Shusaku Endo’s Silence and Christianity (3)


Shusaku Endo’s Silence and Christianity (3)
              Endo’s Silence stimulates me to consider what conditions a religion should satisfy to contribute to world peace and make all people happy. In this regard Christianity has obvious shortcomings because it divides people into Christians and non-Christians and allows the former to attack the latter. Christians always think whether people in question are Christians or not. It is certain that it cannot be a religion for world peace.
It may be useful to know that unlike Christians Japanese people have been generous to foreign religions. But if a foreign religion does harm to them, the case will be altered. At present Christians and Muslims live together peacefully in Japan. Japanese culture is likely to be a buffer among many religions. It may have power to change them into more generous religions.
In order to consider a condition for a desirable religion, imagine the group of people who practice a particular religion. Call them R and the others NR. This religion contributes to world peace if it makes both R and NR happy. Unfortunately Christianity does not satisfy this condition because most Christians look down on non-Christians and discriminate against them. A religion that contributes to world peace should not be exclusive, e.g. members of R should be religious enough to help NR. Seeing such R, some of NR may join R. This is the image of a religion different from Christianity.
Exclusiveness and aggressiveness of Christianity reflects the strife among small groups of people in the small region in ancient times. Today’s world is much larger and more generous attitude is needed to avoid large scale disastrous wars. As Nietzsche said, Christianity is based on the idea of oppressed people in ancient times and lacks nobleness. This is why it's exclusive and aggressive. It is unfortunate that such a religion exerts an enormous influence on today’s world. We need a religion more suitable to the modern world.

Comments and questions are welcome.
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