Over 100 Japan lawmakers had links with Unification Church: survey

It just gets worse.

The evidence is there, more will no doubt surface in the days ahead, the important questions are what will the political leadership of the country do about it, and ultimately more important what will the Japanese people do about it?

Got to crease the wheel o political control! That’s the only reason this cult has been allowed to distance in spite of the evidence of fleecing members of their life savings!

Who knew Nihon was a secret Theocracy? And a KOREAN one! Oh my!

“They lack the qualities of a politician," Iwai said.

You said it right! They never were or will be proper politicians.

Family Federation for World Peace and Unification

They can call it whatever they want, but we all know it is not a religious group. It is a syndicate of extortionists and tax dodgers that many high level politicians and bureaucrats are a part of.

This will explain why Japan is very conservative on so many issues, why women are so far behind and treated unequally, why women are almost non existence in politics, and so on.

Might as well start holding parliamentary sessions at the the UC head office, LOL

Now, how many LDP and Diet members are affiliated with, or have associations with the Catholic's, or any Christian faith, Islam, Jewish, or for that matter, ANY religious cult in Japan?

Zoroto, you are absolutely right! Unless the people begin mass demonstrations, and we all know that will never happen, the government will continue as usual. This is a serious matter, but we just had an election and I don't think Japan has a recall system like the US, so they are stuck with these bunch of crooks for the rest of time. Come next election they will vote for them again!

This group is on the tip of everyone's tongues now because of Abe's assassination.

Let me get this straight first, I am neither for nor against any religious groups, and I do believe that people, including politicians, have a right to their beliefs and religion.

ALL religions have "problems", and I believe that people who follow them are ALL a member of a cult, in some shape or form. All religions are cults! They seek to control their followers in their beliefs, none are without guilt.

Being associated with this group does not automatically disqualify a person from being elected, but accepting money or support from them DOES! They should all resign and a snap election held to replace every last one of them! None should be allowed to hold public office ever again!

They should all be taken into custody for betraying the public trust! (As if this isnt a definition a betrayal than I dont know what is!)

Remarkable that so many politicians should be involved with what I thought was just an obscure religious cult.

I really doubt very much if these members are fully aware of the UC agenda, like everything else in Japan it was a trend and everyone just follows, now that the Cult "Church" has been exposed, I am hoping they will clear their heads and start distancing themselves.

Cults rely on deception but when exposed they shrink back or vanish.

Kishida did not reply to the questionnaire

And what is Kishida hiding by lack of transparency ?

All these expensive jars they sold are apparently full of worms that have escaped

Zoroto, you are absolutely right! Unless the people begin mass demonstrations, and we all know that will never happen, the government will continue as usual. This is a serious matter, but we just had an election and I don't think Japan has a recall system like the US, so they are stuck with these bunch of crooks for the rest of time. Come next election they will vote for them again!

Jesus Crist! Oops. Oh My God! Oops again. What the heck! We only have JCP and weird small flies to vote!

They can call it whatever they want, but we all know it is not a religious group. It is a syndicate of extortionists and tax dodgers that many high level politicians and bureaucrats are a part of.

"Extortionists and tax dodgers" defines about 95% of religions and politicians.

It is endemic among global oligarchs as was well demonstrated in the Panama and Pandora paper revelations.

Removing religious tax exemptions and taxing oligarch wealth progressively could go a long way to remedying this endemic corruption.

YubaruToday  08:02 am JST

ALL religions have "problems", and I believe that people who follow them are ALL a member of a cult, in some shape or form. All religions are cults! They seek to control their followers in their beliefs, none are without guilt.

I wouldn't go that far. Of course there are lots of religious groups like that but plenty of others hold fairly moderate views, don't evangelise, don't pressurise their members into behaving or thinking in particular ways, or engage in predatory practices to bleed them for cash. I mean, you never hear about Episcopalians carrying on like the Moonies.

ALL religions have "problems", and I believe that people who follow them are ALL a member of a cult, in some shape or form. All religions are cults! They seek to control their followers in their beliefs, none are without guilt.

@Yubaru. When I was a child, I went to a very well established Christian Church. We were taught to respect other denominations, and other faiths. We were also taught how to identify "False Prophets".

Well said Yubaru, on all points! I've been educated myself by the news about the involvement of what I'd hitherto regarded as just another controlling cult with an amusing name (Moonies). As you say, people do have the right to follow a religion, but they also have a responsibility to choose wisely! Maybe an impartial public education programme about religions generally could be started, with an emphasis on the major ones and their values (Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and so on).

They lack the qualities of a politician," Iwai said.

Says it all!

So, are these people suddenly interested in God?

First it was at least 5. Then it was at least 20. Now it's over 100. Yes, these people are interest in God. Their God is called Money.

It's sad this had to be unearthed by the assassination of Abe.

The extreme right-wing Unification Church is based on Christianity, with some very strange ideology about how Jesus didn't marry and did not save humanity. Seems like an odd religion for Japanese lawmakers to be attracted to. A small number of members is estimated at 600,000.

9 Things You Should Know About the Unification Church

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-know-unification-church/

The LDP must issue a statement banning all donations from the UC and ban all LDP from attending any of their events.

Problems over money continue at Unification Church: lawyers

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14668795

The UC should be banned.

Come on... what's Kishida actually going to do about it... he'll blink a lot as he stares blankly at the cameras, then refers to prewritten notes to answer questions, say he's "shaken" and that he'll ask lawmakers to "thoroughly review" their ties... and then they'll be open to more political donations from this and other groups.

Isn’t the Komeito openly backed by a massive religious group? All politics should be free from religious interference as all people should be free from religious persecution based on their personal spiritual beliefs.

Why not just call them the Moonies? That's who they are. My cousin got wrapped up in it back in the 70s. Completely destroyed his family.

@Yubaru

All religions are cults

Iam sorry but that isn't a true statement !

Not all religions are cults and Not all cults are religions.

The Dude Above All

Isn’t the Komeito openly backed by a massive religious group? All politics should be free from religious interference as all people should be free from religious persecution based on their personal spiritual beliefs.

The Komei and then the Komeito Party and the Soka Gakkai have been separate organisations for decades. The Komeito receives no donations from the Soka Gakkai or any other organisation.

The majority of the Soka Gakkai support the Komeito with election campaigning and voting. The Komei Party was originally formed to protect the Soka Gakkai members from being attacked for their religion.

"In addition to the Political Contribution Control Law, New Komeito's Articles of Rules and Regulations places strict limits on the sources and amount of political contributions that the party may accept to finance its activities. The three approved means of funding are: 1) private donations (capped at 1.5 million yen per individual donor per year); subscription income generated from the Komei Shimbun, the party organ newspaper; and a government subsidy allocated to all state-sanctioned political parties. A government-audited financial report is released each year at one of two major meetings, the National Convention or National Conference of Representatives"

https://www.komei.or.jp/en/faq/

@Yubaru. When I was a child, I went to a very well established Christian Church. We were taught to respect other denominations, and other faiths. We were also taught how to identify "False Prophets".

Your mileage may vary but the Catholic Chruch is certainly not exempt from a very checkered recent and distant past.

In a normal democracy the government would resign and the people would vote a new party.

But knowing this is Japan I bet that the apathetic electors will keep vote Jiminto and keep these corrupted politicians at the helm of their country.

In the end as usual,nothing will change.

I wouldn't go that far. Of course there are lots of religious groups like that but plenty of others hold fairly moderate views, don't evangelise, don't pressurise their members into behaving or thinking in particular ways, or engage in predatory practices to bleed them for cash. I mean, you never hear about Episcopalians carrying on like the Moonies.

Oh really? Name one.

@Yubaru. When I was a child, I went to a very well established Christian Church. We were taught to respect other denominations, and other faiths. We were also taught how to identify "False Prophets".

So you were taught to "identify" false prophets, meaning, that if they weren't a part of your beliefs than you were not acceptable to you. You were probably taught that abortion was an abomination, and that women had no rights over their own bodies.

You were taught not to question authority and fall into line with the teachings of your "faith".

Pray tell, what differentiates you from a cult?

I was born and raised in a devout Catholic family, went to a Capuchin Seminary and once considered becoming a priest.

I "grew up" and opened my eyes, when due to circumstances, I wanted to get married in the church, but the monsignor who was the head priest at the parish to me and I quote here "You can not marry this woman in the Catholic church because she is NOT Catholic. Furthermore if you DO choose to marry her, your soul is going to be damned for sinning against god and the church!"

I walked out the door, and never returned.

Complete much ado about nothing! A religion is not a mob organization. Suck it up and let the LDP get on with prioritizing running this great country!

I was born into a strong Catholic family but fortunately, it was not forced on me and I did not have to attend. Later, as an adult, I realized how it was based on false prophets. I have zero belief in a God.

one quick question

why Kishida is not leaving his position of PM and why this cult is not outlawed yet?

I mean, you never hear about Episcopalians carrying on like the Moonies.

Oh, and yet they are against abortion and women's rights to choose. So, you loose, just because the "cult" you refer here isnt like the "Moonies", they are still brainwashed.

And while it isn't "mandatory", attendance at cult events on Sunday's to "refresh" one's faith is strongly encouraged!

Comparing is the same as obfuscating and deflecting from the point at hand.

Of course there are lots of religious groups like that but plenty of others hold fairly moderate views

Sure, the analogy would be there are lots of criminals but some are less terrible than others. A petty thief is not the same as a murderer. So with all religions, once they based their beliefs on imaginary principles or beings they have crossed over to fantasy land. The Moonies aggressively exploit human weakness to make money. But so do all other churches to some degree. No difference.

Once former PM Kishi embraced the Moonies in the 1950s he allowed the rank and file LDP to all sign up for the free money and free labor from the Moonie cult members. Even though it is a Korean organization, amazing. Politics makes strange bedfellows and there are none stranger that the LDP and the Moonies.

Of course the 600,000, if that number is right, members of the Moonie cult will continue with the church despite their church being dragged through the mud right now and exposed as a complete and total fraud.

Complete much ado about nothing! A religion is not a mob organization. Suck it up and let the LDP get on with prioritizing running this great country!

Looking closely into what the UC has done to Japanese followers, I'm convinced that the cult deserves to be designated as an anti-social organization just like major Yakuza families in Japan.

ldp must leave

YubaruToday  10:43 am JST

"I mean, you never hear about Episcopalians carrying on like the Moonies."

Oh, and yet they are against abortion and women's rights to choose. So, you loose, just because the "cult" you refer here isnt like the "Moonies", they are still brainwashed.

Yes, they may hold those views but have you ever heard of any episcopalian churches forcing followers to conform to them? As for being against a woman' right to choose, I had a look around:

“Resolved, That this 71st General Convention of the Episcopal Church express its unequivocal opposition to any legislative, executive or judicial action on the part of local, state or national governments that abridges the right of a woman to reach an informed decision about the termination of pregnancy or that would limit the access of a woman to safe means of acting on her decision.” 

And while it isn't "mandatory", attendance at cult events on Sunday's to "refresh" one's faith is strongly encouraged!

Encouraged, not required or forced.

Comparing is the same as obfuscating and deflecting from the point at hand.

I'm not religious at all and I'm certainly against the practices of groups like the UC, but I do not think tarring all religions with the same brush is fair or correct.

100 ?! Methinks more and links to other cults and weirdo religious sects !!

Japan is strange from Moonies, Nippon Kaiga, factionalism, family elites, and following US regional ambitions.

The US protected Kishi after the war and encouraged anti-Communism from any angle possible. Sadly, Japan is stuck because politicians are not only out of touch, they follow others too much (Nippon Kaiga, Moonies, factions, and proper up the next family generation.

http://moderntokyotimes.com/pm-kishida-of-japan-and-moonies-nippon-kaiga/

Nothing to be surprised about (i.e. the fact that it's Korean-based, that the network is so widespread and deep, etc.) if you understand what was unearthed by Congress about the UC- that it is essentially an anti-communist political tool created ultimately by the CIA (via the KCIA) to be used to further US hegemony in East Asia.

Once one sees that, it's obvious that Kishi (released from Sugamo prison by the US to do its bidding) would go along and help the UC gain a foothold in Japan, as it's clearly another key member of the pro-US/anti-communist coalition...goes hand in hand with the fact that the LDP was essentially installed by the CIA.

[ In 1977, the Subcommittee on International Organizations of the Committee on International Relations, of the United States House of Representatives reported that the movement was established by Kim Chong Pil, director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, for political purposes.[11]

[ In 1997, Congressman Donald Fraser launched an investigation into Moon's cult. The 444-page Congressional report alleged Moonie involvement with bribery, bank fraud, illegal kickbacks, and arms sales. The report revealed that Moon's 20,000-member Unification Church was a creation of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). The Moonies were working with KCIA Director Kim Chong Phil as a political instrument to influence U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. CIA was the agency primarily responsible for founding the KCIA after WW II. ]

[ In a major covert operation of the cold war, the Central Intelligence Agency spent millions of dollars to support the conservative party that dominated Japan's politics for a generation.

Though the C.I.A.'s financial role in Japanese politics has long been suspected by historians and journalists, the Liberal Democrats have always denied it existed, and the breadth and depth of the support has never been detailed publicly. Disclosure of the covert aid could open old wounds and harm the Liberal Democrats' credibility as an independent voice for Japanese interests.

"This story reveals the intimate role that Americans at official and private levels played in promoting structured corruption and one-party conservative democracy in post-war Japan, and that's new," said John Dower, a leading Japan scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "We look at the L.D.P. and say it's corrupt and it's unfortunate to have a one-party democracy. But we have played a role in creating that misshapen structure." ]

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/09/world/cia-spent-millions-to-support-japanese-right-in-50-s-and-60-s.html

Note to JT: This post is definitely NOT off-topic.

Religions do a great deal of good in the world (and sometimes bad).

ISIS, Moonies, Aum, and so on, are cults. Mainstream religions, on the whole, don't demand vast amounts of money...nor do they seek to brainwash.

Secular culture in America, the UK, and others, are espousing race-baiting to gender identity wars...they sound "more moralistic because they admonish the "other" even stronger than mainstream faiths."

Imagine a world with no temples, shrines, mosques, churches, and so forth. Just endless capitalism, materialism, secularism, worshipping sports people to film stars, and an endless throwaway culture that leaves nothing behind but goes to more extremes.

No Nara, no Rome, no Karbala, no Bodh Gaya, no Kyoto, and so on...just endless materialism, new sexual terminologies to add to the pantheon, and so on.

Well, this secularism is ushering in collapsing birthrates from Japan to Spain.

Oh well, the throwaway culture seeks to be replaced...

People are good and bad irrespective of faith or no faith. However, a world without religion is hollow... irrespective if people are religious or not.

So, a South Korean church's followers-members dominate national government in Japan?

Pigs at the trough...... Just business as usual. Nothing will come of this but thank you Mr Yamagami for bringing this to our attention.

YubaruToday  10:43 am JST

I mean, you never hear about Episcopalians carrying on like the Moonies.

Oh, and yet they are against abortion and women's rights to choose. So, you loose, just because the "cult" you refer here isnt like the "Moonies", they are still brainwashed.

And while it isn't "mandatory", attendance at cult events on Sunday's to "refresh" one's faith is strongly encouraged!

Comparing is the same as obfuscating and deflecting from the point at hand.

The Anglican Church accepts contraception and allows its pastors to marry. Women are also allowed to be pastors. Christianity is an umbrella term for many denominations which are often very different from one another. Though still a controversial subject, their views on homosexuality are also quite progressive. A lesbian pastor was appointed Bishop status.

You clearly have limited knowledge of Christianity,

The sizes of the donations quoted in the article (80,000 jpy) are too small to justify the risks of associating with these people. Were there more undisclosed benefits or are the LDP that desperate for cash?

UC must be the most hated group in Japan at the moment.

Not all religions are cults and Not all cults are religions.

On this you are wrong. You dont understand the meaning of what a cult is to think that religions are not cults.

A cult is a group or movement held together by a shared commitment to a charismatic leader or ideology. It has a belief system that has the answers to all of life's questions and offers a special solution to be gained only by following the leader's rules.

You clearly have limited knowledge of Christianity,

You clearly have limited knowledge of what defines a cult. Just because they are not like AUM or some other loonies, religions are by definition a cult, and their followers adhere to the ideology of their religion.

Just because you dont like it being called such, does not change the fact that religions are cults by definition.

YubaruToday  02:07 pm JST

You clearly have limited knowledge of Christianity,

You clearly have limited knowledge of what defines a cult. Just because they are not like AUM or some other loonies, religions are by definition a cult, and their followers adhere to the ideology of their religion.

Just because you dont like it being called such, does not change the fact that religions are cults by definition.

That wasn't your point. Your mistaken point in your post was that Christianity as a whole have the same values, demands, restrictions, etc. They clearly don't. I wasn't even talking about comparing religions to cults.

But I can tell you that there are major differences especially if you're a member of a more accepting and progressive denomination like Anglicism. You don't even have to make a donation if you don't want to and can leave anytime with no fear of persecution or harassment. Cults on the other hand.....

YubaruToday  02:07 pm JST

"You clearly have limited knowledge of Christianity,"

You clearly have limited knowledge of what defines a cult. Just because they are not like AUM or some other loonies, religions are by definition a cult, and their followers adhere to the ideology of their religion.

Just because you dont like it being called such, does not change the fact that religions are cults by definition.

No, a religion is a set of beliefs and practices. A cult is a religious group. These days most people take the word to mean a religious group with unorthodox or spurious practices. You clearly have a downer on anything to do with religion, but that doesn't change the fact that most people make a clear distinction between cults and religions.

If one is struggling understanding the difference between defining a cult from a religion.

May I humbly suggest reading Professor Eileen Barker OBE FBA...

Confessions of a Curious Sociologist of Religion

https://www.lse.ac.uk/sociology/people/eileen-barker

Professor Barker is an expert in cults, indoctrination processes. there is a whole chapter/module on the Moonies with case studies.

For this thread, be in no doubt the Moonies are a cult,

If ever able to influence J Government at the highest levels, there is enough evidence to believe that the toxic and poisonous ideologies has infested/infiltrated party politics/policy within the LDP ruling government then immediate action needs to be taken.

If ever this ideology was to imposed on J education system at any level, it would have catastrophic consequences.

Tony W

Have you read the Tao te Ching by Lau-tzu ?

Taoist is a religion

However Tao is a philosophy

Yubaru

Exuse me but i think you should reexamine the definition of what a cult is by definition.

Iam sorry but not all religions are cults by definition.

No, a religion is a set of beliefs and practices. A cult is a religious group.

So by your very words, a cult. Thank you.

Iam sorry but not all religions are cults by definition.

You totally misunderstand the definition of the word "cult".

Religions are based upon an ideology and it's follower's beliefs in said ideology and the leaders that formed it, whether they are alive today or not, and hence, by definition a cult.

D

That wasn't your point. Your mistaken point in your post was that Christianity as a whole have the same values, demands, restrictions, etc. They clearly don't. I wasn't even talking about comparing religions to cults.

No you are assuming something I never wrote. I never stated anywhere that Christianity as a whole have the same values. Again you assumed that.

Want to get technical? The Moonies in effect are "Christians", as their member believe in "Jesus" and they are a cult too, just like any other religion.

My point is that all religions, in some form or another, are cults by definition, as they have joint beliefs adhered to by it's followers of an ideology that is shared by all members.

Like it or not, religions are a textbook definition of a "cult".

What was it called?

The opiate of the masses, I believe…

YubaruToday  02:56 pm JST

No, a religion is a set of beliefs and practices. A cult is a religious group.

So by your very words, a cult. Thank you.

Do you not understand the difference between a belief system and an organisation?

spurious practices

Which religious practices aren’t spurious?

YubaruToday  03:04 pm JST

That wasn't your point. Your mistaken point in your post was that Christianity as a whole have the same values, demands, restrictions, etc. They clearly don't. I wasn't even talking about comparing religions to cults.

No you are assuming something I never wrote. I never stated anywhere that Christianity as a whole have the same values. Again you assumed that.

Want to get technical? The Moonies in effect are "Christians", as their member believe in "Jesus" and they are a cult too, just like any other religion.

My point is that all religions, in some form or another, are cults by definition, as they have joint beliefs adhered to by it's followers of an ideology that is shared by all members.

Like it or not, religions are a textbook definition of a "cult".

Read your post I quoted again, In your zeal to combine religions and cults as one, you assume that all forms of Christianity share the same doctrines and dogma. They don't.

While I agree that some denominations like the Mormons, Baptists, etc use cultish practices similar to the Moonies and Scientology, Aum Shinrikyo, there are so many denominations that have a laissez faire approach which is the antithesis of cults. So your claim is false. They don't operate in the same way at all.

Moonies are really a political organization under the guise of a religion that definitely use cultish practices.

There are tons of resources that point out the differences between cults and religions. https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/bs-xpm-2011-10-13-bs-ed-mormons-20111013-story.html

You clearly haven't availed yourself to them.

Kishida did not reply to the questionnaire.

Well, THAT doesn't create confidence. Is the other shoe going to drop that he also has ties to the church?

Tip of the iceberg.

The discussion is only about the Unification Church at the moment. How many other weirdo fringe groups have connections to Japanese politicians?

Jimizo

Today 03:15 pm JST

Which religious practices aren’t spurious?

That's open to debate with people who have deeply held religious beliefs but some are much more spurious than others.

So much corruption. When will it end, so Japan can start re-building.

There are tons of resources that point out the differences between cults and religions.

I know all about them, but you fail to accept the fact that religions and cults are base upon the same or similar ideologies.

Religions seek to control their congregations, people find it easier to follow the ideologies and beliefs of a "religion" because they dont have to think for themselves, and their actions in life are based upon what their religious leaders tell them to follow.

Religion can not be banned but a single religious organization like the UC can.

No it can't, the Japanese government could not "ban" AUM so how do you think they will ban this group?

I mean, you never hear about Episcopalians carrying on like the Moonies.

If you go back to the formation of the Episcopalian (Anglican) religion, I think you'll find some weird and ugly goings on. But once established as a mainstream religion, I guess the need for weirdness declines.

Possible definitions:

A cult: An organization with a set of wacky ideas that was recently established.

A religion: An organization with a set of wacky ideas that was established long ago.

YubaruToday  05:13 pm JST

There are tons of resources that point out the differences between cults and religions.

I know all about them, but you fail to accept the fact that religions and cults are base upon the same or similar ideologies.

Religions seek to control their congregations, people find it easier to follow the ideologies and beliefs of a "religion" because they dont have to think for themselves, and their actions in life are based upon what their religious leaders tell them to follow.

That you use words like 'control' and assume that people seek religion because they can't think for themselves and blindly follow what religious leaders say, demonstrates that you limited knowledge about religions.

There are many Christian denominations that don't seek to control people at all but rather guide them. Nor do their congregations exist because they can't think of themselves. Nor do they blindly follow what their congregation leaders say.

Epousing an ideology or set of beliefs is just one part of religions and doesn't make them identical at all with cults. There is much much more than just religious ideology behind a denomination such as what kind of demands are made, how much of your life is religious, expectations of financial support, levels of proselytizing, etc, etc. Which completely separates them from cults.

YubaruToday  05:14 pm JST

Religion can not be banned but a single religious organization like the UC can.

No it can't, the Japanese government could not "ban" AUM so how do you think they will ban this group?

Of course you can not ban a cult unless you have laws to punish members underground but you can exclude a cult from legal religious organizations by disbanding them or depriving their legal status, which is what Japan did against AUM. Perhaps you can bring your arguments to France which clearly segregates cult groups( which include UC and Soka Gakkai) from other religious organizations

From your original post in this thread.

Being associated with this group does not automatically disqualify a person from being elected, but accepting money or support from them DOES! They should all resign and a snap election held to replace every last one of them! None should be allowed to hold public office ever again!

money and support: Direct cash from any legal religious organization status might but how about from individual members with proper recordings on the side of politicians? How about simply purchasing party-thickets? Public Offices Election Law prohibits remuneration for the stuffs in the office except a few clerical works., and yet, Volunteers are the base for the office. UC is unfortunately smarter . What defines your illegal support?

Not interested in protecting LDP at all but guess it is smarter to expel a evil cult rather than witch-hunt LDP politicians.

They’re perfectly happy to indulge a power hungry group like this, part of whose reach is an arms manufacturing branch in the States, paid for with Japanese donations, yet deny foreigners of long years residence and with an unblemished record of civic mindedness a seat at the table.