crime

Unification Church says Abe shooter's mother is follower

73 Comments
By Kiyoshi Takenaka, Ju-min Park and Tim Kelly

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73 Comments
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The sins of the fathers shall be born by the children unto the fourth generation.

-13 ( +12 / -25 )

https://shingetsunewsagency.com/2022/07/10/the-crime-that-killed-shinzo-abe/

Plenty of connections between Abe and Unification Church!

30 ( +35 / -5 )

Obviously

2 ( +7 / -5 )

So now the Moonies self-identify. What is up with the self-imposed bashfulness in the Japanese newsmedia with some nebulous "religious organization"? Why are they so reluctant to use the name?

31 ( +33 / -2 )

The Moonies are a gun church, and they encourage adherents to bring AR15 to worship at their compound in Texas.

Videos are available on Vice channel on YouTube.

22 ( +25 / -3 )

Shinzo Abe recorded a video message of congratulations for another Unification Church event held September 12 of last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtzkP2Pi9tY&t=1s

18 ( +26 / -8 )

Ah finally. When the Unification Church itself decides the public can know about its role in this, the media is suddenly allowed to report on it.

26 ( +28 / -2 )

The shooter isn’t entirely wrong. Abe’s grandfather did help the Unification church get a foothold in Japan. I’m not sure how much association Abe actually had with the Moonies considering he was such an avid supporter of Yasukuni. But even then he backed away from visiting yasukuni also after Obama stated that he was disappointed. Don’t really know but it doesn’t seem that Abe was directly involved with that crazy church.

6 ( +14 / -8 )

So much of this story doesn't add up.

1 ( +10 / -9 )

That’s what the Moonies do. First they brainwash people into having mass weddings and then bleed them dry. So romantic. Having an intimate wedding alongside 1,000 other couples.

23 ( +25 / -2 )

The shooter was a nut, all these extras don’t matter, he was , is a nut. You as a normal stable person you do not want to kill anyone. religion stuff an excuse but an attractive reason for nuts so maybe banning religious organisations might actually solve many social problems.

-10 ( +9 / -19 )

Zoroto

Having a conviction doesn't make you a nut, not any more than, for example, Ted Bundy being a nut. The fact that he assembled and tested multiple weapons (and apparently bombs) shows some serious level of intelligence and planning ability.

A serious level of intelligence and planning ability does not mean the person can not be a nut. E.g. the Unabomber had both, and his self-designed, handcrafted bombs were more sophisticated than the internet instruction based shooting devices this guy constructed. Completely unrelated concepts.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/3847a07bce685b927efdf5df9634ff7195ee1b4d

There seems to be some conflict of opinions, this Unification Church representative is saying the shooter and his family do not and never did have any connection to the church.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

There seems to be some conflict of opinions, this Unification Church representative is saying the shooter and his family do not and never did have any connection to the church.

What do you mean? The article you link says the same thing as this article and quotes the same guy, Tanaka.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

So now the Moonies self-identify. What is up with the self-imposed bashfulness in the Japanese newsmedia with some nebulous "religious organization"? Why are they so reluctant to use the name?

It is what you get when a comedy company Yoshimoto and a boy-band-group company Johnnies with zero

journalistic knowledge are in charge of TV programs.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

The usual poorly-informed mess.

Nobusuke Kishi was never charged as an "A class" criminal. And most don't understand what that term means.

Abe Shinzo wanted votes and would say things at times to keep the Unification Church happy. But he almost certainly viewed them with distaste. The more you study the group, the more you will be disgusted.

Interestingly, the Unification Church is in huge disorder at the moment. The breakaway Sanctuary Church leader, Hyung Jin Moon, is currently visiting Japan and giving speeches.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

or you could get a job and be a productive member of society...

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Tanaka said that Abe was not a member nor an adviser to the church.

Well he would, wouldn't he?

According to the link provided by @Soylent Green, governments under the LDP have been very ... erm ... permissive towards the UC's pressure sales techniques (isn't it basically scamming?) and the lack of any legal comeback in Japan over the decades. And Abe seemingly publicly endorsing the Moonies as recently as last September seems to suggest that Abe and the Moonies were thick as ... well ... whatever. Japan seems to be one of, if not the biggest, source of their funding.

If all this is true, it's even more deliciously ironic, the public anti-Korea nationalistic posturing of the right wing of the LDP, if in fact, they have helped the Moonies to trouser massive amounts of Church members' money.

It would certainly plausibly explain the motive. As the shooter had military training, and he'd seen his family bankrupted, maybe his mother swallowed up by the cult over a period of years, you could imagine him resorting to revenge on someone he saw as responsible for the lack of legal recourse.

11 ( +14 / -3 )

This is a sect. Probably extreme right or worse. This look messy as hell.

°

MMF

13 ( +13 / -0 )

It isn't a religion or a sect. It's a nasty cult. Ironic that politically Abe opposed Korea but supported a Korean cult.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Ah... That Church !

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Too many Korean cults

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Well now the church is saying that the mother was indeed a member, and they were aware of her financial troubles…

5 ( +6 / -1 )

So, a Korean cult that milks Japanese for all they have got is allowed to function in Japan without censure?

Amazing Japan!

-3 ( +10 / -13 )

kurisupisuToday  06:46 pm JST

So, a Korean cult that milks Japanese for all they have got is allowed to function in Japan without censure?

Amazing Japan!

They're popular worldwide. Fools from various countries give them their money.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

A recruiter approached me when I was a college freshman in the business district near campus. Again decades later another recruiter outside the airport at Incheon. Both were very nice and difficult to say no. Fortunately I was aware of the organization and its reputation.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

"Unification Church business interests, which had begun in the 1960s, expanded in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s (decade). Church owned businesses in the United States include media and entertainment, fishing and sea food distribution, hotels and real estate, and many others."

5 ( +6 / -1 )

The personal security agents are to blame, thats the first thing. Second thing is this churches are mafia like so people must be protected. Now i am going to call my mom ti ask her if she is affiliated to any church, you see she is tge head of thr family bank account and we have cash from selling good properties. I m worried.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Unification church is Korean based religion, established by Rev Moon,it align with right wing wackos,they own the Washington Times

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Stay TUNED, more to come. This looks like a much deeper subject and has a lot to do with the connection between government officials and this church, so much for the separation of Church and state.

Never thought that I will see the day of violent act connected to religion in Japan.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Why was Mr. Abe killed by such a trivial person for such a trivial reason? The killer's mother became addicted to religion because of her. Her bankruptcy caused trouble for her creditors. No one has any sympathy for his family situation. He is a fool, easily fooled by conspiracy theories. Even if he hadn't been fooled by conspiracy theories, he would have been scammed.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

This is cult

https://twitter.com/Amitayus33/status/1546436386781143040

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Poor Mother, first she lost her life savings to the Moonie's. and now she is about to loose her son too.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Stay TUNED, more to come.

An LDP politician in Kobe has let the cat out of the bag: "“Depending on the person they may be closer or less close, but EVERYONE in the LDP has connections (to Unification Church)”.

https://twitter.com/YosukeBuchmeier/status/1546301371359567873

According to a 2019 article in Nikkan Gendai, Abe's cabinet after the election that year was known as the "cult cabinet" because it contained 12 members associated with the Unification Church and 12 with Nippon Kaigi. Top leaders closely connected to the Church included Suga, Aso, Takaichi, Kato and Shimomura. The usual supects indeed.

Just as was speculated, they're all dirty, hence the mainstream Japanese media's refusal to name the "religious group". One wonders what will happen now; this is all over social media so surely the corporate media can't simply continue to pretend they know nothing about it.

Further: did the corporate media deliberately hold back so as not to imperil the LDP's victory in Sunday's election? What influence does the UC have on LDP policies? Where's the money coming from and who's it going to (because there's always money)? What other secretive and powerful lobby groups have influence on the LDP?

12 ( +16 / -4 )

banning religious organisations might actually solve many social problems.

About 85% of the world's population claim religious affiliation. You wanna ban them all? ...along with all thier schools, hospitals, aged care facilities, homeless shelters, DV shelters, suicide hotlines, etc?

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Too many Korean cults

Too many Japanese cults. I had a Japanese girlfriend many years ago, who now manages what I consider a cult. Charges money for everything she claims she can do.

-2 ( +10 / -12 )

Most people see Jesus as their Messiah ,the leader of the Unification church believe he is the Messiah, chosen by God over Jesus

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Good people do good things. Bad people do bad things. When good people want to do bad things, they need religion.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

If anybody saw the other zip guns that were confiscated - he was obsessed with making homemade weapons of destruction. He was a domestic terrorist and this has nothing to do with a church or his mom or anything.

He was a nutjob bent on using the homemade weapons he was creating.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

That's one "Religion" / Cult, that should go the way of the "Aum Shinrikyo" and be banned in Japan - it's all about "money" and from the following, just seems like a scam:

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4791c74c754bfae1b5b4a648c352b666bad16197

3 ( +4 / -1 )

These churches preach that there is only one god and that you can’t have any other gods but Japan has thousands of gods.

If you don’t believe in their god then you will die eternally or go to hell where they grind your teeth while you’re surrounded by fire or something like that. You also get thirsty and ask for a drop of water.

Your choices are to choose such a place or to believe in their god and this is called man’s freedom.

Religion is opium of the masses. The money that Yamagami’s mother contributed and what you’re supposed to do too as a member is not really your money but god’s money because everything belongs to god since everything was created by god.

Glad China protects its citizens from such churches. Japan needs to do so as well.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Politics is all about Power - controlling people. Religion is the same, and as such the two are incompatible. The UK separated Church from Politics Century's ago - but didn't ban Religion. China, is a different case, it doesn't want anyone to have Power other than itself, so Religions other than that of the CCP are banned, but in China it doesn't stop there, Modern day "Influencers" are also under the spotlight, similarly Large Business Leaders.... China is not a role model in anything, period. If you think it is, then go back and live there, rather than here.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I read yesterday that Abe had actually hosted religious meetings for the moonie church at his house in Japan.

Or were they referring to Abe's grandfather?

Anyway for Abe to be buddies with a self proclaimed south korean messiah and big corporate business man in the USA is truly unusual.

And to be buddies with the USA after two atomic bombings is strange.

The shooter killed abe because of the church donation his mother made but Abe was innocent ?

Initially the news reported the shooter was unhappy about Abe's quest to change the constitution in regards to the JSDF.

It doesn't make sense all the details in Japan today's news article.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Most people see Jesus as their messiah

Believing Christians do. Most people don’t.

Glad China protects its citizens from such churches

I don’t think China’s approach is the way to go. The best way to ‘protect’ people from religion in a society worth living in is better education. It’s like teaching people not to click on spam mails.

I don’t think we’ll ever get rid of it but maybe we can get it down more towards the level of astrology.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I don’t think China’s approach is the way to go. 

China’s approach isn’t the way to go. How many babies have they needlessly thrown out with the bath water? The Chinese have this hillbilly side to them and will use a shot gun to kill a fly on a wall. Look at their Covid lockdowns.

You’re arrested and thrown in prison even if your religion is not as evil as this unification church.

Some groceries will be returned with the carts but all carts will be returned. Good apples will be thrown out with the bad ones but no bad apples will remain.

You’re boarded up and wielded into your own home if you try to go out during a lockdown. Take a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.

Sounds Appalachian but they get the job done. Those who try and drink cool-aid are kept on close surveillance. No Jim Jones, David Koresch or Asahara Shoko.

It’s the job of the government to clamp down on these cults. And when the CCP goes after the Falungong cult to nip it in the bud, the US holds up the human rights card.

Japan needs to wake up and kick this unification church out.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

This is an old but very very informative JPRI piece linking Abe and many other LDP leaders to the Unification cult. 

The whole article is jaw dropping quite frankly. . 

Japan’s post-war cast of characters reminds me a lot better of the Star Wars cantina scene. 

"You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy..”

https://web.archive.org/web/20040509044150/http://jpri.org/publications/workingpapers/wp83.html

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The sins of the fathers shall be born by the children unto the fourth generation.

oh so an innocent child born of a sinful father, is responsible for those sins, LOL what god or

sensible culture would follow such draconian beliefs

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japan needs to wake up and kick this unification church out.

too many cults disguised as churches running one massive grift in the name of god!?

no religion should pressure or brainwash anybody to give their money unless they willing do so

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Most people see Jesus as their messiah

1 billion muslims entered the chat

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Hiding your "Scam" as being a Religion.. is what we all, as intelligent beings, should all be aware of.

If it smells like Poo, and it looks like Poo, then don't try to taste it, .... it, probably is, Poo...

( I wonder what the correct Japanese Translation of that should be...)

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"too many cults disguised as churches running one massive grift in the name of god!?

no religion should pressure or brainwash anybody to give their money unless they willing do so"

ALL "churches", religions, political parties are "CULTS" of people with distinctive "beliefs" which they consider to be 'reality'. And a person who is 'pressured' or, especially, 'brainwashed' to do something is 'willing' unless under direct threat of physical harm or death. And people who fall into such 'belief systems' (cults) are often easily manipulable by psychopathic parasites skilled in the art of deception. Humanity is rife with both these such as politicians, CEOs, et alia, et nauseam, and even more so with their prey. And, here, the question may not be WHAT Abe's killer believed but WHO made him believe it and for what reasons....

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Although I really dislike Religious cranks, they do have their Supporters, and adversaries, so I guess we will hear suggestions akin to the following:

Immediately arrest all members of this "Unification Church" pending investigation of their risk to National Security. ...

That probably would be impractical, and considered as a typical knee-jerk reaction, wasteful of Police resources...

Name them, along with where they live, so we know whether to be safe or not around them....

Well, I already know where such persons live in my area, and avoid them; naming them and their locations, would probably not be helpful to anyone, and indeed, may be in breach of many local Laws.. so, best not do so.

Take care...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Someone mentioned upthread how a former PM is less well protected than a cult leader.

This is not surprising at all. These are predators. They make a living of milking every penny out of "believers" in exchange for something in the afterlife. They ruin lives and tear families apart.

They need protection from their disgruntled victims, as do the mafia bosses they are so similar to.

This wasn't a religiously motivated crime, or a terrorist attack. It was a common law murder, a revenge crime against an ancillary target by an angry, misguided, and miserable man.

As a result of which the sympathy for the church and the LDP which he so hates will inevitably be bolstered, as he observes from death row.

This murder was a pure tragedy for absolutely everyone, supporters and detractors of Abe alike.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Perhaps Tanaka would like to give the lady her money back?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Was she fleeced?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The world would be better off without  the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification . Soka-Gakkai should go too. ALL "cults" should go.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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