Responsibility

It is important to note that the Principle doesn’t attribute the main responsibility for the fall to the angel.

It goes to great length to explain the motives and sequence of events. According to these descriptions, the events leading to the fall clearly originated from the angel. They even indicate certain events in the angelic realm prior to the fall and that more angels than the archangel were involved.

Some teachers of the Principle offer considerable deeper insights into the occurrences surrounding the fall, based on unpublished talks of Sun Myung Moon. They explain how the angel maneuvered the woman into very difficult circumstances, monopolizing information, distorting the truth, confusing her mind and emotions. In the end, according to some, he almost raped her.

However, still, the Principle attributes the responsibility for the fall to the first man and woman. That’s because they were in the position to rule the cosmos, while the angel – not being human - was part of the creation, supposed to be ruled by humans. Even while the first humans were still immature, at no time was the angel in a position above them.

Whatever happened before the fall, no matter how excruciatingly difficult, God expected the first man and woman, who were to inherit ownership of the cosmos, to adhere to the principles which – at least in their in their innermost heart - they knew to be right.

To give humans the responsibility for the fall is not an attribution of blame. It just describes the positions of all participants and emphasizes the position of humans above the angelic realm. It is also the starting point for a solution.

As long as one thinks in terms of right and wrong, fair and unfair etc. that is difficult to grasp. Somehow it seems unfair that only humans are ‘blamed’ for an act that was initiated by someone else. But across the boundary between humans and the world of creation - which includes the angelic realm - it makes sense.

Not responding to the angel’s illegitimate act and respecting the freedom of human beings, God maintains his position as the ruler over a world without sin even though he loses everything. He then starts to create again.

This view of God respecting man’s freedom and not interfering in the fall for the sake of love is central to the image that the movement teaches about God and true love.