Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM
Jacob, I respect your reasons for wanting to go to Japan than many others. If God wants you in Japan, then that is the way it is.
However, I do think you need to know a reality that the article you posted doesn't reveal.
Of the 30 percent of adults who claimed to have a religion, 75 percent considered themselves Buddhists, 19 percent Shintoists and 12 percent Christians, according to the Gallup Organization.
Start at the beginning. Only one in three Japanese even claim to have a religion. This doesn't mean "active" or "practicing" but just "have". of those 12 percent say "Christian". That's about 3% of Japan. Also keep in mind that some people think having a Christian-style wedding (very popular in Japan) "makes" them "Christian". I have heard others say "celebrating Christmas" makes them "more Christian". This entails the Santa Claus aspect. Jesus has very little to do with Japanese Christmas.
I would still maintain that less that one percent of Japanese citizens have ever attended a Christian church service.
Japanese youth revealed even more alarming statistics. Of the 20 percent who professed to have a religion, 60 percent called themselves Buddhists, 36 percent Christians and Shintoists.
Look at the last five words. 36 percent of the 20 percent (less than 7 percent total) said they were Christian and Shinto? So how many are Christian and how many Shinto? Why are these two groups squished together? Could it be because the number of Christians is so minuscule?
Within an estimated population of 127.4 million in Japan, academics estimate that 20 to 30 percent of adults actively practice a particular faith, but the Agency for Cultural Affairs reported in 2003 that 213,826,700 citizens claimed a religion, according to the U.S. Department of State's latest International Religious Freedom Report.
So almost 200% of Japanese claim a religion?
Most Japanese are suspect of organized religion so be prepared for that when you go. I think your plight is respectable, but I think this article is misleading.
|
Thank you for respecting my calling and God's will.
As for what you said about the article, you may very well be right (I couldn't give my full opinion because I'm not sure I really understand it all), but what ultimately caught my eye in the article were these things:
The latest Gallup poll revealed a much higher percentage of Christians in Japan compared to previous surveys, including a surprising high number of teens who claimed the Christian faith.
In a country where only one percent is Christian among those who claim a faith, findings from one of the most extensive surveys of the country ever taken showed a Christian population of six percent. Meanwhile, the most popular and traditional religions – Buddhism and Shintoism – suffered declines.
"When they saw the design of the questionnaire, Japanese experts argued that the Japanese would never answer the socially delicate and/or the highly personal questions," said Bill McKay, project research director. "However, it was our professional hunch that the Japanese were ready to talk and when they did they told us more than we had asked for. The data is the most revealing look behind the face of Japan and shatters many WWII myths of the Japanese culture."
Their projections of the actual numbers could be off. However, the poll does show that more people are choosing Christian as their religion, and less are choosing Buddhism and Shintouism.
I completely agree that just because someone chooses "Christian" as their option, it doesn't make them a Christian. You're right, celebrating Christmas doesn't make you a Christian, neither does having a Christian-style wedding. I love what the late Keith Green (a very devout born again Christian who gave an incredible minister through music and other methods during the late '70s and early '80s before his death) says. "Praying doesn't make you a Christian; people in every religion pray. Even going to church doesn't make you a Christian. You may have heard this before but, going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger. I have a great definition of what a Christian is: someone who is bananas for Jesus."
However, even if the majority of the people who choose "Christian" on the selector were not really Christians, or were but weren't dedicated to God, what the poll shows is that the country is slowly opening its heart toward God. It's becoming more appealing to people, in a time where so many are looking for answers. A read a different article that showed results saying 11% of Japanese wish they'd never even been born. Furthermore, they have the highest suicide rate of any developed country, and certainly the outsourcing to other countries is only making things worse (people are losing jobs, and I'm sure you know as well as I do how important working (and especially success) are to the Japanese). It's often when people hit rock bottom when they start to search for God the most. Many of Japan is in this place. So even though many aren't Christians, their openness is growing, and I believe the harvest is riper than it's ever been before. As Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38)