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Mr. Chairman, distinguished professors, ladies and gentlemen: Once again we have come to the conclusion of another excellent ICUS conference. This is the second time we have come to Los Angeles. I am pleased that the City of Angels has honored our conference by issuing a proclamation.
Usually people come to California to have fun. There is sunshine, Hollywood, Disneyland, and the ocean. But we brought you here just to work. Many of you did not even have time to leave the hotel. That is not all. I did not even let you sleep. We are so close to the airport, the noise of the jets kept you awake all night. That way I could get 24 hours of work out of you!
But I am sorry to make you work so hard. Mrs. Moon suggested to me, "Why don't you be the founder of another conference called 'The Disneyland Conference?' The theme could be 'Absolute Fun and Absolute Relaxation.'" Would you like that idea?
True Mother at the Farewell Banquet.
Each year the conference has developed greater insight into the unity of the sciences and absolute values, for which I am deeply grateful. At the same time, we have become closer, and we have overcome national and cultural barriers in creating an ICUS family. I truly cherish this opportunity to meet with you and work together. Making a model of peaceful international cooperation is one of the most important accomplishments of ICUS.
Now, I would like to express my deepest thanks and appreciation to our conference chairman, Dr. Alvin Weinberg, for his outstanding leadership both this year and last year. Dr. Weinberg, thank you for doing such a wonderful job. Could you please join with me in expressing our thanks to Dr. and Mrs. Weinberg?
I would also like to recognize one of our outstanding past chairmen, Sir John Eccles, who served as a plenary speaker at this conference. I understand that in the plenary session, Sir John was asked, "How does God speak to man?" He boldly answered, "I believe God is speaking through me." I really admire a scholar who speaks with such conviction. Let us give Sir John and Lady Helena Eccles our applause.
I also want to thank the two vice-chairmen, Dr. Higatsberger and Dr. Cappelletti, as well as all the committee chairmen, for a job very well done. Please join me in giving them all a great round of applause.
And I wish to thank each of you, participants, for your efforts toward the success of the conference. I respect each of you and I appreciate your commitment to the unity of sciences and the search for absolute values.
Seventeen years ago, when I brought up the theme of absolute values, honestly, no one took it seriously. Some even ridiculed it. Seventeen years later, however, the same theme of absolute values has become a natural part of our thinking process.
Today's world can be described in one word -- a world of confusion, especially confusion in value systems. The communist world has its problems. Likewise, the free world has its own problems. Where can we find hope? Unless an unchanging and eternal standard of absolute value based on God becomes the central point of human life, we will not have hope of fulfilling the human dream. That is why I have been steadfast in insisting on the search for absolute values as the theme of ICUS.
In my own searching, I came to feel that there must be a rallying point in order to solve the chaos of the world; if there were no God, man must even create an imaginary God. But then, I came to know absolutely in my deepest heart that there is a living God. We do not have to create one. All we have to do is recognize the true God and rally around His will and purpose.
The mission of ICUS is to search for truth. Let us not become discouraged even though our search for truth may be long and difficult, because truth is worth investing our entire heart and soul and mind.
I always respect you scientists and scholars as the hope of humanity, because if truth is to be made known, it must be through you. For that reason, I can say your mission is no less than the salvation of humankind.
The International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences, after 17 years, has come to a new level. I do feel that from the 18th ICUS on, we are going to open up a new chapter of history. This ICUS movement shall become the launching pad for a true cultural revolution, and ICUS shall become an action- packed movement that will impact our world and change it, and move forward to fulfill the ideal world.
This exciting new chapter of ICUS will begin in 1990 in Seoul, Korea, in conjunction with the World Festival of Culture. I look forward to seeing you all there.
May God bless you and your families and your work. See you in Seoul. Thank you very much.