Research:Cheon Il Guk Constitution
Cheon Il Guk Constitution - Introduction
Sometime in 2012 Hak Ja Han announced that a convention to create a constitution for the nation of Cheon Il Guk would convene. The convention would be tasked with creating groups of scholars to draft a preliminary constitution. Not much is known about the early stages of this project and who were the driving people leading the effort. One task of this research will be to identify the key players.
News reports filtered to the west irregularly telling of study sessions among various groups. Another part of this research will be to identify the groups and their participants and their work product if that information is available.
What is now known is that once the original draft was written a series of public hearings were held. The stated purpose of the hearings was for Unificationists from around the world to give input and make suggestions. Hundreds of members participated. A few people posted testimonies on social media and for the most part reported that there was no time given for questions and answers or input from the audience. The draft constitution was read and speeches were given.
Adopted Without Public Review
In spite of promises to open the proceedings to the public there was no opportunity given for Unification members to comment on the proposed statutes of the Cheon Il Guk Constitution. The draft version was officially adopted and it was announced on 'Foundation day 2014' the Constitution would enter into force sixty days hereafter, April 11, 2014.
There is some confusion as to what entity the Constitution is intended to govern. The "nation" of Cheon Il Guk does not exist, some remarked, therefore the constitution is in fact more a charter for governance of the Unification Church itself which would define it as Canon Law for a religious body. UC spokesmen have thus far left the intention vague. The authoritarian model of Unification Church governance apparently will continue even after the nation of CIG is realized.
Member Reaction
Western members were universally disappointed that church leadership did not keep their promise to develop the CIG constitution in full public view and with input from the members. Church leadership held stage-managed events to give the appearance of public hearings. Many, however, recognized this as a clumsy charade.
Official Unification Church press release note the following 'readings' were held involving 1,035 members:
- 7/8/13 True Family and former president
- 7/10/13 church elders and representative Blessed Families
- 7/11/13 president and executive officers of church businesses
- 7/12/13 current and former church pastors
- 7/18/13 current and former Japanese leaders
- 7/23/13 continental leaders and representative national leaders, western legal experts (lawyers)
- 8/6/13 Sun Moon University Law Department professor
- 8/8/13 leaders of organizations and businesses and national messiahs
None of the 1,035 participants at these meetings were invited to comment. Nevertheless, a number of western Unificationist academics and intellectuals offered an evaluation of the document and published their views. Thus far, UC leadership has ignored their remarks.
Highlighted below is a thoughtful critique from William Haines, England. William notes that UC members recite the Family Pledge as a daily traditional practice by which they declare themselves "Owners of Cheon Il Guk." Unificationists believe that as owners, their rights are granted to them by the Almighty and not some committee in a distant capital. This contradiction was noted by a participating 2nd generation Unificationist who writes of the CIG Constitution:
"...we can conclude that it is not a constitution, as with a democracy. It is not a covenant, as with Canon Law. It is a "terms-of-use-agreement" written to protect the Movement from its members."
Here are further comments by Unificationists.
CIG Symposium in London
Western members were universally disappointed that church leadership did not keep a promise to develop the CIG constitution in full public view and with input from the members. Church leadership instead held stage-managed events to give the appearance of public hearings however all recognized this as a clumsy charade. In spite of their disappointment, western members, academics and intellectuals have evaluated the document and published their views. Thus far, UC leadership has ignored their remarks. The Summary of Speaker Presentations linked below contains the transcript of remarks of eight Unficationists from Great Britain which was the first national church to hold a symposium the discuss the draft constitution.
Criticism of the Cheon Il Guk Constitution
- [Who owns Cheon Il Guk?] — By William Haines, UTS '92
- [Symposium on the Cheon Il Guk Constitution] — Summary of Speaker Presentations — London, UK, March 22, 2014
- [Reflections on the Cheon Il Guk Constitution] — By Graham Simon, AppliedUnificationism.com
- [Thoughts on a Cheon Il Guk Constitution] — By Gordon Anderson, Ph.D UTS '78
- [Open Letter on the Cheon Il Guk Constitution] — By Mark Anderson, Paul Carlson, Dan Fefferman, David Payer