Weekly Toyo Keizai Religious Feature "Money and Power" Church Public Relations View

"The media's tendency not to cover religion unless it involves social incidents is leading to the deterioration of this country."

In the Weekly Toyo Keizai (issue published on August 27), a religious feature "Unveiling the Taboos of the Religious World: Religion, Money, and Power" is organized. The main content emphasizes certain monetary issues, such as "the mechanism by which religion profits" and "widespread fraudulent accounting," regarding the nature of religious corporations. Our church is also portrayed in a scandalous manner, as if recent topics are problematic.

The magazine has been regarded as one of the representative economic magazines, but does the editorial department have no doubts about using such a vulgar method as "money and power" when featuring religion?

Religion is a social entity with the highest public interest, demonstrating universal truth and forming the foundation of public spirit.

Originally, religion has the mission of clarifying the invisible "existence of gods and buddhas," teaching people the "right way of the heart" that aligns with the will of gods and buddhas so they do not get lost after death.

Our church continues to publish as many as 2,400 scriptures to create opportunities for awareness so that as many people as possible can obtain happiness that transcends this world and the next, and its essence is purely a soul-saving activity.

Moreover, religion teaches the greatness of living with dreams and ideals and the "spirit of altruism," aiming for the "construction of an ideal society." It is a social entity with the highest public interest, demonstrating universal truth and forming the foundation of public spirit, such as patriotism and corporate spirit.

The Disappearing Religious Mind and "The Deterioration of This Country"

As discussed by German sociologist Max Weber in 'The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,' religion has a significant impact on society's diligence, ethics, and people's behavioral patterns. The honesty, diligence, and high morality of the Japanese are also the fruits of the long traditions of Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism. The miraculous recovery from the burnt-out ruins after the war to become one of the world's leading economic powers is also inseparably linked to the Japanese religious mind.

It is also a manifestation of a broad sense of religious spirit that business managers do not solely pursue profit but also strive to contribute to society while conducting business fairly and justly without violating social norms.

However, the Japanese media, brainwashed by GHQ propaganda that pre-war imperial historiography was the root cause of militarism, has consistently reported only incidents (especially money and internal conflicts) regarding religion since the war, without discussing its significance or social role head-on. As a result, the trend of denying the importance of effort and spirituality has intensified, and the economic stagnation after the bubble burst and the decline in work motivation have not been halted, facing the crisis of being overtaken by emerging Asian countries.

This time, Weekly Toyo Keizai is fervently attacking religion and weakening its power. The magazine should understand the fact that "the media's tendency not to cover religion unless it involves social incidents is leading to the deterioration of this country."

It is not permissible to trample on faith through the abuse of "freedom of speech and publication."

The article states that students scheduled to graduate next spring from Happy Science University (HSU), a higher religious research institution (equivalent to a university) established by our church, are unlikely to find employment similar to new graduates from general universities, but this is contrary to the facts. In the job hunting that has already started, the job offer rate for HSU students exceeded 92% as of August, significantly surpassing the national average of 79.7% (job offer rate for university and graduate students as of the end of July, according to Mynavi). In addition to humanity, their high English proficiency, far exceeding the national average TOEIC score for university students, and qualifications such as secretary certification and bookkeeping are highly evaluated for their immediate work readiness as members of society.

Furthermore, although not mentioned in the article, the educational projects, including the academic achievements of Happiness Science Academy in passing exams for prestigious universities like the University of Tokyo and Waseda-Keio, and the activities of the cheer dance club, are steadily achieving results. This is due to the foundation of religious education.

One reason for the publication of such one-sided critical information that ignores objective achievements is that the Weekly Toyo Keizai editorial department has committed illegal entry into our church facilities, is currently a criminal defendant, and has allowed an interested party who is a perpetrator to our church to write articles about our church. As a result, articles that lack the fairness, which is the fundamental premise of reporting, are being published.

This is an act of trampling on the extremely important faith of believers by journalism, which has the mission of providing correct information to the public, and constitutes an abuse of the freedom of expression, speech, and publication.

Weekly Toyo Keizai should relearn the meaning of "freedom of religion."

As the generation that supported post-war reconstruction retires and the Japanese economy is about to face a downturn, what is needed is to revive the spirit of diligence, ambition, self-control, and self-help efforts among the people by encouraging religion. It is urgent to form a national consensus to strengthen religion and stop "the deterioration of this country."

In that sense, it is the post-war Japanese media's tendency to only cover religion when there are incidents or scandals that is at a crossroads. If the media cannot correctly understand the spirituality of religious organizations and only report on them from a secular and narrow perspective of "money and power" or incidents, the public will not be able to correctly understand the significance of the sacred work conducted by religious organizations or the meaning of the modern state's constitution guaranteeing "freedom of religion" (Article 20, Paragraph 1) to the people. This is nothing but an infringement on the "right to know," which guarantees democracy.

The Weekly Toyo Keizai editorial department should reflect on its narrow perspective that could lower the national character and relearn the spirituality of religious organizations and the meaning of the constitution guaranteeing "freedom of religion" to the people.

Happy Science Group Public Relations Division