Media: Friends or Foes of Religious Freedom—and the Tai Ji Men Case
The use by prosecutors and media of labels such as “cult,” “religious fraud,” and “brainwashing” created serious problems for several spiritual groups, including Tai Ji Men.
A magazine on religious liberty and human rights
The Tai Ji Men tax case in Taiwan is exemplary of how even democratic states can undermine freedom of religion or belief by using ordinary bureaucracy and taxation in an unfair and intimidating way.
The use by prosecutors and media of labels such as “cult,” “religious fraud,” and “brainwashing” created serious problems for several spiritual groups, including Tai Ji Men.
The proper role of media is to report incidents as they are and furnish a handbook of criteria to situate them in space and time. All the rest is useless and dangerous.
History teaches us that the media can either be allies in the fight for rights or pose a grave danger to religious freedom. It depends on whether they are truly free from pressures, individual interests, and manipulation.
Freedom of expression is a fundamental right for both individuals and the media. But it is not unlimited and does not protect defamation and slander.
At an international religious liberty conference, panelists insisted that different incidents are not isolated but should be confronted in a comparative perspective.
The Tai Ji Men case is a perfect example of how several media are prejudiced against spiritual movements and would easily believe lies about them.
Some had predicted the demise of religion in the Global West after the end of the Cold War. It did not happen—which caused harsh reactions.
Those who argue that solving the long-lasting case (whose injustice is demonstrated by the tragedy of the Swiss Mountain Villa) is now legally impossible are wrong.
The harassment of a peaceful and benevolent group by Taiwanese authorities proves that human rights problems also exist in countries reputed for their democratic development.
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