4) Why Has Religion Emphasized Single Life?
If true parents are to appear, true man first must appear. Religion until now has been searching for one true man. Until the true man is found, true love centers on single life because the heavenly law does not permit otherwise. Why do Christians live a single life, even though Christianity is the highest-standard religion? Why do Buddhists also live a single life?
If a perfected man and perfected woman appeared but still the law of love were not established, would God permit loose men and women to get married? We haven't been able to hold the original wedding.... That men and women held fallen marriage ceremonies is the occasion of God's biggest resentment and greatest sorrow. Will you still try to go against God? This is why higher religions emphasize being single.
Until when are we to stay single? It is until a perfected true man who can become completely united before the love of God appears and meets a true woman. These are the True Parents. This is why Christian thought focuses on the Second Coming. The Lord of the Second Advent is the person who comes as the True Father of all humanity.
What have religions been doing? Many religious founders tried to imagine the substantial object consistent with God's ideal model, which was the basis for the search for an ideal man. However, none were successful. This is why there is messianic thought. Until now, we could not find even one man. If we cannot find a man, then we cannot find parents. This is why we are told to stay single. The nation is not necessary. Nations should be formed based upon the model of a true individual. The family is also not needed. A family formed from a true man and a true woman is needed. What we need first of all is the true man and woman. Throughout history, we could not find a model of a true man and a true woman.
Jesus, two thousand years ago, said, "He who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me," and that the one who does not take his cross and follow him is not worthy of him.
What sort of person was Jesus? Jesus was a King of love. He was the King of love in Heaven; therefore, we cannot go to meet him or serve him with the body which is stained with the dirty love of the satanic world. So, in order to go to Jesus, we must love more than we used to. The only way to find the path to heaven is through love that surpasses the love practiced in this world. Because of this, we need to live a single life in order to go the Principled way. However, you should not be unhappy about being single. You should live a life overcoming that, whispering with God and not feeling unhappy. However, if you live a single life feeling unhappy and complaining, you will go to the worst place in hell after death.
There are many among you who have started family life, but under whose protection was that family formed? Some people might say, "The place I'm living now is the standard; I'm all right and I will not be defeated by anyone even from the social perspective. Therefore, I never feel pangs of conscience no matter where I go and I have confidence that I am not unrighteous." However, look at their origin. The human ancestors are caught in the enemy's trap. Can God publicly recognize a family formed in this realm? This is why religion emphasizes single life. Those who are here have many children, but you also must live a single life.
This is not the word of Reverend Moon of the Unification Church. All religion teaches this. As you know, Buddhism teaches this. Aren't Catholics the same? Do you know the purpose of such teaching? It is in order to bring us close to God. The true ancestors of humankind are not yet able to marry. Then how can people who were not meant to have been born yet get married? The sons and daughters born from the fallen ancestors have to be saved and go the course of restoration.
Heaven, with the ideal of love, had no way but to form religions historically and emphasize single life. A husband and wife are meant to follow true love and meet the heavenly standard, but because there is the possibility of making a mistake and betraying heavenly love, the principle of single life was set up so that at least one person receiving love from God can remain.
How can Catholic priests and nuns and Buddhist monks live? Honestly, that way of life should be a problem. Then did the purpose which those religions pursue become wrong at some point in time? If it did, then the foundation of those believers' suffering, as well as of God who worked behind them, would all be denied. This phenomenon emerges in order to prepare for the future appearance of the true family.
Then why did Catholicism and Buddhism emphasize being single? Can you say that celibacy is the basis of human happiness? No. Not even one religion anywhere on earth has demonstrated what the basis of happiness is. No religion has plans to place the family at the center. No family worthy of this position could even appear.
However, they sensed the fact that one day such a family will appear; therefore, they emphasized single life. This was the foundation for people to form a pure and correct family.
A long time ago, marriage was not permitted when pursuing "the way." Why was that? If the parents have not yet held their wedding ceremony, can the servants hold their wedding ceremony? This is why human beings were not permitted to marry.
What sort of existence has the archangel? Archangels were not allowed to get married. In the Bible, the Sadducees asked Jesus, "If a woman lived with seven men as her husbands, after her death, if she were to be resurrected in the other world, among the seven husbands, whose wife would she become?" Jesus answered, "You do not marry in the spirit world." (lit., ". . . in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.") This was the only answer Jesus could give, because it was still the age of restoring the archangelic realm. The archangelic realm is one in which we cannot have a marriage partner. Then, what has religion been seeking? Because religion has been in the archangelic realm, it could not exalt marriage. You should understand that this is the reason higher religions emphasized single life.
In the Principled point of view, men and women in this world are offspring of the archangel. Therefore, they are not qualified to marry. This is why they are told to stay single. If the original parents have not been able to marry, can impure people who jumped into a puddle of sewage be allowed to love by their own will? That love is unprincipled. This is why higher religions emphasized single life.
What kind of a reciprocal partner do angels have? This is why religions tell people to be single. Originally, being a nun is the Principled standard. A man with a wife is not qualified to be a monk. In fact, all the married ministers in the Protestant churches are unqualified.
Since there are many sisters here, I have to say something. Are women seductive or not? To this day, have women been punished or have they been blessed? [They have been punished.] Because they are seductive, they have been punished. The reason that women had to suffer was that their husbands were not their true husbands. Do you understand? Fallen men are archangels and are not supposed to have a bride. This is why higher religions have encouraged people to remain single.
Men are archangels. Originally, the archangel was not allowed to have a reciprocal partner. However, the archangel loved in an unprincipled way. An archangel is not a true husband. Therefore, for a woman a fallen man is not her husband. The archangel mistreated a woman who was not even his wife. For this reason, women are mistreated by archangels who are not their true husbands.
Until now, religion did not pursue aggressively the realm of reciprocal partner. Therefore, all religions emphasized remaining single. The Reverend Moon is the first to proclaim the blessing of the family-level ideal reciprocal relationship.