Derisive media portrayal condemned by 2nd-generation members of religious minority
Logo of the Sekai NippoTokyo, 30th September 2024 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article
“Mutual understanding between parents and children is the true solution”
Conference to Protect Freedom of Religion
by the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
The “Tama Tokyo Conference to Protect Freedom of Religion” was held on 28th September 2024, in Hachioji City (八王子市), Tokyo, organized by the Tama Tokyo Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedom of Religion [Editor’s note: Tama (多摩) and Hachioji (八王子) are suburban cities just west of Tokyo City]. The event focused on themes such as freedom of religion and the issues faced by second-generation religious believers. Active members and second-generation followers of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) participated and expressed their views from their respective standpoints.
A second-generation member of the Family Federation appeals for the protection of religious freedom and human rights, afternoon 16th September 2024, Shibuya, Tokyo. Photo: Reika Kato (加藤玲和) / Sekai NippoYasumori Ikeda (池田泰盛), a second-generation follower belonging to a church in Tachikawa City (立川市) [Editor’s note: another city near Tokyo City], emphasized, “I don’t think children become unhappy just because their parents have faith.” He criticized reports claiming that the dissolution of the church is the only way to help victims, stating that such reports “hurt the self-esteem of second-generation followers and instill a victim mentality.” He argued that the true solution for the suffering and harm experienced by second-generation religious followers lies in mutual understanding based on respect and dialogue within the church and between parents and children.
During the conference, a panel discussion was held between second-generation followers and their parents’ generation. A second-generation female follower reflected, “I felt silent pressure to attend church services every Sunday.” In response, a male follower from the parents’ generation commented, “Imposing values is not good. Parents should show their children how to live by example.”
Attorney Tatsuki Nakayama. Photo: Sekai NippoAdditionally, there was a lecture by international lawyer Tatsuki Nakayama (中山達樹) and an activity report from the “Association to Protect the Human Rights of Second-Generation Followers” (信者の人権を守る二世の会).
Featured image above: Yasumori Ikeda (池田泰盛), speaking from the perspective of a second-generation follower, on the 28th September 2024, in Hachioji City (八王子市), Tokyo. Photo: Takahide Ishii (石井孝秀) / Sekai Nippo
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