The Purpose of Religion

All religions share certain purposes in common, though with different emphases.

For Western religions, the primary purpose of religion is salvation. The etymology of the word “religion” derives from a Latin word meaning “to re-bind” with God.

Human beings are fallen and broken, and therefore God has established religion as a means of repairing our brokenness, restoring us to our original goodness, and reconnecting us with God.

In contrast, the Eastern understanding of religion is contained in its Chinese characters, which mean “foundational teaching.” This describes the purpose of religion as the basic teaching for cultivating a good and virtuous character.

Father Moon recognizes both meanings, since fallen human beings cannot finally cultivate virtuous character without resolving sin and rebinding with God.

He distinguishes two valid aspects of religion: first, providential religions (Judaism and Christianity) whose purpose is to welcome the Messiah who comes to solve original sin and restore full communion with God, and second, religions the world over whose purpose is mainly to train people in virtue.

The Kingdom of God is built on both of these foundations. Religion also has a social purpose: to cultivate community. Religion teaches the ways of love and reconciliation that enable people to live in peace and harmony.

By extension, the ultimate purpose of religion is to establish world peace. That is because God is the Creator and Father of all humankind; religions that take us close to God enable us to feel part of the universal brotherhood and sisterhood that flows from His parental love.

“Men, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16.30-31

Seek refuge with the Lord alone, with your whole being, Bharata. By His grace, you will reach supreme peace, an everlasting estate. Bhagavad-Gita 18.62 (Hinduism)

Surely the [true] religion with God is Islam [the Surrender]. Those who formerly received the Scriptures… if they argue with you, [O Muhammad], say, “I have surrendered my purpose to God, and so have those who follow me.” And say to those who have received the Scriptures and those who have not read [them], “Have you also surrendered?” If they surrender, then truly they are rightly guided. Qur’an 3.19-20

To many a refuge, fear-stricken men betake themselves—to hills, woods, groves, trees, and shrines. Nay, no such refuge is safe, no such refuge is supreme. Not by resorting to such a refuge is one freed from ill. He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha [the teacher], the Dhamma [the teaching], and the Sangha [the taught], sees with right knowledge the Four Noble Truths: Sorrow, the Cause of Sorrow, the Transcending of Sorrow and the Noble Eightfold Path which leads to the Cessation of Sorrow. This, indeed, is a refuge secure. By seeking such refuge one is released from all sorrow. Dhammapada 188-192 (Buddhism)

Surely, the path that leads to worldly gain is one, and the path that leads to Nibbana is another; understanding this, the bhikkhu, the disciple of the Buddha, should not rejoice in wordly favors, but cultivate detachment. Dhammapada 75 (Buddhism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Why, throughout history, have people needed to improve themselves through morals, ethics, and religion? Why should we observe them? It is because we sense something is wrong with us, and we desire to return to our original standing before God. (205:8, July 15, 1990)

However hard the original mind may struggle to attain goodness, we can hardly find any examples of true goodness in this world under the sovereignty of evil. Human beings have thus been compelled to seek the source of goodness in the world transcendent of time and space.

This necessity has given birth to religion. Through religion, fallen people mired in ignorance have sought to meet God by ceaselessly striving toward the good. Even though the individuals, peoples and nations that championed a certain religion may have perished, religion itself survives. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 2.3)

God, the Parent of humankind, cannot remain aloof when He sees His sons and daughters in their fallen state. They are like broken radios, so God created repair shops to fix them. These repair shops are religious. Seeing the many traces of these repair shops throughout history, we cannot deny the existence of God. (54:102, March 20, 1972)

If God used His almighty power, He could easily save all humanity. Then he wouldn’t need religion. But why does God need religion? God wants the enemy to surrender willingly. When that happens, God can become the center and heal all beings. That is God’s strategy. (207:21, October 21, 1990)

Religion does not have humankind as its primary object. Rather, religious teachings establish God, the Parent, as foremost. A life of following God’s will is a course to establish and mature in a relationship with God. Therefore, holy men and women invariably support the will of Heaven and declare the heart of Heaven.

A true religion should teach people about God. A true religion should not have some vague ideas about God; a true religion should be able to give a clear picture of God so that people can understand Him. A religion that compromises with the world cannot be called a higher order religion. That kind of religion will ultimately decline.

A true religion should teach people the path to know God, to become one with God, and finally, to reestablish the world that God originally intended at the creation.

After all, the purpose of religion is to seek for the ideal world: a world without sin, a world where all people enjoy the original relationship with God. (February 6, 2003)

We know that the main problem here is not which denomination, which religion or which group we belong to. The viewpoint of truth—the entirety of truth— is to have an inward heart that Thou canst recognize, and to go forth with an earnest heart that can experience Thy heart. O Father, grant us to know Thy heart! (4:236, May 18, 1958)

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1.27

Whoever surrenders his purpose to God while doing good, his reward is with his Lord, and there shall be no fear come upon them, neither shall they grieve. Qur’an 2.112

For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. Titus 2.11-14

Make your mosque of compassion, your prayer mat of sincerity; your Qur’an of honest and legitimate earning. Be modesty your circumcision, noble conduct your Ramadan fast— thus shall you be a true Muslim? Make good deeds your Kaaba; truth your preceptor; good action your Kalima and namaz. Make your rosary of what pleases God: Thus will you be honored at the last reckoning. Adi Granth, Var Majh, M.1, p. 140 (Sikhism) What is to be avoided most in our life is vacillation and frivolity; what is most excellent is a reverential heart. Therefore, we Confucians endeavor to preserve sincerity of heart and consider reverence as most essential. It is needless to say that sincerity and reverence make us companions of heaven and earth, gods and spirits.

There is, however, another class of people who adopt Buddhism as their guidance. They bow before the Buddha and recite his sutras, always bent on preserving reverence and awe. They will never relax the vigilant guard over the heart, which will by degrees become pure and bright, free from evil thoughts and ready to do good. This enlightenment is called their most happy land. What is necessary, then, for Buddhists as well as Confucians is to avoid vacillation and frivolity, which will render you unreliable. Keep the heart always restrained by reverence and awe. Otherwise what can be the use of the recitation of sutras or the discourses of Confucius?1 Tract of the Quiet Way (Taoism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
The word “religion” in Chinese characters is 宗敎 (chongkyo in Korean). It means a floor-like teaching, in other words, the foundational teaching for human beings. (92:309, April 24, 1977)

The church is the place where you cultivate your character and become a person of integrity. Due to the Fall, we came to need the church. The family and society are not sufficient to nurture a mature character; it doesn’t happen automatically. Nor does school: even if you attend a good college and then go on to earn a doctor’s degree, it will not restore your character. That is where the church has a role. (25:126, September 30, 1969)

Through religions, God has been teaching people how to strengthen a God-centered spirit and reverse the body’s control over the mind; these further our character development. This is the reason why religions recommend that we fast, sacrifice and serve, be meek and humble, and so on.

It is to weaken the power of the body and to have the body submit to the spirit. It normally takes three to five years for a person leading a life of faith to free him or herself from a body-centered, habitual lifestyle and establish a spirit-centered lifestyle. (201:208-09, April 9, 1990)

Each religion that has appeared on this earth emerged from the deep will of God’s providence to teach the nature of love. (Way of Unification 1.1.4.1)

Heaven is our original homeland, where we are meant to go. We fallen human beings are exiles from our original homeland, and hence our destiny is to return there. We cannot, however, enter heaven by ourselves, so through the course of history God has to set up paths to enable us to return.

This is why God created the various religions: to be training grounds for heaven, illuminating paths for every people, culture and tradition. Religions are meant to train and polish people to be qualified to enter the region of the original homeland.

To cope with humankind’s many different cultures, God set up paths in many directions, yet with each path related to one standard. In this way, God is leading these various paths toward one unified religious world.

What do all religions teach to guide people to their original homeland?

They promote the path of living for the sake of others. The higher the religion, the more strongly it emphasizes the importance of living for others.

For example, religions teach us to be humble. Why? To live for others, we should be able to lift other people above ourselves. Religions also teach us to sacrifice and serve. Why? Through these ways, religions train people to fit the rules of the Kingdom of Heaven. (78:117, May 6, 1975)

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3.28

The believers indeed are brothers; so set things right between your two brothers, and fear God; haply so you will find mercy. Qur’an 49.10

Israel’s reconciliation with God can be achieved only when they are all one brotherhood. Talmud, Menahot 27a (Judaism)

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. Psalm 133

Happy is the unity of the Sangha. Happy is the discipline of the united ones. Dhammapada 194 (Buddhism)

The ultimate purpose of Buddhism, and for that matter all religions, is to serve and benefit man. Tenzin Gyatso, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama (Buddhism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Throughout history, the basic pillar of every civilization has been the spirit.

Religion is that spiritual pillar, enduring from age to age, always keeping the spirit as its center. As religion expands its influence, it guides the human conscience, leavens the social environment, and guides humankind towards the world of God’s desire. (9:277, June 12, 1960)

God established religion to convey God’s love and truth to humankind and to save humankind. God established various religions, each in its own time and place. For example, He founded Buddhism in India and Confucianism in China approximately 2,400 years ago, and in Judea, He founded Christianity 2,000 years ago. It can be said assuredly that the absolute value perspective is established only through religions that revere the Ultimate Reality.

Conversely, no fundamental solution to today’s confusion is possible through those thoughts and philosophies that are not founded on religion…

In history, we have the examples of Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, each of which, in its own time and place, dispelled anxiety and brought peace to societies in chaos. On the foundation of peace and security, each brought forth a flourishing of culture. (122:300, November 26, 1982)

What is the true religion? It is the religion that brings the truth by which all people can enter into a genuine parent-child relationship with God. It unites all humankind in brotherly love. Further, it strives to bring about one human family centered on the love of God.

These are the qualities of a true religion. People who are searching for the highest religion, the religion established by God, should seek a religion with these qualities. (91:225, February 20, 1977)

In the next world, people are divided by nationality; except religious people, who can dwell together with fellow-believers from every nation. In the religious sphere, people believe in one God and long for one world; hence, they can live together, transcending nationality. (297:271, December 19, 1998)

Although their skin colors are different and their living circumstances are different, about Thy Will, they are brothers and sisters in a destined relationship of one blood. (10:150, September 25, 1960)

The ultimate purpose of all religions is to realize the ideal world of peace, which is God’s desire. Religions should be concerned about the Will of God for the salvation of the world before thinking of the salvation of their own denomination or the salvation of individuals. (135:221, November 16, 1985)