The Washington herald., 1908-05-02
RELIGIONS IN JAPAN
By FREDERIC j. HASKIN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Correspondence Of The Washington Herald
Tokyo, March 19.-The national religion
IN Japan is the worship Of the divine
Emperor and his deifed ancestors. This
religion IS the cornerstone of the Japa-
nese national structure albeit the cult
may not be recognized as a religion. and
although there is perfect liberty Of re-
ligious belief. Shinto, the Way of the
Gods. Is the only purely Japanese re-
ligion. and it is a peculiarly Japanese
notion that Shinto does not wish to be
regarded as a religion. When Japan
adopted the ethics Of Confucius and the
religion of Buddha. both of which came
from China by way Of Korea. it revised
both codes to fit its own needs Buddhism
could not thrive in Japan until It recog-
nized the ancestor worship and the mill
lion deities OF Shinto. which it did by
the simple process Of considering each
one of these deities an incarnation Of
Buddha. Now the Christian religion is
gaining ground and the whole country
is being cast along the lines of Christian
nations.
Shinto. the central and vital principle
of which is the worship OF the Emperor,
was made the established religion in order
TO fx the minds of the people upon the
Mlkado and restore him to the supreme
power which had been usurped by the
Shoguns. Then. when that purpose was
accomplished, Shinto was disestablished
and religious freedom was granted. Then
the government required all religions
to be registered. II was then that Shinto
asserted itself in the peculiar Japanese
fashion. Its leaders came forward and
declared that ShintO was not a religion,
but cult and could not be classed with
dOgmGtc religions.
Il Is the japanese idea that shlnto,
being not religion. is entirely acceptable
to any other religion. Therefore. accord
ing TO the Japanese governmental idea.
a Christian or a Buddhist or a Moham-
medan may also accept the cult of Shint0
without inconsistency. The reason for
this is as plain as the nose on a mans
face-if the japanese people accept Chris
tianlty and desert Shinto they will no
longer believe in the divinity of the EN-
peroT. When that belief is unsettled in
the minds OF the japanese masses. the
present hold Of the ruling oligarchy may
be lossened, perhaps OverthrOWn.
The scoffer must remember that il is
only yesterday that ali Europe was ruled
by kings who claimed the divine right
and that two European monarchs Of to-
day make the same claim for their
authority. The japanese masses have
believed In the divinity OF their EN-
Derors since a time when Christ was only
a prophecy and a hope, six centuries be-
fore He appeared in Bethlehem. Buddh-
ism came to Japan. and finding Shinto
unconquerable but hospitable. permitted
its voi~ries 20 follow both religions. The
japanese mind. therefore. cannot under
stand the intolerance Of the Christians.
whose God IS a jealous God and viii
have no other gods before Him.
But when the japanese rulers found
that this tolerance OF other religions was
from Christianity. and as
they had to keep friendly with the Chris
tlan world. they thought to overcome
the Christian objections by declaring
that the Christians need not be alarmed:
ShintO IS not a religion, only a cult As
shinto is based on ancestor worship,
which still forms the greater part Of its
activity, It is not at ali uncommon for a
Japanese to defend Il as entirely COM
patible with the Christian religion.
A japanese Presbyterian. when asked
about Shinto, declared that il was un-
thinksble that intelligent men should re-
gard Shinto as religion. 1T is merely
an amplification OF the Biblical command
ment 10 honor thy father and thy moth
er. he said. 'and its ancestral tablets
are TO more idols than are tombstones In
Christian churchyards. The images
which you call gods are no more thar
statues Of saints or stained-glass win
dow representations Of Biblican scenes.
But this explanation does not do away
with the fact that I'm whatever way
5hinto may be manifested the life giving
principle Of the cult is the recognition
Of the divinity Of the Emperor.
After the conclusion of the war with
Russia, the Emperor went to the great
Shrine Of Ise, most sacred Of the 250000
shinto shrines OF Japan, and there per
sonally conducted the solemn ceremonies
according 10 the Shinto rite. proclaiming
TO the gods, his ancestors. the story of
the victory over Russia. This ceremony
was performed al q time when national
feeling was running at its highest, and
is direct result was a great revival of
Shinto activity. There can be no doubt
hat the japanese rulers intend 10 per
oetrate ShintO and 10 permit no other
'eligion 70 make much headway unless
{ accepts Shinto and. incorporates Il
within itself.
Surely the educated class in japan |
ioes not believe the Emperor is a Eod?" |
he Occidental mind will query Perhaps /
lot The educated classes in Europe /
night not have believed I'm the divine 1