Previous Story Posted August 27, 2009
Not a whole lot has happened or changed in Japan since this story was first posted.
However, at least one encouraging sign for Unificationists as well as for those who might claim to champion religious freedom for all has begun to emerge.
The Unification Church of Japan is at last engaged in a concerted viral media campaign to reveal its side of the story while exposing what has been predominant and destructive.
In this third part of an official video release on the phenomena, the "Staff Officer in Charge of Kidnapping and Confinement Issues," Mr. Issei Sawada shares something of the psychological impact of all this (44 year history of) forced conversion and kidnapping upon actual persons:
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), is certainly familiar to many (war veterans, especially), but may seem strange to those unfamiliar with its usage in the context of religious faith. Should faith or even the choice of one's faith after all be so traumatic, much less, so stressful?
Traumatic, no, but certainly such an essential and important decision is stressful.
So should it be something forced or something put upon (even by one's parents), rather than something truly flowing from within even as Jesus (John 7:38) and others no doubt have made it quite clear?
By the way, whatever became of Christianity in Japan?
This apparently continuing story of Christian "dysfunction" and duplicity should astound and shake-up the whole church from West to East and back again. How is it that the world of believers has come so far to be so far away?
Sadly, these words, particularly, seem to echo as true:
"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." (Galatians 5:4 NIV)
The time of reckoning for years of injustice, misinformation and misapplication of "faith" may finally be at hand now that such voices are being heard (are there others?). May there perhaps even develop real dialogue somewhere (soon) down the line . . . after the healing.
For now, this despicable practice simply must STOP.
A Japanese victim's web site has been established here.
A report on the latest victim, Ms. Yoshiko Majima, a 30-year-old Japanese bank employee can be found here.
