विस्तारः (द्रष्टुं नोद्यम्)
Early in the year a very severe attack was made upon Christianity by Professor Inoue Tetsujiro of the Imperial University. He wrote an article that appeared simultaneously in six Buddhist and one Unitarian magazine.
For a while it became the subject of controversy in all religious periodicals and to some extent in the secular papers. It was hailed with the greatest joy by Buddhists, and the ablest Christian writers busied themselves in replying to its charges. The following extracts from a synopsis given in the Japan Mail will show the spirit of the article:
“At the issuance of the Imperial Rescript, only Christians were opposed to it Buddhists, Confucianists, and Shintoists accepted it The Christians made defense that they did not oppose the Rescript but only its worship.
This, however, was a mere pretense. Christians do not like the meaning of the Imperial words; they oppose loyalty and filial obedience, the ancient principles of ethics in Japan. Why?
Some Christians are of course loyal and teach the Rescript in their churches, but they are not supported by the conservative faithful. Christians are divided into two classes; one class seeking to preserve their doctrine, which is hostile to Japan,
the other trying to Japanize their Christianity in spite of the impossibility of doing so.
In a word, Christianity is not adaptable to Japan. If it were, why should it be necessary to try to adapt it to the country? Christians do not worship any other than their one only God. Monotheism is like an absolute monarchy. It denies all other gods but it’s one.
Polytheism is like a confederation of states; toleration of one with another prevails. Buddhism, which is polytheistic, has therefore had a warm and gentle history, but the history of Christianity has been intolerant and warlike.
In Shinto also there are many gods; all Emperors are regarded as divine. Japanese ethics are the teachings left by the Emperors. Our nationality rests on this foundation. . . . Worship of the Emperor’s words is nothing difficult to a patriot. Christians have lost their patriotism unconsciously. They wonder at the patriotic devotion of others. They antagonize the present moral passion, and will violate the order and destroy the unity of the country. . . .
The essence of the Imperial Rescript and Christianity are different. If the former is to guide national education, Christians must oppose it. If there are Christians who accept it, they either simply acquiesce and wait, or, if sincere, they have changed their relation to Christianity. The two powers, the Rescript and Christianity are not in harmony.”