I met with Ms. Natsume on February 1, 2025. In order to clarify the purpose of the interview, I prepared this letter in advance. I then asked her what she thought. At that time, I received three booklets. Here are the titles.
+Violation of “Freedom of Religion” in Japan Revealed by the Assassination of Former Prime Minister Abe
Organized by NGO “Alliance of Organizations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience”
Co-organized by NGO Universal Peace Federation Europe & Middle East
+ Dear Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, No Requirement for the Family Coalition to Request Dissolution
Author: Tatsuki Nakayama, International Lawyer, Publisher: Kogensha
+ Leftist Thought and Communism
Shinnosuke Ohno, UPF-Japan Education Bureau
| This text has been slightly reworded from the original Japanese text in order to translate it into English. The original intent has not been changed. The translation was done using the translation sites DeepL and Google Translate. |
| February 1, 2025 What I would like to convey in this interview Since the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) requested the district court in October 2023, both sides made arguments in written submissions, and according to the parties involved, there were also four “hearings” in which the district court heard the opinions of both sides. The trial was closed to the public in accordance with the Law on Non-Contentious Case Procedures. Request for Dissolution Order for Former Unification Church to End Hearing? District Court Decision Possible This Spring (From Yahoo news) On the 27th, the denomination submitted its final written arguments to the Tokyo District Court regarding the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s request for a dissolution order against the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (former Unification Church). The Ministry of Education has also submitted theirs, and it is believed that the hearing has been completed. According to sources, the District Court may render its decision this spring. The Religious Corporations Law stipulates that an order for dissolution can be issued in cases such as “an act that is clearly recognized as extremely detrimental to the public welfare in violation of laws and regulations. |
| Even today, I believe that the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly Unification Church) is still the Order for the Messiah. If the Unification Principle and Unification Thought are not good enough, I think we should change the sign rather than dissolve the denomination. I believe that human beings cannot just live. You must do the work of the Messiah as ordained by God. The reason the spirit world, as you call it, was on your side about what you were going to do was because they thought you were going to do the messianic work. They were expecting you to do it. But can you continue to do the work of the Messiah if you are labeled cults and heretics? It seems to me that it was a long time ago that you were labeled a cult or a heresy. What did you think the messianic work was in the first place? As you may know, the Catholic Church has a confession of faith called the Nicene Constantinople Creed. It is recited at Mass and during worship services, like a prayer. |
| Niceno Constantinopolitan Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. And His kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. Adapted from Del Ray Baptist Church, Alexandria, VA website |
| It is a basic Christian creed determined by the Council of 381 and widely used in both the Eastern and Western Churches. Here we find a description of the Messiah (the Second Coming of the Lord). Catholics, or those denominations that recognize and use this creed in their worship, seem to define the work of the Messiah (the Second Coming) as “judging the living and the dead. This is a statement about denominations that recognize the Nicene-Constantinople Creed and may not be the same as the statement of the United Families for World Peace and Unification. In the Catholic Church, it is said that it is the Second Coming Lord who will come to judge the living and the dead. However, there is a problem of interpretation as to what exactly this term means. God never rises out of the smoke and says, “You are right in your claims.” Do you think that the Messiah’s work is being fulfilled adequately? At least in Japan, we are not at war like Israel and Hamas with weapons, or Russia and Ukraine. The very existence of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification is a good in itself, and the mere existence of this organization in no way means that Japan is being saved. Is the current Family Federation for World Peace and Unification doing its job as a messiah adequately? In the past, the United Family Association for World Peace and Unification (former Unification Church) was considered a cult and a heresy. Just because it was in the past does not mean that it has been resolved in the present. This assessment has been so overused that it is no longer said. In addition, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification is currently being served with a request for a dissolution order stemming from the “shooting of former Prime Minister Abe. The work of the Messiah is not limited to Japan or the Orient. He must be the Messiah in the world. This must be decided by the congregation of the church itself. It is a bit exaggerated to say that you (Ms. Yasuyo Natsume) are a representative of the congregation, but I would be happy if you could express your opinion. I believe that many members of the congregation have different opinions. I cannot assume that they are all exactly the same. I want to know what you think, Ms. Natsume. This is my opinion, but I feel that Japan currently has the turn to lead the world. In this respect, I think Japan is attracting the attention of the world. In this regard, an important role is that of the Emperor of Japan. The “Emperor of Japan” is the “symbol of the nation of Japan and of the unity of the Japanese people” who has nothing to do with politics. For this reason, I would like the Emperor of Japan to be the “restorer of a new Christianity,” which is a different perspective from what we have seen in the past. I believe that the work concerning the Messiah will continue to be the work of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. I believe this is so because Mr. Sun Myung Moon declared so. I think it is my role to help your group to do the work of the Messiah (the Second Coming of the Lord) easily. If the Divine Principle and Unification Thought are not working as well as you would like, then you have no choice but to look elsewhere. I think it is also necessary to solve the problem of labeling people as cults or heretics. Even if such things are no longer being said today, I don’t think they have been resolved. We are currently being served with a request for a dissolution order that was triggered by this “shooting incident of former Prime Minister Abe”. I do not know what the outcome will be, but I pray that Japan, which is attracting the world’s attention, will become a country that is open to Christianity as well. I believe that only the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification can do such a thing. My personal view on the future of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, as stated in the letter I sent to Mr. Nemoto and the e-mail letters I sent to the International Academy of Gnathology American Section and USC (University of Southern California School of Dentistry), is that in order for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification to become the Messianic Order of the World One way is to become a part of the Catholic Church. My understanding of the Unification Principle was that it examines science from a religious perspective. There is currently no entity within the Catholic Church that holds such a view. I would like to see such a new understanding of Christianity promoted. This is really my own personal view, and I have not obtained the approval of anyone in the Catholic Church, and if I were to inquire, I probably would not get a response. I would appreciate it if you could give Mr. Nemoto some response or feedback in about two weeks. If you do not provide a response, you can still let Mr. Nemoto know that you do not wish to respond to such a question. |
| I purchased The Book of Tensei with the expectation that I would be able to pay for it in the future. However, I have only paid the deposit and the full payment has not been made. The expectation was that I would be able to pay for it in the future with the proceeds of an application to be used for Gnathology 2.0 in dentistry. However, even if the development of that app is possible, it may no longer be relevant to me. If we could complete an application that could be offered to dental Gnathology 2.0, and if we could obtain a position that would generate an income that could repay the cost of The Book of Tensei, I believe it would be possible. However, such a prospect is not currently available, and we do not know in the future. Absent such a situation, I would like to return the books because I do not expect to be able to repay the loan. You have said that you would lend me the books, so if that is how you see it, I would like to return the books as they are. Also, I would like to consider whether or not I can pay for the “palm reading” fee again later. This one case, which started from my overthinking, visited the “Hana Forum” and became what it is today, may or may not be a case of taking some action when dealing with God. This is like beating the air or driving a stake into sawdust. At any rate, I believe that some results will be achieved this time. I was given the opportunity to submit this kind of questionnaire to Ms. Yasuyo Natsume, one of the members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification’s congregation. In the letter I sent to Mr. Nemoto, and in the e-mail letters I sent to the International Academy of Gnathology American Section and the University of Southern California School of Dentistry (USC), I included the names of two dental laboratories and a manufacturer of measuring instruments. We would like to send a letter like this questionnaire to them as well. It occurred to me unexpectedly in the course of my daily life to put out this kind of questionnaire. Thank you in advance in advance for your cooperation. Toshiji Shimizu |
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