OPINION:
FOR SALE: 260 church buildings, pews, altars, pulpits and various religious literature, including Bibles, commentaries and hymnals. Contact the Japanese government’s designated liquidator acting under a court order of dissolution and liquidation. All property has been seized and secured and is available for sale as needed.
Although the government targeting of faiths and churches for dissolution and banning itself is abhorrent to the notion of freedom of religion, other countries following Japan’s lead take it much further.
Massimo Introvigne described it this way in his Aug. 21, 2024, op-ed in Bitter Winter: “Both Rwanda and Kenya have hailed the repression of the Unification Church (now called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) and other minorities in Japan and the anti-cult legislation in France as practices that have provided inspiration to them. Africa has had to contend with many viruses. It seems that the virus threatening religious liberty is spreading quicker than expected.”
Rwanda has closed more than 8,000 churches in the past two years. Nigerians have targeted and killed Christians. Iran banned the Bible long ago. History is indeed full of governments targeting and banning faiths and religions for various reasons.
As shocking as the above seems, it’s all true, and already leading other countries to pursue their targeting of faiths around the world.
Look no further than South Korea, as reported by The Chosun Ilbo in Seoul. “President Lee Jae-myung instructed during a Cabinet meeting on the 2nd that organized political intervention by religious foundations violates the Constitution, stating, ‘We should examine institutional measures to enable dissolution orders for religious foundations, as seen in Japan.’”
A week later, at the Dec. 9 Cabinet meeting, Mr. Lee stated, “Whether [dissolution] is justified can be decided through litigation. Japan seems to petition the court for dissolution.”
To obtain its order of dissolution, Japan cited a long list of alleged wrongs in civil (not criminal) proceedings. At the heart of the drive, however, is really an allegation by Tetsuya Yamagami, who assassinated Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022.
The assassin blamed the Unification Church for financially ruining his family. Oddly, the assassin believed that the popular prime minister had connections with the church. Now, the church with which Mr. Abe had a relationship has become the underlying basis for dissolving that very church.
Of course, allegations against churches include criminal wrongs, such as the sexual molestation of altar boys, and civil challenges, such as creating political instability. Although reforms, including victim compensation and oversight to ensure changes, make sense, banning and dissolving churches never have.
The frightening part is that in Japan, no one has stood up, reminiscent of the poem by Martin Niemoller (who was himself imprisoned by the Nazi regime for opposing state control of churches): “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.”
America’s role, especially the role of American religious leaders and churches, is clear. We must stand up for religious freedom and liberty, especially when no one else will. Staying silent when others lose their rights only empowers governments to target groups one by one.
No one would have expected a civilized, democratic ally such as Japan to be among those leading the way, but that’s exactly what has happened. Our moral responsibility now is to defend other faiths as this oppression continues to spread.
Charlie Kirk saw it firsthand after his visits to Japan and South Korea. The Guardian put it this way: “Kirk criticized special prosecutor investigations into Yoon and his martial law, describing ‘several disturbing things happening right now in South Korea’ where ‘pastors are being arrested’ and ‘homes are being raided,’ adding, ‘If South Korea keeps on acting like this, it is the American way to step up and fight for what is right.’”
The time is now.
The liquidator in Japan posted this notice on every church door: “This facility and all assets within the facility are under my control as the liquidator. No person (even a member or employee of the Corporation) is permitted to remove or dispose of any items within the facility without the permission of the liquidator. Furthermore, no person (even if a member or employee of the Corporation) is permitted to enter the facility without the permission of the liquidator.”
In Japan on Sunday, thousands of believers were locked out of more than 200 churches without access to their hymnals or sacraments and with nowhere to worship. Charlie Kirk was right. It is the American way to step up and fight for what’s right: religious freedom. We cannot wait until they come for us.
• Randy Evans was the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg from 2018 to 2021.
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