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Cultic Studies Journal
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Judgment
by the Fukuoka (Japan) District Court on the Unification Church
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Psychological
Manipulation and Society: cults, cult groups, new religious movements
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Cultic
Studies Journal
Psychological Manipulation and Society
Vol. 12, No. 1, 1995
Judgment
by the Fukuoka (Japan) District Court on the Unification Church
Editor's Introduction
In 1987 a network of lawyers was formed in Japan for the purpose of eliminating
"spiritual sales," especially those conducted by the Unification
Church. Approximately 300 lawyers have participated in this network. These
lawyers claim that perpetrators of spiritual sales have swindled individuals or subjected
them to undue influence in order to obtain large gifts from them. The lawyers network
claims that "in the past seven years (from February 1989 through February 1994), just
from the cases that were brought to the attention of us lawyers, there have been about
16,000 cases, and the losses have been over 60 billion yen" (from "The
Activities of the Unification Church, "March 1994 statement by the Network of Lawyers
Against Spiritual Sales). The judgment by the Fukuoka District Court illustrates the
controversy over spiritual sales. The judgment is currently under appeal. When CSJ learns
about the outcome of the appeal, an update will be published.
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CSJ 