent in various regions, including Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Bohemia, Scotland, Ireland, and parts of France, northern Spain, northern Portugal, Japan, Korea, and among Jewish and Roman Egyptian communities. The commonality among these families is the continued authority of parents over at least one child, usually the eldest son. This authority, combined with the acceptance of inequality, can lead to a pathological acceptance of racial inequality, making it easier for ideologies like Nazism and fascism to take root. Certain groups, such as Jews and Koreans, exhibit a messianic complex, while the Scots and Irish also have unique perspectives shaped by their histories. Without a connection to God, these family structures can devolve into extreme forms of authoritarianism.

In contrast, the egalitarian nuclear family promotes equality among siblings, with inheritance rules that require parents to distribute their assets fairly. In this structure, children grow up and leave home, and there is no cohabitation with parents. This family type is found in regions such as northern France, northern Italy, central and southern Spain, central Portugal, Greece, Romania, Poland, Latin America, and Ethiopia. The main values here are equality and non-authoritarianism, leading to a liberal and egalitarian society. However, this can create political instability, as seen in France and Poland, where the push for equality often conflicts with authority, resulting in a reaction against communism and a struggle for balance.

The absolute nuclear family, found primarily in the Anglo-Saxon world, including England, the United States, Holland, and Denmark, operates without specific inheritance rules. In these countries, individuals can leave their estates to whomever they choose, leading to a lack of authority over adult children. This family structure values individualism and freedom, which has historically made socialism and communism less appealing in England. The extreme individualism that arises in this context can lead to social breakdown, as seen in the rise of divorce and unmarried motherhood since the 1960s. This phenomenon is often mischaracterised as a broader Western issue, but it is primarily an Anglo-Saxon problem, resulting in social fragmentation and disintegration.

The differences between the Anglo-Saxon family and traditional German family structures can be traced back to the migration of Germanic tribes to England. These tribes arrived as individual warriors rather than families, forming bonds of voluntary friendship and fellowship. Consequently, the family structures they established in England diverged from those they left behind in Germany. The absolute nuclear family has existed in England for about one and a half thousand years, shaping English history and fostering a profound appreciation for individual freedom. The English language itself reflects this individualistic ethos, with the letter 'I' symbolising the solitary nature of the individual.

Without a connection to God, the pathological expression of the Anglo-Saxon family is extreme individualism, leading to social breakdown. This has manifested in the rapid rise of divorce and unmarried motherhood, which Father critiqued as a Western issue, though it is more accurately an English phenomenon. The social fragmentation observed in Britain today can be traced back to these family structures. As we examine the various family types, we see how they influence political systems and societal values, with authoritarian families often leaning towards fascism and dictatorships, while egalitarian families struggle with instability due to conflicting values of freedom and equality.

In summary, the authoritarian family structure, such as the stem family, is prevalent in regions that have historically embraced fascism and dictatorship. The absolute nuclear family, on the other hand, is characterised by liberalism and a lack of concern for equality, leading to individualism and social isolation. The egalitarian nuclear family attempts to balance freedom and equality but often results in political instability. Understanding these family structures provides insight into the broader societal dynamics at play, including the rise of authoritarianism and the challenges faced by democratic societies.

Liberal democratic traditions would have made everything so different in Korea compared to what it was in Father's life. Instead of living in hell, he would have been able to do something meaningful with his life, far more than he was able to do. I read that passage about how frustrated Father was that he couldn't marry into that tradition and inherit that foundation through marriage. He was deeply frustrated by how things turned out. However, he dealt with the hand he was given and accepted the reality of the situation. Father said, 'This is the way things are; where do we go from here?' Even though he mentioned how things could have been different, he didn't dwell on that. He focused on the present and the future, which is a key point in his teachings.

Now, let's examine the Second World War. What were its origins? Like everything, there is no single cause; rather, there are a variety of factors. A significant source of German resentment stemmed from the Versailles Treaty. The Germans expected the treaty to be based on Woodrow Wilson's 14 points, but when their delegation arrived at Versailles, they were not allowed to negotiate as equals with the Allies. Instead, they were presented with the conditions of the peace treaty, which made them feel betrayed and stabbed in the back. This sentiment was compounded by the fact that Germany was not invaded during the First World War; no American, British, or French soldier set foot on German soil. Thus, many Germans felt they had not lost the war but had been betrayed by civilians, particularly the Jews.

Following the First World War, there was a natural desire among Germans to rebuild their nation. The demand for reparations was immense, particularly from France, which sought revenge and aimed to de-industrialise Germany. France wanted to reduce Germany to a state reminiscent of a century prior, before its industrialisation. Britain and America did not support such extreme measures, leading to disunity among the Allies. The demobilisation of troops after the war resulted in a severe economic depression that hit Germany particularly hard, leading to stagflation and hyperinflation. People needed a wheelbarrow full of money just to buy a loaf of bread, which caused a collapse in pensions, social values, and an unprecedented level of poverty and unemployment.

In this dire situation, people looked for political leaders who could provide solutions. This environment contributed to the rise of fascism in Central and Eastern Europe, where charismatic leaders promised hope and established dictatorships. The breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire created independent nations that lacked a democratic tradition, making them susceptible to the allure of strong leaders. In Germany, the instability of the Weimar Republic, which lacked deep democratic roots, further facilitated the rise of fascism. The desire for expansion and living space, driven by imperialism, also played a role. Britain, after the agricultural and industrial revolutions, was able to maintain stability by exporting its population to places like America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Germany, on the other hand, had a growing population but lacked a significant empire. This led to a desire to expand eastward, creating a greater Germany. This ambition was accompanied by a rise in racism, particularly Nazism, which was fundamentally a racial ideology. The Nazis viewed Aryans as superior and sought to ethnically cleanse Eastern Europe of Slavic peoples. Additionally, anti-Semitism intensified, rooted in a historical legacy that had persisted for two thousand years, particularly in Austria and Germany. Historians argue that the Second World War could have been prevented if Britain and France had challenged Germany in the mid-1930s, as Germany was economically and militarily weak at that time. If they had acted, they might have won a short war against Germany.

However, the reality was that both Britain and France were democracies, and no one wins elections by promising war. Both nations were traumatized by the First World War and were not inclined to engage in another conflict. The political climate made it impossible for leaders to advocate for a war against fascism and Nazism without risking their positions. Another option would have been for Britain and France to ally with the Soviet Union against Germany. However, from the British perspective, communism was viewed as equally evil as fascism, making such an alliance unthinkable. Consequently, the Soviet Union sought a peace treaty with Nazi Germany, leading to a policy of appeasement.

As dictators like Japan and Italy began to expand their empires, the League of Nations failed to take action. Japan occupied Manchuria in 1932, and the League did nothing, emboldening other dictators. Italy invaded Abyssinia, now known as Ethiopia, in 1935, and again, the League remained inactive. This inaction encouraged further aggression, culminating in the Munich Agreement of 1938 between British Prime Minister Chamberlain and Hitler. This agreement allowed Germany to invade parts of Czechoslovakia, specifically the Sudetenland, where many ethnic Germans lived. Britain, feeling guilty about the treatment of Germany at Versailles, chose to appease Hitler rather than confront him.

The Czechs had a strong armaments industry and could have defended themselves, but Britain persuaded them to allow the occupation. This decision ultimately enabled Germany to strengthen its military capabilities. Fascism, as exemplified by Hitler and Mussolini, is a form of national socialism. It involves state control over the economy and society, abolishing democratic elections, free press, and individual rights. The personal will of the leader dictates policy, and there is a cult of personality surrounding the leader. In fascism, individuals exist for the sake of the state, contrasting sharply with the Divine Principle's view that the purpose of the whole is to guarantee and protect individual purpose. Fascism asserts that the individual must sacrifice for the state, which is fundamentally opposed to the principles outlined in the Divine Principle.

As much as Hitler hated the Jews, he also had a disdain for Christianity. Within the German church, there was a movement to present Jesus as not being a Jew. This is one of the reasons why the Gospel of Mark was proclaimed by German biblical scholars as the first and earliest Gospel, as it presents the least Jewish portrayal of Jesus. This movement within German biblical studies aimed to depict Jesus as a Galilean rather than a Jew. It is fascinating how this ideology affected all of academia, including the Martin Luther Church in Berlin, where there was an effort to replace traditional iconography. Instead of saints, one would find German stormtroopers depicted in stained glass windows, and the lectern where sermons were given featured carvings of German stormtroopers surrounding Jesus. This reconfiguration of Christianity sought to represent different values and subvert Germany in a new way.

The Catholic Church's response to this was shameful, as it formed very strong links with Nazi Germany and the Nazi Party. A treaty was made between Nazi Germany and the Vatican, signed by the future Pope Pius XII in 1933, which guaranteed various agreements. Catholic priests were seen supporting Nazi youth rallies, giving the Hitler salute, marking a disgraceful period in Christian history in Europe. The Nuremberg rallies were vast and filled with propaganda. I visited the site where Hitler gave his speeches and was disappointed that the audience did not respond to me in the same way they did to him.

From a theological perspective, the causes of the Second World War can be viewed through the lens of restoring the three great blessings on the growth stage. Hitler can be seen as a false Adam, an anti-type of Jesus Christ, promoting the ideology of racial purity and the concept of a master race. Young German men were sent to Scandinavia to procreate with blonde-haired, blue-eyed Swedish girls to produce this so-called master race, leaving behind incredible trauma. In Britain, there was a strong temptation to avoid opposing Hitler and Nazism, as many in British political society were reluctant to go to war again after the devastation of the First World War. This reluctance to confront Hitler was a significant challenge during this period.

The defeat of Nazi Germany during the Second World War led to the expansion of freedom and democracy in Europe, which is foundational for receiving the Messiah. The sides were clearly drawn: America, Great Britain, and France represented the able side, while Germany, Japan, and Italy represented the Cain side. The able side was characterised by democratic Christian values, whereas the Cain side was anti-democratic, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and neo-pagan. Japan was militaristic and imperialistic, enforcing Shinto worship in Korea, while Italy was also a fascist dictatorship. This division shaped the course of the war.

Historians often trace the start of the Second World War back to 1931 when Japan invaded China, leading to the Second Sino-Japanese War. Following this, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, where Germany and the Soviet Union entered a non-aggression pact and divided Poland between them. This division mirrored earlier partitions of Poland by Prussia, Russia, and Austria. The Soviet Union's invasion of Finland and the subsequent discussions between Germany and the Soviet Union about dividing the British Empire were significant developments. Germany's ambitions were primarily focused eastward, rather than westward, from the beginning.

The invasion of Poland by both Germany and the Soviet Union led to Britain and France declaring war on Germany, which was a shock for the German leadership. Britain had guaranteed Poland's borders, and shortly after, the Soviet Union invaded the other half of Poland and attacked Finland as part of their agreement with Hitler. Germany felt emboldened to invade France, believing that the back door was protected by the Soviet Union's non-aggression pact. However, when Germany could not invade Britain after losing the Battle of Britain, it turned its focus eastward, leading to the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, which caught Stalin completely unprepared.

The attack on America by Japan in 1941 and the subsequent conquest of Southeast Asia marked a turning point. The Wannsee Conference in January 1942 was where Nazi leaders, under Hitler's direction, planned the extermination of the Jews, leading to the Holocaust. When Germany invaded Poland, they encountered a significant Jewish population, prompting their decision to exterminate them. This was a critical moment when Germany was at its strongest, while Britain had been pushed back. In Britain, the Council of Christians and Jews was established, uniting Christian leaders and rabbis to ensure that the same fate would not befall Jews in Britain as had occurred on the continent.

This unity of the first and second Israels was spiritually significant. At a time when Britain felt it might be defeated, the collaboration between Jews and Christians marked a turning point in the war. Following this unity, Germany faced defeats in North Africa and Italy, leading to the D-Day invasion in France. The Soviet offensive against Germany was also decisive, with immense suffering endured by the Russian people during the siege of Leningrad and the battles in Stalingrad. Ultimately, Germany surrendered in May 1945, followed by Japan a couple of months later, leading to the occupation of Korea by the Soviet Union in the north and the United States in the south.