Witnessing Activities
Special Lectures
| Lecture 6 : [The Principle of Creation 5] The Process of Creation and Period of Growth | |
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| Date created : 2014-10-08/ Views : 1507 | |
■YouTube PeaceTV Channel
Dr. Son, Dae Oh Divine Principle Lecture Series
Power Point Script by Tyler Hendricks:
< Principle of Creation 5>
Note: the symbol “” indicates when an animation appears on the slide, in relation to the text.
Lecture 6
The Process of Creation and Period of Growth
SLIDE 1:
Welcome back to our discussion of the Unification Principle. I’m your host, Tyler Hendricks. In our last session, we learned that in order to manifest our original value, we need to direct our desires toward the good, according to the conscience and the God-centered four-position foundation based on loyalty, fidelity and filial piety. This is the standard that can guide our lifestyle to achieve the human happiness.
But we all admit that we need to do some growing to get to that place. How do we grow? Is it by our own self-discipline? Is it by God’s grace? How do we reach full maturity? This session begins that discussion.
God works by order, law and principle, so all His methods are discoverable by science. When creating heavens and earth, He worked through principles. He did not create just by force of His will, or by magic. In fact He created all things over a great period of time according to ideas, concepts, and rules that can be expressed mathematically utilizing the faculty of intellect. He also invested His energy and sought for beauty, expressing His will and heart. The Unification Principle embraces science. Science and religion have the same purpose.
SLIDE 2:
Einstein said, “Science without religion is blind, religion without science is crippled.”
SLIDE 3:
Today, the big bang theory is widely recognized as an explanation of the origin of the cosmos. It claims that the universe began as a single point, referred to as a “singularity,” which exploded nearly 15 billion years ago. It states that the universe prior to the big bang was simply a state of energy and this energy triggered the explosion. The universe has continued to expand and will continue to expand further. The approximate age of our Earth is estimated at 4.6 billion years. The appearance of the most primitive life forms is believed to have occurred 3.5 billion years ago.
SLIDE 4:
So God has spent a great deal of time to create human beings, starting from the lowest stages and gradually progressing to higher stages of existence, from the sub-atomic to the atomic, molecular, unicellular, plant, and finally animal stages.
This theory combines evolution and creation. Scientists recognize that questions regarding the origins of the big bang are ultimately beyond the realm of human science.
As a result, nearly 40% of American scientists retain strong religious convictions. God has not been resting since the creation of the universe. He continues to reveal His creative nature even today. He continues to participate in the cycle of nature, the birth and death of organisms, and in the course of human history. As so, He is not a God who resides outside the creation as a “transcendental being.” He is omnipresent, existing both within and without, transcendent and yet immanent.
SLIDE 5:
The “six days” set forth in the first chapter of Genesis represent six stages of the universe’s creation.
These correspond to the six epochs defined by modern science: the Azoic, Archaeozoic, Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic. The authors of Genesis emphasized six days in order to identify the seventh day as a day of rest. Having been taken away into captivity by the Babylonians and forced into cruel slave labor, the Jews wrote down Genesis in the midst of this painful experience. It was in essence a plea for liberation from their suffering. The process of God’s creation proceeded for six days and on the seventh He rested. He also commanded that no person should work on the seventh day. Therefore, we too should rest on the Sabbath in order to honor the day of God’s rest.
SLIDE 6:
Just as God’s creation developed over a given period of time, all created things each require a period of growth. No plant becomes a tree as soon as it sprouts, and no baby becomes an adult as soon as it is born. All the phenomena that occur within the created world bear results only after a set period of time. This is because all things were designed for a specific period of growth in order to reach maturity.
SLIDE 7:
All things, in the course of maturity, pass through three ordered stages of growth, which we call formation, growth, and completion.
SLIDE 8:
Human beings also pass through formation, growth, and completion on their way to maturity.
SLIDE 9:
During the process of growth, things are meant to grow in accordance with the principle itself, in an autonomous manner. During this time, God as the ultimate supervisor manages the growth indirectly, through the principle, and relates with the results of growth. The Principle refers to this as the realm of God’s indirect dominion, or the realm of dominion over the results of the principle.
SLIDE 10:
However, humans were created uniquely. What is unique about us? We are to reach maturity not only by the independent force of the principle,
but also by fulfilling a given portion of responsibility. Let us examine God’s words to Adam and Eve.
He said, “In the day ye eat thereof, ye shall surely die!” The decision to obey and not eat the fruit, or to disobey and eat was never God’s decision. It was the decision of our ancestors. Thus, our completion is not dependent solely upon God’s power. It also includes human responsibility.
SLIDE 11:
This fact—that humanity was created to only reach perfection upon the completion of personal responsibility—indicates that God’s ultimate desire was bestow upon us a degree of creative potential akin to His own.
SLIDE 12:
Thus He gave human beings a portion of responsibility that even He himself could not interfere with. It was for the purpose of bestowing upon humanity the right to stand in the position of creator and exercise dominion over the rest of creation, just as God exercises dominion over humanity.
SLIDE 13:
Herein lays a unique and vital feature of the Unification Principle. Religions are divided into two categories: self-reliant and salvific.
Self-reliant religions preach personal responsibility concerning “salvation”. Buddhism is one such example.
Salvific religions preach the need for either a God or savior in order to achieve “salvation”. Christianity is one such example.
The Unification Principle expresses the need for cooperation between God, man and woman in order for salvation to occur. Perfection is achieved only when humans fulfill their responsibility in addition to God’s responsibility. Thus, the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross come by God’s decision, whether to believe and reap those benefits or not is left to the human decision.
SLIDE 14:
Upon the completion of the human portion of responsibility,
we come to reside in the realm of God’s direct dominion. The realm of God’s direct dominion refers to a state of living in
unity of heart with God as a perfected man and woman, who come together to form a family four-position foundation wherein they
engage in a life of goodness while exchanging love and beauty. Such human beings would live in harmony as unique members of the same body, all receiving signals from a central nervous system and all understanding the heart of God, knowing His will and
fulfilling the purpose of creation in accordance with it.
SLIDE 15:
This is acquisition and experience of “Immanuel” in our own lives.
SLIDE 16:
“God with us!” How wondrous it is to be able to say God is always with me, that God eats, sleeps, comes and goes, is glad or sad with me!
SLIDE 17:
I hope that all of you can reside within the realm of God’s direct dominion and become Immanuel; moving when God moves, resting when He rests.
SLIDE 18:
Now we come to the question of life after death. We may live a wonderful life for a hundred years, but is that all there is? In us is a bigger horizon, a desire for life beyond life. But how can we be sure about what that life will be like? We will discuss this in our next session.
See you next time. Thank you.
