HAPPY SCIENCE CULT TAKES ROOT IN UGANDA: THE
LEADERSHIP OF WATOTO
CHURCH WARNS UGANDANS
ABOUT RYUHO OKAWA SATURDAY 23-6-12 LECTURE
First read:
The light of new Hope for the Bright future in Africa: Oh, really: Ryuho Okowa, Japanese Happy Science Cult leader to conduct first lecture in Africa, on 23rd – June-2012 at, Namboole Stadium Kampala, Uganda
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/05/light-of-new-hope-for-bright-future-in.html
Trevor ASTLEY, The Transformation of a Recent Japanese New Religion Õkawa Ryðhõ and Kõfuku no Kagaku, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1995 22/3–4
http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/publications/jjrs/pdf/454.pdf
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
The Leadership of Watoto Church would like to bring to your notice the following: There is a gentleman from Japan named Ryuho Okawa , founder of a new religious sect called Happy Science who will be giving a public lecture and trying to recruit members to his sect at Namboole Stadium next weekend. What he teaches and has written in his books, especially, "The Golden Laws", contradicts with what is written in the Bible, and what we as Christians hold dear as fundamental doctrines of
Christianity.
1. Okawa claims he is the reincarnation of "Lord El Cantare" and he calls himself the Supreme God, the Creator and Master of the universe, the one who revealed himself to Moses as "I am who I am", and the one Jesus Christ called, "my Father". He claims he is the key to Heaven and the forgiveness of all mankind.
2. He denies the divinity of Jesus Christ and refers to him as a mere prophet, and not the son of God, and not conceived by the Holy Spirit or born by a virgin birth but the biological child of Joseph and Mary. He refers to Christ as one of the "highest spirits".
3. He claims that Christ will return to earth around the year 2400. All the above are contrary to what the Scripture teaches us:
1. Not to have any other gods before God.
2. Jesus is the Son of God, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born by the virgin Mary. He is the only Way, the Truth and the Life and no one goes to the Father except through him.
3. No one except God knows the day or hour that Christ will return to the earth.
As a result of the above and other teachings we have not mentioned above, we as a Church do not agree with his teachings and would like to warn you not to go to his public lecture. You should pass this message to your family members, relatives and friends not to associate with Happy Science and Okawa.
FROM: WATOTO CHURCH LEADERSHIP
SUNDAY, 10 JUNE 2012 18:32
WRITTEN BY SIMON MUSASIZI, The Observer, UGANDA
The venue was well set. You had one of
the best service providers, Balaam Enterprises, in charge of the entire event
with Globetek Entertainment on videography.
Sheraton hotel’s Rwenzori ballroom had
dinner tables all over. Certainly, on a dry Friday with not so many events
around town, this was the place to be if you were not at Imperial Royale hotel
for the Night of a Thousand Laughs. The yellow invite was “Introducing Happy
Science”.
Well, many guests including yours truly
had no clue which part of science could be called ‘happy’. Some thought it was
another Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG) concept.
Whatever they were about to unveil, the
fact that the event mentioned live performances by singers Jose Chameleone,
Iryn Namubiru and Benon Mugumbya left patrons relaxed as they waited for
whatever was in store.
The programme was supposed to start at
5:30pm but by 7:30pm, the room was still empty. It was past 8pm when guests
filled up the room and the event rolled off with opening remarks from Brian
Rycroft, Happy Science’s Director of Africa Headquarter based in South Africa.
It is Rycroft’s speech that opened our
eyes. Happy Science is a new religious organisation aiming at uniting people as
one beyond their differences in race, culture, nationality, etc.
“We were originally one, but human
beings have drifted from one another,” Rycroft said, adding: “We are not trying
to compete with existing religions but we accept them and try to create
harmony.”
Happy Science was founded in 1986 in Tokyo, Japan,
by Master Ryuho Okawa, a University
of Tokyo graduate of
finance who has written 900 books, which are taken by his followers as new
teachings from God. Master Okawa, who in 2010 alone published 52 books setting
the Guinness World Record for most books written in one year by an individual,
says his books are proof of existence of the spirit world.
At the event, all his followers could
be distinguished with a gold medal around their necks, which we were told have
Japanese writings instructing them to preach the gospel until the end of the
world. The medal, according to Tomohiko Nakagawa, the Branch Manager, Kampala
Happy Science, also allegedly guards them against evil spirits. Happy Science
allows followers to do anything that makes them happy.
There are no limits on the number of
women to marry. And the menu on Friday had beers, whiskeys and wines, not to
mention the secular singers. In Uganda,
the religion, which some think could be another cult, has been around since
2006. In 2008, a minister, Tomohiko Nakagawa, officially opened the first Happy
Science branch in Kampala.
Since then, the religion has been spreading with branches in Entebbe, Tororo, Oyam, Karuma and Lira.
The Happy Scientists, modelled on the
philosophy of Buddhism, are now organizing a big lecture on June 23 at Namboole
stadium. Its main monastery in Rubaga is reported to be the only one such
multi-million establishment in Africa at the
moment.
The religion has recruited musicians to
help it spread its gospel; the musicians include Nigeria’s King Wadada and
Uganda’s Jose Chameleone, Iryn Namubiru and Benon Mugumbya who have released a
seven-track album with songs like Welcome to Happy Science, which was
originally produced in Japan but rearranged by Benon in Uganda to give it a
global appeal.
The singers will perform at Master
Okawa’s lecture at Namboole. At Sheraton, Chameleone was a no-show, but Benon
and Namubiru performed. Also, if you remember singer Robert Ssegawa, he is one
of the converts, commanding the Happy Science choir.
A JAPANESE MAN
WH0 CLAIMS TO BE THE “SUPREME GOD” AND “FATHER OF JESUS CHRIST” IS COMING TO UGANDA AND WILL
DELIVER A PUBLIC LECTURE AT NAMBOOLE STADIUM 23 JUNE 2012
By Robby Muhumuza/Researcher
on New Religious Movements.
A
Japanese man, who goes under what he calls a holy name, RYUHO OKAWA” claims to
be indwelt by the “Supreme God” and “father of Jesus Christ” will be speaking
at Namboole Stadium on 23 June 2012.
Born
in Japan as Nakagawa Takashi on 7 July 1956, he later changed his name to what
he calls the holy name of Rhuho Okawa and founded hi own religion named Happy
Science that claims to have 12 million members in more than 90 nations of the
world.
He
claims that he discovered that he was El Cantare, a reincarnation of Buddha on
23 Mar 1981 and whatever he says is taken and believed in as the word of God
himself. His sect was established in
2008 and has built a temple and monastery on Rubaga Rd near Winners Chapel. Prayers
are held at this temple every Saturday and Sunday and his devotees worship and
pray to his golden statue, which is placed on the altar in the front section of
the temple.
Happy
Science also has branches in Zana on Entebbe
Rd, Lira, Karuma and Tororo . Before he called
himself God, he used to operate as a spirit medium “channeling” the spirits of what he claimed
to be Confucius, Moses, Nostradamus and Jesus.
According
to www.happyscience-uganda.org
Okawa is El Cantare “the Supreme God…the God of Love who is the Source of all Life
and embraces humanity and life on earth”. “He is the being whom Jesus called
‘my father’”, the website adds. His mission is to bring happiness to all
humanity, the website claims.
Happy
Science is investing in massive campaign of recruiting people to attend the
Okawa’s lecture at Namboole and has erected bill boards on the roadside and
bought full page adverts in major newspapers. They have bought airtime on UBC,
Bukedde TV, Urban TV, WBS,NBS and various FM stations like KFM. As party of
mobilizing the youth singer Chameleon was last December hired and staged a show
in Okawa’s honour at Namboole Stadium. On 8 May 2012 singer Iryn Namubiru and
Benon Mugumya sang special songs they composed praising Happy Science at a
dinner for specially invited VIPs at Sheraton Hotel.
Okawa
has a political agenda and interests and on 23 May 2009 formed the Happiness Realization Party of which party he
is the President.
Okawa’s
religion is not for free. To be prayed for at his Happy Science Temple in
Rubaga, members of the congregation are asked to write their prayers on a piece
of paper, accompany it with cash before handing them to the priest who then
presents them before the idol of Okawa and prays for his intervention.
Before being allowed in Namboole stadium on 23
June, those who want to attend will be
required to pay for tickets ranging from Sh 2,000 (Pavilion), to Sh 5,000
(Silver Pitch ) to Sh, 10,000 (VIP Gold Pitch). …END….
