Joining Was “the Best Decision in My Life”

After becoming a member 51 years ago, Jack Corley realised it was the best decision he had ever made  

Part 4 of an interview in Episode 2 of “Why I Stayed – Unificationist Stories”, where Jack Corley, a farmer’s son from Ireland, tells his story. 

See part 1: Reason for Joining: God Became a Reality   See part 2: More Than a Belief: Finding a Living, Loving God    See part 3: Importance of an Ideal When We “Marry Reality” See part 5: 50 Years Devoted to Peace in Troubled World

See the video of the interview

Presenter: We were talking about the nice feeling, amazing experiences that you had joining the Unification Church. And how lucky you were to have your siblings there, because I think often a person who decides to change his or her life so drastically faces a lot of misunderstanding from family or friends. How did your life change the moment you stepped on this path?

Jack: Well, basically I would say, first of all, the truth of what I heard made a deep impression upon me because it gave clear guidelines about what is right and wrong. I was at the point in my life where I was really questioning all the things that I had been taught as a Catholic, the issue of morality of various kinds.

When I heard the Principles, I understood that it answers those questions. I felt it was something that I would like to have as a guideline in my life.

As a student, when I was studying in Cork, one of the things I studied was navigation. And the reason I was doing that was I wanted to become a ships radio officer and then travel the world and just see the world before settling down.

Here I thought that travelling the world would be okay, but of course you can really go astray when travelling the world. But I found there’s an ideal here which even if I travel the world, I can actually do it and do it right. When I joined the Unification Church, I didn’t realise that I would end up travelling the world.

Maybe I wasn’t paid as much as I would have otherwise as a navigator on a ship, but nonetheless I felt that was a great benefit also at the time, of course, I didn’t know that I was going to be travelling all over the world.

So the big issue though is I found a way to live a more moral life, I would say. And that was always something that I felt inside, that life is meaningful if you can live a more moral life. I did not want to fall into a trap of promiscuity, drugs, all these things which were a big issue among my friends actually at school. I felt I could not take that path. And I felt reinforced when I heard the Divine Principle.

Presenter: So you came to live the life of your dreams, but there was another way leading there. Were there any rough moments, rough times?

Jack: Of course. I remember reading some articles in various media which were very critical of our movement and our founders. And it put some thoughts in my mind, “What if this is wrong? What if this is not really true, and Reverend and Mrs. Moon were charlatans?” And I had to wrestle with that.

But the ideas were so strong, so rational to me that I just felt it’s true. And of course, I met Reverend and Mrs. Moon many times in the course of my 51 years in the movement. I have no doubt about their genuineness and have no regrets whatsoever. After half a century, I have no regrets. I believe that the decision that I made in 1973 to join the movement was the best decision in my life.

Presenter: That should be amazing to feel that way. At hard times, when you were in doubt, or there were some things coming at you, what would you say made you stay? We already talked about why you joined, but a lot of people join, and then they leave, all confused and unhappy. And here you are, being absolutely content with your decision. What made you stay?

Jack: Well, again, the strong belief in the ideal of the Principles, but also in the integrity of the founders of the Unification Church, and in my experience of travelling the world. I’ve met our members in all kinds of circumstances, whether from the jungles of Mindanao to the steppes of Russia, to the south of India, wherever, or here in Ireland, where I also worked for some time. I always felt the genuineness of the people and the conviction that they have about the belief that they now follow. So to me, that was a reinforcing experience.

And of course, we talk about each other being like brothers and sisters in our movement. And I feel this is not just a cliché; this is a real experience. We do feel that way among each other.

When you struggle with something, you can actually talk to somebody who very well understands, because they share your vision, share your faith, and they’re able to guide and support you in times of difficulty. You have a worldwide family.

To be continued. Part 5 coming soon.

See part 1: Reason for Joining: God Became a Reality   See part 2: More Than a Belief: Finding a Living, Loving God    See part 3: Importance of an Ideal When We “Marry Reality” See part 5: 50 Years Devoted to Peace in Troubled World

Featured image above: Jack Corley on a visit to the southern coast of South Korea 10th May 2023. Photo: Private

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