Forced De-Conversion Victim Statements

M.I. (name withheld by request)

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Confined: 1995

Faith-breaker: Pastor Akira Taniguchi 

WRITTEN STATEMENT

[no date provided]

Profile

I was born to my father, Kazuhiro and my mother Shimako, in Arita Gun, Wakayama Prefecture. My husband is not a member of the Unification Church.

Mr. Kusatani, a member of the Unification Church, visited my home in 1993 and introduced me to the Divine Principle. After studying its teachings, I joined the church. I then witnessed to my younger brother, who was in his first year of university in Kumamoto Prefecture, and he joined the church too.

My brother’s confinement

When my brother came home to see our parents, they took the opportunity to confine him. I received a call from the Kumamoto church saying my brother hadn’t come back and hadn’t called them. I went to my parents’ home in Wakayama. My parents were not there, and my grandmother was looking after the house. My brother was confined in an apartment in Wakayama City for three months, while he was being persuaded to leave the church. He was released after pretending as if he had renounced his faith. My parents never came back home during that time. My brother moved to Nagoya after he was released and was matched and Blessed in the Unification Church.

My confinement

At the end of 1995, they tried confining me at my parents’ home. Pastor Akira Taniguchi, my parents and my husband tried to persuade me to leave the Unification Church. Pastor Taniguchi brought the Divine Principle and the Bible with him. He criticized the Divine Principle by saying things like there isn’t the slightest chance for the Lord of the Second Coming to be born in North Korea. I figured it was a waste of time to try to discuss anything under such circumstances and decided to pretend that I would leave the church. As a result, I was released in three days.

Present condition

My parents are still opposed to the Unification Church but they are willing to communicate. My parents and husband know that I go to the Unification Church, but they don’t bring it up.