Reading Life Through The Principle - Day 3

Good evening, everyone. I think we can start now. I'm very happy to see everyone coming back. I hope Wednesday has been a good off day for you. We're going to pick it up now again and continue with this workshop. My name is William Haines, and today I think it's going to be even more about the Fall and those topics. I hope I'm right here, so let's welcome everyone with some virtual applause. Good evening, everybody. I think for some people it's a different time of the day if they're in America. I was going to carry on from Tuesday. We looked at the first part of the Fall and examined a little bit more this relationship between Lucifer and Eve. I explained that, basically, because of this relationship, Eve felt like she had been sexually, emotionally, and psychologically abused. As a result of that experience, she felt a sense of worthlessness. She felt she had no value. Just like the morning she woke up after this relationship with Lucifer, instead of feeling happy, she felt dirty, disgusted, guilty, ashamed, and cut off from God, realising that what she had done had been wrong. She lost her innocence as a result of that, and the world looked very different to her. She wanted to be loved.

One of the things I find most interesting about the Fall, about the story of Adam and Eve and Lucifer, and Father's explanation, is that nobody else has been able to explain it in so much detail. It helps us understand how people become damaged and traumatised in the world we live in. This has often been associated with mental health issues amongst teenagers who have casual sex. We're not just talking about the relationship between Lucifer and Eve, which was very much like sexual abuse, but even casual relationships can lead to a lot of damage. People get very, very damaged. For example, a well-known case is that of actress Thandiwe Newton, who has been vocal about the secret torment that plagued much of her early life. This was instigated by a relationship she had for four years from the age of 16 with a 39-year-old director, John Dugan. Only after years of therapy did Newton realise that her struggles with mental health were a result of that relationship. These kinds of relationships are incredibly damaging, and it's becoming clearer now as people investigate sexual abuse and its effects.

When we start to understand why it was so damaging for Eve, we see why God said not to have this relationship. If you do, you're going to die. The death they experienced wasn't a physical death; you could say it was the death of the heart. When a child is sexually abused, their normal sexual development is cut short. This is from some research, not something I wrote myself. Being forced to be sexual on an adult level leaves a child unable to develop their own sexual desire, orientation, or interest. They don't get a chance to explore sex in an age-appropriate way. The child learns to associate sexual desire with shame, disgust, pain, and humiliation. This makes for powerful imprinting. If abuse is linked with affection and nurturing, the child grows up confused about the difference between affection and sex, intimacy and intrusion. That's very much the way it was with the relationship between Eve and Lucifer. Eve definitely was not raped; there was a lot of love there, or what appeared to be love. She was infatuated with Lucifer, which made her very confused about this relationship.

Just like when people are engaged in this kind of relationship, they feel shame, disgust, pain, and humiliation, which is exactly what Eve felt afterwards. It led to a complete loss of self-esteem and self-respect. She felt like she had no value. When children grow up and become adults, it also affects them in adulthood. This can play out in several different ways. Some survivors choose celibacy or choose partners who don't want sex because, for them, sex is associated with all this trauma. They either choose not to have sex anymore, or whenever they try to have a sexual relationship, it awakens terrible memories from the imprinting they had when they were sexually abused. Sometimes they spend many years and a great deal of energy trying to find ways to avoid having sex. Some view sex as dirty or see it as an obligation they must perform. Survivors may force themselves for years to go through the motions, even though they're numb, absent, or in panic. It's very common for people who have been sexually abused to feel numb. Even if they're having a sexual relationship, all the emotions of joy associated with that are cut off. They've suppressed their emotions because the pain is so great.

They may think they're frigid or confused about their sexuality, questioning whether they enjoy a relationship with someone of the opposite sex or if they might be homosexual. This confusion can lead some people to drift into homosexuality, or they may feel dysfunctional altogether because they do not understand they're suffering from the effects of the abuse. They may have violent or abusive fantasies that arise and cause great shame. Sex and shame are often closely associated. Other times, survivors, like Adam and Eve after the Fall, feel ashamed of what they've done and hide themselves. The Bible mentions shame, but there's much more depth to what was going on in the hearts and minds of Adam and Eve. Sometimes a survivor may confuse their partner with the abuser during sex, and having this relationship can trigger all these emotions and memories, leading to paralysis and a desire to break off the relationship. Sex can become a minefield, a painful association with memories. Other survivors may act out and become promiscuous, believing that their only good or love for sex comes from having many sexual relationships. Only through that do they feel they have value and worth. They may disregard their own safety, feeling they cannot say no to sex. It's heartbreaking to read about the reality of someone going through this experience. When we think about Adam and Eve, we should feel compassion for their reality rather than judge them.

After the Fall, Eve felt vulnerable, hurt, abused, and needy. She felt cut off from God's love and wanted to be loved and comforted. Adam was still bright, happy, and full of joy, radiating love. Naturally, she was attracted to Adam because she wanted comfort. However, because of her relationship with Lucifer, she had an understanding of sexuality that corrupted her perception of love. She approached Adam, wanting comfort, and started to touch him in ways that aroused feelings and emotions in him that he had never experienced before. He began to respond physically and sexually, leading to a sexual relationship. But really, Eve didn't want a sexual relationship with Adam; she just wanted to be loved and comforted. Because of her past, she drew Adam into that relationship as well, resulting in both of them becoming damaged. This affects the partner, as Adam was Eve's partner, and he was with someone who had experienced sexual abuse. The partner often feels like a failure for not being able to give pleasure or express true feelings to the survivor. The survivor isn't free to receive love, leaving the partner feeling inadequate and rejected. Their own sexual desires are put on hold, and while they love the survivor, they have needs of their own. It's important to remember that the survivor's feelings are due to the abuse they suffered, not because the partner is lacking as a lover.

It's hard not to take it personally, especially regarding something as intimate as sex. However, it's not really the partner's fault. They could be the best lover on the planet, but that might only serve to confuse the survivor further. Survivors feel tremendous guilt for not being sexually available for their partners and not enjoying sex the way they wish they could. The survivor probably loves their partner very much, but it's just too scary to feel this with their body. The fact that the survivor is willing to stay in the relationship and deal with sexual issues every day shows that they care a great deal. It takes a toll on someone to avoid sex, make excuses, panic, or have all these feelings continually brought up. When a survivor starts being honest about their feelings with a partner, the partner might feel shocked, angry, or bewildered, especially if the survivor seemed to enjoy sex before. Sudden upheaval of sexual issues is the norm when survivors start to work on their abuse issues. Patience is key. Survivors often cannot work on sexual issues until later stages of healing. If a survivor feels pressured to have sex during this time, it only serves to make them feel worse, especially if there are fights or threats. The survivor may feel manipulated, which only shuts them down further. Taking the pressure for sex off the survivor allows them room to heal sexually. As a partner, you do have a choice; you can leave the relationship and find someone else to have sex with. However, the survivor can't do that. Unless they heal sexually, these problems will follow them into every relationship for the rest of their life. Their motivation to heal and change is greater than yours. You cannot make someone heal sexually, nor can you set deadlines or orchestrate their progress. You can set mutual goals and work towards them, making your feelings and needs known. If sex is important to you and you want a mutual sexual relationship eventually, the survivor understands this and wants the same thing. Things will change, even though it may not seem like it now. Ultimately, the process of working with a survivor on sexual healing takes an incredible amount of patience, persistence, and acceptance of the fact that you're growing as a person too.

Survivors often need to be initiated into sex in order to feel in control. This whole process of restoration, change, and lineage is connected to the Fall that Father talked a lot about during his lectures. I'm sure you've read the Principle, which states that the spiritual Fall was worse than the physical Fall. The reason given is that the relationship between Eve and the Archangel should never have happened. However, it's much deeper than that; the relationship should never have happened because it was an unprincipled relationship. It's like a relationship with a pedophile or an uncle or a teacher. Just before he died, Father described Lucifer as being like Adam and Eve's uncle and sometimes as being like God's brother. Lucifer is an angel, obviously, and not the brother of God.

In the sense of being a second God, the relationship between Lucifer and God is complex. They worked very closely together, and perhaps it is easier to treat someone as an equal. The relationship between Lucifer and Adam and Eve can be seen as more akin to that of an uncle. I mentioned on Tuesday that perhaps Lucifer should have transitioned from that role to one more like a parent. The reality is that the second most sexual abuse occurs within families, often involving an uncle who is trusted by both parents and children. This creates a dangerous dynamic that should never have existed. There is a significant difference between the love shared between a husband and wife, a parent and child, an uncle and their nieces and nephews, and the love between a teacher and a student. These are all different kinds of love within the four great realms of heart, and when these types of love appear in inappropriate relationships, it becomes unprincipled and incredibly damaging.

The relationship between Lucifer and Eve was devastating. Lucifer was a powerful spiritual being, much older than Eve, and their engagement in that kind of relationship turned Eve's inner life upside down. It corrupted her soul and mind. In contrast, the relationship between Adam and Eve was meant to happen, but it needed to occur in the right way and at the right time. Their connection could be likened to that of teenagers falling in love. Even without Lucifer's influence, it is conceivable that Adam and Eve might have gone for a walk, felt attracted to each other, and succumbed to their physical desires. While such a relationship would have been wrong, it would not have been as damaging as Eve's relationship with Lucifer. The impact of that relationship on Eve's heart was profound, and it also affected Adam.

Eve's motivations for her first relationships stemmed from an excessive desire to experience love. Her second motivation was to seek comfort and return to God. After experiencing romantic feelings awakened by Lucifer, she wanted to fulfil those feelings. The warmth and excitement of infatuation can lead to temptations and desires to consummate those feelings. However, her desire for comfort from Adam was rooted in a recognition of her wrongdoing and a longing to return to God. This distinction highlights the devastating nature of her experiences.

Sometimes, people struggle to understand how such devastation can occur. I recall a close friend from university who lived with his girlfriend for two years. Towards the end of their time together, he asked her about her plans for the future. When she revealed that she intended to pursue a master's degree elsewhere, he expressed his love and desire to marry her. To his shock, she stated that their relationship was merely for university and that she did not expect to see him again. This revelation broke his heart and left him feeling worthless and devastated. He closed himself off emotionally, vowing never to let anyone hurt him like that again. This kind of pain can lead to a cycle of distrust and emotional numbness, preventing individuals from experiencing love again.

I had another friend who was a medical student and shared her struggles with a boyfriend who wanted to sleep with her. Despite her Catholic beliefs, she eventually gave in to him, only to find that he lost interest afterward. He had pursued her not out of love, but merely as a conquest. This experience was devastating for her, as she realised that his affections were insincere. The impact of such relationships is profound; they are not merely physical but also deeply spiritual. When someone is sexually abused or betrayed, it affects their entire inner life. Unlike physical pain, which can be healed, the emotional and spiritual scars from such experiences can linger.

If Adam and Eve had grown up, received God's blessing in marriage, and consummated their relationship in a sacred manner, they would have experienced immense joy and peace. They would have felt one with each other and the universe, viewing the world through the lens of true love. However, because of their relationship with Lucifer, their perception of the world became tainted. After the fall, when God entered the garden and asked, 'Where are you?', it is significant that He did not come in anger or judgment. Instead, He approached with compassion, hoping to create space for Adam and Eve to confess their actions. If Adam had taken responsibility and expressed remorse, God would have forgiven him immediately, allowing for a path to restoration and healing.

Unfortunately, Adam deflected blame onto Eve, claiming, 'The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.' This response shifted responsibility away from himself and onto Eve and even God. Eve, too, failed to take responsibility when questioned by God. Both Adam and Eve turned away from God, refusing to acknowledge their mistakes. In doing so, they made Lucifer their master, acknowledging his control over them. This reflects a broader theme in human behaviour, where individuals often blame others for their mistakes, denying their own responsibility. This mentality of victimhood leads to a loss of freedom, as true freedom cannot exist without responsibility. When individuals deny their accountability, they also deny their agency and the ability to make choices.

Freedom means handing over your responsibility for your life to someone else. When you do that, you are also giving up your freedom to make your own decisions. This applies not only to personal life but also to political structures and systems. It is very easy to fall into this trap. Recently, I came across a book by Edith Eger, a Holocaust survivor who passed away very recently. She was from Poland and endured immense suffering, losing her family and ending up in Auschwitz. After the war, she became a psychotherapist and wrote about the concept of victimhood.

We are all likely to be victimized at some point in our lives. We may suffer afflictions or calamities caused by circumstances, people, or institutions over which we have little or no control. This is a part of life, as the Buddha said, 'Life is suffering.' We might be teased or bullied for various reasons, whether it be our appearance, intelligence, or background. Everyone experiences some form of victimization at some point. However, Eger pointed out that victimhood comes from within. No one can make you a victim; we become victims when we choose to hold on to our victimization.

This mindset leads to a rigid way of thinking that is full of blame, pessimism, and resentment. It keeps us stuck in the past, unable to forgive or move forward. We see this in various ethnic, religious, and racial groups, where the sense of victimhood is perpetuated by historical grievances. This narrative often ignores personal responsibility and the possibility of overcoming adversity. With the decline of the biblical tradition and the rise of alternative mythologies, we see a shift towards a mindset rooted in resentment and blame, which is evident in today's identity politics.

Eger emphasised that happiness is not something to seek externally; it is innate within us. We are born with love and joy. When we observe babies, they naturally smile and laugh, embodying joy. Sadly, many people experience trauma that damages their hearts, but some manage to keep their inner spark alive. This resilience often stems from a positive attitude towards life. Many survivors of concentration camps, like Eger, went on to lead impactful lives, becoming musicians, academics, and reformers, despite their past victimization.

Now, let's explore the biblical basis for these ideas, particularly through the story of Abraham. The consequences of the Fall were profound. Eve was traumatized by her relationship with Lucifer, which caused significant damage. This trauma affected Adam as well, as relationships are interconnected. When someone has a relationship with a victim of abuse, they too can become damaged. The Fall introduced a nature of wanting to control and own, which we will explore further. If Adam and Eve had fallen under different circumstances, the damage could have been less severe, as they would have been surrounded by a healthy environment.

The spiritual world was also affected by the Fall, leading to the emergence of malign spiritual forces. Some may wonder why God did not prevent the Fall. God foresaw the possibility and provided Adam and Eve with a commandment to protect them. This commandment was written into their conscience; they instinctively knew it was wrong to engage with Lucifer. If Eve had stepped back and sought spiritual clarity, she could have avoided the relationship's negative development. God wanted them to take responsibility for their choices.

God is a being of love, not power. He cannot intervene in human affairs without undermining free will. Just as parents cannot control their teenagers in the same way they do with younger children, God respects our autonomy. If He intervened, it would imply a lack of trust and respect for Adam and Eve. This would have devastating consequences for their relationship with God. The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates this concept well, where the father allows his son to make his own choices, even if they lead to hardship.

If I have to wait until he dies before I can have my share of the inheritance, I'd be too old to enjoy myself. Give me my share of the inheritance now. What does the father do? He goes away and thinks about it. The most shocking thing is that he comes back and gives his younger son his share of the inheritance. That's why we call it the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Some people refer to it as the Parable of the Foolish Father. What father would really do that? Can you imagine one who would do that in real life? But this father did, and the son went off. The Bible says he spent the money getting drunk with his friends, visiting prostitutes, and having a wild time. Eventually, the money ran out, and suddenly he had no friends, no money, and no job. He found himself feeding pigs and began to reflect on his situation, realising that the pigs were eating better food than he was. Finally, he came to his senses and thought, 'My God, what an idiot I've been. My father's servants eat better food than I do. I'm going to go home and tell my dad I'm really sorry. Please let me just become a servant in your house.'

When he goes home, his father sees him from a long way off. You can imagine how worried the father has been all this time, hoping his son would be okay. When the father sees his son, he runs towards him and embraces him, dressing him in nice clothes. What he doesn't say is, 'Where's all the money?' He is just so happy to see him that he puts on a party. It's like when you borrow your parents' car after passing your driving test, drive too fast, and crash it. When you call your dad to tell him about the accident, what do your parents say? They don't ask if the car is okay; they ask if you are okay. That's the reality of parental love. You can easily buy a new car, but you can't get a new child.

The son came home and expressed his sorrow for what he had done, acknowledging he had been a fool. You can imagine the depth of love between the father and son after their reconciliation. The father thought that if he said no to his son, he would stay at home, dig potatoes, and collect apples, but his mind would be somewhere else. He would be having breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the family, but the atmosphere at the table would be cold because he wouldn't want to be there. He would only be there because he had no choice. So the father decided to take a risk and give him a share of the inheritance. After the son returned, you can imagine the depth of love that developed between them after that reconciliation.

This is why God allowed Adam and Eve to make their mistake. He realised that if He intervened, it would damage their relationship. We had no idea that Adam and Eve wouldn't just say, 'I made a mistake,' and reconcile. That's part of God's imagination, I'm sure. God trusts us and respects us. You could say that God has more faith in us than we have in ourselves, believing that we will come to our senses and return home. We are looking at the consequences of the fall, and God's heart was broken. There is a huge amount of detail about how God's heart was broken when the fall took place. You can imagine that God lost the object of His love, the very purpose for which He created the universe.

The reality is that the more you love, the more grief-stricken you feel. If you really love someone deeply, when they die, you are heartbroken. If you love a celebrity, you may cry and mope, but you get over it quickly. However, when someone you truly love dies or is hurt, you feel that pain incredibly deeply. This is why God felt so grief-stricken and sorrowful when He saw what happened to Adam and Eve. They experienced betrayal by Lucifer, whom God had trusted to look after and raise His children. God said to the angels, 'Let us create man in our image and likeness.' He wanted the archangel to participate in this and take responsibility, but he felt betrayed. When God saw what was happening, it was heartbreaking for Him to see what had happened to His children, just like any parent feels when they see their children suffering.

When God looks at the world today, it breaks His heart. This is expressed repeatedly in the Book of Revelation, where God's parental heart and sorrow at the state of the world are evident. When He sees violence, suffering, and abuse, it breaks God's heart to see what happens to His children. Everyone is affected by the fall, as we know from the Divine Principle. The principle states that original sin is transmitted through the physical body. How does that work? Lucifer had a relationship with Eve, and these evil elements were transmitted from Lucifer to Eve. Then Eve had a relationship with Adam, and those evil elements were transmitted to him as well. Adam and Eve then passed them on to their children, which is what we call original sin.

To be honest, I don't like the expression 'original sin' because it doesn't capture the essence of what is really going on. What happened is that when Eve had this relationship with Lucifer, she was imprinted with a distorted understanding of sexuality. If a person's first experience of a sexual relationship is painful, that becomes the most powerful memory they have, and it resurfaces whenever they try to engage in a sexual relationship. My grandfather always used to say that first impressions count; the first impression you have of something or someone is the most powerful and lasting. Eve was imprinted with all these negative attitudes about sexuality from Lucifer. When she had a relationship with Adam, those same evil elements and distorted understanding of sexuality were transmitted to him, damaging him as well. It is better to say this is original damage. Eve was traumatized by her relationship with Lucifer, and her heart was broken. Adam was also traumatized by his relationship with Eve, and the abuse between them continued, causing further damage.

This trauma was passed on to their children. When we say their children inherited original sin, what it really means is that they were born damaged and grew up with the trauma that stemmed from their parents' relationship with each other and with Lucifer. This is what is being passed on—original trauma, original damage. It is said to be passed on through the physical body. It is not just spiritual or mental; it is physical. There is no separation between the spiritual body and the physical body; they are just different aspects of the same individual. When you experience pain, where do you feel it? Is it just mental or spiritual? When you feel pain, you feel it in your physical body, often in your heart. This is why we talk about being broken-hearted. When people feel angry, it is not just a mental or spiritual thing; it is a physical sensation that rises up in the body, causing muscles to tense and fists to clench. Stress is not just mental and spiritual; it affects the physical body and health.

If Adam and Eve had a beautiful experience with their first sexual relationship, it would have imprinted positively on them. For me, I have a happy memory of my first sexual relationship with my wife during a three-day ceremony. Whenever I think about it, it brings me joy. Sexual love is something incredibly beautiful, pure, peaceful, and healing. Those are the associations one should have with sexual love. However, Adam and Eve did not have that, and their children inherited the damage from the abuse in their relationship. It was not a happy home; a home is created by the love between a husband and wife, which generates love between parents and children. Various books have explored this topic, such as 'It Didn't Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle.' Another excellent book is 'The Body Keeps the Score,' which explains the relationship between mind, brain, and body in terms of trauma and healing.

When you go to Cheongpyeong, you may give yourself a good slap. What is happening there is that traumas are locked into the physical body. Through the slapping at Cheongpyeong, people are releasing evil spirits or traumas. If there is prayer and repentance, it connects to physical, spiritual, and mental healing. It is not enough just to slap yourself; it also requires a lot of inner work. These elements go together. There is a scientific or medical basis for what happens at Cheongpyeong. In the Divine Principle, there is a sentence written in the 1950s stating that original sin is passed on through the physical body. Nowadays, we understand that this means it is passed on through genetic material, including both good things and trauma. These elements are passed down from generation to generation, not just spiritually or mentally, but actually through our physical bodies. This is what we are discussing—purification of lineage and much more than we can imagine. There is a scientific basis for many of the things written in the Principle.

Before the fall, all the relationships—the four great realms of heart—were pure. The relationships between men and women, husband and wife, parents and children, and siblings were all corrupted and distorted. This is why we see movements like #MeToo, which expose these corrupted relationships. Restoration is about putting these relationships right, correcting inherited patterns of behaviour. Another consequence of the fall is the loss of the three great blessings. People struggle to achieve mind-body unity, often becoming alcoholics, lazy, or experiencing identity crises. They tell lies, where their minds say one thing and their mouths say another. People struggle to maintain good relationships within their families and with their neighbours. They also struggle to manage their finances and maintain tidiness. The loss of the three blessings has made these challenges much more difficult to overcome.

These three fundamental dimensions of human existence are the relationship between mind and body, relationships with other human beings, and our relationship with the natural world. Everyone must negotiate and get these three fundamental relationships right. The purpose of religion is to help people achieve this, so they can experience joy through their relationships with their minds and bodies, joy with their families and friends, and joy with the natural world. This leads to the three worst crimes. The worst crime is murder, which prevents a person from realising the first blessing, as their body is buried and their mind or soul is in the spiritual world. How can one achieve mind-body unity when they are in different places?

When someone is raped, the entire inner world of that person is damaged and traumatized. This makes it incredibly difficult for them to trust others. I was speaking about a friend of mine who found it very hard to allow another woman into his life due to the damage he experienced. This lack of trust affected his relationship with his wife, and ultimately, it harmed his family and their relationship with the children. The consequences of such violations extend beyond the individual, damaging the lineage as well.

In terms of violations, there is a distinction between private and public property. Father referred to basic robbery as the third great sin or crime, which prevents someone from becoming the lord of creation because it involves stealing something that rightfully belongs to them. This brings us to the story of Adam and Eve, which is followed by a curious narrative in Genesis. As the human race began to increase, with more daughters being born, the sons of God noticed the daughters of men were beautiful and chose wives for themselves. This was during a time when titans roamed the land, born from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men, who were the mighty men of ancient lore.

God observed that human evil was rampant, with people consumed by evil thoughts from morning to night. He regretted creating the human race, as it broke His heart. Some interpret this as angels or spiritual beings having sexual relationships with women, but a deeper examination of the Hebrew text reveals that the 'sons of God' refers to the sons of judges or rulers. These rulers, treated as gods, exerted their power over the daughters of men, leading to a situation where powerful men could take advantage of women. This dynamic is reminiscent of the #MeToo movement, where powerful individuals exploit their authority for sexual favours.

The titans represent alpha males, who emerged from the unions of these powerful rulers and the daughters of men. The sons of these rulers often had brief relationships with women, resulting in children born to unmarried mothers. These boys grew up without role models of good fatherhood or husbandry, leading to a cycle of aggression and the formation of gangs. These gangs, comprised of young, aggressive males, became the bullies and criminals of society, perpetuating violence and control over others. This pattern of behaviour can be traced back to the origins of kings, where the strongest and most aggressive individuals rose to power, often through violence and intimidation.

The suffering observed by God stems from the violence and chaos created by these dynamics. The absence of good male role models leads to a society marked by widespread violence, where men fight over women. This struggle for access to females is a recurring theme in nature, as seen in various species. Monogamy, as a social contract, helps to reduce competition and violence, allowing for cooperation among individuals. When men are satisfied at home with their wives, they are free to work together without the tension of competing for women.

In considering the fall, we must restore the relationships between the archangel and Adam, the archangel and Eve, and between Adam and Eve themselves. The relationship between parents and children also needs restoration. Adam needed to earn the respect of the archangel to become the lord of creation, but he failed to do so. The archangel, Lucifer, questioned why he should respect Adam, having tested him and found him wanting. This reflects a common attitude where individuals in positions of authority are tested by those they lead, as trust is essential in any relationship, especially in critical situations.

A group of soldiers with an officer undergoes various testing situations where they learn to trust each other and assess whether their commanding officer is worthy of trust. For Lucifer, the situation with Adam and Eve is a test to determine if they are truly qualified and deserving of trust. Lucifer concludes that they are not qualified, which leads to the idea of restoration. Restoration involves winning respect, which cannot be achieved through force; it must happen naturally through love and respect. This concept is passed on to the next generation, particularly to Abel, who is in the position where Adam needs to restore the birthright, akin to becoming the lord of creation.

Lucifer held the birthright and managed everything for eons, so Adam had to earn this birthright to become the lord of creation and gain the respect of the archangel. Abel, in this context, must win the birthright from his elder brother Cain, who occupies the position of the archangel. Typically, when parents pass away, the elder brother assumes the role of head of the family. However, for Abel to take on this role, he must first win the birthright from Cain, similar to how Adam and Eve needed to win it from the archangel. History shows that this process is fraught with challenges and often requires many attempts.

Another aspect that needs restoration is the relationship between the archangel and Eve. Men tend to inherit an archangelic nature that seeks to control, possess, and engage in sexual relations with women for their own pleasure, often driven by lust rather than love. Many men evaluate women based on physical appearance and seek relationships not out of genuine care, but rather to exert control. This mindset underpins the sexual harassment that many women experience, which has only recently begun to be called out as a wrong attitude.

At the same time, women often inherit a tendency to be attracted to powerful men, which complicates the dynamics further. For instance, photographs of figures like Harvey Weinstein surrounded by beautiful actresses illustrate this phenomenon, as many of these women have been victims of harassment yet still seek the attention of powerful men. The relationship between Adam and Eve also requires restoration, as men need the respect of their wives, while wives need love from their husbands. According to the Divine Principle, the subject loves the object, meaning that a man must love his wife, and in turn, the wife must respect her husband, fostering a relationship built on love and respect.

Furthermore, the relationship between parents and children must also be restored. Parents are responsible for loving and caring for their children, while children must honour their parents. Observing the relationship between Adam and Eve and their children reveals that it was not a healthy dynamic, indicating that this relationship also needs restoration. As I begin to explore these stories tomorrow, I will examine Adam's family, Noah's family, Abraham's family, Isaac's family, and Jacob's family through the lens of restoration and the four great realms of heart. I will explain this in more detail in our next session.