Japan Seeks to Revoke Unification Church's Legal Status

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The Facts

  • On Thursday, the Japanese government announced that it would ask a court to strip the Unification Church of its legal status as a religion, after investigations into former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination raised questions about the Church's fundraising and business practices.

  • Claiming that the Church violated civil law, Japan's Education Minister Masahito Moriyama said the government is investigating its activities because it "deviated from the intended purpose of a religious corporation."

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

The Unification Church solicits substantial donations that bankrupt the families of its followers. It's about time the Church lost its legal status, as it exploits members, disrupts their lives, and impinges on their freedoms.

FT

Establishment-critical narrative

It's unfortunate that the Japanese government has decided to make such a drastic and punitive decision based on the biased information and campaigning of a group of profit-driven leftwing lawyers. The Unification Church is a legitimate religion and its members deserve freedom to express and practice their beliefs.

Bitter Winter

Metaculus Prediction

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