|
---|
4. Induction to the Defendant On the morning of 26 July of the same year, during the main seminar, It was, made clear to PB that the Higashi Osaka Culture Center was an organization of the Defendant. Because PB was under the impression - from news reports - that the defendant's organization was a false or fraudulent religion, she became angry at Yamaguchi and others, and went to question them on this subject indetail. Some of those present at that time said such things as 'I couldn'tbelieve it either but...". Uenishi explained the critical news reports (e.g.concerning the mass communal wedding ceremony, spiritual sales, and unlawful demands for donations). PB then began to doubt the news reports and was persuaded by Uenishi (not to believe the reports). On the same day,PB signed a membership paper and joined the Defendant. PB was told by Uenishi that "Liberation from the spiritual world will beon 29 July." 5. Ceremonies for the deceased members of the Y family and the B family were held on 23 and 27 July, respectively. On these occasions, PB herself - among other things - prepared an offering, read a letter addressed to her ancestors which she had written and prayed with all the other participants to appease their ancestors. At the ceremony for the deceased members of the B family, PB cried and was moved emotionally. 6. Events leading up to the donation On 28 July of that same year, PB was told the following by Yamaguchi, Furuta and others who had examined her family tree previously: "Although I shouldn't say so, I personally donated 1,000,000 yen", "On the first questionnaire you answered, you indicated that you have 00 yen", "Don't worry. God is watching you", "You can only say the amount of money which you actually have (implying that "we know you have money"), "I thought it would be impossible for me to donate 10,000,000 yen at first, but I could manage it by making sincere efforts to collect money", and "In order to be acknowledged by God, one has to offer one's most precious possession, and the most precious possession human beings possess today is money." Further upon being asked by Yamaguchi and others how much she could donate, PB answered that she had a sum of 5,200,000 yen. Also on July 29 of that same year, PB was solicited by Uenishi to make donations to the Defendant. Uenishi proposed that PB give a sum of 5,200,000 yen or a sum of 7,000,000 yen with the following words: "All yourancestors are in Hell. They live in a world of resentment and hatred. They all wish to escape into a bright world. If you can liberate them, you can liberate yourself from your ill fate. You will be able to bear children andyour children will be healthy." At this time, PB was told by Uenishi such things as "You do not want to suffer, do you?", "Your money will be put to use for the world for such things as the construction of a tunnel which connect Japan and Korea", "In the questionnaire you answered previously, you wrote that you have money" and "You must give your money within this very day." PB thought that if she made a donation, she could liberate herself from the spiritual world, be set free of the guilt she felt toward her mother, be happy after her death and not go to Hell and or be free of all of these things. Therefore, PB resolved to donate a sum of 5,200,00 yen. PB knew that she had to donate the money on that very day. Accordingly, she released, inter alia, money from her postal savings accounts and prepared a sum of 5,200,000 yen which she then handed over to Yamaguchi andUenishi at the Higashi Osaka Culture Center. After that, PB joyfully reported to Yamaguchi that she was able to make the donation. 7. After making her donation, PB continued to commute to the Higashi Osaka Culture Center. On 19 August, she went to pay her respects at the Higashi Osaka Church which is located near the culture center in one room of the Sankei building. On 20 August, to prepare for participation ion a training program scheduled to begin on 3 September, the study course place was changed from the first floor to the third floor and the co-ordinator was changed from Yamaguchi to Kyoko Nakajima. On 27 August of that same year, PB was invited and went to a Kimono exhibition call "Kanbikai" held at the "Shinsaibashi" Hotel in Minami-ku, Osaka City. There, she was encouraged to buy a kimono but she maintained her stance that she would not make such a purchase and did not buy a kimono. 8. Explanation Meeting From that same day onward, PB stopped going to the Higashi Osaka CultureCenter. From a Television program concerning problems of the Defendant, PBlearned about and met Pastor M to whom she went to listen. PB then realisedthat the Defendant was a mistake and she cut of her relations with the Defendant. |
back next |
|