UCA News
Contribute

Japan's blind probe against Unification Church must stop

What if believers of other faiths complain of being brainwashed and their spiritual leaders are frauds?
Members of the Unification Church protest in Seoul on Aug 18 against media coverage the group has received in Japan following the assassination in early July of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. The church was founded by Sun Myung Moon in Korea in 1954 and its followers are colloquially known as Moonies

Members of the Unification Church protest in Seoul on Aug 18 against media coverage the group has received in Japan following the assassination in early July of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. The church was founded by Sun Myung Moon in Korea in 1954 and its followers are colloquially known as Moonies. (Photo: AFP)

Published: August 25, 2022 03:08 AM GMT
Updated: August 25, 2022 05:23 AM GMT

Support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government in Japan has dropped to its lowest level since his election amid a quest to investigate lawmakers suspected of entertaining “connections” to the Unification Church.

Kishida's support has fallen to 36 percent from 52 percent a month ago, according to a survey. As much as 87 percent of the survey participants said the Unification Church was either an “extreme problem" or "somewhat a problem" for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

It’s easy to figure out why. The Unification Church’s name has been essentially rendered synonymous with a religious scam following an unrelenting media campaign.

Thousands of Unification Church followers rallied in the South Korean capital Seoul last week protesting the negative Japanese media coverage of their religion. The protesters, mostly Japanese believers who moved to South Korea, say the Japanese media, in its improbable attempt to rationalize Shinzo Abe’s assassination, has unduly targeted their church.

Church members fear that the social persecution, on top of family pressure, will force them to recant their faith.

However, the social pressure could have nothing to do with the actual belief as the church in question is a sort of esoteric cult whose main surreptitious undertaking is to convince their faithful into donating all their savings to the organization.

"The mere suspicion of being in the wrong is already a sentence in East Asian countries"

What is important, particularly in East Asian culture, is the shame family members feel on being seen as relatives of someone who is part of a group whose public image is forever tarnished. That is what matters.

The mere suspicion of being in the wrong is already a sentence in East Asian countries. The substance of the claim doesn't matter when evaluating reputation.

There have been cases in the recent past where Unification Church followers were literally kidnapped by family members in an attempt to “detoxify” them from their beliefs.  No wonder why the protesters in Korea recited slogans condemning the toxic atmosphere that the media has crafted, labeling it tantamount to religious repression.

And if we still believe in the freedom to profess any creed, can we blame the demonstrators for shouting “stop the assault on human rights”?

Now Kishida, in a move to distance himself from the critics, has instructed the justice minister to take measures to tackle complaints coming from former Unification Church members and relatives regarding “suspicious” marketing schemes, and what now the media is describing as “spiritual sales.”

We know already that this road taken is a slippery slope.

"It is better if the Kishida government stopped now in this blind quest to define what can be construed as a spiritual donation and what is not"

It would be interesting to know if the justice minister will also consider probable complaints about the sale of amulets and ema (small plaques on which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes), which are sold all over the archipelago.

In Shinto belief, as in the native cult, these are believed to act as a bridge between the material world to the transcendent one.

How will the justice minister define a spiritual sale if confronted, let’s say, with Buddhist prayer beads or a statue of the Virgin Mary? 

And if indeed some of the Unification Church's dubious marketing strategies are deemed “scams,” how will the government prevent complaints coming from family members of other religious faiths, who have donated (as often happens) their whole estate, house, and land, to a religious institution?  

What if believers of other faiths come forward with complaints of being “brainwashed” and say frauds, masquerading as spiritual masters, promised them a spiritual benefit for their material offerings?

It is better if the Kishida government stopped the blind quest to define what can be construed as a spiritual donation and what is not, lest the consequences could explode beyond expectations.

"The state under this constitution has no power to suppress even what common sense would suggest is a rational decision"

If a government arrogates to itself the right to define what is of religious or spiritual worth to an individual (and what is not), then we no longer live in a polity where religion and state are two separate entities. Instead, we end up with a state that interferes with a religious pursuit by dictating its own standards. And, we know it is prohibited by the Japanese Constitution with its Articles 19 and 20, which speak about freedom of thought and conscience.

The state, under the provision of the constitution, is obliged to take a neutral attitude toward all religions and denominations. Is the Kishida government’s current move a neutral stance?

Some may argue that the state has the right to safeguard its citizens when the circumstances point to possible illegitimate activity. But we should not forget that the Aum Shinrikyo cult, responsible for the Tokyo subway sarin attack that killed 13 people in 1995, continues to exist to this day. It hasn’t been extinguished by the state as one may think, even though 13 of the senior Aum leadership, including cult leader Shoko Asahara, were convicted and executed.

The state under this constitution has no power to suppress even what common sense would suggest is a rational decision, such as extinguishing the Aum Shinrikyo cult. In fact, Shoko Asahara followers have simply changed their name, and still, practice what they believe in because we think they should have the right to do so.

Those who don’t agree with freedom of belief should gather their energy and effort and direct it not towards the Unification Churches, but to amend the fundamental principles on which the modern Japanese state is founded.

* The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.

Help UCA News to be independent
Dear reader,
Lent is the season during which catechumens make their final preparations to be welcomed into the Church.
Each year during Lent, UCA News presents the stories of people who will join the Church in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The stories of how women and men who will be baptized came to believe in Christ are inspirations for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Church's chief feast.
Help us with your donations to bring such stories of faith that make a difference in the Church and society.
A small contribution of US$5 will support us continue our mission…
William J. Grimm
Publisher
UCA News
comment

Share your comments

7 Comments on this Story
THERESE
First error I saw in the article is that it refers to the Unification church as a religion. It is not. It is a cult which would give anyone the right to not be thrilled with it entering their society and culture.
THERESE
The Unification church is recognized as a cult by the Roman Catholic Church and to allow its infiltration out of fear of reprisal to one's Faith is putting it on the same level as an actual Faith religion. It is not and the truth of the teachings of the Unification church need to be openly discussed such as here, in this comments section. To delete or ignore the truth only allows the counterfeit to flourish.
TOM
Let’s hope copycat activity does not happen in any other country. https://educationforpeaceireland.wordpress.com/gods-love-v-religion-an-autobiography/
MIGUEL ANGEL
Acts 24:5 5 "We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect." This is what they said about Saint Paul and the first Christians, a time before they were taken to the Roman circuses to be eaten by lions. Who decides what a sect is?
THERESE
The Roman Catholic Church decides based on several factors. The Unification church according to the RC Church is not a sect but a cult. As Catholics, we need to be honest and open when addressing false teaching as an act of obedience to the Church and a help to others who may be led astray.
COLM
If someone joins UC because they have a Holy Spirit experience and come to believe in the Divine Principle and True Parents as the solutions to the world’s problems and as eternal salvation, then what the Roman Church believes is or isn’t a “Cult” is irrelevant to what freedoms believers should have in Japan… First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me
DAVID STADELHOFER
This is an excellent article!!
Asian Bishops
Latest News
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia