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Discussion Forum : General Topics : Why are Japanese Christians so rare?

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intrcssr83
Member



Joined: 2005/10/28
Posts: 246
Logan City, Queensland, Australia

 Why are Japanese Christians so rare?

Was listening to John Piper's sermon from the 2007 Resolved Conference (hosted by the Collegiate/Young Adults ministry of John Macathur's Grace Community Church) and he made a comment that there was a significant number of delegates of asian-american background. He said this was good, as when God calls these youth into the Missions field, the nations will not be put off by the cliche of "Westernised Christianity. Piper then went on to praise God for the work of revival in China and South Korea before praying "May God do a mighty work in Japan!"

This made me wonder: Why are there so few christians of Japanese decent?

I attend a church that is openly multicultural in that we have members from Africa, South America and Asia. Most of our people are 1st-Generation Christians - that is, having been raised in a non-christian family, coming to Australia for tertiary study, getting saved, then going home and leading their families to Christ.
There is one lady who serves with me in the prayer ministry who hails from Tokyo and told me that very rarely does the evangelization of Japanese take place within Japan itself, but rather occurs among expatriates overseas. Attempts by missionaries to plant churches tend to fail as such churches unfortunately fall into liberalism resulting in a syncretism between Christianity, Buddhism and Shinto.


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Benjamin Valentine

 2008/9/8 8:50Profile
iansmith
Member



Joined: 2006/3/22
Posts: 963
Wheaton, IL

 Re: Why are Japanese Christians so rare?

Hello intrcessr83,

You have hit on one of the most interesting questions in missiology (the study of missions). I am currently back in Seattle for about a month after being in Tokyo for three months as a short term missionary, I'll be heading back there at the end of September to serve in a small Baptist church doing student outreach.

At the University of Washington I got a history degree in the history of Japan and Japanese politics. Having studied Japan extensively and been there as a missionary, I would say that there is no easy answer, there are many reasons for the lack of Christian converts in Japan, I'll do my best to explain what I see as some of the most important factors.

Some people may not know, but Japan is the largest unreached people group in the world. Less than one percent of the Japanese population are born again Christians. Japan's geographic neighbors have been amazing harvest fields in the last two centuries. South Korea boasts the largest percentage of Protestant Christians of any Asian nation and is actively involved in evangelization and missions. As much as 15% of China's 1.3 billion person population are part of the underground and visible church according to some Communist Party statistics and Western estimates.

Why is it that Japan, a country with over 120 Million people, has less than 1 million Christians, even though evangelization, mission activity and proselytization have been legal in the country for over 140 years?

The first and most important factor is that Japan is a Satanic stronghold. If I were writing an academic book on this subject I would probably list this as a factor, but probably not so prominently. However, it only takes a short time in Japan to recognize the signs of spiritual oppression and darkness everywhere. This nation has been particularly singled out by the armies of the enemy. We need to be praying down these Satanic fortresses.

The Japanese animistic religion called Shinto teaches that there are 8 million demons which inhabit the nation of Japan. I actually do not doubt the truth of this -the Shinto religion is all about warding off demons with incantations, chants, trinkets and charms. However, we know the only one who can give us victory over the enemy is Jesus, and without Him we will be at the mercy of the devil and his minions.

Now there are many social reasons. Partly due to their worldview which is based so much on their Shinto and Buddhist upbringings, it is difficult for them to come to Christianity, but there are also very strong currents of atheism and materialism which are just as powerful.

One valuable way to think about it is from the standpoint of the parable of the four soils. As we have already discussed, the major problem with the Japanese is demonic dominion. This is like the seed that was cast upon the edge of the road... it gets eaten up by the birds of the air.

Secondly and thirdly there are the rocky soil and the thorns. Because of the native religions and culture the seed may be planted, but the roots never go deep and they do not grow. And because of the culture of suspicion over religion and blatant worldiness, the thorns also choke the gospel message.

I could go on about this topic for hours, we could look at the history of Japan, because there were periods in Japanese history when the Japanese were more receptive of the Gospel, and we can explore the reasons for it, but unless you are interested in missions work in Japan or deep study of the Japanese people they wouldn't be worth diving into here.

The one thing that you should learn from all of this is that the Japanese people need your prayer, they need prayer for a breakthrough. No door is closed that God cannot open. Pray for missionaries to go to the field, pray for Japanese believers to boldly witness to their neighbors... the most powerful weapon we have is prayer.


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Ian Smith

 2008/9/8 11:18Profile
hmmhmm
Member



Joined: 2006/1/31
Posts: 4994
Sweden

 Re: Why are Japanese Christians so rare?

In a sermon by Dean Taylor, called a Holy Nation if i remember rmuight, he shares from church history about a group of christians in Japan that survived several hundred of years of persecution, but in one second they where all whiped out in ww 2. When two other christians dropped a atombomb over them. One a catholic and the other a protestant.... what ungodly rulers and persecutors could not do in several hundreds of years, two "christians" did in a few seconds....

Dean shares it much better then me, so i recomend you give it a listen.

just a thought...


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CHRISTIAN

 2008/9/8 13:50Profile
rowdy2
Member



Joined: 2007/1/21
Posts: 528
Southern USA

 Re:



Reply to Hmmhmm
I knew in the eyes of an European it had to be the liberators of the free world's and Christians fault.

Eddie


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Eddie

 2008/9/9 7:00Profile
Compton
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732


 Re:

Many thanks Ian, for your interesting post. Your commitment to the Lord for Japan is both passionate and informed; that is clear brother.

Blessings,

MC



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Mike Compton

 2008/9/9 8:58Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re:

iansmith,

Very interesting article.

I seem to recall from somewhere that after Gen. Douglas McArthur (I think it was him) conquered Japan after WW2, he asked the American Christians to come over to Japan because the people were so beaten and only Christianity could help them. But only a few came in response to his plea. Ian, care to comment on this?

ginnyrose


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Sandra Miller

 2008/9/9 18:38Profile





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