3. Comprehend the Truth Not Merely on the Authority of a Teacher, but from One’s Own Extensive Study and Research
World Scripture
Do not be misled by reports, or tradition, or hearsay. Be not led by the authority of religious texts, nor by mere logic or inference, nor by considering appearances, nor by the delight in speculative opinions, nor by seeming possibilities, nor by the idea: “This is our teacher.” But when you know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome and wrong, and bad, then give them up… And when you know for yourselves that certain things are wholesome and good, then accept them and follow them.
Anguttara Nikaya 1.190-91 (Buddhism)
The search for knowledge is an obligation laid on every Muslim.
Hadith of Ibn Majah and Baihaqi (Islam)
He who devotes himself to the study of the law of the Most High will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients, and will be concerned with prophecies; he will preserve the discourse of notable men and penetrate the subtleties of parables; he will seek out the hidden meanings of proverbs and be at home with the obscurities of parables. He will serve among great men and appear before rulers; he will travel through the lands of foreign nations, for he tests the good and the evil among men.
Ecclesiasticus 39.1-4 (Christianity)
Thinking is like drilling a well; if we are persistent we will reach clear water. At first it must be muddied, but by gradually scraping away it will naturally become clear.
Chu Hsi (Confucianism)
By collecting contrasting divergent opinions I hope to provoke young readers to push themselves to the limit in the search for truth, so that their wits may be sharpened by their investigation. It is by doubting that we come to investigate, and by investigating that we recognize the truth.
Peter Abelard, Inquiry into Divergent Views of the Church Fathers (Christianity)
The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue.
Antisthenes5 (Hellenism)
Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking; where it is absent, discussion is apt to become worse than useless.
Leo Tolstoy (Humanism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
The ultimate purpose of religion can be attained only when one first believes it in one’s heart and then puts it into practice. However, without first understanding, beliefs do not take hold.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Introduction)
Do not recklessly make a move when you are given a vague teaching. Do not make a move unless the direction is established in clear truth. Even if someone propounds a new teaching with great persuasiveness, do not simply believe it. First discuss it with someone who is more Abel-like6 than you.
(3:212, November 1, 1957)
Although you have joined the Unification Church, if it does not answer all your questions, then pack up and leave.
(150:110, September 4, 1960)
Philosophers, saints and sages set out to pave the way of goodness for the people of their times. Yet so many of their accomplishments have become added spiritual burdens for the people of today.
Consider this objectively. Has any philosopher ever arrived at the knowledge that could solve humanity’s deepest anguish? Has any sage ever clearly illuminated the path by resolving all the fundamental questions of human life and the universe?
Have not their teachings and philosophies raised more unsettled questions, thus giving rise to skepticism?
If we are created in such a way that we cannot live apart from God, then surely our ignorance of God consigns us to walk miserable paths. Though we may diligently study the Bible, can we really say that we know clearly the reality of God? Can we ever grasp the heart of God?
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Introduction)
Before I began my path of life, I asked the question, “Does God exist?” Only after I could give a clear answer, “Definitely, God exists,” did I begin my course.
(13:201, March 15, 1964)
When searching for truth, it is not enough to just accept what you read in the Bible. We need to be able to measure the truth with precision. I searched for truth like a researcher who does experiment after experiment to prove his results. The Divine Principle contains many such well-tested discoveries.
(May 1, 1977)
What did God teach me when I was a boy? Do you know what a hard time God gave me? Step by step I had to verify for myself the two fundamental axioms: love passes through the shortest distance, and the origin of the universe is the father-son relationship. Then from these two truths I had to work out everything else.
I had to elucidate the truths of the world of the principle from this new starting-point—the original father-son relationship that has nothing to do with the lineage of the secular world. Hence, I could not understand anything without knowing the particulars of the Human Fall. Now I have uncovered the origin, and from it, I have revealed the law of the universe, the heavenly law.
(376:315, April 29, 2002)
Once I started seriously questioning a certain passage in the Bible, I would strive continually even for three years to solve the mystery of it. Until I could shout, “Eureka!” I would push myself to penetrate the root of the problem.
(35:38, September 27, 1970)