Unimaginable for Western Minds

     There are two things that I want to point out that came to my mind while reading the beginning of Silence. The first is that it is almost unimaginable for modern western minds to comprehend the sheer magnitude of persecution that Christians faced in Japan. We immediately are repulsed when we read accounts like this and rightly so. The thought of another human being enduring such hate and anger and pain simply for what they believe is horrifying. We live in a time where so many people are timid about what they believe for fear that they might be ridiculed. And yet, that pales in comparison to what Christians have had to endure in Japan. While we face our fears to be vocal about social justice and equality when it comes to wage gaps and gender, religious people have faced severe discrimination and degradation in Japan. Many American Christians suffer from a persecution complex. What I mean is this: majority of Christians in America like to use the term persecution whenever there is an inconvenience to their beliefs or their way of life. They immediately throw out the word persecution when severe persecution has never been experienced in America. The only people that have experienced persecution in the US are POC. 

    The second thing I would like to point out, that is unimaginable western minds, is the fact that whole populations can make great progress and have a high quality of living without religion. With only 1.5% of Japan being Christian, it is an example that shows that religion is not necessary for morals or a society to progress. This is a particular line of reasoning that is very intricate and deals with the substance and origin of morals but the point is that even without religion in the picture, Japan still continues to progress and make great strides in every area of life. 

I commented on Haylee's post and on Emily Ott's post. 

Comments

  1. Emory CooperApril 12, 2022 at 10:01 PM

    Hey Alex. I agree with the first point of your post; I think you make a good one about how America suffers from a persecution complex in which many people seem to make mountains out of molehills when it comes to social justice and intersectionality. Let us hope God will continue to keep us from the degree oppression demonstrated in "Silence." With your second point, however, I disagree; while Japan is not very Christian, historically its culture has remained religious, and I would think that the Shinto and Buddhist religions have played a significant role in the progression of ethics in Japanese society. Furthermore, Lewis borrows the "Tao" from the East to categorize ethics that prevail in traditional Western society as well. Yet I still concur that it's difficult for Westerners to grasp Oriental customs. Good post.

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    1. Emmett BryantApril 18, 2022 at 1:07 PM

      Buddhism is usually not categorized as a religion, but a philosophy. It does not pray to a deity, or believe that that deity affects humanity in any sort of way. It is classified as a philosophy because Buddhists aspire to a live a certain way and walk a certain path.

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