World religions - Shintoism
An ancient religion of the Japanese
 
Introduction

Shintoism is a popular religion in Japan and it is based on the worship of ancestors and nature-spirits. "Shen" means 'the divine being'. "Tao" means the 'way'. Shinto means "the way of the gods" or "the way of the spirits".

History
  • Dates back to 6th century A.D
  • Founded based on rituals and customs that began in Japan during ancient times
  • A primitive religion in Japan before Buddhism arrived.
  • Does not have a founder.
  • Does not have a single book.
  • Does not have strict set of religious laws.
  • Often reported that over 80% follow Shinto along with other religions as this is not a monotheistic religion.
Belief
  • Shintoism has been called the religion of nature worship, emperor worship, and purity
  • Shintoism focuses on loyalty to ancestors.
  • Shintoism believes in visiting shrines when help is needed
  • A typical Japanese Shinto is devoted to spiritual beings or spirits (called kami ), and to shrines and rituals.
  • To deliver oneself from trouble and evils of the world, they offer food and rice wine
  • Salvation is based on keeping Japanese traditions.
  • There is no need for forgiveness since Shintoism believes that all human beings are good.
  • There is no concept of sin and depravity of nature.
Teachings
  1. Teachings are summarized in two books called Kojiki and Nihongi.
  2. The teachings are merely collection of ancient myths and traditional teachings
  3. Kojiki teaches that first 2 primeval spirit deities (male and female spirits), gave birth to Japan and gave birth to more deities such
  4. deity of water, wind, mountains etc. One of the deities include the Sun goddess.
  5. Sun is the Mother Goddess.
  6. The supreme being, Mother Goddess, is feminine and there are many deities.
  7. Shintoism has 800,000 gods. Most of these gods are deified heroes of the Japanese.
  8. Human beings die and become kami (an ancestral spirit)
  9. Japan has more than 100,000 shinto shrines. Shinto shrines are places of worship where the kami (spirit) live.
Shinto Sayings
  1. Leave the things of the world and come to me daily with pure bodies and pure hearts
  2. Even the wishes of ant reach heaven
  3. Sincere prayer moves heaven
  4. Sincerity is the mother of knowledge
  5. To do good is pure. To commit evil is impure
Four affirmations of Shinto
  1. Family is the main way through which traditions are preserved
  2. Nature is sacred. Objects in nature are worshiped as sacred spirits
  3. Physical cleanliness such as bath, hand-wash, and mouth-rinse are important
  4. Honor individual kami (spirit) and group kami
10 Precepts of Shinto
  1. Do not transgress the will of gods
  2. Do not forget your obligations to ancestors
  3. Do not violate decrees of the State
  4. Do not forget the goodness of gods which prevent calamity
  5. Do not forget that the world is one great family.
  6. Do not forget the limitations of your own person.
  7. Do not become angry even though others become angry
  8. Do not be sluggish in your work
  9. Do not bring blame to the teaching
  10. Do not be carried by foreign teachings
Comparison with Christianity

Shintoism Christianity
Does not believe in a monotheistic God The God of the bible declares : Isaiah 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Supreme God is Sun Goddess (feminine) and there many gods such as god of wind, fire, mountains, and nature objects John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
All humans are good Romans 3:23-24 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
There is no concept of sin Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
There is no depravity of human nature Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
There is no need for the redeemer to make atonement for our sins Christ paid for our sins:Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Eternal life through observance of teachings Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reflection
  1. Will worship of nature give salvation?
  2. Will offering food and wine remediate our sins?
  3. Can we be saved through good teachings alone ?
Prayer
May the lord lead us to eternal truth. Jesus is the truth.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.