The Effect, The Defect And The Side Effect Of Atheism We See In Japan

Hi! It's Shellil Linn.♪( ´▽｀)

Last week, I've found a commentary  discussed on "if the religious conflict cause the civil war in the middle East?" in Al Jazeera English home page.

It was really impressive that a religious philosopher who regarded the freedom to live as an atheist is really important to avoid the religious conflict in a society even that was never a point for the studio commentator.

There is the one common point in Judaism, Christianity, Muslim, and Hinayana Buddhism. To join the religious community as a lay person, one has to be entitled by some clear reason(ex: being Jewish,  born or raised as a child in certain religious family, acknowledged and studied the teaching, some kind of decision making to join the community by oneself) to swear, or have a Covenant to show one's belief in some way.

In Japanese Buddhism, Shintoism along with a family or area never require any study on the teaching, never required to know the basic concept of any religious concept.

Recently, we don't even need to know about the religious rituals such as one's marriage or funeral, or memorial services of household religion.

An atheistic marridge hall in the hotel is available. Usually they call a  white man actor as a faked pastor as a fashion.

About marriage, everybody can do atheistic marriage ceremony, and the marriage advisor teach you everything.

On the funeral and memorial services, one can discuss with a funeral service company salesman. And the salesman can find appropriate Buddhist monk, Shinto priest, protestant pastor or even a Catholic priest! You can pre-study briefly what you have to do during the services in your household religion  by a DVD explains all details along with your religion provided by the funeral company.

All you have to do is select the marriage or funeral service package plan suitable for your budget!

Cause one don't have to worry to bother his/her life joining unwanted religious services.
Wow! Japan is the true paradise for atheists!

That's why almost all Japanese are apathetic to being an atheist no matter what they feel in their mind. Most of modern Japanese people are becoming atheistic by urbanization and the isolation toward their ancestor, Buddhism teaching or Shinto goddesses.

The natural atheism in Japan has a good effect for those who aren't "blessed" in religious literacy. Those who aren't gifted in religious sense don't have to be patient for enforced to join some religious community which against their atheistic sense.

The natural atheism in Japan sometimes become a tool to avoid the religious conflict if one is really t" a talented atheist". In this sense, Japanese people say "be a Roman in Rome" and  some of them really show their respect to the local religious custom in the place they live.

Most of atheistic Japanese are so serious about "moral" not to become troublesome to the other people.

Since Japanese government had been persecuting the Christianity since 17th century, majority of people concert that the Christianity confront to the Japanese atheism. majority of over middle age people still concern "it is not allowed to become a Christian in Japan or covert from the household religion".

And it is typical teaching in sect religion in Japan that "oh, you don't have to convert from your household religion to join XX sect spirituality. It's nothing more than spiritual to join XX!"

One reason it happens is brainwashing the nation as atheists are very convenient for raising fund for so many temples, small and Grand Shrine's endlessly rising construction cost frequently happen in all area in Japan except Okinawa and Hokkaido.

To continue the fund raising, the blessing for the building, purification ritual in hospitals and nursery house where people might die is the important revenue sources. In this point, LDP, Nippon Kaigi and other sect religious groups have been working so hard to promote the purity, cleanliness, and aim to be pollution-free spiritually.

"Bacillus" "dirt" is the enemy and discriminated term in Japan frequently used by racist. So, Japanese TV commercials we often watch are soaps, deodorizers, cars, and insurances!

The natural atheism cause the apathy to the religious matter which cause the serious degradability of the religious literacy in Japan.

Even the famous University professors in liberal art don't understand the practical functions of the religious literacy in very basic approach because there's no tradition to devote into one religious belief in this nation.

So, it is very hard to accept death hence no human being can terminate death no matter how scientific progress shows its advantage.

To be respectful for the basic human right, Christians and Muslims also need to concern about those who are't talented in some kind of spiritual or religious sense. I think it must be not easy for those who are dull in religious sense need to be patient in Sunday school without understanding what they had learn, and have a Covenant just to accept the parents' & relative's expectation.

Atheism seems as it is the modern religion in Japan.

I'm not sure if the atheism is good or bad. But, we Catholics should pay attention to those who aren't talented in religious or spiritual sense.