The most insidious cause of deviation from the religious path is the lure of false teaching or heresy. The scriptures of every major religion warn against it.
“Heresy” means opinion, and the wisdom of God’s revelation to the founding saint of the religion is not something to be altered or revised because of someone else’s opinion.
It is true that every genuine religion at its birth was branded a heresy by the leaders of the orthodox establishment. Yet in addition, heretical offshoots of these new religions usually sprang up within a generation of the founder’s passing, or even in the founder’s lifetime.
Yet by the will of God, the mainstream religions became established while the heresies that beset them did not. Nowhere do we find that a heresy ever defeated a major religion’s line of orthodox development.
Despite their theological attraction, there must be good reasons why heresies were branded as such. A number of the passages gathered here attack false prophets and heretics for having base motives: they are hypocrites using religion for worldly gain (although orthodox teachers could have the same flaw).
Some attribute these false teachings to the work of demons and evil spirits. Others point to their rotten fruits: licentious living, greed, and the sowing of dissension.
On the other hand, some heresies deceive through advocating a standard of conduct even more austere or a faith even more extreme than what is called for in the correct path—Devadatta being a prime example. Still other passages attack heretics for fomenting schism and breaking down the unity of the faith.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7.15-16
God’s Messenger is reported as saying, “In the last times men will come forth who will fraudulently use religion for worldly ends and wear sheepskins in public to display meekness.
Their tongues will be sweeter than sugar, but their hearts will be the hearts of wolves. God will say, ‘Are they trying to deceive Me, or are they acting presumptuously towards Me? I swear by Myself that I shall send trial upon those people, which will leave the intelligent men among them confounded.’” Hadith of Tirmidhi (Islam)
There will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who brought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
And many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words; from of old their condemnation has not been idle, and their destruction has not been asleep. 2 Peter 2.1-3
In later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared. 1 Timothy 4.1-2
Thus have We appointed unto every prophet an adversary—devils of humankind and jinn— who inspire in one another plausible discourse through guile. Qur’an 6.112
Mara the Evil One will expound to the bodhisattva a counterfeit of the Path. Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom 382 (Buddhism)
Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11.14 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. 2 Timothy 4.3-4
Had falsehood been allowed to show separately from truth, seekers of truth would have easily discerned it and would have kept away from falsehood. And had truth been allowed to appear distinct from falsehood, people would not have found [it] easy to criticize religion. But unfortunately men started mixing parts of truth with falsehood, and Satan exploited this situation, and got complete control over the minds of its followers. Only such persons can escape its trap, who have advanced with the help of God towards sober and rational ways of meditation. Nahjul Balagha, Khutba 55 (Shiite Islam)
Mara, the Evil One, may come along in the guise of a teacher, and say, “Give up what you have heard up to now!… What you have heard just now, that is not the word of the Buddha. It is poetry, the work of poets. But what I here teach to you, that is the teaching of the Buddha, that is the word of the Buddha.” If, on hearing that, a Bodhisattva wavers and is put out, then one should know that he has not been predicted by the Tathagata, that he is not fixed on full enlightenment. But… a monk whose outflows are dried up does not go by someone else whom he puts his trust in, for he has placed the nature of Dharma directly before his own eyes. Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines 17.2 (Buddhism)
Then if anyone says to you, “Lo, here is the Christ!” or “There he is!” do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Matthew 24.23-24
Be not those who split up their religion and become schismatics, each sect exulting in its tenets.15 Qur’an 30.32
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel—not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1.6-9
One thing, when it comes to pass, does so to the loss, to the unhappiness of many folk… to the misery of the gods and humankind. What is that one thing? Schism in the order of monks. When the order is broken, there are mutual quarrels, mutual abuse, mutual exclusiveness, and mutual betrayals. Thereupon those who are at variance are not reconciled, and between some of those who were at one there arises some difference. Itivuttaka 11 (Buddhism)
Devadatta appealed to some friends of his, saying, “Come, we will approach the Lord and ask for five policies, saying, ‘Lord, the Lord in many a figure speaks in praise of desiring little, of being contented, of expunging evil, of being punctilious, etc. Lord, the following five policies are conducive thereto: Monks must be forest dwellers for as long as they live; whoever should abide in a village, sin would besmirch him. They must be beggars for alms; whoever should accept an invita- tion to a meal would commit sin. They should wear rags; whoever accepts a robe given by a householder, commits sin. They should dwell at the root of a tree; whoever should go under cover commits sin. They should never eat fish and flesh; whoever eats fish or flesh commits sin.’ The recluse Gotama will not allow these five policies, but we will win the people over to them.” Devadatta’s friends replied, “It is possible, with these five policies, to make a schism in the recluse Gotama’s Order, a breaking of the concord. For, your reverence, people esteem austerity.” Devadatta and his friends approached the Lord, and put the matter of these five policies before him. “Enough, Devadatta,” he said. “Whoever wishes, let him be a forest dweller, whoever wishes, let him stay in a village; whoever wishes, let him be a beggar for alms; whoever wishes, let him accept an invitation; whoever wishes, let him wear rags; whoever wishes, let him accept robes given by a householder…” Devadatta was joyful and elated that the Lord did not accept his five policies. He entered Rajagaha and taught them to the people, and such people as were of little faith thought that Devadatta and his friends were punctilious while Gotama was permissive of profligacy. But the people who had faith and were believing complained to the monks that Devadatta was creating a schism, and the monks told the Lord. He said to Devadatta, who acknowledged the truth of the complaint, “Do not let there be a schism in the Order, for a schism in the Order is a serious matter, Devadatta. He who splits an Order that is united sets up demerit that endures for an eon and he is boiled in hell for an eon. But he who unites an Order that is split sets up sublime merit and rejoices in heaven for an eon.” Vinaya Pitaka 2.192-98 (Buddhism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Enemies will certainly appear on the path you travel. Enemies will appear, challenging your faith and your finances. Furthermore, some members of our Unification Church will become each other’s enemies.
Satan will seize the moment when you make a small mistake and drive you to the path of Cain. How should you lead your life to defeat these enemies and not stand in the position of Cain?
Do not live for your own comfort, but live a life of sacrifice for the sake of the whole. (3:212, November 1, 1957)
Some people, after they learned the Divine Principle taught in the Unification Church, use it to advance their own interests. Such people are swindlers and thieves. They use the Principle that I brought to build a comfortable domain for themselves inside the realm of Unificationism.
They steal the Word, the Divine Principle, although it does not belong to them but belongs to Heaven. Pretending as if it were their own teaching, they use it for their own purposes.
They create devious groups, which use guile to snatch up followers whom they swindle [with a counterfeit of the truth]. Their bodies are like the skeletons in the valley of dry bones. They appear to be alive, but their spirits are dead. (June 21, 2001)
Since a fallen person stands in the midway position between God and Satan and relates with both of them, the works of a good spirit may be accompanied by the subtle influences of an evil spirit…
In the present era, spiritual phenomena are becoming ever more prevalent. Unless religious leaders can correctly distinguish the works of good spirits from the works of evil spirits, they cannot properly instruct and guide those who experience spiritual phenomena. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 4.4)
The Last Days is the time when people return to the spiritual level reached by the first human ancestors just prior to the Fall. Today, being the Last Days, is the time when people throughout the world are reaching this level.
Just as Adam and Eve prior to the Fall, were able to converse directly with God, today many people on earth can communicate with the spirit world.
The prophecy that in the Last Days, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2.17), may be explained based on this insight from the Principle. In the Last Days, many people will receive the revelation, “You are the Lord.”
Often these people will be misled into believing that they are the Second Coming of Christ. Why do they stray from the right path? Upon creating human beings, God gave them the mandate to rule over the universe. (Gen. 1:28)
Yet due to the Fall, they have been unable to fulfill this blessing. When fallen people are spiritually restored through the providence of restoration to the top of the growth stage, they will reach a level of heart comparable to that of Adam and Eve just before their Fall.
God gives certain people who are at this stage the revelation that they are the Lord, in recognition that they have reached the level of maturity at which He had once blessed human beings with dominion over the universe.
Believers in the Last Days whose devout faith entitles them to receive the revelation that they are “the Lord” stand in a position similar to that of John the Baptist. John the Baptist came with the mission to make straight the way of Jesus. (John 1:23)
In the same way, these people of faith are given the mission to prepare, in their particular areas of responsibility, the way for Christ at the Second Advent.
Since they are to act as the Lord’s representatives in their respective fields, God gives them the revelation that they are the Lord.
When someone who is gifted with spiritual communication receives the revelation that he is the Lord, he should understand this phenomenon through the teachings of the Principle. He should not act wrongly, mistaking himself for Christ at the Second Advent. Otherwise, he may end up playing the role of an antichrist.
For this reason, the Bible contains prophecies that in the Last Days there will appear many antichrists… People who contribute to the providence of restoration usually are responsible for only a part of the providence. Focusing only on their vertical relationship with God, they are often not sensitive to their proper horizontal relationship with other spiritually attuned people.
Strife can break out among them, as each thinks that the Will of God which he serves is different from that which the others are serving. Their conflicts are aggravated when each of them receives the revelation that he is the best. Yet God offers such encouragement to spur each on to do his very best in carrying out his particular mission within the greater providence.
God also gives such revelations because each is, in truth, the one best suited for his respective area of mission. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Resurrection 2.2.6)
God did not create denominations or religious sects. In fact, religion itself is a byproduct of the Fall.
It is Satan who fosters denominational schisms and religious divisions. In heaven there are no walls between nations, denominations or religions. It is a world composed of one huge family. (May 8, 2001)
END OF BOOK CHAPTER