A prospective tinderbox
Given that Unification Church intensifies their phone calls with the users, particular second-gen are worried that the spiritual path you will consider extreme strategies since it starts to have the squeeze.
«It’s a little scary – a lot of us are like, this is probably what it felt like right before Jim Jones or Heaven’s Entrance,» Hose said, referring to two infamous cults.
Into the September, Japanese outlet Television Asahi News stated that Han handled more six,000 Japanese 2nd-gen on the church’s Cheongpyeong headquarters in the Korea, contacting these to end up being «brand new special attack unit that can save yourself The japanese.» The usage the phrase «unique assault equipment» or «tokkotai» can get reference japan military’s the means to access suicide assault units throughout the The second world war.
Eito Suzuki, the fresh new pseudonym out of a reporter noted for their blogs exploring the fresh Unification Church, also blogged a great tweet stating that the Unification Chapel managed an enthusiastic feel titled Japan Better Gun 2023, joining together 6,000 Japanese 2nd-gen. The fresh new Unification Chapel didn’t respond to Insider’s questions relating to whether such as for example a meeting happened or around Han’s stated message.
Still, many second-gen told Insider that they had often heard the church use violent rhetoric, and the reports referencing Japan’s «special attack units» were worrying. The language used by the church, coupled with its history of supporting demise squads into the Latin The usa, has many second-gen fearing that the pressure on the movement’s members will only worsen to the point of extremism.
«If you have a motion that demonizes any kind of rational fitness otherwise psychological circumstances, this means that folks who want assist aren’t getting assist,» Jen Kiaba, an additional-gen whom kept the church, said. «It will make a beneficial tinderbox you to definitely sadly contributed to the brand new assassination off Shinzo Abe.»
Kiaba told you the current disease during the Japan «performs toward history of persecution that chapel has received, if or not i understand it as rightfully therefore,» adding you to definitely she concerns this could cause so much more finalized systems inside chapel.
Cautious hopes for the long run
Despite this type of worries, of a lot 2nd-gen are upbeat one to Japan’s choice to reduce the new Unification Chapel signals a much-necessary transform. However, that really needs lots of work off stakeholders around the industry, specifically given the group’s visited.
«There is certainly so much strive to performed as this is perhaps not isolated to Japan at all,» Mahjoub informed Insider. «It’s some thing that’s in the world at this point.»
For example, former US president Donald Trump and Mike Pence gave speeches at a church-organized conference in 2021, when Trump praised the church for «the inspiration that they have caused the entire planet.» In 2022, Trump and Mike Pompeo appeared at another Unification Chapel-affiliated skills.
Trump was paid down around $2 million from the Universal Peace Federation, a Unification Church-affiliated group, for his appearances, a personal financial disclosure filing from 2023 revealed.
Kiaba told you this lady has noticed a «huge rage» concerning the additional solutions that can help support the church when you look at the electricity, like people in politics inside Japan, the united states, or other regions.
«They can’t be unacquainted with the issues for the Unification Chapel, how users are now being treated,» Kiaba said. «Members of this type of positions from fuel try directly using brand new subjugation away from members.»
Alot more sense and you will internet sites for all those exiting communities such as for instance the brand new Unification Chapel – the individuals «who were financially, socially determined by an authoritarian category you to says to all of them what to imagine, how exactly to alive, whom to get married,» according to Kiaba – are getting increasingly essential.
Signs and symptoms of waning
«The non-earnings have confidence in brand new kindness from anyone else. Many churches in the us was assessing their tips inside difficult financial day. All of our church is no het Costa Rica tjej some other,» the fresh church spokesperson told you.