I have always wondered why we use the term “Only Begotten” given the Exposition of the Divine Principle (hereafter referred to as EDP or just DP) teaching and True Father’s (hereafter referred to as “Father”) words. When our members hear them, what do they think they mean? In Seminary I learned how this terminology developed in the councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon and, as a result, wondered why we adopted them. As most people know, Christianity affirms that Jesus did not have a human father—God was Jesus’ father.[1]

Father, on the other hand, has indicated that Jesus did have a human father—Zachariah. The EDP sections on the “Principle of Creation” and “Christology” clearly distinguish Father’s teaching from traditional Christian theology. So, I take issue with the use of the term “Only Begotten” because EDP and Father’s teachings clearly indicate that the Christian understanding of the words “Only” and “Begotten” are incorrect and do not correlate to Unification Theology. In our theology, Adam and Eve were meant to be the first perfected, true human beings—true parents—not the only true parents.

[A FamilyFed pastor] decided to ask Jin-Choon Kim (former President of Cheongshim Graduate School of Theology who gave officially approved lectures to Family Fed members on the new Only Begotten Daughter theology). why Mother was using the term Only Begotten Daughter since he had never heard Father use this term? Jin-Choon Kim then told him that he and other theologians had recommended it to her . He said that he and the other theologians had discussed the use of the term and reached consensus over its appropriateness. They told Mother that she could adopt this term to help clarify and proclaim her true identity.

 The whole idea of OBS runs completely against the Principle view of Christology. Are we suddenly going to subscribe to the Nicene Creed? If so, we should have done so 60 years ago and saved ourselves so much persecution. Jesus was the ONLY begotten son because he was God the Son and the 2^nd person of the Trinity. No room for anyone else. In other words, no one else can become like Jesus because Jesus is God because he was begotten by God.

 Is this what we believe or teach? As such, Jesus has existed since the beginning. The church teaches anathema on anyone who says there was a time when he was not. Has True Mother existed from the very beginning before the creation of the world? Also, God crudely speaking, was his Dad. His mother was a virgin and God was his Dad. A pagan idea deeply offensive to Jews and Muslims.

 Daniel McFeeters did an interesting study on the “Only Begotten” issue and it sheds significant light on the matter.

So Isaac was Abraham’s “only begotten son” in a similar way to how Jesus was God’s “only-begotten.” Not necessarily in the sense of being “only born,” so much as in a description of the close and intimate relationship—the unique and special union—that exists between the father and the son. Notice how both Greek words that come from the Hebrew “yachiyd” are used to describe Jesus: John 3:16 describes Jesus as God’s “only begotten son” (Monogenes), while the synoptic gospels record the voice of God proclaiming from heaven, “This is My beloved Son” (Agapetos). Two powerful descriptions of one being—the Son of God, or “Seed” who came in ultimate fulfillment of all God’s promises to Abraham and all the patriarchs before him.”[2]

[1] There are many sources for this information; here is one such example with a simple explanation: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101971921

[2] The entire article can be found here - https://www.pastordaniel.net/the-only-begotten-son/#:~:text=Pastor%20Daniel%20Posted%20on%20April,can't%20play%20this%20video.

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