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The Unification Church is not the only "second generation religious" issue: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses, Happy Science, and Soka Gakkai
8/17(Wed) 13:31
Edited; Daily Shincho
Journalist: Mr. Yoshiro Fujikura
Tetsuya Yamagami, the suspect arrested in the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, harbored deep resentment toward the Unification Church (now the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification), of which his own mother was a member. And so-called "second-generation religious people" like him are attracting attention. We would like to reexamine the "Nisei problem," which has long been discussed among those involved, supporters, and researchers, and which includes religious groups other than the Unification Church.
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■The Unification Church's Second Generation Problem
At a press conference on July 11, Unification Church President Tomihiro Tanaka admitted that the mother of the Yamagami suspect was a believer, but stated that she was not a "member" of the church as far as the suspect was concerned. On the other hand, at a Unification Church service held later in the day, he explained that the suspect Yamagami had visited the facility a couple of times and had been exposed to its teachings.
In fact, second-generation religious people are influenced by their parents' beliefs, regardless of whether or not they become formal believers. Ms. A, a second-generation Unification Church member, said.
"Children cannot live without their parents. If parents ask you to believe in them, there is no way you can disobey them. Besides, I wanted my parents to be happy, so I obeyed them. Unlike me, some of my siblings left home early in defiance of their parents' request. Even if you don't join the church, your life is still greatly affected".
Ms. A got married in a joint wedding and had a child. However, due to her husband's domestic violence and debt, she divorced. She also abandoned her faith in the Unification Church. After a period on welfare, she is now working.
"My mother has been trying to get my children (grandchildren from her point of view) to have faith. In order to protect her children, she had to cut ties with my parents" (Ms. A).
In the Unification Church, children born to couples who have received a "blessing" at a joint wedding are said to be free of "original sin. The church also incites "fervent faith," which is inextricably linked to anxiety and fear, in its followers by teaching as if "if you sin against the teachings, even your descendants from generation to generation will continue to suffer in hell or suffer misfortune for themselves and their families. Parents, driven into a corner, not only donate money, but also involve their children and grandchildren, who are in a weaker position and easier to control.
■A theme that has long been viewed as a problem
The second-generation religious problem is not limited to the Unification Church. Abuse among Jehovah's Witnesses has also been a problem for some time.
They refuse blood transfusions, refuse to take martial arts classes such as kendo and judo in school education, and prohibit participation in "battles" such as cavalry battles at athletic meets. They are also forbidden from participating in Christmas and other events and from singing the national and school anthems. If they do not follow the rules, they are whipped by their parents.
In the past, it was also forbidden to go on to higher education such as universities. Some second-generation high school graduates find employment at companies run by believers, working three days a week and doing missionary work the rest of the time. They are not allowed to have free love affairs.
In some cases, if a person acts or speaks contrary to the teachings, he or she may be subject to punishment, such as exclusion, even if he or she is a minor. When exclusion occurs, even parents are denied contact with their children. The parent-child relationship is severed.
Whether they are excluded or voluntarily renounce their faith, if they leave the cult, they will enter the general public as adults with limited social experience.
■Religious organizations even enclose children's educational backgrounds
Happy Science does not have any special precepts for daily life, nor does it encourage violence or neglect. However, it systematically surrounds its second-generation followers with tutoring schools within its facilities, Happy Science Academy (junior high and high schools), and Happy Science University (HSU), which is not accredited as a university.
Even history classes at the academy teach a view of history based on the "spiritual words" of the guru, such as "Ryoma Sakamoto's past life was that of "Xuande Liu Bei, a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty" or "The king of the Sumerian civilization was under the guidance of aliens. Although the "Fundamental Law of Education" prohibits political education and activities in schools, the school also offers classes in support of the Happy Realization Party.
In many years, as many as 80% of the graduates "enter" HSU. Some of them even pass the entrance exam for prestigious universities, but turn down the chance to go to HSU. Making their own irrational choices
There are rare cases in which 2nd generations are forced or euphemistically pressured by their parents or the religious order to follow these paths, but overall, many 2nd generations at Happy Science Academy seem to be choosing these paths of their own volition. This is the result of being educated by their parents and the religious organization that it is wonderful to do so.
However, at a certain age, some 2nd generations begin to struggle with their circumstances, because HSU is not a university, and employment after "graduation" is not the same as for ordinary new graduates.
In the case of the Soka Gakkai, the reality of its affiliated schools cannot be equated with that of Happy Science, given the nature of its doctrine and organization. Even if there are criticisms of the doctrine and the organization, its worldview is not as out-of-this-world as that of Happy Science, which refers to past lives and aliens. Even if the doctrines were taught in schools, the Soka Gakkai would not be so outlandish in its education. There are no precepts that directly affect the life and health of children, as in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses. But even so, there is still the issue of the second generation.
On the one hand, there is the belief that there is merit if one diligently performs the service (chanting the Buddhist mantra), and on the other hand, there is the belief that one will receive a "bachi, a bad karma or a penalty" if one violates the teachings. It is easy to create a situation where anxiety and fear are inextricably linked. Some of the children who have been exposed to teachings that deny other religions and religions as paganism have reported that they "get a headache when they pass through the torii gate of a shrine" and cannot even enjoy their school excursions. There are also cases of children of executives being forced to attend Soka University against their will.
The term "coercion of faith" used by the 2nd generations is often used to describe this kind of situation. The term "coercion" in the legal sense of the word is not enough to understand the situation.
The problem is the way in which religious organizations and parents are pushing and coercing their children toward irrational choices. At the very least, it is impossible for society to tolerate and approve of a situation that is causing such widespread problems in the name of "discipline," "education," "parents' right to raise their children," and "freedom of religion.
■Challenges on the part of society
The 2nd generations have experienced bullying in their childhood because of their faith. However, it is not only children who bully them.
In the case of the aforementioned Happy Science Academy, the students' resumes are marked as "graduate of Happy Science Academy. Even second-generation students who have renounced their faith after graduation and entered general universities have told their stories of being teased by company representatives during part-time job interviews and job searches. There is even a 2nd generation former believer (who had already left the church at that point) who was exposed as a story by a university faculty member in front of other students.
Bullying on the basis of faith is nothing but discrimination, not only against 2nd generations who have left the faith, but also against active believers.
The direct causes vary from 2nd generations each other, such as academic problems and psychological damage, but it is not uncommon for them to struggle to earn a living. In the meantime, it is important to expand the welfare system and establish a system that does not allow parents to access their residency records (a support system designed for victims of domestic violence, etc.).
I myself once accompanied a 2nd generation through the procedures. At that time, the person in charge at the counter was very courteous. However, according to what I have heard from others, there were cases in which the process was rejected by other municipalities after being told to "talk it over with the parents. This is a cruel and reckless attitude toward the those 2nd generation people who are trying to escape from their parents who force them to believe in their faith and rebuild their lives. This kind of response also deepens the their sense of isolation.
There is also the problem of government agencies that do not understand the problem of the second-generation religious people as a kind of abuse, but in the first place, there are no clear guidelines that are common throughout the country.
It is directly the parents and religion that are causing the second generation to suffer and their lives to be ruined. However, it should be noted that society is also facing a number of issues.
Mr. Yoshiro Fujikura
Journalist, born in 1974. In 2009, he launched Yaya Nikkan Cult Shimbun, Sort of Dairy News on Cults, a news site specializing in cult issues, and continues to cover issues such as cult victimization, second-generation cults, the relationship between cults and politics, fake science and medicine, and self-help seminars. He is the author of the book "Cult Religions: What Happened When I Reported on Them" (Takarajima SUGOI Bunko).
Daily Shincho Editorial Department
