Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-11
A NEAR POSSIBILITY
The Adoption Of Christianity
in Japan.
THE PROGRESS MADE
MANY MEN OF NOTE ARE AvoW-
ED CHRISTIANS.
Present Forms Of Religion Are En-
tirely Misunderstood by
Foreigners.


| come the news just received in America
| that the Japs. following out their course
| of eastern civilization. are about to adopt
| Christianity. and abandon the ancient
| ligions of Shintoism and Buddhism. which
| have fouriShed generally in the land of
| the mikado for centuries.
The tremendous pervasive power of Chris
! tianity throughout the world has at last
| struck the progressive Jap, and he now
| considers that the time has arrived to adopt
| the elements approved by the majority of
civilized nations.
Attention is directed at once to the many
| thousand costly idols and temples erected
| by the Japanese in centuries gone by,
which will be abandoned by the forty mil
lions of christianized Japs in the near flu
! ture, if present plans are followed out. The
| idols of stone and wood will be destroyed.
while the treasured temples. so sacred to
| the Japanese. will be converted into mod
| ern places of Christian worship.
Christian influences are new permeating
| the land of the mikado. although it has not
| been so long since the japanese looked with
| disfavor upon Christianity.
| High officers in army. navy and govern
ment of Japan are now avowed Christians.
| Admiral Togo Is an earnest Christian, as is
| also his wife. who is a graduate of Fassar
| College. Admirals Urin and Leurato are
| also members of the Presbyterian Church.
| A census just taken shows that there are
| at present one hundred and more Christian
| officers of prominence in the japanese
army The president of the Japanese par
| liz ment and thirteen members are Chris
| tiars; two presidents of the lower house,
| two judges of the supreme court, one MEM
! Der of the cabinet and three vice presidents.
| There are in Japan today at least Ao.Uoo
Christians.
Movement is Rapid.
| Meetings are now being held in Japan.
| Inv inf fiai mar hn vi n
view the outstanding of the people OF
| that country, who are now disposed TO
| abandon the ancient custom of their land
! In worshipng idols. So firmly has the
| movement taken hold that an edict estab-
| fishing a national church in Japan Is not
| improbable.
| BY the constitution of Japan. absolute
| freedom of religious belief and practice is
secured so long as ii is not prejudcial to
peace and order. Shintosm, with twelve
| sects. and Buddhism, with an equal number
| of sects and thirty-two creedS, are the chief
| forms of religion. There is no state re-
| Iigion and no state support
The general establishment of the Chris
| tan religion in Japan would put out OF
service ST. COO Shinto priests, and the ADAM
dorment of idols and temples to the num-
Der of Il ,9SS.
In addition to these. there thousands
| of shrines dedicated to the eminent ances-
| tors of the imperial house and to merlto-
rjous subjects; these are independent or any
religious sect and some of them are sup
| ported by state or local authorities.
Are Misunderstood.
There are however, very few countries
| in the world so misunderstood as Japan
Among many unfair judgments, the reli-
gious thought of the japanese is especially
| misrepresented. and the whole nation is
! condemned as being heather. 1t Is fact
| that from the beginning of the history of
-t,- hos Sl,n
ceive all teachings with open mind, ana
particularly now is eager to embrace the
Christian religion
Christianity for many years has meant
| to most of 1.-The heathen'' in Japan big
| guns and powder. because they We're intre-
duced into that country In 1o42, by the Hrsl
| arrivals of Europeans. The Japs were more
| impressed with the novel weapons than the
strangers and the latter taught them how
| to make the weapons, and thus II Is that
| the most novel and best fireworks OF today
are furnished by the progressive japanese
people.
| whether all the Japanese of today would
| be likely to accept Christianity Is problem.
| aticaI. AS rule they are people VINO WIN
| not Immediately assent to what might De
| said to them but are willing to investigate
what ministers of the gospel might afnrm
| respecting the Christian religion by re-
| coursing to all manner of questions, ana
| above all. by observing whether the con-
| duct of those missionaries, who are now
| endeavoring to christianize them agrees
| with their words.
What It Would Mean.
In view of the fact that an edict from the
| mlkado establishing a national Christian
| church in Japan is now not improbable,
which would mean the final destruction OF
the innumerable idols and temples of the
religions of Shintoism and Buddhism in the
empire, it is timely to give some brief de-
scription of these ancient religions. forms
of worship and temples frequented.
1t was about the year 400 that the an
cestral worship out of which Shinto de-
veloped was so far organized that the home
was no longer deemed sufficient and sep
arate temple was erected. Over 1t was
placed as custodian, or priestess. daugh-
ter of the mikado. When Buddhism arrived
from the west, In the sixth century. 1t
seems to have adopted wholesale the
Shinto pantheon. and all that remained dis
tinctive of the old ritual was the gohei
From this era is to be dated the term
Shinto. way Of the gods. The gohei was