Rev. Sun Myung Moon
As a Peace-loving Global Citizen is the autobiography of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Movement. It was published in 2009 in both Korean and English by Gimm-Young Publishers of Seoul, South Korea. The book was released in South Korea on March 9, 2009 and debuted at #3 on the Businesss bestseller's list. It has ranked in various bestseller lists since then and was ranked 15th on the General bestseller's list as of October 14, 2009.
“Allow Freedom of Religion in the Soviet Union”
I had a long-held conviction regarding communism. I could foresee that signs pointing to the fall of communism would begin to appear after about sixty years from the Bolshevik Revolution, and that the Soviet edifice would fall in 1987, the seventieth anniversary of the revolution. So I was excited in 1984, when I heard that Dr. Morton Kaplan, a noted political scientist at the University of Chicago, was proposing to hold an international conference titled, “The Fall of the Soviet Empire.” I asked him to pay me a visit in Danbury prison so that we could discuss the details. The first thing I said to him when we met was that I wanted him to declare “the end of Soviet communism” before August 15 of that year.
Dr. Kaplan responded, “Declare the end of Soviet communism? How can I do such a risky thing?” and indicated he was not inclined to do this. But, it’s the final flame that burns the brightest. In 1985, the Soviet Union was increasing its worldwide influence, and there were no outward signs of its decline. So it was natural that Dr. Kaplan would be reluctant. If he made a declaration predicting such a specific event and it turned out to be false, his reputation as a scholar could be destroyed overnight.
“Rev. Moon,” he said, “I believe you when you say that Soviet communism will fall. But I don’t think it will happen just yet. So instead of declaring, ‘the end of Soviet communism,’ how about if we say ‘the decline of Soviet communism? ’” I saw, too, that he was proposing to soften the title of his program and use something other than “Fall of the Soviet Empire.”
I burned with anger. These were compromises I could not accept. I felt strongly that if a person had conviction, he should be brave and put out all his energy to fight, even if he feels afraid.
“Dr. Kaplan,” I said, “What do you mean? When I ask you to declare the end of communism, I have a reason. The day you declare the end of communism, it will take energy away from it and help bring about its peaceful collapse. Why are you hesitating?”
