THE WAY TO HAPPINESS AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

    Setting aside theological considerations for a moment, let's look at more practical ones. What has the UC and SMM shown or taught that really gives us some practical guidelines, some understanding or perspective that leads to personal happiness and a "more perfect society"? On any level - individual, family, institutional, societal - what has SMM taught us that really works to bring fulfillment? I have often heard members claim "You can't argue with Father's success". I would say that you can. Other than making a lot of money (off the sweat of hard working, trusting members (and rich, lonely Japanese widows)), what does the group have to show for it's efforts? Can it really say "We know what works. We know how to realize the ideal"? I know the group sees itself as being some sacrificial indemnity condition, and in one sense we were never promised that our lives in the group would be happy lives. (no surprise there) But you would expect that the messiah with a higher truth to bring the ideal world and solve sin would have solutions that would be evident at some level.

    Where is the evidence? Has it empowered people, truly nurtured their growth and potential on the individual level? There may be a few that have thrived in that environment, but there were many that were completely devastated. I think many people had their potential postponed or limited by the group. Has it shown the key to happiness in man-women relationships? We were warned that our matchings weren't for our own happiness (again, no surprise). But wouldn't following the "divine principle" predispose these couples to flower into healthy, vigorous relationships? I would venture that the relationships of blessed couples run the gamut, as you would expect from pure chance. And I would further venture that arranged marriages are by definition so different from the outset that any comparison to relationships based on mutual love, interests, attraction, "chemistry", and values as in the "fallen" world is impossible. The fact is, when people marry in the UC, they are marrying the UC more than each other. I don't have all the answers to the man-women question, but I do think that arranged matches are a poor way to start. It's nice to committed to a higher purpose, but let's put a little balance on this. He matched people together with little more than a mere glance and a wave of his hand. Let's also remember that SMM is asking every one in the group to do something he himself never had to do - that is, let someone else choose his spouse. (yeah, I know, he let God choose. How fortunate for him that God happened to choose a 16 year old for his 40. How many members have had the chance to "follow Father's course" in THAT regard? Of course, Sammy makes it apparent that even so, marital satisfaction was elusive for SMM)

    Are "blessed" families really any different than the average? We always used to hear about how special the children of blessed couples were, but I doubt that claim is made any longer. Is the hierarchical organizational style of the UC really a good blueprint for modern institutions? I don't think so. As I discuss in the next section, I doubt SMM's vision of the ideal government is one many Americans would want to live in. There are some very common sense, concrete things that will have to achieved for any ideal to be realized, including achieving population stabilization, converting to sustainable resource use, and protection of the fragile environment on which all life depends. SMM's seems antagonistic to all these basic goals. So, in all, I would say that in the practical sense, SMM offers little of value to really build a better world.

eight reasons
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