Empowering the Heavenly Parent Holy Community
... Soto Zen argues that Japanese law traditionally mandates dissolution of a religious organization only in cases of criminal convictions, not civil disputes. This stance has drawn attention to potential constitutional violations regarding freedom of religion…
... Referring to the case of Toru Goto (後藤徹), who was locked up for 12 years and 5 months and subjected to coercion to leave the church, Satoshi Hamada mentioned that the family and the…
... During parliamentary questioning in 1987, then-Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, when pressured by Communist Party members to sever ties with IFVOC, stated, “It is a serious infringement on freedom of thought and action,” and emphasized that it was…
... Organizations opposing our church have systematically and persistently engaged in egregious human rights violations, such as abduction, confinement, and forced de-conversion against our believers, with the aim of destroying our church. According to our church‘s records, over 4,300 believers have suffered from such abuses.
... The acceptance of donations is a right recognized for religious corporations, and the claim that receiving donations implies non-religious purposes goes against international law established by the “Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination…
... “In effect, Japan’s democratic government would be impeding an international church with thousands of adherents from operating in its territory. Doing so also would create a legal weapon for use against other churches, especially ones disdained…
... Masubuchi recalls attending the Tochigi Prefectural Convention of IFVOC around 1976, where its chairman Osami Kuboki (1931-1998) delivered a speech titled “A Cry for the Salvation of the Country”. He addressed the threat of…
... Surprisingly, Japan’s religious community has remained largely silent in response to these developments. Allowing the government to continue unchecked in this regard will inevitably lead to the deterioration of the religious landscape. If religion…
... The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification calls on Japan to rethink the dissolution of the religious movement in the country The first hearing is taking place of the Japanese governments request for a dissolution order against the Family Federation…
... The hounding of the Unification Church was both political and social activism. It is undeniable that the media also participated in this activism. The evidence for hounding the Unification Church was weak. Testimonies were accepted only from those involved who could…