Unification News for April and May 2000

Life in the Spirit World and on Earth: A Critique and Counterproposal

Peter T. Wolfe
May, 2000
Bridgeport, CT

I’m here at New Hope East Garden Farm, in Brazil. We just finished Dr. Sang Hun Lee. I myself have read it four times, three times on my own and once in the workshop here. I’m afraid I have some questions. I already know what happened regarding Dr. Lee’s death. His wife had passed away, and he was occupying himself at Sun Moon University. He was staying in an area that adjoined the women’s dormitory. The night he went "through the window" (page 12), he was, according to witnesses, strolling through the women’s dorm...and simply walked to the window and went out of it. There was no sign of distress, no hesitation. He was, I’m told, "walking as though he were following someone."

Years ago, when I was working with a police department in the U.S., I was shown a statement by a woman in her 40s. She had been driving down a familiar street one day, when she suddenly drove -- at a speed in excess of 30 mph -- directly into the blade of a brand-new yellow bulldozer. She was not wearing a seat belt -- that was not yet a law. She went through the windshield, flipped over and landed on the hood of her car. She was not seriously injured! In the police report, she stated: "I’m sorry, I just didn’t see it." It was a funny story, for several reasons: 1) She was not seriously hurt; 2) Her statement; 3) Her husband was a police officer in that city; 4) They were Catholic and had several children. "I just didn’t see it..." appeared under a photo of her family, at the precinct headquarters. Policemen tend to have an odd sense of humor.

However, back to Dr. Lee.... When Dr. Lee expressed his reluctance to discuss "the window incident," I took it upon myself to find out the details. Why? We are reading his book at the New Hope East Garden Family Workshop, for one. It’s required reading.

I asked many, many people about Dr. Lee’s passing. It seemed to fly in the face of reason. I finally found Mr. John Kirkley, Esq., who had been at Sun Moon University at the time, and was present at the accident site. According to Kirkley, Dr. Lee had fallen out of the second-floor window, and onto the sidewalk. Kirkley -- a lawyer -- stated that it’s not logical to conclude "suicide," because there certainly were other buildings Dr. Lee could have exited from that would almost, if not certainly, guarantee instant passing. Dr. Lee did not pass instantly, but lingered face-down on the sidewalk for some time. I am told that, as a last act of earthly kindness toward Dr. Lee, Kirkley directed one of the students to bring a blanket to cover Dr. Lee.

It warmed my heart to hear this, and it dispelled a good deal of confusion. I had spoken to a woman who was inclined toward spiritual understandings, and she told me she felt "Dr. Lee was led into the Light." It made sense to me. I knew about the policeman’s wife who had been driving down the familiar street only to drive into an unfamiliar bulldozer. When I consider this, I can and do accept the real possibility of Dr. Lee’s being "led into the Light." Those of us who are fortunate enough to be alive today should show a degree of forgiveness. Are we here to judge? No, I believe not.

I mentioned earlier that I’ve read Dr. Lee’s book four times. At the bottom of page 24, there’s a sentence which reads: "The Unification Church members reside in a place more frightening than hell." I believe there are several reasons for this sentence: 1) It’s true!; 2) He felt, if he slipped in this one sentence, God could forgive him for the rest of the book; 3) Maybe it was a test to see how many of us would find it; 4) It is a ‘typo.’

I like to believe it is a test. How many persons have I met who believe the King James Version of the Bible is the only ‘true’ Bible. I’ve met Moonies who believe the word is 100% true and accurate. We are reading this epistle at the New Hope East Garden workshop. I feel that Dr. Lee’s work is comparable to the writings of St. Paul, or possibly, St. Thomas Aquinas. We need to edit these words now, before we pass on a flawed concept to our descendants. I personally believe Dr. Lee was referring to persons who were (are) members mentioned earlier in the paragraph. That is, those who chose to have casual sex with different partners and those who stole public money.

Thus, I believe Dr. Lee meant to use the word "these" rather than the word "the." That is, Dr. Lee meant to say -- through his translator and editor -- "These Unification Church members reside in a place more frightening than hell." I took the liberty of adding "these" to the "public" copy of Life in the Spirit World and on Earth, here at the 40-day workshop. When you get here, turn to page 24, and you’ll see I’m telling the truth.

Peter is a consultant to the University of Bridgeport, in Connecticut, and an associate consultant and coordinator for the Religious Youth Service (RYS).

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