—DFO 2816

July 1, 1992

(The following press statement was released, & also mass distributed, in Japan during the recent Family-related media campaign there:)

Warmest greetings in the name of the God of Love!—And may He bless you with His peace and happiness! I've heard from my precious Family in Japan that some of you have desired to hear a personal word from me about all of the controversy that has been generated lately regarding our Family there, so I will start off by saying what I've always said about Japan and the Japanese people: I love you! I love your country. I have always appreciated and admired you, and I have always taught my children to love and respect you also.

There has always been a special place in my heart for your beautiful country and you good and kind people. So‚ of course, I was saddened to hear that you have had to be subjected to the terrible lies‚ filth and muck that some of our most bitter and vindictive enemies were only too happy to provide certain tabloids with‚ such as the Shukan Bunshun. However, I have been happy to hear that many of you members of the media have not blindly followed Shukan Bunshun's example‚ but have instead visited our communities to find out the truth about us for yourselves. Of course‚ in so doing, you have realised that the false report given by the Shukan Bunshun was nothing but lies and trumped–up charges‚ and that our members are sincere, dedicated and kind-hearted individuals. These honest reporters have shown a good measure of personal integrity and professional honour by publishing and broadcasting many of the facts in this matter, rather than filling their articles with second and third-hand rumours‚ gossip, and sometimes outright lies, absurdities and slander just to boost sales or media ratings.

Muckraking magazines like the Shukan Bunshun, who are only interested in the money they make from publishing lurid and sensational stories, remind me of what a narrow-minded bigot once said to me, "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts." It doesn't matter to them that there is no truth to their accusations against us, because they aren't interested in the truth. They're not interested in facts, they are only interested in sales—and unfortunately, scandalous and sensationalist smut is what sells magazines like theirs.

Actually, I pity the Shukan Bunshun and others who make their living by publishing lies, because I know the joy and happiness that publishing the truth brings. I would rather be poor and persecuted because I tell the truth, than to be rich through publishing lies. I wonder how they can live with themselves, knowing they are in the wrong, yet continuing to spout their vicious slander? I pity them‚ for the Holy Book, the Bible, teaches us that God will deal with those who attack His innocent children. He says, "Vengeance is Mine‚ I will repay!" (Romans 12:19). God even tells us, "I will bless those that bless you, and curse those that curse you" (Genesis 12:3). God's great wheel of justice and judgement may seem to grind very slowly sometimes, but we know it grinds very fine! And I know He will eventually judge Shukan Bunshun and all those responsible for this injustice. For as the Bible says, "They that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth‚ that shall he also reap" (Job 4:8; Galatians 6:7).

To those of you who are sincerely endeavouring to be fair and objective in your pursuit of the facts about our Family, who have visited our homes and have personally talked with our members and their children, and are trying to report the truth, may God bless you for your objectivity and honesty! God bless you for serving your public well by taking your responsibilities seriously. God bless you for seeking the truth before publishing your reports, for gathering your facts and information firsthand‚ instead of recklessly propagating wild and unfounded tales to your public. For this I wish to thank you, and I pray that God will bless you.

I trust that my children there have been able to convey to you what I myself would if I were meeting with you personally.—And that is that our great God, the One Who created all things, loves you and wants you to be happy. I love you too, which is why our young missionaries chose to go to Japan almost 20 years ago to bring you the message of God's love.

Some of you have wondered why I prefer to remain in seclusion. By now you've probably become aware of the fact that we have some determined and influential international enemies, a number of whom have a personal vendetta against me. For many years I have tried to faithfully serve God by speaking His truth boldly and without compromise as a true Prophet of God to all who would hear it, and as you are probably aware, speaking the truth usually evokes many different reactions. With those who believe and receive it, the truth brings them harmony and happiness. But with those who reject it, the truth frequently angers or exposes them, sometimes so much so that they will go to any lengths to silence the one who has delivered the truth, as they did with Jesus. This problem of persecution and antagonism from those who reject the truth is nothing new‚ but is something that honest Prophets have suffered from time immemorial.

Although I have committed no crimes, and broken no laws‚ there are a number of bitter and vindictive hate groups which have organised themselves in the West‚ and make it their business to try to discredit, disrupt and destroy the work of our peace-loving missionaries, as well as me personally. So in order to continue my ministry of speaking the truth as God's Prophet and writing Letters of spiritual comfort to my followers around the World, I chose to remain in seclusion. Also, if I were caught up in the glare of the public eye, I would be unable to find the peace and quiet I need in order to hear from God and pass His Words and warnings on to others.

You may question how a message of love and peace could so infuriate these antagonists I've described. One warning message that the Bible describes in detail, and which I and other prophets have passed on to the World, is the emergence of a great and terrible One World government that will soon control all of Mankind. This is a message that I clearly want the Japanese people to be warned of. I believe we will see the establishment of this frightening World power soon. Its dictatorial despot, the worst the World has ever seen, will plunge the World into the greatest darkness and horror it has ever known. And shocking as it may seem‚ I am convinced there are persons and forces, financial and otherwise, at work at this very moment seeking to bring this person and his regime to power. Therefore, I and the Family have been faithfully warning the World of this for years. And seeing how viciously we have been attacked for this message, you must know the planners behind this scheme are very upset with us for exposing their intentions to all who read our publications. Japan, of course, along with every nation of this World, will be called upon to serve this World government, and so I want to emphatically warn you not to, as it would mean your country's destruction and the eradication of your wonderful culture.

Another reason why we have so many enemies is because we have loudly spoken out against the evil and hypocrisy of America and the West for 25 years now. Our Family has always publicly protested cruel, self-serving wars.—Especially those of America that have crushed whole nations and caused such unspeakable sadness and suffering to millions throughout the World. We have warned America and others that God is very displeased with her official rejection of Christ and the Bible in her public schools (which is now resulting in the most violent and drug-crazed generation she has ever produced). We have also decried America's blind and selfish pursuit of luxurious extravagance at the expense of the World's poor. God has told us that America will collapse and fall unless she repents and returns to the God she has forsaken, and to the Godly values she has cast aside.

While a message such as this may not always be well received by everyone who hears it, many have heeded our warnings, and have turned to the God of Love for forgiveness and help. Also, thousands of people have been so inspired by the truth we have shared with them, that they have chosen to join us full-time, dedicating their lives to spreading God's Word and Love throughout the World.

Most of the parents of our members have reacted very favourably when their grown-up child has chosen to join our fellowship, and they've recognised that their child has given his life to a noble cause. But unfortunately, there have been a few parents who have not received or believed our message, and have therefore become infuriated when their adult son or daughter has chosen to join us. Some overly possessive parents have simply not wanted to let their progeny grow up, and have resented the fact that their child chose a different occupation than what they had planned for him. We've even had angry parents of some of our members tell us that they would rather have their children live a life of crime, vice and drugs, than to be with us preaching the Gospel of Love, because it embarrasses them and exposes their own sins and failures.

Some of these bitter antagonists have gone so far as to band together to form anti-religious hate groups that pool their resources to attack, discredit and destroy new religious movements such as ours. As already mentioned, most of these people have been very offended by our message about the corruption and hypocrisy of the U.S. and most Western societies, and for this reason, they are outraged against us. They provoke misguided parents to become even more infuriated when their son or daughter not only renounces many of the corrupt values of Western society, but actually makes the decision to leave the West entirely in order to go to more peaceful lands of the East or the South, as many of our missionaries have done.

If you will take a close look at the foreigners who have come to Japan to attack and falsely accuse our Family, you will see that they are not only "cult-busters" as they've often been labelled, but they are frequently some of the most adamant "Japan-bashers" as well! And if you will look closely, you will find that many of these people hate and "bash" us for the same reasons they hate and "bash" you and your great country!

Because of our close community lifestyle and the way we work together in harmony and as a unit, our enemies criticise what they call our "lack of freedom and individuality." They level the same criticism at Japan, often mocking and making fun of the cooperative nature of your society (which we consider far superior to the selfish dog-eat-dog individual competitiveness of the West). Because we insist on retaining our own set of values and do not allow our own religious culture to be submerged and lost in what we consider the corrupt and immoral influences of Western society, our enemies scornfully accuse us of being a "closed society." Doesn't this false accusation also sound familiar to you, as echoed by the Western press?

Because we endeavour to teach our children to become responsible at an early age‚ our enemies have criticised us, saying we are too strict and regimented. They say the same thing about Japanese society. They criticise us because we are not ashamed of our God-created human bodies. They have also criticised Japan for similar freedoms and attitudes.

Because we have preached against the sins and injustices of the West, exposing many of their failures and shortcomings, while at the same time proving it is possible to live together in love and harmony in our communities, some in the West have resented us and have become very prejudiced against us. Because you honest, hard-working and clean-living Japanese have also exposed many of the shortcomings of your counterparts in the West by your sample‚ thereby putting them to shame, some sectors of Western society have become very resentful and prejudiced against you too. Just as some of these misguided individuals have stooped to publicly slur‚ slander and speak against us as a group, so they have misunderstood, slurred, slandered and spoken against you. Do you not find it a bit offensive when these muckrakers from the West come to Japan to openly criticise us in public for some of the same things their press also accuse you of?

Our Family has been active in Japan for 20 years now, peacefully working among you kind people. We in our Family love you. We have always loved you, and prayed for and honoured you, and want to humbly share the Good News of God's Love with whoever among you desires to hear it. Unlike many other foreigners, we don't look on Japan as a threat, but as a friend. Those amongst us who are foreigners are not here to try to exploit you economically‚ or to try to force our values and ideas on you. We are here to meekly work among you‚ learning your language and customs in order to show you that we truly love and respect you, and want to share what we have with you.

We come with hearts filled with love, to share the Good News of God's Love and Truth with you. What good‚ positive or constructive things have our enemies brought you? They have come with hearts filled with hate and bitterness, to try to force their lies and black propaganda on you. They desire to disrupt and destroy peace and harmony.

My prayer for all our precious friends in Japan is that God will bless and prosper you, and that you will come to know and love the God of Love and His Son Jesus Who loves you! May God bless you and help you to see that my children there love you‚ that they are a blessing from God to you, for they have given their lives in order to be a blessing to your people. If you have any questions about our faith, about the Bible, about God's marvellous predictions of the future, please ask them, and I'm sure they will do everything they can to try to answer your questions. God bless you with His Love and Truth!

Sincerely and with much love,

Father David

(Also included & distributed with this were relevant quotes from Dad's Letters throughout the years showing his love & burden for the Japanese.)

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family