This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1995, Volume 12, Number 1, pages 72-102. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.

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 following 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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