Religion

[Lil Slugger]

what religion does the majority of the population believe in japan? Is it Christianity, Buddism, or just science and facts like the big bang

[f1rst children]

It's an interwoven mix of Buddhism and Shintoism. Confucianism and Daoism (in conjunction with Zen Buddhism) are also influential philosophies, but not practiced in the Western religious tradition. Much of religious practice has become ingrained into ritual and etiquette, so it doesn't always have the same meaning as practices in the West.

There are a small number of Christians and very, very tiny populations of Jews, Muslims and Hindus. There is also an animistic religion indigenous to the Ryukyuan islands, eg Okinawa.

[Lil Slugger]

OK but what about there beliefs in the afterlife, and the creation of the universe?

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Japan

Wiki is your friend.

[Lil Slugger]

so once you give me a link to wiki, its basically the end of this thread... please stop doing that... i hate it when people dont answer my threads becuase they see the link... i want to see peoples views and opinions, not wikis

[Javer]

Maybe so, but you're asking for facts. You can't really have varying opinions on whether or not there are a lot of Jewish Japanese people.

[Yodatsubato]

600 non-military Jews in the entire country?? I find that kind of hard to believe... I don't think Jews particularly avoid the country. I have friends with Jewish relatives there, and know plenty of Jews who have visited the place. Heck, one of the largest yeshivas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir_yeshiva) in existance was located there temporarily as they fled from Europe during World War II.

[Roark]

so once you give me a link to wiki, its basically the end of this thread... please stop doing that... i hate it when people dont answer my threads becuase they see the link... i want to see peoples views and opinions, not wikis
The thing is, you're asking for something that's
A) Factual
B) Highly variable based on the individual.

The modern age gave birth to very personal views on cosmology, which later gave rise to apathy on the subject. Very few people in postmodern nations (e.g., most of Europe and Asia) hold strong beliefs on the subject. Questions of origin and afterlife are replaed by more mundane pursuits. It becomes highly difficult to talk about the view of a large population anymore, since individual thought supplanted common cultural roots of cosmological thought. That's a fancy way of saying that people nowadays believe what they want, regardless of religion, philosophy, and culture.

Although, I know that there's a strong enclave of Pastafarians growing world-wide.

[sohryu]

Although, I know that there's a strong enclave of Pastafarians growing world-wide.

Ramen to that!

And just to add to what Kuzu said, Google is your friend as well. :)

[Javer]

Although, I know that there's a strong enclave of Pastafarians growing world-wide.

Ramen to that!

XD It's a cult now.

[Ritalin]

XD It's a cult now.

It has been a cult for well over a year now. :)

Our afterlife consists of Beer Volcanoes and a stripper factory. I'd like to see other religions beat that.

[Javer]

Wow, I didn't know that.

Wait . . .

Are you in full pirate regalia? =o

[kyubichan]

Shinto isn't a religion, but more of a belief and a way of life... thus many Japanese practice Shintoism along with a chosen religion. Shinto is something like tradition, honoring your ancestors because they watch over you and you owe your existence to them.

[Lil Slugger]

oh i see... so its like a way of life for them. Are they like americans where they go to church and worship a god and have bibles that tells them right from wrong or do they just go by morals and instinct

[kyubichan]

Well, Shinto was once a religion, but NOW it isn't, so there's no such thing as churches and bibles. As for gods, most gods in Japanese myths, such as Amaterasu Omikami, came from Shinto beliefs. Shinto practice currently survives because its principles have been handed down thru tradition.

[Lil Slugger]

im not talking about shinto im talking about the majority of japan... what are there beliefs on the creation of the universe... big bang or supreme being

[kyubichan]

As with all countries, beliefs are mixed. Christians believe in a supreme being, of course. Atheists believe Big bang (or something like that).

[Lil Slugger]

i see

[animanic_critic]

Well, Shinto was once a religion, but NOW it isn't, so there's no such thing as churches and bibles. As for gods, most gods in Japanese myths, such as Amaterasu Omikami, came from Shinto beliefs. Shinto practice currently survives because its principles have been handed down thru tradition.
Amaterasu, hmm... isn't she also referred to as the Sun Goddess or something?

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

Sigh... you know, all the answers to what you seek is in that Wiki article.

Aside from Shintoism, the majority of Japanese religions are not exclusive to the Japanese islands, so this isn't some sort of magic voodoo island. You should know what Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and such believe in regardless of where they're from.

Oh well, he's banned anyway.

[animanic_critic]

Oh well, he's banned anyway.
I had no idea why kept PM-ing me whenever he's in deep sh*t :la: ... I don't see how I am the Messiah to alll his problems...

[kyubichan]

Amaterasu, hmm... isn't she also referred to as the Sun Goddess or something?


Yes, she is. It's because according to Shinto beliefs, everything is/has a god spirit attached to it or represents it.

Lil Slugger was banned prbably coz of spamming. Hah, I already warned him...

[animanic_critic]

Yes, she is. It's because according to Shinto beliefs, everything is/has a god spirit attached to it or represents it.

Lil Slugger was banned prbably coz of spamming. Hah, I already warned him...
You're not alone. I'm his Messiah with limitations whenever he's in deep sh*t.

[Mana]

As discussion of bannings is always the most interesting conversation, this is not the place for it, so please stop.