Even in Danbury Prison Father Never Complains

Chung Hwan Kwak
July 1985

It has been almost a year since Father went to Danbury. In all this time we have never heard one word of complaint from him about his environment. We have never heard him scold his followers for their mistakes and shortcomings which resulted in his prison sentence. He has offered this sacrificial period completely to God.

Furthermore, he has done his best to set a good example at Danbury camp, doing far more than his assigned duty. He finishes his own job in 15 minutes and then invests two hours helping others in their jobs. He has constantly assisted others. Fifty inmates have received the Divine Principle, the Outline of the Principle Level 4, and God's Warning to the World and many are studying the books. Father did not witness to them; the inmates sought out the teachings after their curiosity was aroused by his impeccable lifestyle. Many have come to respect him, and some now attend him closely. The inmates have observed every detail of Father's schedule -- when he wakes up, how many hours he prays, what time he goes to bed, and also what kind of attitude he has.

True Father has undergone a period of sacrifice that was totally unnecessary and entirely unjust. Yet even though he was sent unfairly to prison, his prayers are for his enemies, he shares his love with others, he shows great patience, and he leads an exemplary life.

How painful it is for God to see Father's sacrifice every day! If we understand the mission and value of True Parents, we can realize how irreplaceable every day of Father's life on earth is. The world desperately needs his guidance; all humanity needs his teaching. If Father is in prison for one day, even one hour, precious time which he could use to directly reach out to all humankind is sacrificed. How tragic this is!

It is particularly painful that many people still understand Father to be a criminal. If the average American regards Father as a criminal and thinks he should be in prison, this constitutes a very grave historical mistake. We can never condone this.

We have to eradicate the misconceptions people have had about Father. His honor must be restored through our own repentance and that of the American public. We have to declare openly that he has been mistreated. The time has come to proclaim his identity to all Americans. Father's honor was sullied by this false accusation and imprisonment. We have to confirm in the sight of everyone his dignity, his glory, and his real value.

History has shown us many examples of righteous people being mistreated, some even to the point of death. This brings about truly terrifying consequences, for when the innocent are unfairly judged, their accusers -- or their descendants -- pay a heavy price.

The Abel of Abels now suffers unnecessary sacrifice. But his prayer and his motivation of love have amazing power. If the people in the position of Cain do not accept with a pure, repentant heart Father's prayers and love under these conditions, they will have to pay a heavy price, either in the long run as history unfolds or through natural disasters. The future of this nation is very precarious.

The course of Father's court case was very unusual. We cannot even imagine Father using the money in the bank account for selfish reasons. The bank account was not his own.

The government intentionally insisted on the use of the jury system. Also, no matter how many political or religious leaders showed their support for Father or tried to assist him in getting an appeal, nothing worked. The officials' attitude in this case was one they might have shown a murderer who had had previous convictions. There was no justice. There was no recognition of the fact that his being a religious leader had some bearing on the case. Unquestionably, racial and religious prejudice played a central part in his indictment and trial; in fact, there is convincing evidence of a conspiracy behind the whole affair.

How can the people who prosecuted Father escape the judgment of history? In the future, historians and lawyers will research every detail of this case over and over again. Nothing will escape them. As far as the prosecutors are concerned this case is closed. But history has yet to pronounce its judgment.

Government leaders and anyone directly or indirectly involved in this unfair decision must sincerely reconsider it even now, and act on the promptings of their original minds. They have to do something. For our part, we Unification Church members cannot simply wait for the joyful and exciting day when Father is released. We cannot receive him as if he were a common criminal whose sentence in prison, his expected duty, is over. We must greet him with the restoration of his dignity. We must erase this unfortunate decision. This sorrowful historical period can only be nullified by repentance on the part of Father's accusers. Americans are the people of the chosen nation. Father's innocence, dignity, and honor must be restored by the Unification Church members and by the people of America, her representative political leaders, and particularly those who form the Christian foundation of this country.

Above all, we have to declare Father's innocence. When he is released from incarceration we have to greet Father with a proclamation to all humanity: "He is innocent!"