Scholar on Image, Idealism, Donations, Mistrust

In interview Japanese scholar and author comments on the public image of the Family Federation, large donations, and building the Kingdom of Heaven

Tokyo, 11th April 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article. 

A Reconsideration and Explanation of the “Heaven on Earth” Concept

Interview with Religious Scholar Toshihiro Ota (Part 2)

by Tsuyoshi Toyoda (豊田 剛)

See part 1, part 3 of the interview

Negative image influencing the courts

– You’ve studied Aum Shinrikyo. From a religious studies perspective, what is the fundamental difference between Aum and the Family Federation (formerly Unification Church)?

Aum Shinrikyo and the Family Federation are fundamentally different religions, so it’s not easy to compare them directly. Aum was an exceptionally aggressive religion, to the point where it’s difficult to find comparable examples. Its founder harbored a destructive impulse and worshiped “Shiva”, the god of destruction. They preached a doctrine called “Vajrayana”, which interpreted murder as salvation. A select murder squad was formed within the group, and they killed not only external enemies but even fellow believers without hesitation.

I myself have not conducted detailed research on the Unification Church, so I can’t say much definitively. However, it doesn’t appear that Sun Myung Moon, its founder, had the same destructive tendencies as Asahara (Aum’s founder). If anything, Moon was a “dove-like” figure who aimed to transform the world into a utopia through peaceful means. There is a simplistic tendency to equate Aum and the Unification Church, but I cannot agree with that view.

There have been rumors that the International Federation for Victory Over Communism (IFVOC), one of the organizations affiliated with the Family Federation, operated a gun shop and may have had an armed group equipped with shotguns. I can’t verify these claims either. But at the time, the radical violence of far-left groups was more conspicuous, and perhaps the IFVOC felt compelled to defend itself in some way. These issues need accurate explanations from those directly involved; otherwise, they risk becoming hotbeds for conspiracy theories and excessive fear.

– What are the problems within the religious organization, and what needs to be improved?

As far as I understand, the main goal of the Unification Church is the “estabishment of a Kingdom of Heaven on earth based on the Unification Principles”. From the 1960s to the 1990s, when Moon was actively preaching, there was a strong sense of urgency to realize this goal while the Lord of the Second Advent was still alive. Many followers pursued this mission with little regard for opposition from their families or society.

However, that zeal also led to problems, such as making excessive donations beyond their means, using “spiritual sales” tactics, solicitation under false identities, neglect of child-rearing, among others.

In recent years, the Family Federation has made PR efforts to improve its image. Yet I find it concerning that their core principle of building a “Kingdom of Heaven on Earth” is rarely discussed. Without explaining this theme thoroughly and engaging in frank discussions with the broader society, public understanding of the religious organization will remain shallow, and its overall image won’t change.

– The compliance declaration [See editor’s note below] issued by the Family Federation in 2009 is said to have curbed excessive donations and “spiritual sales”, and lawsuits noticeably decreased. Yet the court’s impressions didn’t change.

The reforms of the religious organization had some effect, but they didn’t go far enough to fundamentally change the general image of the Family Federation.

One key reason is that reforms based on the compliance declaration [See editor’s note below] focused only on surface-level activities. There was no clear explanation of how core doctrines like “building the Kingdom of Heaven on earth”, “restoration of all things (all creation)”, or “conditions for indemnity (蕩減 – reparation, atonement, amends)” were reexamined or changed.

As a result, many Japanese continued to see the Family Federation as a group that tries to extract wealth from Japan (plunder Japan’s assets) to build a strange utopia centered on South Korea.

Even in the recent district court ruling, there were concerns that excessive donations might still be continuing post-compliance declaration [See editor’s note below].

While the religious organization has objected, pointing out that no concrete figures were shown for donation damages, I can understand the court’s concern.

The underlying tendency of the religious organization to raise funds for goals like the salvation of humanity and building a Kingdom of Heaven on earth may be temporarily suppressed but has not fundamentally changed. This leaves believers continually exposed to potential donation pressure – a point that worries the general public.

Concerns of repeating past religious mistakes

– Large donations often accompany religious groups. From a religious studies point of view, what’s the issue here?

The relationship between religion and money is delicate and historically fraught. A classic example is the “indulgence” controversy in late medieval Christianity.

The Catholic Church, then extremely powerful, sold indulgences with claims that they could absolve sins or save ancestors from purgatory.

This led to criticisms over whether salvation could be bought, sparking the Protestant Reformation and even religious wars.

While not directly equivalent, the Unification Church’s emphasis on human and financial power seems to echo some of these historical missteps. If a religion claims it will build a Kingdom of Heaven on earth using money, then naturally, people will expect concrete, visible results – and when these don’t materialize, believers will likely feel dissatisfaction.

Now that founder Sun Myung Moon has passed away (in 2012), and the early devout members are aging, it’s time to calmly reassess: was a Kingdom of Heaven on earth really built? Did this ideal ever have the power to truly improve reality?

The Unification Church has also tried to realize its ideals through ventures beyond religion – into politics, arts, academia, journalism, and business. It has established numerous affiliated organizations. Yet there is a serious lack of explanation about the nature, history, and relationship of these groups with the religious organization itself. I believe this is a factor that arouses suspicion and anxiety in the general public.

See part 1, part 3 of the interview

Featured image above: Japanese man looking questioning. Illustration: Grok xAI / FFWPU, 5th May 2025. 

Toshihiro Ota (大田俊寛) – Born in 1974. Graduated from the Faculty of Sociology at Hitotsubashi University. Completed doctoral studies in Religious Studies and the History of Religion at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology. Holds a Doctorate in Literature. Currently a part-time lecturer at Saitama University. Specializes in religious studies. Major works include “The Complete History of Monotheism” (Vol. 1 & 2, Kawade Shobo Shinsha), “The Thought of Gnosticism” (Shunjusha), and “The Spiritual History of Aum Shinrikyo” (Shunjusha).

[Editor’s note: The 2009 compliance declaration of the Unification Church of Japan (now the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) was a formal commitment by the organization to reform its practices in response to longstanding public criticism and legal challenges.

The Unification Church in Japan had faced numerous allegations related to recruitment tactics and donation solicitation, termed “spiritual sales” (霊感商法) by a hostile network of activist lawyers who had declared the religious organization an enemy. These issues led to multiple lawsuits orchestrated by the activist lawyers and significant media backlash. This prompted the organization to take measures to restore its reputation and demonstrate compliance with legal and ethical standards.

The religious organization pledged to stop possibly unethical donation practices, including what the hostile network of lawyers claimed amounted to “pressuring members into making large financial contributions under spiritual pretexts.”

This was in response to accusations from the same activist lawyers that followers “were being manipulated into giving away substantial amounts of money or property.”

The Unification Church stated it would enhance internal oversight to ensure compliance with ethical and legal standards. Measures included better training for leaders and stricter guidelines for evangelization and solicitation of donations.

After this compliance declaration, there was a significant decrease in the number of lawsuits against the Unification Church – since 2015 called the Family Federation. The religious organization has used this as evidence that it has improved its practices and should not be subject to dissolution.]

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