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JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Confucius say, man who shoot off mouth, must expect to lose face.

HA!!! I kill me! Laughing

/threadjack

Captain Onigiri · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 103 Location: fly-over land

Actually, I think most theologians don't consider Confusianism a religion. Confusianism mostly deals with what is good government and the place individuals should have in it. Confusianism has no teachings about the afterlife. In fact, Confusius is quoted as saying he didn't care what happened after death. Confusianism is more of a philosophy than a religion. Anyway, that's what gathered from what I've read in the intro to The Analects.

Khyron · Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 291 Location: Tokyo Metro City

Captain Onigiri · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 103 Location: fly-over land

I think you are right. I have to admit that I only read about half of The Analects before I got bored with it and before I knew it, it was time to return it to the library.
They say something similar happened to Greek Philosophy and Christianity in the 1st-3rd century. Both were such strong forces at the time that neither could ignore each other for long and by the 3rd Century neither Greek philosophy or Christianity looked like the did before they met.
The same think might be said about Confusianism and Buddhism or Confusianism and Shinto. A person might be hard pressed to say where one started and the other left off.

Khyron · Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 291 Location: Tokyo Metro City

Captain Onigiri · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 103 Location: fly-over land

Sorry. Did I state the obvious? I live in the Po-Dunk Midwest where the most intellectually stimulating conversation is who is about to be voted off American Idol and I'm sure I sometimes make statements that are obvious to people haven't turned off their brains for the rest of their lives. 479 days left before I can get the hell out of here.

Khyron · Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 291 Location: Tokyo Metro City

Captain Onigiri · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 103 Location: fly-over land

Ah... Emperor Constatine. Good to hear. I thought it was some Canadian/British/Austrailian cultural reference that I didn't get and I was too embarrassed to ask. I would blame Mr. Augustine more, that woman-hating, sex-hating slug. And he's boring to boot. I resent being made to read his Confessions in college. Even worse is Mr. Aquinus whose greatest contribution to theology is the question, "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" I say it depends on whether there is a mash pit or not.

Khyron · Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 291 Location: Tokyo Metro City

Captain Onigiri · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 103 Location: fly-over land

Ack! You're making me try to remember what Aquinus actually said in detail. Too much like being in school!
Er...what was the original topic of this thread? Anyway, I think we're the last two people left that's interested in this thread. If you want to still talk about theology (Christian or otherwise) feel free to PM me. It's a favorite subject of mine. Know anything about Shinto? I've read a couple of books but I still don't think I understand the basics.

luckyloser700 · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 308 Location: Japan

fiveeagles · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 51 Location: Jeonju, South Korea

I know someone who started a church 20 years ago in Fukuoka. It is now about 150 members and they have their own church building. Big for Japanese standards.

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe

Why are people so hostile to christianity here?

Because they hate the nasty, small-minded, guilt inducing religion.

Next!

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

abufletcher · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 3:53 pm Post subject:

I like the quote in one of the Faulkner books describing the idea that people (in the southern US in particular) are born into a cruciform box and as they grow they come to take on the shape of the box so even after the box is removed they still hold the same shape. I think that's a pretty apt description of "culture" in general and why it is so hard to "break out of the box" (because you literally BECOME THE BOX).

People who are openly agressive to a particular religion (or even all religions in general) are generally people who have spent a good deal of their lives trying to GET RID OF THE BOX - and are still struggling. I feel like I went through many years of this in my teens and 20's. But nowadays 20 something years later, I'm very comfortable with my scientific atheism and don't feel the need to constantly be attacking the box I was born in. If fact, I really like listening to the Christian radio talk shows. They're great fun. My wife on the other hand, having not entirely escaped from her Mexican Catholic box, can't stand these shows and makes me turn them off immediately!