"...It is an undiscovered country, no community of men has ever essayed its elysian climes, no human foot step has ever trod its shores. The faith of humanity points to its existence. But I know that it exists, and we must find it. ..." (Taken from Bellamy's 2nd lyceum address of 1872)

Edward Bellamy was born March 26, 1850, in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, and spent most of his life in this industrial town on the banks of the beautiful Connecticut River, called Chicopee, "river of elms" by the Indians. Bellamy's lineage goes back to the 1630's and 1640's, of old New England families, among them Baptist ministers.

Bellamy's father, the Reverend Rufus King Bellamy, intelligent, robust, witty and rather liberal-thinking for his time, was honored throughout Western Massachusetts, and especially loved for his quite and modest ways of "going about doing good" among his congregants. His famous great-grandfather was the Reverend Joseph Bellamy, who worked closely with Jonathan Edwards in the Great Awakening at the time of the Revolutionary War.

His mother, Maria Putnam Bellamy, daughter of the Reverend Benjamin Putnam of Springfield, Massachusetts, was a very well-educated woman for her time. She was close to Edward and inspired him to become an insatiable reader, especially of the biographies of great men and tales of adventure. Bellamy was also very interested in military heroes, science, religion, history and economics. In 1864, Edward had a profound religious experience after his family had prayed for him to be visited with the light.

He was then baptized in the Baptist Church of Chicopee Falls. When he was 17, he applied for admission to West Point, but failed to pass the physical examination. At this time he became an independent reader and a student at Union College, Schenectady, New York. Here he became interested in Comte and Socialism.

Bellamy's education was primarily in the United States, but included studies in Germany, where he lived for a year. He studied law and passed his bar examination with distinction in 1871, and opened his own law office in Chicopee. However, when his first and only case caused him to evict a widow for non-payment of rent, he took down his shingle and never again practiced law. In fact, he was so disillusioned with the profession that when he wrote Looking Backward , he banned lawyers from his Ideal World!

From 1875-1889, Bellamy published 23 known short stories in some of the best magazines of his day...Although he is internationally known for the famous and highly influential Looking Backward and its sequel, Equality, Bellamy was recognized by the readers and the editors of his own time as the prolific writer of highly imaginative psychological and speculative short stories and novels. He also wrote over 500 articles published in newspapers and magazines.

Bellamy seems to have been concerned about the influence of Marxism through the COMMUNIST MANIFESTO, which was published 40 years before Looking Backward. This is indicated when Julian West asks Dr. Leete what part the followers of the Red Flag had in the establishment of the new order of things. Dr. Leete answered that they had nothing to do with it except to hinder it. This was most likely the reason why he preached that "no society based upon hatred, violence, class conflict and denial of God could produce good.' Furthermore, Bellamy would not have been surprised could he have read an article published in the 1930's by Louis Boudin, American Communist, in which he asserted that the influence of Bellamy's ideas had been responsible for 'retarding the growth of...(Marxism) during its entire existence of some forty-odd years in the United States.'"

Bellamy worked as a free-lance journalist in New York and an editorial writer and book reviewer in the Springfield Union. He was also co-founder of a newspaper with his brother, Charles, from 1880-1884, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

After publication of Looking Backward, Nationalist Clubs were established nationwide, and Bellamy founded two monthly magazines, The Nationalist (1889-1891), and the New Nation (1891-1894). Nationalism lead to the establishment of the Populist political party.

After the publication of EQUALITY, Bellamy, his wife, Emma (his adopted sister whom he had married in 1882), and their two children, Paul and Marion, left in the Fall to live in Denver because of his ill health. In 1898, Bellamy and his family returned to Chicopee Falls. Back in the home he loved, Bellamy would allow no one else but his beloved wife, Emma, to care for him. On May 22, 1898, almost 16 years after their marriage, Bellamy died of tuberculosis, at the height of his career, leaving behind him a legacy of unselfish love and service to others.

Looking Backward is more than just an interesting and inspiring novel. It is an actual prediction of a new world to appear in the year 2000, with a plan of a social order in which war has been outlawed, there is very little crime, no prisons, no mental hospitals, or suicides, no lying, and no financial gap between the rich and the poor. In fact, there were no longer either rich or poor people.

The description of this new world is achieved by dialogue between Julian West, an aristocrat insomniac, who was put into a hypnotic sleep in 1887, and whose house burned down during the night, and Dr. Leete, who discovered him 113 years later in a sound-proof cement sleeping chamber deep underneath his garden. The doctor succeeds in reviving him, and Julian West awakens to find himself in the year 2000, in a world of truth, goodness and beauty, the long-awaited Kingdom of God on Earth.

An ingenious system was devised of an Industrial Army, in which everyone was enlisted from the age of 21 to 45, at which time the worker retired. The economic system was based on a moneyless economy, where everyone received the same amount of credit through a lifetime credit card. The educational system guaranteed everyone the finest education. Living conditions were what one would expect in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, which is what Bellamy calls his ideal world. But this was definitely not a welfare state, because every able-bodied individual was required to work at the trade or profession for which they were best suited, according to their aptitude, which was determined during their education.

In this perfectly ordered and harmonized world, women had been totally liberated and were treated as equals to men. However, the physical and emotional differences between men and women were noted and women were far more appreciated for their inherent value.

One might ask, why have we not been able to realize this ideal society, since everyone, without exception would want to live in and raise their children in such a world of truth, goodness and beauty? Could it possibly be that people are not able to believe this world is possible to achieve in our lifetime?

As you read this book, think about your own attitude toward what you are reading.

In the spring of 1947, during my freshman year at Los Angeles City College, our sociology professor gave Looking Backward as a reading assignment to the class. After classes, when I returned to the house I shared with my three working housemates, I began reading the book. As I read it, Bellamy's ideal society gradually unfolded before me, and I intuitively understood that this was actually the real world to come, and that I would see it in my own lifetime. My intuition further led me to understand clearly that the world I was living in was a false world that was never meant to exist. I began living mentally in that world of truth, goodness and beauty, and continued doing so for the next 18 years, during which time my faith in this prophecy grew stronger and stronger, in spite of the resistance I encountered from all those to whom I spoke of my conviction about the authenticity of Bellamy's prophecy. In all that time, I had not found one person who could share my deep conviction and take the book at face value, as I did.

Though many discriminating, judicious and prominent men and women, not only of his own generation, but even 50 years after his death, hailed Bellamy as a great American author-prophet, I wonder if any of them had the absolute faith I did in the true world he predicted would emerge by the year 2000.

On October 15, 1965, a woman I had met two weeks previously, introduced me to the Principles, a new concept of religion, based on Judeo-Christianity, together with reason, logic, and proper application of universal laws. The very first sentence she spoke was, "You know, there's an international family building an Ideal World.." I'm sure she must have been flabbergasted when I immediately responded, 'You know, that's what I've been waiting 18 years for!" Not only had God sent me the first person who could share my conviction about the ideal world being built on earth now, but He had led me to a whole movement!

I didn't realize it at the time, of course, but ten years later, when I began receiving insights about the providential significance of Looking Backward, I understood that my friend and mentor could not possibly have known what I had been waiting for. Only God knew, and it was He Who was speaking through her as a channel. That's why I had responded so quickly.

I had been raised in an Orthodox Jewish home and had never been interested in any form of Christianity. So if her first words had contained anything about Christianity (she, herself, had been a devout Christian before becoming part of this new movement), I seriously doubt whether I would have responded so spontaneously. That is why I knew it was really God speaking to me, just as He had spoken to my heart 18 years before, when He had shown me clearly the true world to come and led me to understand that I would see it in my own lifetime.

Prior to that first meeting, at the end of a luncheon given for my older son's 14th birthday on November 1, 1964, I was suddenly given the spiritual directive that I had to tell something to a great many people. No one was to be left out! At the precise moment that this spiritual bombshell hit me, I was just about to clear the remains of the party from the table, and my right hand was outstretched to grasp one of the half-filled dishes, when I was stopped with my hand still out stretched. This sudden inner knowing had rooted me to the spot like a statue! I remained in this position for perhaps several seconds, rapidly reviewing in my mind the events of my turbulent life since the death of my mother in 1943. I had served two years in the Women's Army Corps, studied to be a Spanish teacher, suffered through two unhappy marriages, and was in the process of raising two young sons from my first marriage after separating from my second husband; but at that time I just could not find anything in my life that would be vital for everyone to know. It was only after I had been introduced to the Divine Principle that I began to understand the meaning of that spiritual directive. And even then, after having studied the Principle, I still was not completely sure that I had the whole meaning of my message from the spirit world.

It was only when I gave my first lecture to about 100 people at the Lawson YMCA in Chicago on June 16, 1970, that I realized what God wanted me to tell everyone. I was to describe the Utopian World of Edward Bellamy as the destiny of a restored humanity, and illustrate, through diagrams and lectures used to teach the Divine Principle exactly how to achieve that perfect world.

About two days after that first lecture, I suddenly realized I had had the key since 1965 and didn't know it. Edward Bellamy is actually a vital link from the Western world to Reverend Sun Myung Moon's True Family.

In Sylvia Bowman's book, EDWARD BELLAMY ABROAD, she pointed out that even the top leaders of the former Soviet Union were influenced by Bellamy's vision, regarding Looking Backward as the finest literature to come out of the United States. Of course, this was before the fall of Communism. And it is also before what I predict is the impending fall of the competitive capitalist free-market economy. For if Bellamy's prediction is true that the Kingdom of God on Earth will be realized by the year 2000, then the present economic system extant in the United States and the developed nations, must quickly evolve into a system which will guarantee a state of co-existence, co-prosperity and common cause.

According to Arthur Morgan, Bellamy's first biographer, the range of legislation in the United States due to Bellamy's ideas includes Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, and other measures that were instituted during the Great Depression (which I remember vividly). However, Bellamy did not propose a welfare state! In the harmonious society he envisioned, everyone physically and mentally able, was gainfully employed, contributing to the best of their ability to the commonwealth of the nation, governed as a Republic. The economic system was what I would describe as a moneyless cooperative commonwealth, with the people and the government equal partners. The foundation of this system was an Industrial Army, into which everyone in the nation was enlisted from the age of 21 to 45, at which time each employee was mustered out to begin their retirement.

Bellamy's view of lawyers is well-known, since he banned them from his ideal society. Therefore, he would not be surprised to hear what is happening in our Supreme Court. Information I received in the mail some time ago described an ominous development in our judicial system, in which "a single majority of the U.S. Supreme Court can override 3,500 years of traditional morality and 200 years of states' rights."

Martin Mawyer, President of Christian Action Network, and writer of the article included in the mailing from which the above quote was taken, goes on to say:

"The Supreme Court decisions to declare homosexuals a privileged class...has brought us to the point where we have to decide whether or not we're willing to live under a judicial dictatorship, a newly evolved and historically unique form of government never envisioned by the framers of the U.S. Constitution."

The article points out that "there's no reason why as few as five justices, appointed for life, won't in the future take up every controversial issue the nation faces and resolve it with a simplistic 14-page opinion that nullifies state decision, legal precedent and the will of the majority.""

Continuing further, Mawyer declares:

"We can't continue to live under this new system of government and retain our freedom to make political and moral choices. We must take action before the federal judiciary gobbles up our state governments like a python swallowing a piglet. ..."

Mawyer points out that,

"We've been moving toward this new form of government for a long time. ...judges at every level of the judicial system have been sending a consistent message to the American people, a message dripping with contempt: 'From here on, we intend to tell Americans what they can and can't do about a lot of things, including homosexuality, abortion and euthanasia. We're going to make certain that sodomy and the killing of young and old are protected behaviors, and if you don't like it, you can go somewhere else and start your own country-because this one now belongs to us.'"

Perhaps this present situation will help us to understand why Bellamy, in his own generation, realized the potential for legal mischief by the lawyers in society, and banned them from his concept of the Kingdom of God on Earth.

It's obvious that Bellamy's critics had a valid point when they stated that for such a system to be possible, the people would necessarily have to be like Bellamy, himself-sacrificial, loving, unselfish. And it is equally obvious that our competitive capitalist free-market economy and Republic has not succeeded in creating this kind of people.

Where does this kind of nature come from? The answer, of course, is that all goodness and true love come from God. In Bellamy's true world of peace and harmony, God and Christ are the center of society throughout the world, in every nation, all of which would be governed democratically. However, the leading character of this new world, Dr. Leete, states to Julian West, the Boston socialite who had slept for 113 years (from 1887 to 2000) before being revived by his genial host and mentor, that they are not waiting for unification of the world.

And that is what the Unification Movement is all about, at this time in history; unification of not only Christianity, but all other religions as well. Only through religious values can traditional true family values and the moral fabric of contemporary societies be restored. Also, this new Movement, which was established in the United States in January, 1959, has already made a substantial foundation for the unification of religion and science, which was one of Bellamy's goals.

For example, shortly after coming to the U.S. in 1972, Reverend Sun Myung Moon arranged for the convening of the First International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences (ICUS) in November, 1972, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.

"Under the theme, 'Moral Orientation of the Sciences,' twenty scientists and scholars from eight nations deliberated on the possible moral orientation of science which could be provided by the model of unified science developed primarily by the Conference Chairman, Edward Haskell, also President of the co-sponsoring body, the Council for the Unified Research and Education, Inc."

What is ICUS? "ICUS" is an acronym for the annual "International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences." Sponsored by the International Cultural Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization founded by Reverend Moon in 1968, this unique conference convenes distinguished scholars from around the globe and from every field of study to pursue timely and significant issues of worldwide concern. Conference themes have been developed around the search for a central standard of value to solve the crisis of fragmentation of the sciences in the face of pressing global problems.

ICUS is the only conference of its kind which is truly international, interdisciplinary, and concerned with the world as a whole.

Dr. Alexander King, Chairman of the International Federation of Institutes for Advanced Study and Co-Founder of the Club of Rome, explains as follows:

"ICUS" is the only world occasion where scholars from diverse disciplines can come together and discuss mutual interactions in their work as a multidisciplinary attack on global problems.

Our intellectual endeavors will solve human problems more effectively if we can agree on a central standard of value to guide the theoretical quest and practical application of scientific knowledge. Without such agreement, our knowledge may lead to self-destruction. Therefore, the purpose of ICUS is to provide an opportunity for scholars and scientists to reflect on the nature of knowledge and to discuss the relationship of science to the standard of value.

A professor of physiology of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, had this to say of his experience at one of the early conferences:

"I think this kind of Conference is an urgent necessity for scientists and scholars who run the risk of being isolated in their own speciality, losing in this way the knowledge of the total reality. I dare say these Conferences have already caused great impact on scientists and scholars all over the world."

To summarize the assertion I have made about the foundation for the unification of religion and science, which was so important to Bellamy, from a very small beginning in 1972, the ICUS Conferences have been attended by hundreds of distinguished scientists and scholars of all persuasions from every corner of the globe. Many of them have been Nobel Laureates. Most of them have found their experiences to be "Important,", "Stimulating," "Successful," and all of the participants, without exception, were impressed with the excellent organization of each conference.

Albert Einstein, in an address given at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1939, stated:

"...The situation may be expressed by an image: science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind." (Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions, New York: Dell, 1954, pp. 54-55) (ICUS XXI, Wash., D.C. November 24-29, 1997, p. 32).

In addition to the unification of religion and science, there must also be unification of families worldwide, as well as global federations without boundaries of nationality, creed, color, or gender. In preparation for that time, the following are just a few of the organizations that were initiated by Reverend and Mrs. Moon.

The Family Federation is a worldwide network of families-from every race, religion, culture, and 185 nations-united in the belief that, centered on God's love, successful, happy families can solve the problems of every society. In healthy families, husband and wife maintain purity in conjugal love, upholding the ideals of marital fidelity and mutual respect. Parents love and care for their children and protect them from abuse and exploitation, guiding them according to the highest moral standards.

Children, in turn, love and respect their parents and grandparents. World peace depends on people who are capable of reconciliation, who are willing to transcend religious, cultural, and ideological barriers to bring about unity of heart with their fellow human beings.

Children may inherit an understanding of peace when they have seen it in their parents' hearts. Homes filled with peace make possible a world of peace as well.

Family Federation chapters are independent, and are established in almost every country, sharing a common ideal. According to the needs and concerns of each country. National chapters develop appropriate programs, including service and educational projects. Local organization is also encouraged, allowing the direct participation of families in addressing community problems. Families serving together deepen their family life and also become models in their communities and nations.

The international organization exists to enhance worldwide awareness of the work of national and local Federations. Through the international media, in dialogue with other international organizations, and in fulfillment of initiatives of international Family Federation conventions, we promote and defend family-centered ideals and values.

In New York and Washington, D.C., the Family Federation International sponsors forums focusing attention on family-related issues. We also cooperate with the United Nations and other international organizations to develop family-strengthening policies.

On November 29, 1997 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC and linked by satellite around the world, a celebration was held in honor of the more than 40 million couples worldwide, who had rededicated their marriages by that date. The blessing of God was asked upon these families by the Federation's Founders, the Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, and by other representatives of Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism. These families represented the first wave of rededications inspired by Family Federation chapters around the world. Such activities will continue in an effort to reach out to all families of the world.

Throughout history, the world has been unable to overcome the barriers of nationalism, religion and race. Because of this, humanity is in anguish from countless struggles and wars. Human beings have two aspects, the spiritual and the physical. We need to establish external harmony through sports and festivals, but we also need to establish internal harmony by developing the sound mental and spiritual aspects of our being.

I propose the holding of a World Culture and Sports Festival. Humanity is faced with the historical task of coming to grips with the devastation of spiritual culture and building a new culture of peace in which harmony exists among God, humankind and nature. This Olympics of World Culture should contribute to this task by gathering major figures from the arts, sciences, news media, religions and the spheres of politics and economics, as well as athletes and youth leaders.

Today's young people will create tomorrow's culture. This must a culture of heart based on true love, bringing each of the world's existing cultures into full bloom. To promote this ideal of a world culture, it is my intention to make the World Culture and Sports Festival an occasion to celebrate the brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity and the creation of ideal families.

The model of one world family of humankind, based on true love and transcending differences of race and color will lead us directly to the fulfillment of world peace. Men and women subscribing to this ideal will be invited to participate in international marriage blessing ceremonies in the name of God, as a demonstration of their commitment to lasting family relations and eternal values. By living up to high ethical standards, these couples will provide a model of morality and lead the way toward the creation of ideal families, societies and nations.

I hope that all people will lend their support to the World Culture and Sports Festival as a symbol of the will of God and the dream of all humanity.

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
September 27, 1988
Seoul, Korea

The Federation, established in 1991, is a global organization recognizing no boundaries of nationality, creed, color, or gender. It is devoted to the following specific purposes:

1. To provide the education, by all and every means possible, that will deepen our knowledge of the nature of God, the nature of people, and the character of their relationship. This will result in the increase of dignity and esteem for human rights, responsibilities and values.

2. To gather together individuals through forums and conferences in the common pursuit of solutions to world problems.

3. To actively promote the recognition of human rights and responsibilities throughout the world.

The Federation for World Peace mobilizes all its resources, both human and material, to harness mankind's good will to achieve a renaissance of the human spirit and create prosperity for the world's peoples. We shall work together in the spirit of altruism and true love - which is to live for the sake of others - toward the fulfillment of the age-old dream: one family of man living in a world of freedom under God.

Together with its precursor, the International Religious Foundation (IRF), the IRFWP has invested in the cause of world peace through inter-religious dialogue and harmony for over 20 years.

This work is carried out through an army of activities ranging from pilgrimages, service projects and relief work among refugees, to emergency bi-lateral and multi-lateral conflict resolution among top leaders.

In addition to emergency intervention to prevent or reverse the outbreak of violence or war, the IRFWP also invests in long term dialog, including in the Middle East, Southern Africa, The Americas, South Asia, and elsewhere.

The IRFWP maintains a vigorous publications program responsible for World Scripture; A comparative anthology of sacred texts, the academic journal Dialogue and Alliance, and a biannual newsletter.

IRF/IRFWP publications include several important series, such as God: The Contemporary Discussion, the Sociology of Religion Series, and the Council for the World's Religions series on World Religions.

Recent volumes include Evil and the Response of World Religion, and The Ideal in the World's religions, The Role of Religion in the Future of Southern Africa, and Christianity in the Americas: Ecumenical Essays. The IRFWP is led by 6-7 Presidents who are top leaders from the major world religions. Additionally, 15-20 distinguished leaders and scholars make up the Presiding Council.

"The IRFWP is spiritual and not a political organization. It unashamedly affirms its faith in the Divine and acknowledges that without Divine aid our human efforts can bear no significant fruit. This is the principle which our founder constantly reaffirms."

The Late Paulos Mar Gregorio IRFWP President, May 1, 1994.

The Transforming Power Of Literature

The Literary Federation for World Peace was established in 1997.

Its goal is to unite writers and literary scholars of all countries and cultures to promote the positive role of literature in forging a harmonious global culture. It will promote the role of literature as a bridge between different races, religions and cultures, creating understanding through the power of art.

The Federation organized two conferences, in April and June 1997 respectively, around the theme: "The Search for a New World Culture for the 21^st Century." Each conference brought together over 300 writers and scholars, the first from Asian countries and the second from the West. Participants from both these gatherings met in November at a third conference on the theme: "The Transforming Power of Literature: Directions for the 21^st Century."

The Martial Arts Federation for World Peace is devoted to developing the potential of the martial arts as a moral and cultural force for the attainment of world peace and harmony.

Martial arts instructors and organizations are in a unique position to offer a constructive alternative to the hedonism and self-centered values of today. Martial arts traditionally emphasize a strong vertical connection of respect between master and student, in which the teacher is not only a technical skills instructor but also a role model and personal example.

The basic tradition of martial arts involves disciplining the body to follow the mind, based on the principles of a particular martial arts style.

True martial arts are committed to guide the power which they develop in their students only for the purpose of righteousness. The Federation seeks to create a dialog on this basic principle and to encourage martial artists to use their positions as teachers and examples for the uplifting of moral standards in every area.

PWPA was established to support the academic community in the quest for peace,, social stability, and prosperity. With chapters in over a hundred countries, it forms a broad network of scholarly exchange.

PWPA organizes conferences, publishes books, and produces the quarterly International Journal on World Peace. Topics frequently discussed include international relations, social analysis, education, the family, values, and economic development.

PWPA is encouraging the education of young people as global citizens. To accomplish this task, it is involved in developing an international university system to serve education in our emerging world culture. The first step towards the realization of this goal was taken in 1992, when PWPA and the University of Bridgeport began a program of cooperation. Among the programs to be developed are an international service training center, a medical school which combines Eastern and Western approaches, and global distance learning courses.

Concerning our economy, it is apparent to me that our capitalistic system is failing and that Bellamy'' proposal to establish a cooperative commonwealth at this crucial time in history can be achieved with the help of the Divine Principle, which can teach both the Western free nations and the liberated Eastern bloc countries how to survive and prosper by understanding the nature of God and the Principles by which He created the Universe and humankind, and applying them to become true people qualified to establish and inhabit the ideal world meant for the human family from the very beginning of creation.

Therefore, I have known since I first began receiving clear insights on the providential significance of this book, that at some point, I would have to write an Introduction to share these insights, so that readers would have the proper foundation to evaluate the contents of Bellamy's prophecy from God's point of view.

The insights I received during a 3-hour prayer vigil in May, 1975, were that Bellamy wrote this book forty years after the Communist Manifesto was published in 1848, as a counterproposal to Marx's militant atheism. He also meant it to be a superior alternative to Capitalism, with its many problems due to unequal distribution of the wealth of the nation, as well as ignorance of God's providence and principles. However, I believe the most important providential mission of this book is to inspire the people of America and the world with a vision toward which to strive in order to fulfill the purpose for which this blessed nation was founded-that is, to achieve "One Nation, Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." However, since we are still far from that ideal, we must go beyond that goal and strive to achieve One World under God, as Dr. Leete tells Julian West on page 151, "You must understand that we all look forward to an eventual unification of the world as one nation. That, no doubt, will be the ultimate form of society..."

Each of us, upon reading this book, must ask ourselves honestly, "Are we really qualified for citizenship in such a perfectly harmonized society?" If not, then why not? Remember, this book was not finally written as fiction. I was and is meant as a true prophecy by an author-prophet whom God used as a channel. At the time Looking Backward was first published in 1888, many of Bellamy's readers recognized his prophecy as a revelation from God. Now, over one hundred years later, Bellamy's influence is still apparent, and he is greatly honored as he should be. Son May 17, 1992, I was privileged to attend the Grand Opening of the Edward Bellamy Library and Museum, hosted by the Edward Bellamy Memorial Association, which had beautifully refurbished the Bellamy Homestead, where the Celebration took place on their 20^th Anniversary. The home where the world-famous author lived and died had been designated a National Landmark in June, 1972, by the National Park Service.

However, I believe it is now time to implement the system he proposed, which requires every individual to take responsibility to become a true person who can love God and others. To do this, the study and practical application of the Divine Principle is necessary.

Therefore, this Introduction is being made public primarily to help the citizens of this great nation become aware of a very definite purpose for them in the overall plan of a unified world under God.

The United States is the country most suited to pioneer such a plan as Bellamy predicted, for the following reasons: it once enjoyed continuing economic prosperity and rate of growth, and it can do so again, under the right conditions; it has technological competence and a high level of basic research; culturally, it is a composite of representative peoples of every race, religion, tradition and skin color living together under one government whose currency still bears the motto, "In God We Trust," and there is nationwide affirmation of individual freedom and equality.

This is why Bellamy stated through his character, Dr. Leete, that the Ideal World he is describing is to be pioneered in the United States. One example of the unprecedented blessings given to this country by a benevolent Creator is to be found in the fact that this is the only nation in history that has never suffered a nationwide famine!

That Bellamy is a true prophet can hardly be disputed, since all of the scientific discoveries he predicted have already come to pass, long ago; for example, radio, stereo, airplanes and helicopters, moving sidewalks, and paper clothes, to name a few. If a concerned Heavenly Father wanted to give His Children a sign, an indication of whom to believe in these confusing times, wouldn't He have given all of these true prophecies to Bellamy to show us in whom we could believe and have faith? And wouldn't it be logical then, to give credence to the feasibility of the world that is described by this author, who has been compared by several literary critics, to St. Francis of Assisi?

Bellamy, like St. Francis, proved that the proverb does not always hold true that the prophet is without honor in his own country, since all manner and classes of Americans were inspired and endorsed his plan when his book was originally published in 1888.

Bellamy's vision of an ideal society inspired not only the American people, but nations throughout the world, as reported in Sylvia E. Bowman's book, EDWARD BELLAMY ABROAD. And very much like the preaching of St. Francis, the counsel of Bellamy to regard the owners of industry not as enemies of the poor classes, but as victims, also, of an imperfect economic system, was like a light shining over the entire world with its promise of reconciliation between the two classes. Whereas the Communist Manifesto inspired the poor masses of the people through hatred, to revolt and overthrow by violence the privileged classes, Bellamy appealed to the finer instincts in man, stating that no society founded on hatred, violence, class conflict, and denial of God could produce any good. Thus, a way was offered to achieve a world in which man's inhumanity to man could be ended, and where love for God, and among people and nations would be the spiritual foundation for the Ideal World.

Just as Francis of Assisi recognized the dignity of honest labor, Bellamy's ideal society was made up of citizens who were serving in the Industrial Army in the occupation for which they were best suited. Therefore, these emancipated workers were not forced by circumstances to enter an occupational field just because it paid more money - they could afford to do the kind of work that brought them the greatest fulfillment and happiness.

In a comparison with St. Francis, however, the primary point of similarity which stands out and touches the hearts of most readers is the depth of love and compassion for all humanity which permeates the writing of Edward Bellamy, and also the deep sense of humility and repentance he displays in his writing.

This classic was actually written twice by the author. Initially, he intended to write a Utopian fantasy, a sort of dream world in the clouds to which the harried people of his generation could run, to escape, even for a little while, the chaotic conditions of the early stages of the Industrial Revolution. After he had recorded his inspired thoughts on paper, however, he realized that this was no fantasy, but a real world, a society capable of being built by man, feasible in every detail. With this prophetic insight, he then set about to produce a serious work, casting it in the form of a romantic novel, in a kind of science-fiction background. His hero, Julian West, is aroused from a hypnotically-induced sleep of 113 years to find himself in a world in which war has been abolished, and men have learned to live in true brotherhood. People of the year 2000 actually had developed the heartistic capacity to love one another as natural brothers and sisters.

The setting of the completely established organization of this ideal world was Boston, Massachusetts, in the year 2000. It was a time and place when people could live without fear, either for their daily sustenance, or for their personal safety. Since war was outlawed, nations could then cease to produce weapons of destruction, and direct their total energy and resources toward improving the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual condition of their citizens and the environmental surroundings. As a matter of fact, this very transition from weapons of war to implements of peace is prophesied in the Bible in both Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 43, which state, "...and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

The economic system Bellamy devised could be looked upon as co-wealthism, since all shared equally in the gross national product through a lifetime credit card system. Each person received an equal portion of the commonwealth, so that no man, woman or child would have to be dependent upon anyone else for their livelihood. Therefore, "all citizens enjoy moral independence, and are free from social or personal dictation or pressure as to belief, speech or practice, so far as they infringe upon no other's rights." According to Bellamy, this is the economic freedom that was not included but should have been, in our original Bill of Rights.

If the United States can show the world that such an ideal society can be achieved through peaceful means, namely, education based on the truth and love of God and all humanity,

Then this country will have fulfilled its purpose. I believe that this also is the mission of Looking Backward.

A clue to the significance of Bellamy's book is the fact that in 1935, Columbia University requested three eminent scholars - John Dewey, a philosopher, Charles Beard, a historian, and Edward Weeks, the editor of Atlantic Monthly - to make up a list of the 10 most influential books from 1885 to 1935; on all three lists, prepared independently, Looking Backward appeared second on the list, the first being Marx's DAS KAPITAL.

As historians have repeatedly noted, social circumstances occur in cyclical patterns, and we see in the 1990's very similar phenomena occurring in society as was extant in Bellamy's time. The decline in religious values which Bellamy speaks about is seen in the anti-religious "art" funded by the U.S. Government with tax-payer monies; the proliferation of militant sex-education programs complete with free condoms in high schools. School boards in many districts have condoned equating non-traditional families (homosexual couples) as an acceptable alternative lifestyle to the normal heterosexual nuclear family. This illustrates the extent of family breakdown in Western culture. Bible reading has been totally banned in public schools, as well as prayer, and even the Ten Commandments are not allowed. Religious groups are discriminated against in schools, while secular groups are given free access to public facilities. God is being increasingly pushed out of every area of public life, and there is even talk of eliminating from our money, the phrase, "In God We Trust." There was even a question about the next President taking the Oath of Office with his hand on the Bible! How much more of this attack on religion will the American people tolerate? After all, the polls show that about 95% of Americans believe in God. So why do they allow such abominations to keep happening? Actually, as far as religion is concerned, it seems to me that the United States is in far more trouble with God than Bellamy's contemporaries. And if I didn't know better, I wouldn't have much hope, either.

But I do know better, and I do know that in order to build an ideal world, the Millenium that Bellamy speaks about, there must first be the Messiah to pioneer the way. How can there be messianic times, as mentioned in the book, without the Messiah to usher it inn? Things don't happen by themselves as evolutionists would have us believe. Somebody must be willing and able to pay the price for the success of any enterprise, whether it be of man or God. Anyone who has built up a business from scratch knows how much work was involved to achieve success; how much heartache was endured in getting just the right formula to work. And the greater the result desired, the more sacrifice was required.

How much investment, then, would it take to restore the entire world from evil to good? Do you think that just anyone could do this, even if he/she were willing? The only one who could possibly do this is the Messiah, who is the Mediator between God and man. He is the only one who truly knows God's heart and who can share His feelings. He is the only one who understands how miserable God has been since the Fall of His Children, the first human ancestors, whose ignorance and lack of faith in God's Word plunged the entire Creation into chaos, confusion and terrible suffering until this very day.

Bellamy could not know how the ideal world would come about, only that it would happen through a peaceful evolution, not a violent revolution. In effect, it is already happening through a quiet revolution of the heart. But if the American people do not wake up and notice where there is new truth for this New Age in history, the former communists and their children may well replace them in God's Providence of Restoration. At this very moment, "Youth in the former Soviet Union, living in an ideological vacuum, are equipping themselves with a Unification and True Family Values perspective through comprehensive ethics texts in middle schools, high schools, universities and even in prisons. Three thousand six hundred schools in the former Soviet Union are using such texts. They believe that the teachings of Reverend Moon provide the only way to overcome the corrupting influence of the decadent Western culture of homosexuality and free sex. ..."

Because I have disciplined myself for over 50 years, through Bellamy's Looking Backward, I am able to love brothers and sisters from all nations, and because I seem to be the only person who understands the providential significance of Bellamy's book, I feel responsible to share part of my own understanding of the Divine Principle for your consideration, as follows:

Through the ministry of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity was established in Korea on May 1, 1954, and was brought to the United States by the first Korean missionaries in 1959. Since 1972, it was better known as the Unification Church or the Unification Movement. However, in 1994, Reverend and Mrs. Moon established the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification International as the primary vehicle to achieve World Peace and build the Ideal World.

The Divine Principle (also called the Unification Principle), is the teaching of Reverend Moon. Based on the Judeo-Christian Bible, reason and logic and new insight, this dynamic new message for the New Age was received by Reverend Moon over a period of nine years. True Family Values, which is based on Divine Principles, is being taught in True Family Values Seminars throughout the world.

The greatest religionist and the most outstanding scientist of all time is God, Who created religion and science to bring humankind out of total ignorance about Our Heavenly Father and the world of His creation, as a result of the Fall of our first human ancestors, Adam and Eve.

In creating a world such as Bellamy predicted in Looking Backward, the first prerequisite, as previously stated, would be to achieve a world of peaceful nations. However, in order to reach this goal, there must first be nations of peaceful families. As Bellamy predicted that the U.S. would be the pioneer of the Ideal World, then the first nation to restore the family structure should be the United States. I believe this is the greatest challenge in the history of this nation. It is also the greatest challenge in the history of the world.

Historians have long noted that the nuclear family is the building block of society. There needs to be true love between husband and wife and between parents and children, in order that the children will have a stable foundation upon which to grow physically and spiritually, in order to become mature adults.

This condition is lacking in most families today in the U.S., and the immoral values of our are being exported throughout the world via many channels, including the Internet.

In God's Providence of Restoration, the family is the key component of society. Where families are stable, society is stable. Where nations are stable, it is due to the stability of a majority of their families, where there is no divorce, no adultery, and husbands and wives are united in their love for each other and love for their children.

The true love that comes from God is the only element capable of binding together the members of each family, tribe, nation and world. Therefore, it is crucial that we find the key to actualizing the True Love of God in our lives and the lives of our families. For the sake of world peace, which desires, we must strengthen our families.

In Bellamy's Looking Backward, war had been outlawed, indicating that the families of each nation had been restored to loving, health relationships between husband and wife, and between parents and children. This would have been necessary before peaceful relationships between nations could have been established.

At this point in time, in 1998, in the troubled nations of Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, people are still killing each other in senseless and horrible ways. It seems hopeless to have faith in an ideal World, in which war has been outlawed, to appear in the year 2000.

But somehow, because my faith in Bellamy's prophecy has endured for over 50 years, coupled with my faith in Reverend Moon's efforts for over 60 years, I know in my heart that we will witness the transformation of our deeply troubled world to one of truth, goodness and beauty. I firmly believe that before the year 2000 ends, or shortly thereafter, the foundation for the Ideal World will be irreversibly established, with the U.S.A. the pioneer, as predicted by Bellamy. History will determine the accuracy of my faith in Bellamy's prophecy.

What gives me the confidence to make such a bold statement of faith? My confidence comes from my understanding of our precious Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, personified by the True Parents, Reverend and Mrs. Moon. Actually, the truth of Divine Principle as I understand it, mandates the establishment of the world God planned in the very beginning of Creation. God's True Love was the essence through which everything was created. It is also the heavenly glue that binds all of the living elements together in a give-and-take of true love.

True Love is the stabilizing factor that enables husband and wife to become one under God's dominion, and to become True Parents to their created children, born through true love and raised with true love.

God's perfect plan for the world was frustrated by Lucifer, the Archangel, who was not satisfied with his lot in life as a Heavenly Servant to God and His Children, Adam and Eve. So, according to Divine Principle, he wanted to take Eve for himself, which he did, in the Garden of Eden, tempting and seducing her to have a sexual relationship with him, instead of waiting for Adam to mature and become her husband, according to God's plan. However, when Eve fell with Lucifer, she immediately realized that she had made a serious mistake, and that Adam was to be her future husband. At the time of the human fall, Adam and Eve were both 16 years old. As soon as Eve realized what she had done, a sense of fear overpowered her, and she sought help from Adam, tempting him to act as her husband, prematurely. Neither of them, especially Adam, took God's warning seriously, when God had given them the Commandment not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, lest they die. They did die spiritually, and became false parents through the false love given to Eve by Lucifer, who became Satan, God's Adversary. When Adam united with Eve, he also inherited the false love given to Eve by Satan, with whom they both established an evil blood relationship with then polluted the blood of all their descendants through the false love relationship. In other words, the entire human race began with false, immature parents.

God has been educating humankind, both intellectually and spiritually throughout history through the method of progressive revelation.

There are three major parts to Divine Principle. The first and most fundamental part is the PRINCIPLE OF CREATION, which explains the nature of God, and the principles by which He created the universe and human beings. Also, we must understand the relationships which are meant to exist ideally between God and man and woman and all creation.

The second major part, which is called the FALL OF MAN. Explains why humankind has never been able to achieve God's purpose for the creation. To begin with, if God is the unique, completely good and eternal substantial Being, and if man and woman were created in His Image, this means that man and woman, united in True conjugal love, were to become the substantial Image of God. Contradiction, sin, suffering and evil are not part of God's plan for our life on earth. However, when we look at the situation in which people find themselves today, torn between good and evil, faced with contradiction within themselves and their society throughout history, we must ask, "If God is good, and He created us to be like Him, then why aren't we?" "Where did the evil come from?" There are many more questions we can ask about the contradiction between God's ideal of True Love and harmony and the reality of today. When we analyze certain key Scriptures in Genesis, a pattern begins to emerge, showing that man and woman were created good in the beginning, but that while they were still teenagers, before they could attain spiritual maturity, which we call perfection, a treacherous act was committed in the Garden of Eden, which was revealed by Reverend Moon as fornication. Through this misuse of their sexual organs, our first parents lost their original value and became fallen figures, separated from the True Love and knowledge of God. They had created a false family that had a divided relationship-to Satan and to God-and this false family multiplied to cover the earth. Traditional Christianity calls this state of humanity "fallen." The Principle explains what happened 6,000 Biblical years ago in that very first home of our original ancestors. The motivation and process of the Fall are given and the origin of sin is finally explained. Also, the true identity of Satan is revealed as Lucifer, the Archangel, who seduced God's daughter, Eve, causing her to fall through illicit love. After falling, Eve realized her mistake, and then understood that Adam, not Lucifer, was to be her husband. She was gripped by a terrible sense of fear when her relationship to God was abruptly cut off by her sexual bonding with Lucifer. Instead of coming to God and repenting for her disobedience to His Commandment not to eat of the fruit, Eve, in her immaturity and ignorance, multiplied her sin by seducing Adam to act as her husband, in an effort to return to God. After Adam fell, they were both completely separated from God's Love and were evicted from the Garden of Eden.

Thus, when Adam and Eve began multiplying children, their first two sons, Cain and Abel, revealed the nature of the false love through which they were conceived. Cain murdered his brother, Abel, revealing the fact that their parents were false parents centered on Satan instead of on God.

I find it interesting that in the traditions of both the Hebrew and Chinese cultures, there is a saying that, "He who is satisfied with his lot in life is the happiest of all people."

From the very beginning, after the Fall of Adam and Eve, God began working to restore His lost children. The Holy Bible is actually a record of God's work in history, to redeem His fallen children, now numbering over 5 billion people on earth, descended from the first fallen ancestors, who became false parents through their blood relationship with Satan the Great Deceiver.

The last major part is called the PRINCIPLE OF RESTORATION, which explains the principles through which God has been working for the salvation of humanity. The purpose of salvation is to bring humankind out of the false world under Satan's dominion into the True World under God's dominion. Since all of the human family has fallen under the law of sin, inherited from our first human parents, we must all follow the path of salvation through God's Blessing. According to the Divine Principle, salvation is actually restoration. Therefore, God's providence of salvation is the providence of restoration. By this, we mean that people must be restored to their original value as sinless beings. In other words, we must be cleansed of Original Sin.

Ours is an age where our intellectual development haws made possible mass communication, cross-country highways, and air and space travel, as well as nuclear power. We desperately need a modern revelation that can shed more light on the nature of God, how God created the universe and humanity, and the purpose for which all things were created. Only with such a spiritual insight can our spiritual development catch up with our technological development. Then, through the unity of science and religion, which Bellamy speaks about, and restoration of the nuclear family, creating peaceful families in each nation, we will finally be able to create the harmonious, unpolluted, peaceful and wonderful world God intended for us in the very beginning, which is described by Bellamy in the book you are about to read.

In conclusion, I'd like to share with you the following words of the Reverend Moon, which are taken from his address to a distinguished audience attending the Inaugural Conference for the "Summit Council for World Peace," held in Seoul, Korea, from May 31 to June 3, 1987. Participants included nine former presidents, nine former prime ministers, 12 former ministers of government, 17 nobility, five former ambassadors, three ambassadors, one university president and six others:

How can any one be at peace with himself when his fellowman is dying from lack of food, or ravaged by disease, or victimized by the darkness of ignorance? United together, the developed nations can launch a tremendous crusade to overcome the three scourges of humanity: hunger, disease and ignorance.

...The world community of nations must respect a common value system and certain unchanging and eternal principles that can only have their source in God.

We have a common dream. It is the long-cherished human dream of an ideal world. The prophets have called it the Kingdom of God on Earth. It is a lofty goal, but it is obtainable. It must be, simply because it is the original ideal of the Creator. This is the meaning of securing world peace.

If Bellamy were alive today, I think he would be grateful to Reverend and Mrs. Moon for pioneering the way to fulfill the prophecy he made over 100 years ago. What do you think?

Sarah M. Witt
Barrytown, NY 12507-5000
(914) 752-3009

I'd like to summarize what I consider the central message of this book. Very simply, I believe Edward Bellamy is telling us that in the Ideal World that he envisions for humankind, everyone on earth will consider everyone living on the earth, regardless of race, nation, religion, color, family, etc. as members of their own physical families, and will treat them as such. This would verify what the Bible tells us, that since God is our Heavenly Father, then we are necessarily members of the same human family. So, when each of us is able to accept anyone in the world as a true brother or sister, then that is actually the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. And there are no borders in that Kingdom; therefore, no passports or visas will be necessary to travel wherever you wish. Then what is the element that is able to bind us all together as one human family? That element is True Love. It is the only element that is capable of uniting a man and a woman for all eternity under God's Blessing. True Love originates in God, and is given to each and every one of us, with the expectation that we will, in turn, give it back to God and our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

True Love is living for the sake of others. True Love is sacrificial, pure and unconditional. When there is True Love in the hearts of people there will be no envy, jealousy, resentment or hatred. When people understand that resentment is very destructive to both the person who has done harm to another person, as well as to the one who has been harmed in any way, then we may be able to control our emotions so as not to multiply evil.

True Love is most clearly exemplified in the relationship between husband and wife, and between parents and children. A true relationship between siblings is also an aspect of True Love. But the key to all these relationships is to be united first with God in True Love. A husband and wife are responsible for this initial relationship of True Love under God's Blessing. God must be present in every conjugal relationship of husband and wife. The Fall of the first human couple, Adam and Eve, happened because God was not present in their initial sexual relationship, which was centered on Satan, who had seduced Eve and defiled her womb, thereby developing a blood relationship with Lucifer. Then, when Eve realized she had made a terrible mistake, and that Adam was to be her intended spouse, she wanted to return to God, and with that motivation, she seduced Adam to act as her husband, causing him, also, to have a defiled blood lineage. This was the Original Sin, which resulted in the stained blood lineage throughout humanity.

Because of their immaturity, God's children, Adam and Eve, fell victim to Lucifer's lies, and their own lack of responsibility in not following God's Commandment "not to eat of the fruit." Because of their blood relationship with Satan, when they had children, their first two sons, Cain and Abel, could not love each other as brothers, and Cain killed Abel, demonstrating the power of evil in false love. Therefore, throughout history, even though God is still present in each human being, because Adam and Eve had not obeyed God's Commandment, they could not love each other with True Love, and therefore, could not teach their children about True Love.

The entire history of humankind is the account of God's work to restore His children to beings without Original Sin, brought about by the Fall. God had to work through human history to create a son with the seed of True Love, who could begin a new lineage in the human family. That son, referred to in the Bible as the Second Adam, was Jesus Christ. However, Jesus, the only begotten son of God, could not overcome the ignorance of the people of his time, and was forced by circumstances beyond his control, to sacrifice his own physical body to accomplish spiritual salvation for all people who believed in him as the Messiah. Through Christianity, Jesus could provide a foundation for God to create a third Adam so that God's Kingdom on Earth could come about in this present era.

Because of the sacrifices made by the many saints and martyrs during the past 2000 years of Christian history, on that foundation God could send the third Adam to complete the mission of Jesus Christ in this new Age. That person is the Reverend Sun Myung Moon.

Sun Myung Moon was born on January 6, 1920, in Pyung Buk-do, now part of North Korea. Deep in prayer on Easter morning of 1936, young Moon received a revelation from Jesus that was to be the beginning of a world-wide Movement. Over the next nine years, he received spiritually the basis for The Principle, the teaching of the Unification Movement.

After World War II and the liberation from the 40-year Japanese Occupation, Reverend Moon was arrested in February, 1948, by the Communist authorities for his religious views, and charged with "disturbing the social order." He was sentenced to five years hard labor in Hungnam prison Camp, a death camp, where most prisoners survived for only 6-12 months. Reverend Moon served almost three years of his sentence, when he was liberated during the Korean War by UN Forces under General Douglas MacArthur, in October, 1950.

Then, after his liberation, he began a long, hazardous journey to the South with two of his disciples. One of them had a broken leg and had to be pushed and carried on a bicycle the entire way. He had been abandoned by his family, who had also fled to the South. But Reverend Moon refused to leave him there at the mercy of the North Koreans. He said that if he couldn't save one man, how could he save the world? Although he had to risk his own life to do so, he did save that one man.

On May 1, 1954, Reverend Moon established The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity-the Unification Church.

On January 2, 1959, the first Unification Church Missionary to the U.S. arrived in San Francisco. And, on March 16, 1960, Reverend Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han were Blessed in Marriage in Seoul, Korea. This was the foundation of all the later Marriage Blessings for which the Unification Church has become so well-known: In 1961, 36 Couples; in 1970, 777 couples; in 1975, 1800 couples; in 1982, 2100 and 5800 couples; in 1992, 36,000 couples; in 1995, 360,000 couples; in 1997, 39.6 million couples; and in 1998, on June 13, at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 120 million couples were Blessed by Reverend and Mrs. Moon. This amazing event was accomplished by satellite in hundreds of venues throughout the world.

These figures reflect the world-wide Blessing activities of this Movement, whose goal is to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, as prophesied by Edward Bellamy, in his world-famous book.

The moneyless economy Bellamy created for his concept of an Ideal World is actually a very practical plan for an ideal society. Since every occupation in society is necessary for service to and between all citizens, the value of their work should be equally acknowledged by their incomes. Therefore, everyone should receive the same amount of credit, which should be more than adequate for a comfortable way of life.

As far as the saving of resources in such a system the potential for savings is enormous. Just eliminating the Government agencies necessary for the printing and minting of money would save billions of dollars, plus the raw materials like trees, metal, etc. I'' certainly not an expert in these matters, but can appreciate and understand the possibilities for equal distribution of the wealth to a citizenry that has been liberated from the numerous additions keeping millions of Americans as well as people throughout the world, captive to alcohol, drugs, gambling, lotteries, sweepstakes, etc. Without the seduction of money, I believe the entire world of crime would disappear.

Bellamy's accusation that the practice of multiplying money through interest is not conducive to honorable dealings with each other is accurate, I believe. Besides, this method of making money does not produce any product that is beneficial to humanity. Therefore, the banks would not be necessary, and all those involved in this business would be freed to do something more productive and beneficial to society. So, without money, people wouldn't need banks.

Insurance companies would not be necessary, either, since every citizen would be provided for with a life-time credit card in return for their work for the nation during their productive years. Think of the feeling of security each person would experience in their lives, and the absence of stress, which is so destructive to health!

How many of us would be interested in reducing the stress factors in our lives, so that we might be liberated to work on our spiritual growth? Think about it.

Of course, this kind of world can come about only when there is peace in the physical world.

But I believe that if the citizens of the U.S. are willing and able to truly believe that such a world as Bellamy predicted is possible, and even inevitable, if humanity everywhere is to survive and prosper, then we can overcome all barriers and unite with God and each other in True Love, through unity with the True Parents, to enable this world to come about in our own lifetime.

God has sent the Messiah, in the form of True Parents, to be the Mediator between humankind and God, so that we can fulfill the purpose of His Creation at this time in history. I would like you to think of how fortunate we all are to be living on earth at this time, so that we can actually participate in building God's Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

I have been waiting for over 50 years to make such a statement. I have never lost sight of this vision, and I would like to have all of the readers of this edition of Looking Backward join me in welcoming the True Parents, Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, into our hearts and our lives, that we may all follow the road, hand-in-hand, that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth and in Heaven.

*This is indicated on page 96 of the edition of Looking Backward with an Introduction by R. Jackson Wilson, Modern Library College Editions. Random House, Inc., Copyright 1982.

"...If I were to give you, in one sentence, a key to what may seem the mysteries of our civilization as compared with that of your age, I should say that it is the fact that the solidarity of the race and the brotherhood of man, which to you were but fine phrases are, to our thinking and feeling, ties as real and as vital as physical fraternity."

[http://english-www.hss.cmu.edu/fiction/bellamy/contents.html] Looking Backward - Edward Bellamy (Complete text of the book)

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