Japan begins investigation into church in wake of Shinzo Abe killing - BBC News 

The only thing I'm shocked and surprised about this whole thing is international press saying this is somewhat a revelation that came after Shinzo Abe's assassination... it might have thrown everything more on public view and international scrutiny, but it's not like Japanese citizens didn't already know or at least suspected about all of this. Perhaps I'm mixing things up here, but as far as I know, the links between LDP and the Unification Church, along with several other ultra nationalist and ultra conservative organizations, has been well known and reported for decades now. The "church" itself has an ideology that aligns itself with several policies including anti-LGBT stuff, nationalistic policies, policies regarding the militarization and changes to the constitution, revisionist material in schools, among several other stuff. Mind you, I'm not sure if there was already something about the Unification Church specifically, but it's the same radical groups and the same base mentality. Basically speaking, it's the sort of cult that ultra nationalist and ultra conservatives would gather together to influence politics. Those things might sound separate, and perhaps they are a bit, but make no mistake - it's a church founded on anti-communist stance, which might sound fine at first, but what this actually means is that it's a very pro conservatism and pro nationalism cult, basically. And it's very likely that the groups with a hard fringe-like political stance also participate in the very same cult. You have extreme ideologies mixed up among all those groups involved with the LDP. For people who never heard about the Unification Church but watched some cult documentaries, you will have heard about the "Moonies". It's often listed right along with famous others like Heaven's Gate, Aum Shinrikyo, People's Temple and Scientologists. That's what the Unification Church is. It's a cult that has a long history of exploiting followers until they are penniless, a cult that formed bonds with very powerful people to gain political influence and money, it was investigated in the past by US House of Representatives for trying to gain political power. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unification_Church#Criticisms_of_Moon So, don't let the name fool you - they changed it a few times to avoid the negative association. It's not a church, it's a cult. A huge cult with a long history of malfeasance. This is not the same as a president saying he is Christian or something like that. This is a political party aligning itself to something like Scientologists, KKK, or some other radical group. To make things even worse, as some will know, Japan is largely a non-religious country. Christians are minority, and the predominant religions, Shintoism and Buddhism, are seen more for traditional and cultural backgrounds, and less as actual religion and faith.

The reason why a lot of people will be coming new to this story is partly because BBC hasn’t reported it until now. It didn’t mention the tie between the late PM Abe and the Unification Church even in the coverage on his national funeral. I don’t think BBC has chosen not to report the news, but it simply didn’t have good resource of information. I have some solutions; ask a couple of Japanese people or read a few articles from Japanese newspapers. If there is a problem with the language, Guardian has some good articles.

This young Japanese man has changed the way politics will be done in the future in Japan.

Politicians are out of touch and insulated from the struggles of the common man, until they are confronted by reality in the most extreme way possible. Only then do they do what is required.

結果的に、外国人が日本で蔓延るカルト問題について知ってもらう良い機会となったな…

I wonder why the name of the cult is not written in the title of this BBC video. Even the female reporter here just says “church”. Seems like avoiding saying the name.

Finally some good journalism in the public interest and all it took was a horrifying murder.

Japanese here. This topic started being discussed *right after* the incident on Japanese media and have consistently been trending for months. If you are interested in international politics and this is your first time to hear the story, well… you really, really need to expand your source of information.

Good, cult leaders should be prosecuted

Never give money to God (any god) until god proves he or she needs a place to live or anything to eat.

What.

This has been reported for a while in other places... it's just BBC that's slow to get the information.

Gonna be very dodgy no doubt. With their laws against defamation. They're screwed.

Interesting.

Chad avenging his mother vs corporate cult bootlickers

What took them so long?

its not a church if donations bankrupt the donor. nor when they compel you ... its no longer donations OR a church.

Similar to ties between Christian nationalist organization The Family and our top political leaders in the US. Also similar to several supreme court justices' ties to radical Catholicism, eg Opus Dei. Can't they govern without making their god a scapegoat?

Weird moment when Japanese believe Korean Moonies is Jesus resurrection.😅

Al Jazeera reports news in Japan better than BBC.

Does this make the killer a hero?

The US should investigate mega churches but we have that freedom of religion bill, would be a pain to deal with the backlash.

Needs to be an investigation in South korea

turut berduka cita..

I still can't understand why the killer picked to kill the former prime minister rather (an affiliate to the group) rather than a leader of the group.

Shinzo Abe is now with King Kai training to be Ultimate Mystic Shinzo Abe.

Captain Kirk would have been proud of the technique used.

Religion and Politics

Is this the the Church that released its own anime movies???

Scientology vibes

岸田首相の支持率が下がっているのは相次ぐ政治と金の不祥事発覚も影響しています。

Guess the killer got what he wanted murder does pay.... 😁😁

wtf

Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Just like opus dei.

Alloh raxmatiga olgan boʻlsin. Uzbekistan

I gave up on religion decades ago, and I'm never going back. This is why.

Hi

Not UC but PRC

This is Japan. 🇯🇵

Whenever I hear about a religion story, *any* organised religion story, I’m comforted by the words of George Carlin: “Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time! But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money!” 🤣

bbc can make yakuza run churches

huh

Religious leaders, politicians & money, what can go wrong ?? They be at this for decades = doy on top of duh... Since B.C times !!!

No comment on the English Church. That's rich.

Yes yes yes it's finally going to happen, take down the moonies!!!

Cults rule the world

🌺

He hated all religion and was looking for a religious figure to kill...who was he actually trying to kill?

🤔🤔🤔

Japan has a frankly bizarre penchant of rewarding political assassins. League of Blood/ Otoya Yamaguchi/ May 15th incident - all of them provoked responses which were broadly favourable to the assassins and their goals. A completely baffling dynamic.

😂😂😂 classic .. few to many around the world should be investigated ...

LOL

Uh oh. Moonies. Blue Fin Tuna funds their plan. They are involved in the global Sushi market to the point of making Blue Fin Tuna endangered. Source: Vanity Fair article on the endangered Blue Fin.

Puppets are in all governments. But latest since the pandemic religion we know them. That's why we need TRIPLE ASSESSMENT for a better sorting of power assignment.

Japan is a tolerant country that recognizes "the worldview of an uncle who thinks he is the Messiah" as a religion. Please trip to Japan and make your messianic debut😂😂😂

It’s cult not church

shebi meka tamoa say my pikin don go join cult ? Ha! You want to bam ba? You wanna chill with the big boys Now you dey run kiti kiti You dey run kata kata No fit drink water drop cup Ah hey! Shebi you see how the thing goes

bs reporting; allegations but no content

Never has there been a more successful assassination. Japan is about to legislate everything the shooter said in his manifesto.

FYI 日本国憲法 The Constitution of Japan 第一章　天皇 CHAPTER I. THE EMPEROR 第一条天皇は、日本国の象徴であり日本国民統合の象徴であつて、この地位は、主権の存する日本国民の総意に基く。 Article 1.The Emperor shall be the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power. 第二条皇位は、世襲のものであつて、国会の議決した皇室典範の定めるところにより、これを継承する。 Article 2.The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial House Law passed by the Diet.

Need more time then overnight,yakasukas were welcome and drove me around and bought me drinks and I would like to spend more time the gift of a yen 20.$ I spent in alatic city Taj mal ..trump .long time ago

I might have missed an important detail about the type of institution this church represents or how it might be a fringe group, but why would members having ties to the church be such a shock? I hear church and think Christianity, and Christianity isn't uncommon in Japan. What creates this dynamic that sounds like a political scandal?

Sadly karma caught up as the murderer held his maternal grandfather responsible for allowing the unification church to come to Japan. Who was Abe ' s grandfather? the suspect class A war criminal, Kishi, who held absolute control of Manchuria in 1930s in China which had become a puppet state for Japan. The japanese even named him "Monster of the Shōwa era" Wiki: Accordingly, the Japanese conscripted hundreds of thousands of Chinese as slave labor to work in Manchukuo's heavy industrial plants. In 1937, Kishi signed a decree calling for the use of slave labor to be conscripted both in Manchukuo and in northern China, stating that in these "times of emergency" (i.e. war with China), industry needed to grow at all costs while guaranteeing healthy profits for state and private investors.[27] Starting in 1938 and continuing to 1945, about one million Chinese were taken every year to work as slaves in Manchukuo.[28] The harsh conditions of Manchukuo were well illustrated by the Fushun coal mine, which at any given moment had about 40,000 men working as miners, of whom about 25,000 had to be replaced every year as their predecessors had died due to poor working conditions and low living standards.[23]

Karma... all western leaders shall taste it

Can I find an Arab here .

1122022datejapanleaderhostjanpanjehovashjehovashwetnesswatchtowerjesusbibleworshipprayergodtrusttruelovereliefjehovashjanpanobeyjesuskingdomtherkeythaygnmyanmarjustzawtunusavisa2024jehovashfriendsbibleteaching1122022datepaidagreepaidtherk

ah yes peaceful Christians once again

Many religious nuts in the comments coming out with quotes from the bible lol. Any excuse!

Very sad it's killing out of spite and hate , church is a reason

山本圭壱と西野未姫かと思った...。

Turkey will be glad to learn Japan also has a 'FETO' problem. 😁 Perhaps, Japan's problem will make Turkey's one more legitimate - in the Western world.

This is not about mr Abe. About most people in this world. No religions is much more better. Then have more peace for t world and it people. Why need to believe and spend time on thing that we never seen in person. I have a good religion too (Buddhist), I only think about religion when is related. not every morning to night live with it. Why need to learn from religion, this is not stone age. Got schools to teach, manner and all other things. If want, Worship to sun. it give us life and tomorrow!

Don't get me wrong. In Japan, the Unification Church is a small organization with no power whatsoever. Japan won't be affected by the fact that they helped with the election.

we want imperial japan back