The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-28

b..rn stirred By the war. She has han
no casualty list TO send mothers anu
wives % the shrines. The war ms
meant for her chiefly material pros
perity beyond all her golden dreams An
a nation she Is getting rich out OF the
war. although wealth does not seem
eauitabiy distributed. since the iot OF ,he
peasants " harder. II anythipg. thhn
was before the war. II ~ out IN tne
country districts that one beholds the
pinch Of the times. In the cities' the
,resternization OF the nation goes on
apace. Luxury. with all its attendant
evils threatens the upper CLASSES.
Instead of a new religious questinE
and questioning. under the stimulus o'
the world cataclysu. Japan has been
experiencing real reaction. THIS "
less OF the will OF the people than oil
the government initiative. Like most
other movements In the country. this
one is growing from the top downward.
found religious leaders, both foreign
and Japanese. freely admitting and de-
pIoring the condition. Incidentally. II
appears that the Christian forces OF
Japan are achieving "A new solidarity
the former friction between miSsiond'
ries and japanese ministers has greatly
diminished. and in notable Instances II
has disappeared. Unitcdly they face
the new peril TO Christian work. the
goyernmentally-inspire tendency 10 eS-
all the old gods Of Shintoism.
Where the Emperor n Deity.
Perfect religious liberty Is guaran.
teed in Japan. under the constitution.
OF late. however. and especially since
the beginning OF the war. there has
been manifest tendency To put the an
cient national faith OF Shintoism into
unique position. II has been declared
that srintoism is not religion. but
cult OF patriotism. TO be accepted by
all Japanese. whatever their personal
faith may be. Shinto festivals. and
Shinto shrines. are TO be recognized as
a national duty. Shinto ancestral tab
lets are to be honored as q token Of
filial devotion. Christians are assured
that this should In no wise interfere
with their loyalty to Christianity.
While 1 have not sufficient evidence
10 declare that the practice Is general
throughout Japan, yet in many places II
is unouestionable that the officials are
requiring the people To do honor "a
Shintoism. and TO pay fees TO the local
Shinto shrines. One Roman Catholic
priest. who has been years in the land
and whose parish, in the country, en-
rolls seven thousand members tsome OF
them descendants OF the secret" Chris
tians who for three hundred years OF
persecution maintained the Christian
faith, assured me that his church II
meeting with unprecedented difficulties,
because of the opposition of local off
cials, and their active efforts 10 estab
lish Shintoism. His members, mostly
simpie-minded country folk. are unable
to perceive the fine distinction that
Japanese officiaidom draws between the
patriotic and religious recognition OF
Shinto shrines. They cannot under
stand how for n Christian to make an
offering before certain shrine is only
filial and patriotic loyalty. whereas when
"A Shinto neighbor makes the same offer
ing before the same shrine II is an act
of religious worship.
There IL the gravest sort OF political
strategy in this effort to re-establisf
Shintoism under the cloak Of national
ism. For all japanese are reared tc
believe that the emperor himself Is 4
divinity, and the descendant OF the sur
goddess who is the chief figure in the
Shinto pantheon. No other ruler OF
earth today except the Dalai Lama 81
Thibet, claims divinity as an attribute
This is the essential factor in the
uniqueness Of the japanese imperia
house 1t Is the pivot upon which turns
the whole system OF the japanese 10y
atty and nationalism which have beer
the admiration OF the world. Appar
emily it is the conviction Of the mes
who shape the destinies Of Japan that II
Shintoism goes. then the imperial house
will be threatened. For the honor OF
the emperor, and for the preservation
of the unique nationalism of Japan, il
has seemed necessary to make the pres
ent drive toward the restoration of
Shintoism to its ancient primacy. That
is why the government is making grants
for the repair and upkeep of the Shinto
shrines; and is inculcating the idea
that Shintoism is not Incompatible with
the worship of other faiths.
An Eminent Layman's Arrest.
Recently there appeared before tho
official board Of Reformed Church In
Japan candidate for membership. He
admitted under questioning, that he still
retained the family idols and ancestral
tablets and that he was also n member
Of the local shrine This he argued
had nothing to do with his personal
faith: Christianity is a matter of per
sonal conviction. whereas Shintoisrn Is