3.1 Education: What are the problems?

Education, religion and moral culture have been based on the individual self. Despite the long duration of history, a perfect individual or perfect family has never emerged. We can conclude that at this point, no man or woman has ever transcended all the cultural standards which have advocated morality, to achieve a true family. (23-10, 05/11/1969)

We have to totally deny everything in the satanic world, discarding all the education, "isms" and philosophies we have acquired or learnt. If we only deny ninety-eight percent the remaining two percent will become a problem. (16-248, 06/19/1966)

What kind of world are we living in? We should live based on the mind. However, this world has become a totally materialistic world in which many people do not even think about whether they have a mind or not. We can understand this fact by looking at the current education system, which puts so much emphasis on materialistic civilization and values. Modern people have such little regard for the valuable mind inside each person. Rather, their focus is fixed on the money before their eyes. They drift towards denying the mind and God. (19-283, 03/10/1968)

Happiness is established in a true position, and God's providence proceeds from a true position. The real issue is: what is "true"? In the center of "trueness" a true self is required. Because people were unable to be their true selves, they developed education, in order to cultivate themselves. Today's education systems are organized based on the problem of remodeling humanity, and they have been launching a revolution based on that goal. However, the "true" position has not yet been defined. (28-158, 01/11/1970)

Contemporary men and women do not know or understand how to walk the path of a saint. Education does not touch on this issue at all. The Unification Church does, however. So should Unification Church members become saints, or become the kings of saints, able to raise other saints?
Can the nucleus of human history and the organizational structure of humankind be provided by individualism? That is not possible, or else everything would be divided. The education system in America today aims to nurture men and women of independence. But by stressing independence and autonomy, it has forgotten about relativity and reciprocation. This is a mistake.
By emphasizing independence that ignores reciprocation, and by not teaching independence for the sake of reciprocation, the society has stumbled into a morass of individualism. Because Christianity is present, religion has been able to relieve some of the pressure, but, if Christianity were out of the picture, American society would be doomed to perish. (393-72, 09/28/2002)

In any education system in any of the world's nations you will find an overemphasis on the competitive advantage that only "the victor" can gain, and an overemphasis on the lifestyle required to obtain that advantage. This is like a contagious disease that interferes with the efforts to guide humankind towards a world of peaceful existence.
However, the stress on competition among intellects is now changing and humankind is beginning to realize that cooperation is indispensable for survival. In the light of this view, the purpose and philosophy of education must also undergo in-depth reformation. (74-105, 11/22/1974)

In Korea, universities simply confer degrees on their graduates and then send them off to society. Even after receiving a university education, the students are still not proficient in their work. A university education and good job performance are two entirely separate entities. With the university organization, the relationships between its own graduates and alumni are vague and indistinct.
With a slightly sturdier organization, the university could keep up-to-date information on the movement of its graduates as well as its alumni, about what field of work they are in, and then select a few outstanding members so that they can render their services to the country. If such an education system were established, these graduates and alumni could contribute to the progress of society considerably. (84-14, 02/06/1976)

If people do not know the love of their parents, teachers or public servants, what will they end up doing? Complaints will prevail throughout the country. Only educational institutions and religions can teach that to people. However, religious denominations and churches are often fighting with each other, saying, "What has the country or the world got to do with me?" (104-282, 06/01/1979)

The education you have received until now has emphasized climbing the ladder of success in this fallen world. It sets study as the standard, and does not encourage anyone to seek the opposite way. That is a big problem.
The further or higher a man goes, or the more knowledge he has, the further he is away from Heaven. He learns the theory of evolution, not the theory of creation. But we have to make it clear that mankind is created by God, not by evolution. (132-17, 05/19/1984)

The current social system is a cultural sphere that is based upon the ideal of the individual. We live in a world of the individualistic ideal, in which we receive a self-centered education from the elementary level to the university level. Is it easy to reshape a man whose personality has been molded to be individualistic into somebody who can break through this kind of environment, who can leap over its boundaries and limitations? That is an almost impossible task. The only force that can digest everything is love. That is where true power lies. The force of true love can even digest and overcome death. (137-66, 12/18/1985)

Take a look at American young people today. The young generation has already turned into living corpses. America has governed and educated her people with democracy, but look at young people today. The reality is that young people are taking drugs and living lives of free sex. They are languishing under the influence of individualism. And there is ideological confusion too. Christianity is supposed to be the mainstay of the ideological foundation, but everything has turned topsy-turvy and plunged into the abyss of despair. The direction has been totally lost. (146-318, 08/10/1986)

Democracy has produced secular humanism, and this is ousting God from our society. Secular humanism is driving out the morality and justice taught by the saints and holy men, and is spurring on the trend towards free sex. Humanity is altogether unaware that it is diving into the abyss, into the mire of Satan's blood. It is the same in Japan. And in Korea, the education has to change. The Unification Church has the mission of preventing this kind of tragedy. (193-305, 10/08/1989)

Wars give rise to tragic events that last through to future generations. In history, many religious representatives and saints have come to guide and educate people, but they only dealt with the external aspect. They spoke about external things such as how to rule the country and how to guide families in order to build a peaceful society, nation and world. However, they failed to point out the internal problem, that the mind and body of each person are in constant conflict and struggle. (269-259, 05/01/1995)