Forced De-Conversion Victim Statements

S. H. (name withheld by request)

Confined: 1986

Faith-breaker: Shinya Waga

WRITTEN STATEMENT

April 14, 2010

Profile

I was born on June 26, 1960, in Shimonoseki city, Yamaguchi prefecture, as the eldest daughter of my father Taro and my mother Shigeko. In April 1979, I entered Fukuoka University’s Pharmacy Department. In March 1983, I graduated from the pharmacy course at the same university. Presently, I work at the Preparation Pharmacy of Shimonoseki as a pharmacist.

In autumn 1981, during my third year of university, I met a Unification Church (UC) member at Fukuoka University and began studying Unification Principle. I joined the Unification Church in May 1982.

My parents’ opposition

I was working at the UC in Tokyo. Around this time, as my parents’ opposition solidified, I think my father joined the Ecclesia group of Pastor Shinya Waga. When a monthly membership fee was paid, a monthly periodical was sent to the home.

At that time, Waga was assisting with Unification Church members’ withdrawals so he could not accept an invitation from my parents to visit their home for three years. My parents prepared a rental apartment in the vicinity of their home, provisioned for a long-term confinement.

Kidnapping and confinement

In 1986, my parents asked me to come to their home for a memorial service. Upon entering the home, within a short time I tried to open a window. The inside lock was open but I could not open the window. I thought it was strange. I tried to open all the windows in my parents' house, but they could not be opened. When I went to the entrance, there were three locks installed on the inside in addition to the normal lock on the wood door. At that moment, I realized I was being confined.

I thought I would like to quickly leave. I told my mother, “I'm going to take a walk.” Mom said she was coming with me. In the end I could not take a walk and they asked me to “please meet Pastor Shinya Waga.” At night my father put a futon in the entrance hall and slept there, holding the telephone. Because of this, I could not use the phone to call the church.

The next morning, Waga came to the house together with a woman, an ex-Unification Church member. When the pastor entered, he saw the door locks and said as an excuse, “This is not something I advised your parents to do. Your parents did it on their own.”

At first glance, Waga looks like a gentleman, and the woman who accompanied him spoke well and had a bright good feeling about her. Pastor Waga has several children. They ask him, “How many miserable people did you save today?”

Pastor Waga brought the Divine Principle and a Bible. He said, “The contents of the Divine Principle and the contents of the Bible are contradictory.” He invited me to ask a question.

When I said something, however, he responded so we could not have a normal conversation. This situation continued from around 10 pm to around 8 am the next day, when two more people came to the house. The two people stayed at a hotel in Shimonoseki.

On the third day, I testified about when I met God. But Pastor Waga said, “That is the work of a bad spirit.” When I heard that, I thought, “There is no hope. Whenever I say anything, it is useless.” From this point I began to keep silent.

On the evening of the third day, my mother told Pastor Waga, “She is going to say that she intends to leave the Unification Church, but that will not be her real intention; she will probably return to the Unification Church so please stop her.”

She said my father had prepared for three years for my conversion so they cannot abandon it; however, in the end my mother gave up so Waga and the female ex-member left. My father gave Pastor Waga an envelope containing money for transportation, the hotel and a donation, which he quickly took.

I wanted to get out of that fearful house quickly, and I desperately requested to return to the church immediately. My parents persuaded me to stay two or three more days since I was already there. Afterward I could return to the church peacefully.

In October 1988, at the time of the 6,500 Couples Blessing, I could not receive the Blessing without my parents’ agreement because they had kidnapped me. I hurried to my parents’ home to persuade them; however, my parents thought that if they agreed to the Blessing it would be the end. So at first they would not permit it. On the third day I told my mother, “If I receive the Blessing I will come back to Shimonoseki.” Then my mother was very happy, and she gave permission for the Blessing (marriage). When my father saw that my mom was very happy, he permitted the Blessing. They then signed the permission form. My parents love my spouse very much, and after that they quit the Ecclesia group.

However, my parents’ thinking had been negatively influenced against the Unification Church by the Ecclesia group. So after that my parents struggled a lot, which caused difficulty in our parent-child relationship.

My friend, who worked together with me at the church, withdrew due to an opposition pastor and after I found out about it, the friend sent a letter to my parents telling them she could introduce a more popular pastor than Pastor Waga.

This friend, who had shared the happiness of a life of faith with me, withdrew through the influence of the negative pastor and is helping in withdrawal activities directed against other Unification Church members. Ever since I was informed of this fact I have had very painful feelings,even now.

I absolutely cannot forgive the actions of these pastors who give negative education to parents and relatives as an expedient step for the purpose of kidnapping and confinement. I hope a quick solution could be found concerning this situation.

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