Empowering the Heavenly Parent Holy Community
... The Family Federation case thus becomes more than a dispute about one organization. It is a test of Japan’s democratic resilience. Will the courts and the public demand transparency and accountability from state authorities?…
... Meanwhile, Education Minister Toshiko Abe (阿部俊子)argued at a February press conference that publicizing the alleged forgeries “goes against the purpose of keeping proceedings closed” and deemed it inappropriate. However, she avoided commenting on the…
.... In Osaka City on 31st August, about 600 members marched through the city center for 40 minutes, calling for the protection of freedom of religion and fundamental human rights. Participants appealed to passersby, shouting,…
... In the current climate in Japan, heavily influenced by the post-Abe-assassination anti-cult sentiment, there is a possibility that deprogramming practices might resurface. The legal case against the Unification Church primarily depends on civil rulings…
... The original Korean Christian anti-cult movement was mainly driven by Presbyterians. It emerged in response to a significant loss of members—up to 20% in Korean Presbyterian churches—to groups like the Olive Tree and the…
... What is happening in Korea raises serious religious liberty concerns. Both the Yoido Church and the Family Federation have complained that the raids have been unnecessarily harsh and spectacular, as if they were primarily…
... Religion inherently contains elements that may not align with general social norms, and faith-based actions cannot be judged solely by rational criteria. A trial that fails to respect freedom of religion violates human dignity.
... After five years of litigation, they lost in 2017. That ruling clearly stated that “relief for individual victims is unrelated to the dissolution system.” In fact, one could argue that for the sake of…
... While my parents’ generation found faith after searching for truth and peace amid chaos, my generation was raised to embody those ideals from the beginning. That may not make us perfect, but it makes…
... This is one of the book’s strengths: it is not simply memoir, but also a sociological record of a particular moment in Japanese religious politics, where anti-communist activism, theological disputes, and sensationalist journalism converged…