Groups working to persuade individuals to leave the Unification Church say they face a daunting task as "they must beat God."
The fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign stump speech last month in the city of Nara has led to a surge in people reaching out to groups that help members of the church and their families, with one group reporting Thursday a twelvefold rise in consultations from June to July.
Among those providing support is Akira, 64, and his 67-year-old wife Kyoko, a former member of the church. The couple spoke to Kyodo News, using pseudonyms, about how he convinced her to leave the church.