The Words of Sun Myung Moon from 1983
Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han at Hoon Dok Hae in Spain May 1, 2011
Then how can God create this kind of environment? He cannot do it by saying, "You religious people must achieve self denial all by yourselves!" No, we can't do it that way. The standard of self denial must be created within reciprocal relationships.
If you are pushed into the position of being denied by somebody else, it is the same as self denial. Since you cannot create the sphere of denial by yourselves, God Himself creates it. Therefore, a religious person will be opposed by everybody. This is the deeper meaning of persecution.
When you believe in God and in religion, often those who are closest to you, such as your parents or loved ones will oppose you. In such a case, Satan, as the second subject, is attacking the first subject God.
When someone strikes a righteous person unjustly, it sets a condition that must be repaid. Because of this repayment, the development of religion is secured. Do you understand why persecution occurs?