Religions could be powerful agencies to pass a certain set of cultural or social lessons to the following generations. So could be political parties, maybe. Even in a place where those kinds of cultural or social agencies seem to have clear frames and bodies to unite people under their own values and ideas, still people never stay at the same spot. They flow, thus forming new cultures (in the same current).
In this country, religions don't have a strong influence in formal fashion anymore. I wouldn't say they're gone, but it is true that a lot of people are not religious. Nor do they have clear political views either. Compared to other countries, people are way less interested in politics in this country. They do know what media say, but they don't talk about it among themselves.
The tricky part is, that even after losing the shape of religions and stuff, modern cultures or people's mind are not built on nothing. Morality and values are taught to young generations in messages at school, family, and society itself, while interacting with older people. And the problems is that those lessons don't make sense, lacking the basis, and we don't know where they came from. We just do it because it "feels" right and we are taught to do so.
Not making sense is not just the problem foreigners find when coming to Japan. It's also a bothering aspect of Japanese "culture" for people in this country. We don't know what Yamato-damashii（大和魂）exactly means, we don't know why we have such a strong seniority system all over the society... well, we know that it was originally adopted from Confucianism, but that's not an explanation "why" we have it now.
I don't like blaming people for not being open to other cultures or being proud of their nationality or whatever. I just believe we should start questioning about and talking about our own "cultures". Where did it come from, and where is it going? There are so many things in this society, things that don't make sense.
4 件のコメント:
I'm slowing getting over this now but just to express this because this is how I was naturally thinking and maybe a lot of people that are from the same place I am are thinking.
What's the point in teaching what is right without a religious backing?
Is it possible for people not from my area to even address that way of thinking?
actually, let me ask you a question. why should there be a religious background, then, when teaching what is right to children? what's their explanation?
maybe there was some religious basis for things taken for granted in the current society, but if the society has been evolved in a certain manner and people have been living within those rules and manners, it is not surprising if they'd teach their kids to behave in the same way to become a member of the society... no matter what background those codes of behaviors have.
I'm not saying that this is a right attitude. I'm just trying to say that it's not that hard to understand that kind of thing happening... especially if people did not think about it critically.
That interesting but for some reason..for the longest time..not AS much now...it just sticks in my head still.....you do not separate what is right and what is religious. That very separation is something that is hard to do for a person from a Christian background. It sounds like you're being contradictory or arrogant or stupid or ridiculous or a combination of those if you do separate them. For some reason, people don't question that...the idea of separation, etc. Also, Christians think that ideals, morals, etc. come from God so there that is too. If you read my other post from the other blog, maybe you could have some insight into the vicious circle that happens in America. People that aren't religious (whether they actually are good or bad) are thought to be extremely bad and so maybe people never even get to the point of questioning where you and I are now. People think there SHOULD be a religious background because that's how they tap into morals IN GENERAL. They pull from the SOURCE. Of course, that's the general opinion and not mine...but that's my dilemma a lot of the time. The general idea and mine....
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