Post by Johnny Gotham on May 7, 2005 12:06:03 GMT -5
From www.refuge-outreach.org/religions/shintoism.html
Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan, has been influenced by Buddhism, Confucianism, and more recently, Christianity. It is a combination of many things, and within it are wide differences of thought and practice. Because of this, an isolated portrait of Shintoism is somewhat misleading.
Shintoism is an undeveloped primitive religion which centers on the worship of nature deities and deified people. It has no founder, no prophet, no savior, and little formal doctrine. Its main emphasis is the worship of the Kami, a concept which involves the gods, all aspects of nature, supernatural power, and certain people. Kami is everywhere and the world is Kami. It is the divine consciousness which flows through all. It is the vital force of the universe. This concept is pantheistic because there is no real distinction between the creator and the created.
The origins of the ancient Shinto religion are obscure. Two Chinese words, shen (spirit) and tao (way), were combined to produce the word Shinto. The equivalent in Japanese is kaml no michi, which essentially means "the way of the gods." Only after Buddhism began to threaten Shintoism did the Japanese try to preserve their religion by recording the old myths and oral traditions.
Buddhism entered Japan in A.D. 522 by way of China and Korea. About two centuries later the two books of Shinto scriptures were produced as a response. The Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) appeared in A.D. 712, and the Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan) appeared in A.D. 720.
These books say that after the formation of heaven and earth, two of the gods, Izanagi and Izanami, stood on the floating bridge of heaven. Izanagi was leisurely stirring the ocean brine with his spear, and when he lifted it out, the drops which fell from it coagulated to form Awaji, one of the Japanese islands. lzanagi and lzanami descended to this island, mated, and produced the rest of the Japanese islands. They also produced other deities and the Japanese people.
One of the chief deities formed was the sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami. Amaterasu had a grandson named Jimmu Tenno, who descended to the sacred Japanese islands to become the first historical Mikado (emperor) of Japan in 660 B.C. Japanese tradition claims an unbroken line of succession from Jimmu Tenno, and this has led to a strong emphasis on emperor worship. Since the emperors were thought to be gods, they had to be obeyed unquestioningly by all Japanese.
Shintoism emphasizes loyalty to Japan and to the Mikado. Because of its intense nationalistic spirit, it is very exclusive. Most of its forms teach that one must be Japanese to be a Shintoist. In Shintoism, salvation is achieved by observing the many social and physical taboos which have become a part of Japanese life. Ritualistic purity (ceremonial washing and sweeping) is very important since this is how evil is thought to be banished.
In addition, the ancestors and gods must be propitiated by worship offerings of food and rice wine (saki). For this purpose, about 100,000 shrines in Japan are run by a Shinto priesthood. Each shrine houses a shintai (a sacred Karni symbol or image) which can be seen only by the priests. The shrine area is always marked off by a torli (an arch). Each Shinto home also has its miniature shrine, known as the Kami-dana, where offerings are made. This is the god shelf, and it contains symbols and names of the sun goddess and other gods.
The Shinto concept of salvation is deliverance from the troubles and evils of the world. There is no real concept of sin or depravity. The gods made man and therefore man is good. Thus, if a man appeases the gods and ancestors, follows the correct taboos, and expresses his Kami nature, he will find his place of immortality among the ancestral Kami beings.
In popular Shinto, local and family shrines are still being used. In sect Shinto almost 150 sects have appeared, some with a missionary zeal for converts in non-Japanese countries. Those involved in sect Shinto are generally more fervent than those in popular Shinto. The latter are Shintoists by custom and decree, but the former are Shintoists by conviction. Most of the sects have founders, doctrines, and programs in contrast to popular Shinto.
State Shinto is gone, but its nationalistic emphasis on a sacred soil and race has been perpetuated in other forms of Shinto. However, it is likely that Japan's increasing emphasis on urbanization, industrialization, and scientific education will weaken the impact of Shinto with its nature and ancestor worship and its mythology.
Summary
(1) The Shinto concept of Kami is far removed from the infinite, personal Creator God of the Bible. It involves polytheism and nature worship. Many of the gods are depicted as immoral.
(2) Pure Shinto minimizes the value of all who are not of Japanese descent. It teaches the supremacy and celestial origin of the Japanese race and promotes an intensely nationalistic spirit. Even the Kami are of Japanese origin.
(3) Shinto minimizes the idea of sin and moral guilt. Since the Japanese have a divine origin, they are naturally good. Instead of a system of ethics, Shinto has developed a set of social rules and taboos.
(4) Unlike the Bible, Shinto is based on nebulous stories devoid of any historical facts. The eighth-century Kojiki and Nihongi are entirely unverifiable.
(5)Because of some of the new sects in Shinto, a number of Shinto "churches" are beginning to appear in countries outside of Japan. For instance, the Tenrikyo sect alone has established more than 500 churches overseas. Christians are therefore encountering Shintoism in many places. One of the most important issues the Christian can use in a discussion with a Shintoist is the problem of sin. The cruelty and moral guilt of man must be acknowledged before a person will seek a solution. Christ is the only one who can solve the problem of sin.
www.greatcom.org/resources/areadydefense/ch27/default.htm
www.feedmysheep.co.uk/BibleStudies/apologetics/christianreplytoshintoism.asp
Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan, has been influenced by Buddhism, Confucianism, and more recently, Christianity. It is a combination of many things, and within it are wide differences of thought and practice. Because of this, an isolated portrait of Shintoism is somewhat misleading.
Shintoism is an undeveloped primitive religion which centers on the worship of nature deities and deified people. It has no founder, no prophet, no savior, and little formal doctrine. Its main emphasis is the worship of the Kami, a concept which involves the gods, all aspects of nature, supernatural power, and certain people. Kami is everywhere and the world is Kami. It is the divine consciousness which flows through all. It is the vital force of the universe. This concept is pantheistic because there is no real distinction between the creator and the created.
The origins of the ancient Shinto religion are obscure. Two Chinese words, shen (spirit) and tao (way), were combined to produce the word Shinto. The equivalent in Japanese is kaml no michi, which essentially means "the way of the gods." Only after Buddhism began to threaten Shintoism did the Japanese try to preserve their religion by recording the old myths and oral traditions.
Buddhism entered Japan in A.D. 522 by way of China and Korea. About two centuries later the two books of Shinto scriptures were produced as a response. The Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) appeared in A.D. 712, and the Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan) appeared in A.D. 720.
These books say that after the formation of heaven and earth, two of the gods, Izanagi and Izanami, stood on the floating bridge of heaven. Izanagi was leisurely stirring the ocean brine with his spear, and when he lifted it out, the drops which fell from it coagulated to form Awaji, one of the Japanese islands. lzanagi and lzanami descended to this island, mated, and produced the rest of the Japanese islands. They also produced other deities and the Japanese people.
One of the chief deities formed was the sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami. Amaterasu had a grandson named Jimmu Tenno, who descended to the sacred Japanese islands to become the first historical Mikado (emperor) of Japan in 660 B.C. Japanese tradition claims an unbroken line of succession from Jimmu Tenno, and this has led to a strong emphasis on emperor worship. Since the emperors were thought to be gods, they had to be obeyed unquestioningly by all Japanese.
Shintoism emphasizes loyalty to Japan and to the Mikado. Because of its intense nationalistic spirit, it is very exclusive. Most of its forms teach that one must be Japanese to be a Shintoist. In Shintoism, salvation is achieved by observing the many social and physical taboos which have become a part of Japanese life. Ritualistic purity (ceremonial washing and sweeping) is very important since this is how evil is thought to be banished.
In addition, the ancestors and gods must be propitiated by worship offerings of food and rice wine (saki). For this purpose, about 100,000 shrines in Japan are run by a Shinto priesthood. Each shrine houses a shintai (a sacred Karni symbol or image) which can be seen only by the priests. The shrine area is always marked off by a torli (an arch). Each Shinto home also has its miniature shrine, known as the Kami-dana, where offerings are made. This is the god shelf, and it contains symbols and names of the sun goddess and other gods.
The Shinto concept of salvation is deliverance from the troubles and evils of the world. There is no real concept of sin or depravity. The gods made man and therefore man is good. Thus, if a man appeases the gods and ancestors, follows the correct taboos, and expresses his Kami nature, he will find his place of immortality among the ancestral Kami beings.
In popular Shinto, local and family shrines are still being used. In sect Shinto almost 150 sects have appeared, some with a missionary zeal for converts in non-Japanese countries. Those involved in sect Shinto are generally more fervent than those in popular Shinto. The latter are Shintoists by custom and decree, but the former are Shintoists by conviction. Most of the sects have founders, doctrines, and programs in contrast to popular Shinto.
State Shinto is gone, but its nationalistic emphasis on a sacred soil and race has been perpetuated in other forms of Shinto. However, it is likely that Japan's increasing emphasis on urbanization, industrialization, and scientific education will weaken the impact of Shinto with its nature and ancestor worship and its mythology.
Summary
(1) The Shinto concept of Kami is far removed from the infinite, personal Creator God of the Bible. It involves polytheism and nature worship. Many of the gods are depicted as immoral.
(2) Pure Shinto minimizes the value of all who are not of Japanese descent. It teaches the supremacy and celestial origin of the Japanese race and promotes an intensely nationalistic spirit. Even the Kami are of Japanese origin.
(3) Shinto minimizes the idea of sin and moral guilt. Since the Japanese have a divine origin, they are naturally good. Instead of a system of ethics, Shinto has developed a set of social rules and taboos.
(4) Unlike the Bible, Shinto is based on nebulous stories devoid of any historical facts. The eighth-century Kojiki and Nihongi are entirely unverifiable.
(5)Because of some of the new sects in Shinto, a number of Shinto "churches" are beginning to appear in countries outside of Japan. For instance, the Tenrikyo sect alone has established more than 500 churches overseas. Christians are therefore encountering Shintoism in many places. One of the most important issues the Christian can use in a discussion with a Shintoist is the problem of sin. The cruelty and moral guilt of man must be acknowledged before a person will seek a solution. Christ is the only one who can solve the problem of sin.
www.greatcom.org/resources/areadydefense/ch27/default.htm
www.feedmysheep.co.uk/BibleStudies/apologetics/christianreplytoshintoism.asp