New Evangelical Campaign In Japan

[FG Lurker]

In essence, they are doing much to improve the reputation of foreigners in Japan even if their conversations are a bit too Jesusy for me.

If they are too Jesusy for you, guess what the Japanese think? "Crazy fucked up gaijin who are interfering with Japan" would sum it up well.

One of the best things about Japan is that it isn't a country crippled by fundie wackos.

[TFG]

The danger with all these religious wackos including Soka Gakai is that they occasionally catch someone in their net who is down on their luck and have some serious problems in their lives that fall foul in a moment of weakness to these charlatans. These religious groups then precede to screw their heads up even further with their witchcraft while reaming them financially.

Yeah, I think the "Power for life" nutters will regret spending so much on advertising here and learn a good hard lesson about life from this quest they are on. Talking about religious nutters, I just saw that the Evangelist Mike Huckabee has announced he is going to run in the presidential election in 2008.

Not another Talitan at the helm of America!

[Mulboyne]

I thought about starting a similar thread a couple of years ago when I came across the now-defunct japanmegacitiesforchrist site. Religion is a touchy subject as we can see from some of the replies so far. However, evangelicals, clerics and missionaries are a significant FG population in Japan yet we have more posts here about fake priests than the real thing. I'm not religious but I'm curious about how these guys operate in Japan given that the country has proved fairly barren soil over the years. I met a rabbi last time I was in Tokyo and he had some great stories. As Samurai Jerk pointed out, his only role in conversion seems to be when a guy wants his J-fiancee to accept Judaism before marriage.

I have noticed one thing about evangelicals and mormons when I've run into them. Their religious beliefs require them to spread the word and try to convince people who are sceptical and often hostile. This is essentially a sales job but not everyone is a salesman at heart. Rejection is a regular part of the process and most people end up developing a "sales persona" which helps them cope with that rejection. The risk of developing that persona is that you end up doing things "in character" that you wouldn't be brazen enough to do ordinarily. The thread in that link above has advice for Southern Baptists to dress up and act out nativity scenes by Shibuya crossing to get the message out. Dressing up is just another way of helping you to get "in character".

What often happens in such cases is that sales people end up subconsciously trying to impress their colleagues with their energy and chutzpah rather than thinking about the impression they are making on their audience. Psychologists call this "being an arsehole". It's a common fault among young people and new converts with little or no experience and this happens to constitute a large proportion of those sent over to Japan for one or two years. I have no idea whether this also explains Steve and Dixie King's clown ministry.

[dimwit]

The evangelicals I've met don't do the street nampa routine that mormons are more famous for. The one I have know are well-respected by the Japanese.

[kamome]

I've even been approached by an ultra Orthodox Jew once. The catch there is once they find out your aren't Jewish they move one. They are specifically looking for Jews who aren't religious or religious enough. Which by their definition is probably more 90% of the world's Jewish population.

Jews generally do not believe in proselytizing their religion. It's believed to be repugnant behavior and as you saw, the belief is that energies are better focused on keeping in the fold those who already are members of the faith. It's really only the Orthodox Jews (actually the Lebovitch - i.e., the most religious branch of Orthodox Judaism) who engage in any kind of outreach. Judaism would rather only convert those who seek it out after reaching a personal conclusion to do so.

I believe that ad campaigns and standing on street corners with a bullhorn are really tacky - there's no dignity in that kind of activity at all.

[FG Lurker]

The evangelicals I've met don't do the street nampa routine that mormons are more famous for. The one I have know are well-respected by the Japanese.

A large percentage of Japanese will show respect to anyone with the title "sensei".

[baka tono]

Whenever religion has come up as a topic in conversations with Japanese people I have rarely come across hostility that even comes close to the level some FGs have. The one instance I do recall was by classmates of a friend who were members of kenshokai, the cult that was in the news several weeks ago cus some guy was forcing people to join or something like that. Anyway my brief encounter at a coffee shop with these people was amazing as they were as bad as the worst evangelicals, or the evangelical hating FGs. My friend didnt know these people were like that so we got the heck out of there and never looked back.

[kamome]

No they're not hostile to it these days, the J's are just apathetic and indifferent to it. Evangelicals and Mormons don't stand a chance to crack that nut and they haven't for centuries. Actually, Japan was hostile to missionaries hundreds of years ago and the martyrdom of Christians and missionaries in Japan is well-documented.

[Mulboyne]

J's are just apathetic and indifferent to it...Japan was hostile to missionaries hundreds of years ago and the martyrdom of Christians and missionaries in Japan is well-documented.

Surely the reason that Christians were persecuted is that they were taken seriously and also perceived as a threat. There was no apathy and indifference back then although that may be true now.

[dimwit]

By the early 1600's, within 50 years of its introduction christianity respresented about 10% of the Japanese population and probably a majority of the residence of Kyushu. the Tokugawas feared a real religious schism similar to what was happening in Germany at the time.

[FG Lurker]

By the early 1600's, within 50 years of its introduction christianity respresented about 10% of the Japanese population and probably a majority of the residence of Kyushu. the Tokugawas feared a real religious schism similar to what was happening in Germany at the time.

...and wisely kicked the troublemakers out.

There is an island near my cottage where 100 or so believers had their heads removed after refusing to depart Japan. The locals call it "Kubikiri Jima" (Decapitation Island). I think there is a memorial plaque on the island, maybe this summer I'll land there and snap a photo or two.

[Mike Oxlong]

Yeah, when going over the history of that time period, one gets the impression that the converts did it for possible political advantage, not so called salvation.

[kamome]

Surely the reason that Christians were persecuted is that they were taken seriously and also perceived as a threat. There was no apathy and indifference back then although that may be true now.

Exactly. Maybe I could have made it clearer in my earlier post. These days, the feeling is apathy or indifference. In those days, missionaries were perceived as a threat which resulted in persecutions.

Although I'm not one to cheer for persecution, I think the Japanese were right to suppress the missionaries. I've always wondered why more countries never perceived that the introduction of a Western religion would corrupt or undermine their native culture. The book, "Things Fall Apart" covers this theme - it's about an African village torn apart by Western influence brought into their midst by missionaries.

[AssKissinger]

I think the Japanese were right to suppress the missionaries

Fuck yeah.

[Mulboyne]

The evangelicals I've met don't do the street nampa routine that mormons are more famous for. The one I have know are well-respected by the Japanese.

They are doing it more often these days. I think you are right about people who have been living in Japan for some time: they have usually shown a strong commitment to the local community and deserve the respect they get. There appears to have been a sea change among a number of Christian organizations which probably parallels their activities in the US. I get the impression that they are a little impatient with slow progress in Japan and have been trying to pick up the pace with a more aggressive approach.

I wonder whether the timing of the "Power for Living" campaign was influenced by the findings of the Gallup survey that Taro mentioned within this thread.

[dimwit]

They are doing it more often these days. I think you are right about people who have been living in Japan for some time: they have usually shown a strong commitment to the local community and deserve the respect they get. There appears to have been a sea change among a number of Christian organizations which probably parallels their activities in the US. I get the impression that they are a little impatient with slow progress in Japan and have been trying to pick up the pace with a more aggressive approach.

I wonder whether the timing of the "Power for Living" campaign was influenced by the findings of the Gallup survey that Taro mentioned within this thread.

Could be. We are rather sheltered out in the boonies and I doubt most of the American evangelicals ever have heard of anything other than Tokyo.

It is funny listening to alot of the anti-christian diatribes. Now it is true that the attitudes towards evangelical group proselytizing may hit a brick wall, the respect that most Japanese feel towards mainstream christian groups (Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians) is very high, largely due to their huge contributions to medicine and education during the Meiji Period.

While in recent years the number of Christian intellectuals has been dying off and younger people are less aware of their role, it may well be that the evangelicals will increase and the respect for christianity will decrease. But than again it might be analogous to the Franciscians (who concentrated on converting the poor) vs Jesuits (who were more influencial with the upper classes) in 16th century Japan.

[kamome]

Fuck yeah.

Fuck yeah!:D

[FG Lurker]

It is funny listening to alot of the anti-christian diatribes. Now it is true that the attitudes towards evangelical group proselytizing may hit a brick wall, the respect that most Japanese feel towards mainstream christian groups (Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians) is very high, largely due to their huge contributions to medicine and education during the Meiji Period.

Respecting past contributions is quite different than being willing to put up with the current batch of bible-thumping nutters.

[james]

Respecting past contributions is quite different than being willing to put up with the current batch of bible-thumping nutters.

seconded. organized religion is a cancer. fundies are nutbar moonbats that can not be reasoned with, even when their absurd notions fly in the face of incontrovertible proof.

and why all the malevolence towards xtianity in particular? well let's see.. how many world cultures have they destroyed in the name of "jeebus our lord and savior"? how many great and insightful minds lost their lives in the name of this putrid religion that professes love & mercy yet practises little towards those that are different? ask copernicus. ask the countless so-called "savages". ask the homosexuals. ask just about anyone who isn't one of them.

fuck them and fuck their lot.

[baka tono]

Its kind of loud in here with all that Koran thumping. I guess caves have internet now?

[Mike Oxlong]

...organized religion is a cancer....

Are you quoting Mao, or the Chinese general from 7 Years in Tibet?

[james]

Are you quoting Mao, or the Chinese general from 7 Years in Tibet?

lol, didn't know i was quoting anyone. just an observation, really.