Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-08-03
JAPAN'S TENDENCIES
The Public Men of the Empire Dis
eussing the Adoption of the
Christian Religion.
Probably No Country is Making so
Great Progress as Japan.

The Times OF Saturday published from
the Japan Weekly Mail a remarkable
story from Japan, says the London Spec
tator: Is is 7tated that the pubIcists of
that country are discussing the propriety
of an official adoption of the Christian
religion, and are in large measures in
favor of the stec. They do not, they say,
believe in Christianity, and are even re-
PEELED by its dogmas, holding that edu-
csted men should always be guided by
pure reason, but they think the adoption
of the civilized creed ESSENTIAL to the
perfection of their own civilization and
to the maintenance of moral standard
among their people. The Japanese, they
say, have lost their old faiths, and it Is
Indispensable for the safety of society
and its development that they should
have new one. Without it they
will never obtain that stroag
conference and reliance on state.
Some of the reasons pleaded are of less
importance than this last, which Is not
in the Times narrative, one of those
actually publ shed being that OIL
when Japan Is Christian will its music
ever improve; and We dare say most of
the readers of the account set it down as
mere digest of purely academic disser-
tations by half Informed or over specula-
tive men. That, however. Is not the
case. We have strong reasons, wholly
independent of the account In the Mail
for believing that the persons who really
! govern Japan are discussing this propos-
| al as earnestly as the publIcists. and that
| although there Is strong resisting party,
| 1t Is still by no means impossible that
| Christianity may be declared by imperial
| decree the official religion of Japan.
! Some of the most influential councillors
| of the empire are of the opinion that
such step is essential to further prog
| ress In civilization, (which can not be
| based upon a weak moral" and all
| implicitly admit that 1t would be possible,
| that the indigenous creeds are dying OF
| dead, and that the body of the Japanese
would receive the new faith with acauies-
cence, as something quite within the
! educating province of their rulers.
OF the accuracy of this view we can not
at this distance pretend to Judge, but we
know it to be held by powerful men, and
the Japanese have accepted so many,
such extensive, and one would think such
annoying Innovations that the
view is probably correct, and though we
! doubt whether the struggle can end in a
! victory for Christianity, which would in
| vOlVe reputation of the mikado's claim
to be, as a descendant of the gods, him
self semi divine, the chance is still seri
Gus enough to deserve a moments dis
cusslon. The first feelings of English.
men on hearing CT such a project is on {
of instructive repulsion. The last few
| generations have been so trained IN the
| idea that religion is matter for the in.
| dlyldual conscience alone, aud that any.
thing savoring OF persecution, is morally
| wrong, that the PRONUNCIATION of a creed
| by despOtlc government as an Official
measure of education strikes them with &
sort of horror. There can, they think
be no good result from step SO opposed
to the inner spirit of Christianity. No
body's faith can be affected by such q
proclamation, and for a whole people tC
profess a creed which they do uos believe
must be either hypocrisy or at best a bit
OF hlstrlonlc5 of an Object
lonal not to say rather
blasPAemous sort. No mans spiritual tate
can be the better for any official
announcement that creed is true. IN.
afforded with an internal change in the
minds of those who promugate or obey
1t; and great religious revolution which
benefits no mans religious condition
must be useless to any country, and be
! most I'M furious, as interfering with the
natural, and, therefore beneficial, diffusion
of truly religious ideas. Conversation
in short may be stopped instead of stimu
lated by the apparent acqniescence of ar
unbellevlng people.
There is much force in these objections
and, indeed, if the japanese believed
either strongly or sincerely in any Greco
even agnosticism-they would be final
but this is alleged not to be the case
The assertion Is that the bulk of the
people of Japan, and more especially o.
the directing classes, have ceased TO be
lieve strongly in any creed whatever, ant
are precisely i'll that condition of mine
when they will accept one at the HANDS Of
rulers, whom they think know more
about what is true, or at all events wha
is wise, han they do themselves. The
| Japanese have learned from the failure
of their own system to doubt verything
even themselves.