HSA-UWC North America Family Church
4 West 43rd Street Now York, New York 10036
Tel: 212-997-0050 ext 282
Rev. Joong Hyun Pak, Continental Director
Dr. Tyler Hendricks, President
October 3, 1998

Introduction

Many of our church members, especially in America, have now heard about Nan Sook's book and the ensuing media attention. it is understandable that some members are surprised or confused by her account of her marriage and her life at East Garden.

With a heart to help our members truly understand this book, HSA-UWC international has compiled some of the members' most frequently asked questions, along with their response. While this does not seek to address all the questions which her book might raise, nor to provide the absolute answers, it does touch upon many of the underlying themes and hopefully puts the book and our response to it in a proper context.

We realize that in some countries Nan Sook's book is not widely available and church members have little or no idea about its contents. In those cases, this document can be helpful in educating members for what may emerge in the coming months. We are planning to distribute this document in stages. First it is going to the Regional Directors (or their assistants if they are in Alaska). It is intended that you not multiply this document but rather that you communicate its content verbally, appropriate to your members' level of concern and interest. Your feedback is appreciated concerning this strategy and the helpfulness of this document. The second stage, perhaps one week later, will be to send this to the State Leaders and other local pastors. The third would be to distribute it widely among the membership at large. Our final decision for these second and third stages, will be affected by your feedback. Of course, caution and discretion should be exercised so that this document itself does not stimulate unnecessary controversy or distraction.

If you have any questions, please call Mr. Chris Corcoran, the official spokesperson of HSA Family Church headquarters. His phone number is 212-997-0050 x213; his fax is 212-719-4784; his e-mail is pr@hsanahq.org.

Father's recent speech at East Garden on September 21, reveals that he takes this book, the media attention and members' concerns very seriously. However, Father places this controversy, even though it arises from his own family members, in the same category as any other attacks upon his work. He does not allow these attacks to interfere with his fulfillment of God's will. He urges us to have the same attitude.

As during any time of persecution or difficulty, one's faith will be challenged. Now is the time for prayer and unity.

The True Family is the Abel-type family and thus serves as a role model. They are intimately connected to us members who are in the position of Cain-type families. Only together can we enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The True Family, like other families, tries to solve family problems within the love and embrace of the family. Just as we all have our own course of restoration and face our own difficulties, so too does the True Family. It is simply normal for any family to put on their best face in public and not betray its members by broadcasting personal struggles and difficulties. When problems arise within the True Family, solutions are sought and applied. Sometimes the solutions don't work and then other solutions are tried, Nobody, including the True Family wants to air their problems while solutions are being worked out. To do this would only undermine the healing process.

Hyo Jin Nim's problems became public many years ago when he himself decided to inform the membership during a public speech. Many members, if not all, knew his situation. The resulting marital problems he and Nan Soak suffered are all too common in a marriage where there is substance abuse.

Also, Father himself announced Nan Sook's appointment to run Manhattan Center Studios. This was all done very openly and members knew this change was meant to stabilize both the business and their marriage. These are two examples of the True Family making very public personal family problems.

When we think back over our own life of faith and the problems we've struggled with, none of us would want to have such things publicly exposed. How would we feel if the church state leader publicly announced our personal or family struggles?

True Parents have chosen to live their lives in a totally public manner. While the True Children are the children of famous parents and have internal providential positions, for the most part they do not hold any public leadership positions.

Therefore, their normal expectation for privacy should be honored.

Fundamentally, this book is Nan Sook's viewpoint of her marriage. We have very little to say about that since we weren't present when much of her story took place. Our response to that part of the book is to have compassion for her struggles and to convey hope that she and Hyo Jin Nim can reconcile themselves enough to be good parents to their children.

The secondary theme of Nan Sook's book is the portrayal of the True Parents as uncaring, self absorbed and ultimately fraudulent. while we as members can refute this, the media is mainly interested in hearing a response directly from True Parents and/or the True Children. Father and Mother have appointed a spokesperson to represent the True Family to the media and have issued a heart-felt statement concerning this matter. It was considered unwise for the True Children to be interviewed about this matter since the media has been known to manipulate and misconstrue sincere efforts to communicate.

Also, Nan Sook's story as an abused wife is credible and provokes sympathy. A big campaign to discredit her or her story would surely backfire. Nevertheless, because she is strongly attacking the church and True Parents in her book and media tour, it is necessary to rebut some of the inaccuracies and omissions in her story through factual evidence.

It is unfortunate that Nan Sook has chosen this course. True Parents wanted to express only the heart of compassion towards her, Since she is attacking them so publicly going far beyond her personal story, a factual response from our side is called for.

True Parents were never uncaring about Nan Sook's and Hyo Jin Nim's situation. In fact, the True Parents care very much. Like all parents, their greatest hope and desire is that their own children flourish in all respects, most especially in their family life. At the same time, we also know the unique and awesome responsibilities that weigh on the shoulders of our True Parents make it difficult if not impossible for them to function as ordinary parents. As we know, based on Divine Principle, True Parents are obliged to invest all their energy on their worldwide mission, loving Cain first and unconditionally. Unfortunately, the True Children suffer under these painful circumstances.

At the same time, all the True Children, even though they have been deprived of the love ordinarily experienced by children, must meet this challenge and overcome the profound difficulties they face.

Despite the constraints placed on them by their worldwide mission mentioned above, True Parents did tend responsibly to Hyo An Nim's situation, and particularly his substance abuse problems. It was their unceasing hope that through their unconditional love and support, along with the love and support of his family, Hyo Jin Nim would overcome his difficulties. Not only True Parents but many members of the family, as well as responsible staff and friends, invested continually in an effort to find a solution to Hyo Jin Nim's problems. Hyo Jin Nim himself sought professional help. But, as those who are familiar with addiction know, the battle is fierce and often requires a lifelong struggle. In Hyo Jin Nim's case there was no immediate or quick solution.

Hyo Jin Nim did make serious mistakes, bringing great sorrow to True Parents. At the same time he tearfully repented and expressed determination to overcome his failings, as True Parents' eldest son, Hyo Jin Nim has an extremely difficult course that is impossible to understand from a humanistic point of view alone.

Because of the successful establishment of the True Parents' position, based on the life of indemnity of Father and Mother, it is possible to overcome mistakes in a way that was not possible at the time of Adam and Eve. For any of the True Children to fall is a serious setback. However, through setting conditions of indemnity, such a failure can be restored. Often the True Parents themselves pay indemnity for such failures.

Throughout Father's and True Parents' ministry there have been set-backs and difficulties, including imprisonment, accusations of sexual impropriety or heresy, defection of close followers, the failure of business ventures, etc. None of these difficulties have any significant bearing on their position as True Parents. They have established themselves in that position by going the way of restoration, Their position is acknowledged by God and the spirit world.

As far as difficulties within the True Family, it only stands to reason that there would be intense struggles on that frontline of restoration, We know through our own Blessed children that sinlessness at birth is no automatic guarantee of perfection throughout a lifetime. In particular, the growth toward perfection requires each individual's completion of their own portion of responsibility. Even under the best of circumstances the path to perfection is a difficult one. When the context of one's effort to fulfill one's responsibility is characterized by intense persecution, racism, popular media mocking your family and all its ideals, parents who are always focused on their mission, being raised by surrogates, etc., it is no wonder that the True Children have struggles. Our own Blessed children come under satanic attack, to a far greater extent, the True Children are the object of the most intensive satanic attacks.

True Parents have had every intention and desire to see their children flourish and blossom as champions of heaven's providence and to surpass the level of accomplishment of their parents. However, to accomplish on such a level is no easy task. The True Children have not only had a very difficult life as children of parents who devoted all their time and energy to their worldwide mission, but they have been under heavy attack and accusation from a variety of sources. True Parents are in the same position as all parents are with their children, namely, they cannot control the outcome. Is not God in the same position? We can only hope and pray that each of the True Children fulfill their portion of responsibility.

Although each True Child was born to fulfill a specific position in restoration history, some of the True Children are not active in any providential position. No doubt some, like many of us at one time or another, are struggling with their faith. As we stated above. the challenges they must face and the burdens they must bear are massive.

We cannot say that they have left the church as such, for ultimately their primary relationship is to God, to their family, and to the Principle. Ultimately they cannot leave these primary relationships. While some may have no position in the church and demonstrate no visible participation in church life, they are forever children of True Parents. Ultimately, we should not be quick to pass judgement on the quality of anyone's relationship with God. Nor can we fully understand anyone's course in life, We err when taking a narrow or superficial assessment of other people at a given snapshot in time. For those who appear to have strayed from God's ideal, we can only hope and pray they return soon. Any of us might recall times when the quality of our own faith was subject to question, and yet how often has God resurrected us time and again?

For any True Child who directly challenges the Principle or True Parents, we can say that they certainly jeopardize their providential position, at least temporarily. They can never forfeit their position as children of God and True Parents. For this reason, even when someone strays, we may continue to refer to them honorifically and to keep a place of honor at the table, symbolizing our desire that they return fully to God's embrace and to our True Parents.

Father's teaching, training and personal practice about the evil of the misuse of love has been absolute. He is a man of God and of exceptional self discipline. He has lived his entire life under the close scrutiny and constant presence of God, Satan and us, his church members. He has never violated the Principle nor violated his responsibility as the messianic protector of True Love. Father has done nothing in his past about which he is ashamed.

Father has taught extensively about the complicated biblical and providential history of the restoration of blood lineage, including the role of such providential figures as Jacob, Tamar, Mary and others in fulfilling conditions in this area, Church members thus can realize more deeply about True Parents' providential position and responsibilities through study an deep prayer.

No, it is not true, Nan Sook left East Garden with a substantial amount of money. Soon after leaving, she purchased a house in the Boston area. Eventually, a divorce proceeding was initiated by Nan Sook that was greatly complicated by the fact that she demanded over 60 million dollars to settle her case, Because of Nan Sook's unreasonable settlement posture, the divorce proceeding took more than two years to resolve. Nevertheless, during this two-year period, True Parents graciously provided her and the children with fair financial support. Finally, with Parents' desire to provide for their grandchildren's well being, and to bring this heartbreaking matter to a conclusion, a settlement was reached, with Nan Sook receiving (after taxes) $600,000 up front, $9,000 per month and health insurance.

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