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Omoto

Sunday, April 7th, 2013

Omoto is one of the many various expressions of the Shinto religion which has its origin or source in the superstitions of religious folklore. One such belief is that the two divine kamis or deities know as Kunitokodachi no Mikoto and Susano-o no Mikoto were the original rulers of Japan who had been expelled by the evil kami which according to Omoto’s power narrative was a way to explain the chaos in the world which was a rival myth to the favored view of the sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, as the ancestor of the imperial line which challenged the divine status of the emperor and the legitimacy of his reign.

As you can see these sort of beliefs are based in legend but have an element of truth as they recognize spiritual powers and forces at work but essentially misunderstand the nature of such entities who are malevolent and deceptive spirits.

Anyway its founder, Deguchi Nao, is like many other spiritual leaders of Shintoism who compete for prominence as making special claims of revelatory significance to the importance of their person and character in bringing about great expectations of change with such events as to usher in a eschatological time of renewal and hope with an impending utopian age of peace, compassion and harmony. This desire for an era of change is quite alluring and needed as opposed to the current state of world affairs as facing the deep dark problems of society nonetheless without its immediate prophetic fulfillment it only leads to a sense of disillusionment, disappointment and finally skepticism which perhaps is why many of its members have disbanded causing the numbers of this religious sect to dwindle according to the perpetration of its unrealistic expectations.

This popular end times theme came about as a result of Nao’s supposed dream which took a well known biblical theme and adulterated its application to her spiritual copartner Ueda Kisaburō, also known as Deguchi Onisaburō, as being the fulfillment of her oracle which meant the destruction of the world and the coming of a messianic kingdom with a new heaven and new earth. However this era known as the Taisho restoration was not realized because Ayabe never became the capital of the government such as what they had envisioned but in spite of this Onisaburo officially announced in 1928 as being the messiah or the incarnation of the living Buddha, Maitreya, which according to the oracle would take place during the year of the great dragon, a biblical symbol for Satan. Moreover this new age would be characterized by a great change in the world as leading to a new world order otherwise referred to as the ideal world of Miroku or Bodhisattva Maitreya’s age resulting in the salvation of people which essentially failed to be fulfilled as Onisaburo died in 1948 shortly after the bombing of Japan which may have seemed like the end of the world but nonetheless did not lead to to any kind of messianic age.

In addition to this other things which I find controversial is the questionable nature of each of their spiritual resumes in which Nao portrayed herself as a spiritual guide by leading her adherents to believe that she was possessed, kamigakari, by Ushitora no Konjin as transmitting his words as divine oracles which initially resulted in her being locked up as being insane. Again I am not doubting a spiritual influence here but what I challenging is the deceptive nature of this close encounter with the kami kind.

Now in regards to Onisaburō he was a spiritualist and mystic teacher who majored in the techniques of spirit possession which is also known as the rite of chinkon kishin.

Thus Oomoto was founded on occultic principles, influences and rituals and it continues today with its practices of shamanic mediumship and divination as well as being under the guidance of Nao’s automatic writings which are all devilish in origin.

Another issue which is conflicting is that Onisaburo as a spiritual teacher taught that all religions have the same origin but anyone who has seriously studied comparative religions knowns that they aren’t in essence the same reality however I would agree to their being one source or God in which mankind or humanity originated and that there are similarities to some aspects of our religious views as well as there being certain elements of truth as we are all common beings nonetheless this does not necessitate the impossibility of falsehood in that we are fallible humans. Therefore we are not all equally representing essential or ultimate truth as it only philosophically possible that we all could be wrong but we can’t all be right due to the irreconcilable or antithetical positions that religion takes on critical points of doctrine and practice. Furthermore I think this is internally inconsistent to their own position as needing to differentiate the religion of Omotokyo from others instead of merely syncretizing its identity under the universal umbrella of a nameless organization without a particular or unique expression of faith thus their religious practice is not sustainable or livable according to their own religious worldview. Moreover to imply that all truths are the same is an oversimplification to life in making truth relative and subjective which really means that if there is no objective truth, which there is, then all religions only become a matter of preference without the need for distinctions such as picking out fish in the market based on ones personal appetite and hunger for spiritual sustenance which is more like buying Fugu without caring who the preparer is which in reality will either prove to be fatal or nutritious.

In conclusion Omoto-kyo is one among many of Japan’s new religious movements which attempts to offer hope and insights for our present age but has failed to have the universal impact as heralded among its founders or spiritual leadership. Though positively they have made achievements towards practically helping others I question its ability to attain its ultimate goal or outcome for world renewal.

This matter is further complicated as it has had its fair share of internal strife among its membership as others have either left the fold and joined other cults or have started their own movements instead. This combined with its failure to significantly impact the governmental agencies in which their religious ideologies often clashed with has left this movement as lacking both internal and external peace therefore I question the stability of this religion to bring about the restoration of Japan let alone impact the world. Not only that but according to one source Oomoto-kyo has localized their movement as not encouraging people outside of Japan to join their religion and how ironic is this if they are to somehow really unify the world. Thus I fail to see the credibility of this group as based on what it supports due to the lack of fruition as manifesting its truth claims.

Lastly as a word of encouragement there is nothing wrong in wanting to connect with God as to have the divine Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside of you in receiving a vital and experiential knowledge of the true and living God. This can be done in Christ as you become one with God not in the sense that we are of the same essence or being but as we are joined together with Him in fellowship and it is through this relationship with Jesus that will ultimately lead you to everlasting peace and eternal life.

Finally I would urge you to examine the person and work of Jesus which continues to impact the world through Christian believers as changing millions of people lives and here are some of their wonderful testimonies which can be viewed at www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/ along with my personal story jesusandjews.com/wordpress/my-personal-testimony-with-jesus/

Mt 11:28-30

²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

How to have a relationship with God

How to know God

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Omoto Resources

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Kurozumikyo Resources

Sunday, March 24th, 2013

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Kurozumikyo

Saturday, March 16th, 2013

Kurozumikyo is a sect Shinto group which makes up the shinshukyo cult phenomena in Japan and if you are interested you can view a post that I published regarding the superstitious and folklore beliefs of Shintoism

Shintoism

Kurozumikyo teachings and values fits well within the mythological framework and backdrop of Shinto belief with its self acclaimed founder Kurozumi Munetada who considered himself as a deity and who supposedly had a subjective experience through a divine union as being possessed with Amaterasu Omikami who is known as the goddess of the sun and chief kami among the pantheon of natural powers.

To begin with this movement started as a magical art with a mystical ritual for curing illness and then latter transitioned to more of a practical approach as emphasizing a motif of salvation through aspects of popular morality as cultivating virtue combined with the health and wealth prosperity message which ironically seems inconsistent to their model of selflessness.

Anyway one of the controversial aspects of this religion has been its position of fatalism as accepting the trials and difficulties of life while also claiming to contribute to ones well being which seems philosophically conflicting or oppositional as it would seem that former would simply nullify the latter as accepting their condition or fate in life instead of striving to resolve it. Perhaps this position somehow conveniently covers both sides of the equation as to encourage some to move towards achieving the benefits of prosperity while pacifying or consoling those who have not had the same results such as an individual who had been oppressed under the subordination of the feudal system as a commoner who could only accept their arrangement in life. So for those who were facing this harsh reality of life with a form of passive acceptance as not being able to change their reality could control one thing which was their perspective as providing an emotional form of escape or relief which looked towards the prospects of a spiritual potentiality rather than a material equality as a means of attainment which was not primarily dependent upon natural circumstances. However even if this coping mechanism worked it did not necessitate a correlation with reality and like a drug only temporarily dulls the senses to a painful reality. With either scenario it appears that this organization couldn’t lose as it tries to substantiate or authenticate itself by attempting to ease the tension between these antithetical positions of the “haves and the have nots” and therefore the movement attempts to evade failure as its embraces everyone in its success story. So whatever the individual case may be whether someone is to happily/cheerfully embrace a change of mind and attitude over life’s troubles or pursue the illusory gain of reaching significant results and goals the “catch all” is that the projected outcome is to give hope to every represented group. Nevertheless this doesn’t answer the objection to my opening question as to why an individual should seek any benefit at all to begin with, such as through the pagan breathing ritual of spiritual practice otherwise known as swallowing the sun or sun worship, which is contrary to the view of acceptance as it advocates change and maintenance as contributing to a certain quality of life.

Moreover I don’t understand that if you are dealing with sincere and diligent believers how can all this work for some and not for others? Also what do you do when an infirmed person gets well while the healthy person suddenly becomes ill? It appears the terms can flip flop as not being definite except to say that at any given time you could either be sick or well likewise you could also go from rags to riches and vise versa. In other words the sales pitch is that regardless what life may throw at you the effects of life are ultimately determined by the casual powers of piety which I believe are inconsistent with reality. Essentially we all go through the tsunamis and earthquakes of life and in the end there is no fountain of youth as we all falter as becoming weak when we age and inevitably will all one day die at least physically. So essentially this group gives the illusion that it has the answer when in essence its not really actualizing any kind of real or significant benefit except for its practice of certain moral values or virtues which is no different that many of the other religions and cults.

In moving on there are ontological problems as this group thinks of itself as being one in essence with god and yet not in the sense of just obtaining an intimate connection and association to that of another being but as seeing itself as an emanation of that being. Granted the bible depicts the glory and majesty of mankind above the created order as we share His image but only as much as the design reflects the designer as being rational, willful and moral creatures with a sense of self awareness, etc.

After all if we are that closely linked to divinity then how did we lose our way or become separated to begin with seeing that God is a perfect being and we are not? How is it that we are flawed when God is morally efficient? Surely our minuscule efforts of good deeds or works can’t really merit our becoming “one” with Him as we by nature are so morally dysfunctional and deficient. Even if we comparatively see ourselves more righteous than our peers this still does not approach God’s magnitude of holiness as we are never devoid of a continued sense of guilt and shame as we will always fail to reach perfection.

Furthermore regarding their belief in eternality, everything in the created order points to a beginning such as the law of thermodynamics which indicates that we are losing usable energy as the universe is winding down as postulated by Einstein’s theory of relativity and confirmed through the lens of the Hubble telescope giving evidence to a beginning as disproving the earlier notion of science who also saw an eternal state of matter.

Also how is it possible for an eternal God to become disjointed or disconnected as to arrive on the world scene as a temporal traveler in becoming a contingent or dependent being apart from His necessary and pure being? How can a person who is weak, ignorant and confined to spacial limitations be analogous to God who is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent? Thus it is far more evidential to support our temporal coming into existence than any kind of a pre-existent eternal realm as we are obviously created beings rather than a piece, fragment or part of the Creator himself who alone is not schizophrenic as having a mental state of split personalities.Philosophically speaking how could an absolute God reproduce himself as another entity as then he would have to simultaneously exist and not exist at the same time as both the creator and the creature of which the creature is always lesser than the creator? At that point god would cease to exist as being less than perfect as becoming divisible and subjected to change as being both inferior and superior at the same time and in the same relationship which of logical necessity violates the law of non-contradiction. There are a few people who play god and who think they are god but they are only fooling themselves through deceiving spirits as God is uniquely one in essence. Thus God is pure being not becoming as He can not change.

Nevertheless you may still challenge the notion of the material realm as being somewhat unreal and deficient in explaining our coming into existence by the procreation of a man and woman in stating that it only appears that way and not as it really is then trying using that same logic to live your daily life and you will see that your life is inconsistent and unsustainable. Also whose to say that your thinking does not also come under the same kind of scrutiny as being just as unreal as the next guys opinion? Furthermore how imperfect would it be for God to deceive us by devising a virtual reality based on a delusional life of make believe which might better describe the lie that you are living under with this line of reasoning? Essentially the stronger argument is that God as a perfect being could not become anything other or less than perfect of which we will never be as confirmed by our limitations as a self evident reality. Though we may serve a superior role as the stewards of the universe through our unique capabilities of intelligence nonetheless it does not qualify us or give us a license to be god and I think it is much more plausible as seeing ourselves as consisting of a different essence as definably human not divine.

Moreover if you really thought you were god then why extend worship to the kami as essentially worship should be self directed as self worship which would be appropriate and consistent for someone who saw themselves as an extension of divinity or god. Why look any farther than yourself for any sort of ultimate reality as you only need to look inward not outward as unlocking the eternally existent mind of god? It goes without saying that most people instinctively and intuitively reject this idea as craving a transcendent being the likes of which we are not nor will ever be and as we are restricted to being creaturely and even if our humanity does point to a reality beyond biological function to a non-physical human soul that does not necessarily making us god either.

Finally another matter I question is their view of the afterlife apart from our physical or biological function and therefore I am giving you a video of a former atheistic doctor who by the testimony and experience of his patients made him a believer to a reality which is more compliant with a Christian worldview regarding Heaven and Hell. I hope you take the time to watch this video as it is eternally significant in its scope and application.

www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vQ8TEGMj-jc

Lastly I question the efficacy of this movement as it has failed to be universally impacting to all of life since essentially they have stagnated or declined as a minority group as being one among the many other fringe groups. Christianity on the other hand has had such a positive world wide impact in that nearly 1 out of 3 individuals make some claim to Jesus which does not even include the second largest religion namely Islam which gives some regard for the person and work of Jesus. You may be surprised to know that Christianity started out as an Asiatic religion which spread throughout the course of the Western World and is now returning full circle to many of my Asian friends as they are seeking answers beyond the limitation of their cultural enlightenment. In conclusion God is bigger than any continent or island and when we reduce God to the size of just a few select people then this should begin to call our attention to how we process our religious devotion.

Personally I think this group can not live up to its claims as I believe their position is a counterfeit to the person and work of Jesus who is the “One True God” as the “Creator of the Universe.” He is the divine embodiment as being “The Light of the World” as He gives eternal life to all who believe as imparting the indwelling presence of the divine Holy Sprit instead of the unholy spirits of the kami.

In closing I hope I have not needlessly offended you over my comments as I respect and appreciate your zeal and desire to connect and communicate with a spiritual reality. What I challenge is the nature of these entities as opening the doors to the fellowship of a demonic reality instead of the living God as entertaining demons unaware as their nature is evil and destructive in serving to deceive and allure you into fascination or intrigue but will essentially only leave you in a state of lostness apart from God.

Finally I am not striving to impart to you a sense of skepticism or pessimism but rather I would encourage you to be open and willing to follow or to search out reality wherever the facts may lead you. God did not intend to leave you with only the general revelation of a moral conscious but rather He intends to lead and guide you into all truth with a special or fuller revelation in a personal relationship of dependency upon Him. In summary I would like to reassure you that God can and will deliver you from moral failure and shortcomings if you are willing to trust Him with your life. After all He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him in accordance with His righteousness not through the pious practices as striving to earn your way to God but as you simply receive the gift of His eternal love which is ideally personified in Jesus who took the guilt of your sin and removed it forever.

Lastly perhaps you are worn out from your hard work and labour and disillusioned by the promises you been given or exhausted over the pursuit of social order and harmony with the ensuing nuclear threats of our modern day. Then I pray that you will reach out to Jesus in the midst of the storm as He beckons to your heart and may you find your rest in Him as being fully satisfied.

Mt 11:28-30

²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In conclusion all I ask is for you to have the same openness and willingness of heart that you had upon believing the religion of Kurozumikyo and to sincerely seek out Jesus as to reveal Himself to you in a real and tangible way so as to entrust your heart and life to Him as becoming spiritually unified or one with Him as worshiping Him as the true incarnate Son who chiefly reigns as the supreme ruler as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. So in closing my prayer for you is that the Lord will breathe within you the breath of the life giving Spirit.

2 Peter 1:3-4

³His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

How to have a relationship with God

How to know God

Other links

Kurozumikyo Resources

www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/

Religions of the world: a comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs and practices/ J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, editors; Todd M. Johnson, World Religious Statistics; Donald Wiebe, Introduction-2nd ed., Copyright 2010 by ABC-CLIO, LLC. Reproduced with permission of ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA.

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Honmichi Resources

Monday, February 18th, 2013

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Honmichi

Sunday, February 17th, 2013

Honmichi also known as the original way was founded by former Tenrikyo member Onishi Aijiro who supposedly was appointed by the kami of truth Kanrodai-Sama to be a tenkeisha or revealed one. Anyway his calling is like that of many other spiritual or holy men who make claims as being a divine mediator and revelator of ultimate truth but apart from his self-proclaimed status or appointment he has failed to substantiate this honorary position of greatness. Moreover Tenrikyo was not convinced of this either as they had him expelled nor was the emperor who had him imprisoned.

In essence his message is not the really the original way as it didn’t radically depart from Tenrikyo scriptures and it also carries with it an overtone of Christian values. Its similarity to biblical teachings or themes is stated as believing that mankind is corrupted with evil as infecting the mind but among Christian believers it also affects the whole person whether it be described as the mind, heart, body, soul and spirit of the individual and therefore mankind needs to be renewed or regenerated by God as bringing a person into God’s will. Moreover the sinful nature of man is like an evil force of temptations that has brought about a curse in leading us away from Gods perfect plan and purpose . However in Jesus the good news is that God gives a person an escape route to endure whatever trial, tribulation or temptation that they might be facing, 1 Corinthians 10:13

In its apocalyptical and millennial views, Christianity like Honmichi first sees a further degeneration of society before getting to the light at the end of the tunnel however what sets it apart from this movement is how and by whom it will have its futuristic fulfillment in regards to the end times. For Honmichi mankind is responsible to establish a paradise on earth as living together in peace and harmony yet it is impossible to subjugate everyone to this philosophical and religious view as there will always be rebellious creatures who are opposed to God and thus it will take God not mankind to directly intervene as bringing about an everlasting peace as judging and removing these unwilling dissenters otherwise there will continue to be this ongoing model of unrest and hostility towards God and each other. Also today in the 21st century we are no closer with our modern advancements to create a better civilization even with the evolution of these new cult ideologies known as Shin Shukyo which have erupted in Japan creating thousands of these new sects which essentially only further creates a dissension of diversity instead of a unity when it comes to bringing about the solidarity of humanity. In other words God can only solve this equation by eliminating the common denominator of evil humanity which will come when Jesus returns to rule and reign on earth as setting up His kingdom in bringing about this utopian age.

In closing I would ask you to consider the Christian worldview which began as an eastern religion but has globally grown to captivate the hearts and lives of countless millions of believers as God’s desire is to redeem all people as inviting everyone to come into His heavenly kingdom. Furthermore biblical Christianity has stood the test of time having been proven again and again to be a carrier of truth and reason which has been authenticated and ratified down through the ages having eluded the debunking theories of its skeptics. Moreover nearly 1 out of every 3 people in the world claim to be Christian and the bible is the most popular book to date having been translated in nearly every language as influencing various tribes, tongues and nations in coming under the sphere of God’s sovereign rule and authority as Creator of the Universe. Ultimately it will be Jesus who as the mediator between God and mankind will futuristically consummate his rule in upholding His honorary title as the Prince of Peace in establishing all righteousness apart from the claims of any fringe group.

In summary perhaps you have failed to live up to the hype of this group and maybe it has caused you to seriously question or doubt the methodology as achieving the moral implications of excellence in overcoming the setback of evil in your own life and thus I invite you to come and rest at the feet of Jesus as you will be forever altered or changed which is my testimony and that of many others.

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/my-personal-testimony-with-jesus/

www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/

Finally all I can ask of you my friend is a challenge to honestly seek the one true God as I have described Him as praying that He would personally reveal Himself to you in a knowable way so as to trust Him as Lord and Savior. In turn may He fulfill your life with His everlasting joy, peace and love.

Mt: 11:28-30

How to have a relationship with God

How to know God

Other links

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2013/02/18/honmichi-resources/

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Konko-kyo Resources

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

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Konkokyo

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

Konkokyo or Konko is a new Japanese shinto sect that was founded by the charismatic shamanic figure known as Bunjirō Kawate or Akazawa Bunji who supposedly was appointed by the deity Konko or Tenchi Kane No Kami, the golden god of heaven and earth who is the parent or universal kami, to act as a mediator or torit sugi between god and mankind. In his role he was to take on the pain and suffering of his followers and transmit them to god. Essentially Konko Daijin was possessed by Tenchikane no Kami, which ironically was initially seen as the wrathful outcome of Konjin, nevertheless he supposedly became the very essence of this supposed deity and who received honorific titles as advancing or progressing in his spirituality.

Conclusively it is this kind of religious ideation which is a common occurrence among the many and various expressions of shinshukyo in Japan today as these questionable individuals claim spiritual ascendancy forming a personality cult around a self proclaimed guru. It becomes obvious from among all of these exclusive claims that they can’t all be right and it is doubtful upon closer examination that any of them are correct.

Anyway this cult phenomena has lead to the development of hundreds of new sects in Japan as revolving around the essential role of a charismatic leader who either “has the answer” or “is the answer” to life. Yet this quest for spirituality shows a lack of fulfillment in the Japanese people who desperately are seeking answers to life but who are looking for god in their own way on their own terms as seeking him in all the wrong places. They are making a god after their our own desires which is definably idolatrous as making a god after their own image and likeness. Therefore a god who is not based in objective truth but rather is molded and shaped to fit their identity as appealing to the subjectivity of merely their emotional needs is a fictitious god or a god of make believe. I think it would behoove any spiritual practitioner to check their motivation for belief and to also test the spirit of their movement for error to see if it really stands up to the claims and expectations of their founder and group and to honestly seek for discernment and wisdom regarding spiritual reality in respect to ultimate or essential truth not as to what merely attracts you but that which is independent of personal whims of which truth is not subjected to.

To begin with I believe that there is a real inconsistency to the leadership of this movement by its flip-flopping or wishy-washiness. At one point Kawate Bunjirō participates in observing horoscopic and geomantic prescriptions and then latter denies these practices. He becomes ill and is healed by receiving magico-religious healing rites and then latter testifies that faith and spiritual strength rather than healing rites or medication are the keys to physical health. Another point of disagreement is that he sees Konjin at first as a malevolent spirit or deity but latter redefines him as the Tenchi Kane No Kami as representing him as a benevolent deity. This is how the bible depicts the deception and delusion of a malicious Satan who appears to be a magnanimous angel of golden light. Furthermore based on fear rather than conviction Akazawa aligns himself with Shintoism as taking a certification or license as deceitfully and secretly misidentifying his movement and then latter renounces and recants Shintoism. Moreoever Konkō Daijin taught that a person could receive help from Konjin by “having faith in the kami out of a sincere mind” and yet philosophically you can be sincere and still be sincerely wrong as sincerity is not the measure of all things. Yet ironically how sincere is a person who is unwilling to lay down their life as escaping persecution for what he claimed to be ultimate truth when essentially he dishonored his god by falsely misrepresenting his beliefs to Shintoism. If he was unable to take a firm stand for his religious beliefs then how willing are you to stand as putting your whole life on the line for this movement? Yet their have been others such as Jesus and his close disciples and followers who willfully laid down their lives for the truth of which they were unable to renounce or deny.

Not only that but Akazawa Bunji close disciple and successor Sato Norio also made a decision which was not based on conviction but on fear as to maintain the popularity and momentum of the movement as to once again bow down and embrace the kamis of Shintoism as identifying their movement with a form of national or state shinto which eventually contributed to pre-war militarism and nationalism of which this groups now renounces. However there is still a controversy as there remains an identity crisis today among followers of whom consider themselves to be Shinto which is more consistent with the similarity of their shrine shinto beliefs and practices. Regardless truth does not fluctuate and when it is compromised it is really non-truth which is not fit to believe or to dedicate ones life to. After all who knows if it will not change again tomorrow based on the oscillating tides of society?

Another controversy among both the leaders and their adherents is their dangerous participation with the occult like practices of Konko Daijan who perviously had been involved with distributing talisman, almanacs, horoscopic and geomantic prescriptions along with the demonic possession and revelatory inspiration from the Tenchikane no Kami. In addition to this is the contemporary practice of Konko-kyo mediators who have the power as “Mediums” to convey messages from the kami to individuals. Metaphysically speaking one of the discrepancies of this group is its disbelief in heaven or hell as advocating that departed individuals are seen as wandering spirits upon the earth. Though I am not denying the presence of terrestrial demonic or familiar spirits the bible depicts that once a person dies that they undergo the judgment of heaven or hell as their final resting place. I have previously written some posts about others who have experienced these realms as having returned to life after coming back from the dead who described this out of body experience as being consistent with what the bible confirms as real destinations. This has even resulted in the conversion of Atheists after their near death experience or NDE and who were not previously sympathetic to Christian views regarding the interpretation of the after-life. You can watch some of their personalized testimonies in the first link that I am providing here.

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2009/10/29/is-hell-real/

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2011/10/31/what-the-hell/

Lastly there is a spiritual battle for your soul which is being tugged at in all directions by the multiplicity of spiritual forces which are at work within Japanese religious culture and society. Thus I would like to propose a more plausible religious worldview in which 1 out of 3 people in the world uphold apart from the claims of these many and various counterfeit groups. This isn’t about just advocating the use of sheer numbers alone as proof but rather it rest upon the prevalent reality which has been globally sustained as surviving the test of time over the ages as embracing the equality of humanity regardless of sex or ethnicity. I would like to send you a link to my testimony and that of many others who have undergone this reality.

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/my-personal-testimony-with-jesus/

www.cbn.com/700club/features/Amazing/

Additionally it is a reasonable faith as gaining credibility from all aspects of society which is not based in mythological and legendary accounts of superstitions of ancient culture but rather it is presented in a historically reliable context.

Atheist and Agnostic

Finally much of the language, terminology and beliefs of the Konko movement revolve around Christian concepts and themes which perhaps you can readily identify with and which supersede the claims of this fringe group as it encompasses the earth with the dynamic and overwhelming power of Jesus.

Moreover God nature is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. He has made and sustained you in that you live, move and have your being and apart from Him you are nothing. Thus He is not distant as residing in Heaven but is immanently present and tangibly real by which He has sent His Son into the world to give mankind a relevant representation and manifestation of His compassionate being. In John 3:16 it says ¹⁶“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

The bible depicts One mediator between God and man and that person is Jesus who is the Christ. Jesus offered himself upon the altar of life through His sacrificial death for the sins of humanity to restore our relationship with God. This happened as God the Son became flesh and blood and dwelt among us as He identified Himself as our representative and who victoriously conquered and overcame sin or moral failures and in turn delivered mankind from the grip of spiritual death by averting the righteous judgment of God’s wrath which convicts our hearts of wrongdoing. Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly as bettering humanity by giving us a life producing Spirit resulting in our transformation and regeneration through a new nature with a changed heart as becoming one with Father God in joining our lives to Him as His children in which we give Him glory as we represent His nature and character. In summary Jesus paid the cost by offering His precious life on our behalf through the pain and suffering of His soul so that inevitably we will not have to pay the ultimate price of a hellish realm of eternal suffering or damnation in the life to come.

The good news is that this salvific work of God is not dependent upon ourselves and is incongruent with our meritorious works or good deeds of self cultivation. Salvation is not earned but rather it is freely received having been sufficiently satisfied and efficacious as it is based solely on the independent and saving work of Christ who has shouldered the burden of our just and condemning guilt by which we are no longer objects of God’s wrath but rather beneficiaries of His kingdom as we receive the gift of eternal life.

Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

How to have a relationship with God

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Sunday, January 20th, 2013

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Tensho Kotai Jingukyo

Sunday, January 13th, 2013

Tensho Kotai Jingu Kyo or Odori shukyo is a new Japanese religion which was started after the outfall of World War 2 as an apocalyptic cult in predicting the soon and immanent destruction of the world. These kind of cults are very effective in winning the hearts of people due to the uncertainty and fear which motivate people to hope towards there being a plan of salvation from such a destructive force especially in light of the devastation of this significant war. However as time continues to lapse without the occurrence of this global event it appears that this sense of immediacy is less probable 60 years after the fact as the world has reduced some of its nuclear stock piles. The atomic bomb was a devastating event and even though there continues to be a global nuclear threat there are other nations which seem to hold these unstable regions in check. Perhaps it seems likely that something of this magnitude could occur again especially since we have had two world wars back to back in this 20th century but in turn there have also been more sophisticated ways to prevent these events from happening in the future whether it be through the diplomatic relations with the formation of the UN or the sophistication of satellite technology to make every effort to keep such a doomsday event from happening.

Nonetheless these end time predictions seem real but there has always been and will continue to be these prophets of doom in every age whether it be Nostradamus or the cult Aum Shinrikyo but inevitably the world as we know it will not ultimately come to an end not through the technological advances and efforts of men but as God himself pours out His final judgment and wrath upon the earth against sinful and rebellious mankind.

Now regarding the origin of this movement it was founded by Kitamura Sayo and her inspiration came from the demonic possession of a spirit snake who then revealed itself as the god Tensho Kotai Jingu or the Shinto goddess Amaterasu Omikami who commissioned Kitamura to save the world and after following a series of possessions she supposedly become a living goddess. Amazingly enough the bible personifies and describes Satan or the Devil as a serpent who deceives others. Anyway just because someone has a spiritual experience does not automatically qualify that person to define their spiritual encounter as ultimate or essential truth as there have been copious amounts of individuals who have made such claims of exclusivity. Even the assertions of healing and miracles can not ascertain the nature of this situation as these signs may be under the inspiration of evil spirits.

Mt 24: 23-24

³Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

1 John 4:1-2

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The methodology to accomplish this salvific task would take the form of a dance routine as a means to restore peace and harmony at the moment that this cataclysmic event of world destruction was about to take place. However there have been other wars since the establishment of this sect and if it has failed to squelch these military skirmishes then how convincing is it to having any kind of global impact. Finally in all due respect it seems that this whole program is untimely as it proceeds after Japan’s most devastating event and it appears to be a reactionary result rather than a precautionary warning as it would have been more appropriate for her to have had this directive or revelation prior to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Also this dance is said to deliver others from evil spirits and bring relief to those who are in distress. Ironically it is self defeating to claim deliverance from evil spirits when it was the spirit possession of this demonic kami that possessed her to begin with and instead of closing the door it opens up and invites these demonic entities to take up residence in ones soul with the lie that somehow these demonic beings will be saved. What they don’t understand is that they are destroying themselves as these evil spirits have no need to convert as their intention and assignment is to steal, kill and destroy. Moreover these demonic personages have deceived them into believing that as practitioners they are the demons path to salvation who in reality are maggots who have infested their host to carry out the plans and will of their master and commander namely Satan towards creating this false and counterfeit religion.

It is also believed that the escalated frenzy of the ritual of this ecstasy dance combined with the formula of prayer or oinori, esoteric sayings of na myo ho ren ge kyo and improvised songs will somehow mystically lead to obtaining a special knowledge concerning the secrets of the universe as gaining a since of control in harnessing the divine insight and power which more commonly is a form of witchcraft and it is this same kind of seduction from the serpent who tricked Eve in the garden of Eden to thinking that she will become as wise as God. Furthermore this is said to somehow affect others as to purify their souls and yet based on the efforts of this small group where is the evidence of this as being any kind of significant reality? Moreover they believe that they will redeem all evil spirits yet whose to say that the spirit that has originally possessed Kitamura was none other than an evil deceptive spirit or that it is even possible to transform these spirits?

One of the other healing effects is said to come through prayer as achieving a non-ego or muga. Yet everything about their spiritual leader smacks of self exaltation as feeding on her self indulged ego as a savior of the world or mankind; earning her the honorific title as Ogami-Sama or great goddess. Furthermore this improvised buddhist philosophyas believing this prayer is a method of eradicating passions and attachment which is the cause of suffering is a flaw in and of itself as it is self contradictory with a preoccupation towards a desire to personally benefit in removing suffering and misfortune.

In conclusion it is positive to recognize the demise of humanity and the spiritual influences that is at work within the universe and though it is instinctive to react to such causation it is the approach which makes all the difference in the world. Trying to rebuild or refashion a modern day Tower of Babel to unify mankind through a religious effort as creating a path to heaven will only lead to confusion, not fulfillment and in the end will be disappointment and failure due to the impotent efforts of a frail humanity who is the subject not the object of this fulfillment which exclusively rests in the work of the Almighty God of Heaven Himself who will sovereignly bring about such a peace process as restoring order to the chaos of the universe. In the final analysis it will be Jesus who will bring about a world of refuge for every tribe, tongue and nation as His kingdom will be an everlasting one.

Again we all feel the burdensome effects of mankind’s moral failures and have witnessed the devastation of natural calamities but these realities only serve to yearn-fully remind us about the fulfillment and presentation of the One who is the main event as ushering in this final age or dispensation with a new wold order of peace under His omnipotent and supreme rule and reign as the Prince of Peace. Therefore peace and happiness will not be firmly established until Christ returns to the earth and sets up His prevailing kingdom.

Romans 8: 18-23

⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Revelations 21:4

⁴He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Isaiah 2:4

⁴He shall judge between the nations,

and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore.

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Isaiah 11:6-10

⁶The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

and a little child shall lead them.

⁷The cow and the bear shall graze;

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

⁸The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

⁹They shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Whether it be earthquakes, tsunamis, economic disaster, solar flares, meteorite impacts, anarchy, zombies, prophecies of Nostradamus, Mayan calendar, invasion of extra terrestrials, polar shift, overpopulation, disease, pandemic, biological or germ warfare, nuclear launches from North Korea or Iran, global warming, etc. the bottom line is that the best prepping you can ever do is to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

John 16:33

³³I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 14:27

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Mt 11:28-30

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