Japanese Court Revokes Official Recognition of Controversial Moon Sect

tokyo - Japanese court rules to revoke official recognition of Moon sect linked to controversy and financial schemes. Moonies and Sun Myung Moon involved.

Japanese Court Decision on Verenigingskerk

A Japanese court has decided to withdraw the official recognition of the controversial Verenigingskerk, also known as the Moon sect.

The Verenigingskerk, founded in the 1950s by South Korean Sun Myung Moon, is commonly referred to as the 'Moonies'.

• The church is infamous for its controversial fundraising methods, allegedly pressuring members to donate large sums of money.
• The suspected killer of Abe claimed that his mother had donated around 100 million yen (over 600,000 euros).

As a result of the court ruling, the Verenigingskerk loses its tax-exempt status as a religious organization, although it is not banned. The church has the option to appeal the decision.