Religious Freedom is the Cornerstone of all Freedoms

We are actively working to address violations of religious freedoms with the support of religious and geopolitical leaders, and religious freedom advocates.

A tragic precedent for the curtailment of religious freedom is happening in Japan

The assassination in Nara, Japan, of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022, is being followed by a campaign of intolerance, discrimination, and persecution of the Unification Church, now called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU). The assassin was not a member of the FFWPU, but his mother is, and he is resentful toward the organization because of his mother’s involvement and her history of substantial donations.

FFWPU is a religious organization, a church. Everyone acknowledges that the church has committed no crimes and has operated within the laws governing religious behavior in Japan.

No guilt on the part of the church is presumed by the courts. The FFWPU is a strong voice for human rights, their support of the family as the best environment for raising children, and a high standard of integrity and morality in the goal for the conduct of public affairs and personal relations. It is not easy to openly challenge the prevailing winds of situation ethics and a hypersexualized culture, but the FFWPU believes the survival of society depends on raising our standards.

Nevertheless, anti-religious elements within the Japanese media are blanketing the airwaves and front pages of the media in that country with wall-to-wall innuendo and unfounded accusations this church. Furthermore, any public figure who has been a friend or supporter of these cherished religious beliefs, is being hounded relentlessly on every front page, every day.

Members of the church awaken to find defamatory slogans painted on the walls of their homes. The human rights of the members of the Unification Church in Japan are being seriously, systematically, and blatantly violated. Very direct efforts are being made to use the FFWPU as a scapegoat, and even to dissolve the FFWPU’s right to exist in Japan by whipping up hysteria against the church in the media.

Again, the Japanese courts have investigated the church for years and have absolved it and its leaders of any crimes and wrongdoing.

Thankfully, courageous defenders of religious freedom worldwide are starting to come forward to address the issues of the FFWPU directly.

U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives (1995-1999)

“I am concerned that those pushing these discriminatory actions are really seeking to weaken the security and peace of Japan, making Japan weaker in the face of threats from China and North Korea.”

U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (2018-2021)

“Modern democracies, open democracies like Japan, South Korea, the United States, our Hallmark, one of the hallmarks of our nations is religious freedom, to allow people to pursue and do with their own soul as they see fit. Don't walk away from it.”

Senior Pastor, City of Destiny

“We are confident that the current prime minister and all leadership of Japan will uphold the high principle of defending religious freedom for all faiths.”

Senior Pastor, Evangel Cathedral

“Why do we Americans refer to religious freedom as the first freedom?… Because it enables and it protects other human freedoms like the freedom of speech. You cannot have freedom of speech, if you do not have first religious freedom. The culture of liberty and peaceful democracy in the United States, in large part, emerged from its firm respect for religious freedom.”

Voices for Religious Freedom in Japan

Video Messages

Letters and Documents

U.S. Secretary of State (2018-2021)

“The nations that most threaten us, the nations that put our lives and our freedoms most at risk, are the very same nations that deny religious freedom to their own.”

Senior Fellow, Cato Institute

“Regimes which make religion an instrument of politics are unlikely to allow free speech, debate and elections.”