JP

Stop Religious Abuse.
We want Religious Freedom of Children!
Please help children abused in Japan’s cults.

I’m the child of a Japanese member of the Unification Church cult. Please allow me to say that I cannot give my details due to the risk of my identity being discovered. So I will go by a pseudonym: Miyuki Takahashi. My life has been shaped by the Unification Church’s abuse of my human rights.

If you’ve taken notice of this petition, you may be aware that this cult, in Japan, has strong political connections–despite its reputation for abuse. The UC has influence in the Diet, Japan’s parliament, with members of not only the ruling party but the opposition party. After the horrific murder of the former prime minister Shinzo Abe, many of these political relationships were exposed. But the UC is so entrenched in Japanese politics that even now there is no indication that politicians have distanced themselves from the group whose cruelty led directly to the murder.

We have already collected signatures from people in Japan with the same content as this petition. As of this writing, support has been expressed by over 50,000 people.

However, it is with great regret that we, the children of cultists in Japan, whose human rights have been trampled on and our lives ripped apart,, cannot help but feel despair when we see the political machinations of the UC (Unification Church) revealed after the July 8, 2022 assassination.

Examples of the church’s connections to the ruling party, the LDP, include sending secretaries to political circles and campaigners to elections. Furthermore, it has been suggested that appointments to public security posts may have been influenced by the cult and its allied politicians. Under these circumstances, we have come to doubt that reforms are on the way–not even needed reforms to the justice system.

This is why we have created this English-language petition: to show that people overseas care about the harm this cult has inflicted upon families and individuals, and to seek relief for victims of cult abuse.

While working on the Japanese-language version of this campaign, we heard from many Japanese victims of abuse who told us that the UC was not the only high-control sect ruining people’s lives. In response to this feedback, we have revised the content of the original Japanese Petition to one that is also sympathetic to those in similar positions: to survivors of multiple generations of abuse under other UC-like cults.

We believe that this revised petition may be a helpful starting point to fighting for human rights not only against the crimes of the Unification Church but also for the second, third or generation cult survivors here in Japan as well as worldwide.

Please take a few moments of your time by helping us call for these people to be protected. They deserve elected officials who keep them safe from abuse–instead of wining and dining their abusers.

We would be more than happy if this petition could serve as a guideline and a basis for discussion to solve similar problems of the second-generation religious people in your area.

We hope that you will listen to our earnest wishes.

■Recommendations
We ask that Japan (and other countries) establish the necessary laws to protect the fundamental human rights of children. These include the right to freedom of religion and the right to the pursuit of happiness.
(1) We ask that the concept of "religious abuse" be added to the definition of abuse.
(2) We ask that religious abuse of children be prohibited and criminalized.
(3) We ask that the act of instructing others to commit religious abuse be severely punished.

■Outline of the Issue
In Japan, children of followers of many new religions face the problem of being forced to engage in cult activities and cult life even when they themselves do not wish to. We call this problem "religious abuse”.

This problem is caused by a "distorted doctrine" that prevents believers, who have become a source of funding and labor for religious organizations, from leaving the religious organization even if they find its activities strange. The first target of religious organizations is the children of their followers in order to secure more followers. In particular, it is a common practice for new religions in Japan to target the children of their followers.

However, Japanese society does not intervene in this issue as it is a highly sensitive family matter. Japanese society does not fully recognize the existence of children whose human rights are continually violated and the severity of the children's efforts to persuade their families to leave the church on their own, and the problem has been treated as if it did not exist. In addition, the Japanese legislative and administrative bodies' stance of “no strong interference in family affairs and religious activities" has increased the damage caused by such "religious” organizations.

The children of these religious believers do not have the "fundamental human rights" stipulated by the Constitution of Japan. This is because the function of adjusting the doctrinal and organizational constraints imposed by these "religious organizations" from the outside has not been ensured. I strongly believe that Japanese society (and the world) must not allow this violation of human rights. This is a matter of "abuse" orchestrated by religious organizations.

In Japan, religious organizations are allowed to operate because of the freedom of religion. On the other hand, as a result, the human rights of the children of believers are being violated.

■The reality of human rights violations
The following is a list of representative examples of what we have experienced and heard from our acquaintances’ experiences, from children of similar believers around us, and from people of other religions that we have been able to communicate with on the Internet.
There are probably more if we were to go into more detail.

However, we believe that the examples listed here alone will give you an idea of the reality of human rights violations.

(1) Freedom of religion is not recognized
Children raised in homes with parents trapped in the Unification Church are;

[1] Raised according to the extremist values of the religious organization from birth.
[2] Fear is imprinted on them that they will go to hell if they do not have faith.
[3] Threatened that their family members will go to hell if they stray from their faith.
[4] Those who go against the faith are pursued until they convert.
[5] They cannot leave the church of their own volition.

(*)Religious organizations have created a structure that 'uses parents to deprive children of their freedom’. Especially in the case of minors, if they rebel against their parents, they lose their place in the family. It is very difficult to persuade those kinds of parents because both parents are likely to be religiously extreme. As parents, they are bound to keep their children from going to hell. The child's self-help efforts cannot solve the problem.

(2) Their love lives and relationships are subject to dictatorial control.
Children raised in homes with parents trapped in the Unification Church are;
[1] Forced to confess all past sexual intercourse and masturbation history
[2] Barred from even heterosexual romantic companionship when unmarried (holding hands, spending time alone with partners, etc.)
[3] Prevented from marrying anyone who is not a cult member
[4] Forbidden from choosing partners of their choosing
[5] Told from childhood they will go to hell if they break these rules
[6] Forced to break up with the partner, if a child breaks the precepts not to have a romantic relationship with a partner of one’s own choosing, mentioned above [5].
[7] Not allowed to marry unless you receive amnesty from the Church every few years, in case if you have had sexual intercourse in the past.
[8] Forced to fast for several days to pay for past sins.
[9] Pressured to educate their future children to follow the same faith, even before you marry.

(*) According to the Unification Church, if you don't marry someone whom the Church has chosen for you, you have committed the same fall as Adam and Eve. If you want to marry someone you love, you have no choice but to break off your relationship with the parents who force you to have faith in them. Many children are forced to marry within the Unification Church because they cannot give up their love for their parents. This is a vicious cycle that is being reproduced in an ever-expanding way: by marrying other believers, it becomes even more difficult to escape from the religious organization.

(3) Examples of human rights violations by other religions (Jehovah's Witnesses)
Children raised in homes with parents who believe in cultic religions are;
[1] Forced to participate in religious meetings and recruiting activities, from the time they are born.
[2] Blood transfusions are not allowed at all.
[3] Ignored by all believers, including your family. This will continue permanently until you return to the faith, if you quit the faith.
[4] Harsh corporal punishment using belts and other tools was traditionally recommended for minor infractions of faith, at least during 1970s to 1990s.
[5] Negative toward socializing with children and young people outside the organization.
[6] Prohibited teenage dating. Prohibited of marrying non-believers.
[7] Prohibited participation in traditional events. Prohibited participation in singing the national or school anthem, club activities, martial arts in class, etc.
[8] Negative attitude toward college education and full-time employment

(*)The degree of coercion of faith varies greatly depending on the area to which one belongs and the stance of the believers around one. They are brought up to be disconnected from society. When they become aware of this, they are isolated from society.

■Conclusion and proposed measures
We ask for your support for the development of laws necessary to protect children's basic human rights (religious freedom, right to the pursuit of happiness, etc.).

(1)Revision of the Act on Prevention of Child Abuse (Japanese law)
[1] Add the concept of "religious abuse" to the definition of abuse

*Define specific examples of religious abuse, such as the following
・Forcing a child to believe through fear (fearful belief)
・Forcing a child into a restrictive diet
・Forcing young church members to leave his/her chosen partner
・Restricting a member’s companionship
・Forcing a church member to donate money
・Coercion of church members to engage in election campaigning
・Forcing a child to go on missionary work
・Restricting an adult child’s employment
・Restricting a member’s medical treatment

[2] Prohibit and criminalize religious abuse of children
[3] Strictly punish the act of instructing others to commit religious abuse.

(2) Other related measures
[1] Prohibit forced admission. Prohibit admission procedures for minors.
[2] Guarantee the right to withdraw from membership.
[3] Establishment of a consultation service for religious abuse
[4] Support for reintegration into society

■Finally
There are many children throughout Japan and the world with similar problems. I also believe that even those who are not involved with cults now, there is a very high possibility that their children or grandchildren will be involved one day in the future. I believe that the more people understand the structure of religious abuse and become aware of the issues involved, the more likely it is that this problem will be solved.

I strongly hope for social recognition of this problem and the establishment of laws that do not allow human rights violations. I will appeal strongly in Japan, but I would be happy to receive help from people overseas as well. If you agree with the purpose of this petition, we would appreciate it if you would register your name and express your support.

Thank you very much for your kindness and cooperation.

Miyuki Takahashi

#StopReligiousChildAbuse