Japan is emerging as the main battleground between forces that have attacked religious liberty for centuries and those defending it.
Op-eds Global
Religious Intolerance in Brazil: Will Lula Protect the Minorities?
Violence against Afro-Brazilian religions continued during the electoral campaign. The new President promised to act. It may be more difficult than some believe.
England and Wales: New Assault Against the Secrecy of Confession
In its final report, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recommends to eliminate the confessional privilege in cases of sexual abuse of children.
In Defense of the Gurus: Why Spiritual Masters Are Persecuted
“Guru” has become a derogatory word in a world that does not understand what a spiritual master is, as the Tai Ji Men case demonstrates.
Rabwah: Are Ahmadis Safe There?
In some countries, asylum is denied to Ahmadiyya devotees coming from a city where they are in the majority. But they are killed even there.
The Jeongeup Murder Case: A Hate Crime Against Shincheonji
A man murdered his wife, a Shincheonji devotee, and her sister-in-law after consulting with an anti-Shincheonji pastor—who now tries to blame the victim.
Why Media Hate “Cults”
Or perhaps they don’t hate anybody. They simply know that lurid tales connecting religion with money, power, and illicit sex always sell.
The Family Survival Trust 2022 Report on “Cults”: Reviving the Dead Horse of “Brainwashing”
The British affiliate of FECRIS calls for extending legislation on “coercive control” to new religious movements. In fact, it tries to resurrect the discredited theory of brainwashing.
London Ministerial: What We Have Learned about China, Pakistan, and the World
The international Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief taught us that religious liberty is more threatened than even before, and only a global coalition can hope to achieve results.
Abe’s Assassination: An Anti-Cult Hate Crime?
Media hysteria against the Unification Church, not the Unification Church itself, may have excited the weak mind of the killer.