Controversial religion from Japan finds success in Uganda, infuriating Christian clerics

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Controversial religion from Japan finds success in Uganda, infuriating Christian clerics
By Associated Press, Published: July 10

KAMPALA, Uganda — A religion with origins in Japan is quickly amassing a following in Uganda, winning converts in a sleek campaign that has attracted the attention of Christian clerics offended by its beliefs.

Happy Science advertises itself as a global religion with a goal of teaching “the truth about life, the world and ourselves.” The religion says it’s grand mission is to create a world filled with love, peace, harmony and prosperity.

The success of Happy Science in Uganda was put on public display late last month at a lecture given by the religion’s middle-aged Japanese founder on his first visit to Africa. Buses decorated with the image of Happy Science founder Ryuho Okawa ferried people from all over Uganda to attend his lecture inside the national stadium, causing traffic jams and upsetting athletes who had planned to use the space for Olympic trials.

Happy Science officials do not know precisely how many converts they have won since coming to Uganda in 2008, but they say most of the 10,000 people who attended Okawa’s lecture were believers. Uganda’s population, one of the youngest in the world, is heavily Christian, and Happy Science officials want to use the East African country as a springboard for what they hope will be success across Africa.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/controversial-religion-from-japan-finds-success-in-uganda-infuriating-christian-clerics/2012/07/10/gJQAnxcEaW_story.html

[6502]

1. Oh, crap... another cult...

While, in general, the Japanese are fairly non-religious, Japan does have a couple of major cults where the leaders appear to be worshipped as if they were gods.

* Soka Gakkai International
* Shinnyoen

This fellow is quite crafty.

It looks like he simply took the same basic formula used by the other two main cults in Japan and simply built one for himself.

[SkyDaddy7]

2. If it upsets the Christians there...

then it has my attention! I will need to look more into it but on the surface it sounds much better than the Christian mythology does...Do they persecute homosexuals? I don't think they do. Their teachings focus on self reflection rather than what your neighbor is doing like Christianity & Islam do!

All new religions are considered "cults" simply because the status quo fears them as competition!

The only difference between a "religion" & a "cult" is number of members & time in existence.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. A lot of Christians in Uganda have been advocating for

the death penalty for gay people. If this Happy Science religion is more tolerant, I hope it displaces Christianity in Uganda.

[FrodosPet]

12. They seem to be ducking the question

Does God love gays and lesbians?

http://global.the-liberty.com/2012/1654.html

~snip~

Below is a summary of part of Master Okawa’s answer.

God has not yet made a decision

That is a difficult question. Loving another person is, in itself, a good thing. The problem lies in gays and lesbians getting married and having children. I think the crux of the problem in America is marriage.

~snip~

Same-sex love is a new issue. Recently with developments in science, we are now able to decide whether to have children or not. Thus the teachings of God are now changing. In a sense, a big civilization project is progressing. It will probably take over 100 years to decide whether same-sex love is bad or acceptable. It took 70-80 years (from the birth of the Soviet Union until its collapse) to determine whether Marxism was good or bad. Because the issue of same-sex love is a test case, it is still too early to decide.

~snip~

We up in Heaven are not making a decision for the time being. We need 100 years to do that. Because this is an issue that started around 1960, it will probably be 2060 when I hand down my decision from Heaven.

It’s a very difficult issue, but science has developed and times have changed. Loving another person is a good thing but causing others trouble or giving them a shock is not. Please check whether you are taking love from someone or giving love. That is all I can say at the present moment.

---------------------------------------------------

On the bright side, they don't advocate killing gays and lesbians. OTOH, they seem to be trying to weasel out of answering.

But at least they have Science in their name! And Happy, too!

[Roland99]

14. "We up in Heaven are not making a decision for the time being"

uhhhh....

[riderinthestorm]

20. "Same sex love" issues only started in 1960....

[LuvNewcastle]

21. This religion looks goofy to me, but if it doesn't

advocate murder, I'd say that it's preferable to Ugandan Christianity.

[FrodosPet]

22. Is war murder?

Have you read their positions on the military and war preparation?

Not quite PNAC, but not too far from it.

[LuvNewcastle]

25. Most religions have a history of following along with wars

or, in some cases, encouraging wars. I'm sure most of those right-wing Ugandan Christians have some pro-war beliefs as well. But all religions are not equal. Some are more odious than others. The kind of religion taught by most mainline Christian denominations is much more palatable than the Christianity preached by the Ku Klux Klan. Religions that teach hatred of other people and do not respect human rights do not deserve respect. The Happy Science religion looks like a cult to me, but it also looks like there's a good chance that they have more respect for others than the Ugandan Christians do. They certainly couldn't be much worse.

[DesertDiamond]

5. I'm a member of Soka Gakkai International, and our leader is not worshipped; rather we are equal...

In Nichiren Buddhism, everyone is equal, no one is above anyone else. Nichiren Buddhism has the concept of the mentor-disciple relationship. The mentor is a teacher, making every possible effort to ensure the disciple learns and practices the teachings correctly so that the disciple can get the full benefit of practicing this Buddhism, and the mentor and disciple work together to create world peace. So, again, there is no deity in the SGI. We are all equal, and SGI President Daisaku Ikeda is simply the mentor, the teacher.

[PlanetBev]

17. Explained well, Desert Diamond

I've been a practicing member for forty-two years in Los Angeles. I think there's at least 3 or 4 Buddhists DU'ers out there.

I can't imagine life without chanting or without Democratic Underground.

[6502]

33. And Romney says he wasn't at Bain after 1999...

... what is said and what is real can be very different. We all know that.

You see, I don't live in the US. I live in Japan.

I know a good number of people who are members of SGI.

I've been to the temples/meetings (please excuse me if I do not translate the correct word from Japanese to English for what you would consider your meeting place... the nearest word that comes to mind is "temple&quot . I've attended the similar worship functions at people's homes (again, sorry for the inability to form a better translation).

I've been to Soka University in Japan and talked with students and staff.

These people... friends and such... want me to join and so they keep bringing me to functions. I keep going.

I formed my view from being on the inside of SGI.

But that is not just me. Apparently, in some countries where legislation and or regulation associated with cults exist, SGI has been found to be a cult:

While the SGI is active as a religious organisation in 90 countries around the world it was officially described as a cult in France and Belgium, however legally allowed to function in those countries.[105] The German federal diet's committee of enquiry on so called cults described SGI in its final report as latently problematic organisation.[106] SGI operates as a registered association in Germany , therefore its official and legal membership is consistent with the requirements of the German Civil Code (according to section 57).[107]. Wikipedia

SGI is a cult.
It doesn't matter if there is one of you here.
Or two. Or 8.
Or more.
A cult is still a cult.

But, let's step away from this cult issue for a moment.

I find it very puzzling that any DUers would be a member of SGI considering SGI's political leanings.

In Japan, the Komeito political party was formed by SGI.
SGI members in Japan refer to Komeito as "their party".
(I've been to Komeito rallies/functions.... they're wall-to-wall SGI members... people keep inviting me).
Ideologically, Komeito is... well... read below:

The Komeito Party of Japan
Ideology:
Buddhist-influenced centrism
Conservatism
Social conservatism
Wkipedia (see side bar on page)

Further, Komeito maintains an alliance with the Japanese "Liberal Democratic Party".
But, don't be fooled by the word "Democratic" in their English name. They are politically conservative and
have more in common with the American Republican Party.

The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan
Ideology:
Conservatism[1][2]
Neoliberalism
Populism[3][4][5]
Liberal conservatism
Wkipedia (see side bar on page)

That's that thing that just confuses me. Why would DUers choose to support an organization that supports these kind of political groups?

Really? Why?

[greiner3]

4. My brother's family;

Is heavily into missionary work and one of his daughters mostly lives in Uganda. He visits there several times a year as does one of his other daughters. He is a minister in the Charasmatic thingy, getting his degree at Oral Sex Univ.

I have talked with him several times about Uganda and the role Evangelical Christians have in promoting this 'death to homosexuals' law. However, once this topic is brought up he shuts up.

Love thy neighbor be damned is the new Christian slogan!

[Heywood J]

6. From the headline, my first thought was "Ugandans are getting State Shinto?" (NT)

[d_r]

7. I love the name

"do not taunt Happy Science"

[denvine]

8. It sounds like a better alternative to the Christian proselytizing!

A religion teaching peace, love and harmony sounds like John Lennon's "Imagine" world. It will be interesting to see how it works in Uganda, which has experienced such upheaval. I don't think the Christians are doing it any good with their homophobia and hate.

[FrodosPet]

19. Before you praise them too highly, check out what they are about

I have some links to some telling information on their website downthread.

They are about preparing for war against North Korea and China, cutting taxes, and turning Japan into a religious country.

But it is all good because they have both "Happy" AND "Science" in their name!

[denvine]

31. Thank you, I was unaware

[AsahinaKimi]

9. I know about this group....

I went to one of their meetings. It was, I thought supposed to be a Buddhist group, but it combines Christianity, Islam and Buddhism into one big ball..with the spiritual leader, Ryuho Okawa, claiming to be the Buddha reborn.

Its on the crazy side, and totally not what I wanted at all. I was invited to come back, including they offering me a ride to their meetings, way out in the boondocks some where. I turned them down. I did look at their literature and it looks pretty cult like to me.

[FrodosPet]

11. A religion AND political party in one!

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

The Happiness Realization Party (幸福実現党 Kōfuku Jitsugen-tō?), abbreviated as 幸福, is a Japanese political party founded by Ryuho Okawa on 23 May 2009 "in order to offer the Japanese people a third option" for the upcoming elections in August 2009. The HRP is the political wing of the Happy Science religious movement.

Okawa is the current president of the party. One of the stated reasons for establishing The Happiness Realization Party was that neither of the two major parties, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) or the opposing Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), has defined a clear plan to deal with the threats of North Korea from their missile testing or how to lift the country out of an economic recession. Tax reduction is one of the party's stated goals.

~snip~

--------------------------------------------------------------

One of their big issues is the fear that North Korea and China will attack Japan with nuclear weapons and enslave the citizens.

[awoke_in_2003]

13. "it's on the crazy side"...

Well, it can now officially be called a religion

[madmom]

10. I find it extremely laughable that christians are complaining about

some other cult invading their space!

[The Magistrate]

15. Hear Hear, Ma'am

[slackmaster]

16. “the truth about life, the world and ourselves.” It doesn't get more subversive than that.

[FrodosPet]

18. Sure it does!

http://www.happy-science.org/en/okawa/profile

Master Okawa’s profile

Master Okawa was born on July 7th, 1956 in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from the prestigious University of Tokyo, he joined a Tokyo-based international trading company. While working at the company’s New York headquarters, he studied finance at the Graduate Centre of the City University of New York.

On March 23rd, 1981, Master Okawa started communicating with the Spirit World and attained Great Enlightenment. He awakened to the fact that he is the re birth of Shakyamuni Buddha and the core conscious ness of El Cantare - the supreme God of the Earth.

In 1986, Master Ryuho Okawa renounced a promising career as a businessman and devoted his life to spreading the Truth. He established “Happy Science” (in Japanese “Kofuku-no-Kagaku”), which in 1991 was registered as a religious organization. Since then, Master Okawa has been guiding countless people to happiness, publishing over 800 books, giving over 1,600 public lectures, creating numerous seminars and producing full-featured movies based on his teachings.

In 2009 and 2010 respectively, he laid the foundation for ideal politics and education by establishing the Happiness Realization Party and the Happy Science Academy for manifesting happiness in a tangible way.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.hr-party.jp/en/about/

The Happiness Realization Party was founded in May of 2009 by Master Ryuho Okawa as part of the Happy Science Group to offer concrete and proactive solutions to the current issues such as military threats from North Korea and China, and the long term economic recession. HRP aims to implement drastic reforms of the Japanese government, thereby bringing peace and prosperity to Japan. To accomplish this, HRP proposes 2 key policies : 1. Strengthening the national security and the Japan-US Alliance which plays a vital role in the stability of Asia, 2. Improving the Japanese economy by implementing drastic tax cuts, taking monetary easing measures and creating new major industries. HRP advocates that Japan should offer a model of a religious nation that allows diverse values and beliefs to coexist, and that contributes to global peace.

[Arugula Latte]

23. A pox on all religions.

[FiveGoodMen]

26. Amen!

[FrodosPet]

27. I'm not a big cheerleader for mysticism, BUT...

...I have known way too many believers who WEREN'T like the Ugandan butchers to wish a blanket pox on them.

SMH! Why can't you wish something like a positive revelation? Why are you wishing disease and death on people you don't know, most of whom have no ill will towards you, simply because they believe differently?

[Arugula Latte]

28. Well "a pox on X" is an expression

It's just shorthand for saying non-reality based belief systems are harmful in many forms and this world would be so much better off if they didn't exist. I don't wish actual pox on people. It was a metaphor.

[Taverner]

24. Are these the guys who push vegetarianism?

Even to non-adherents?

[freshwest]

29. 'Happy Science, the truth about life, the world and ourselves, love, peace, harmony and prosperity.'

Sound wonderful, except that worshipping thing. All the answers to the eternal questions of the human race and er, science, too. What's not to like?

When the human sacrifices start, it'll be accepted by the ones who insist killing others is required to make sure that everyone thinks the right way. Until then, it's just a fad.

[alp227]

30. Enough with all the "my sky daddy better than yours" BS.

Now get on and enjoy your life.

[and-justice-for-all]

32. Another religious FAIL...

ditch the dogma and come to the 21st century. Prays do not feed people, science does.