For the Japanese it’s a mixture of Shinto and Buddhist religions.  Shinto seems relatively harmless, and even helpful, with the focus on family, nature and cleanliness.  They could lose the worship of deities and dead ancestors, though.  Buddhism is less a religion, but rather a self-help, clear-out-your-mind sort of thing. 

Japan is a nation of contradictions from ancient Shinto shrines to futuristic cities; powerful sumo wrestlers to gothic teenagers; and ceremonial tea houses to Starbucks.

The Baptists have been trying to introduce Christianity to this densely populated country for many years, yet today less than one-half of one percent claim Christ.  While being somewhat apathetic toward religion in general, the Japanese are very conscious of what others think and shy away from believing something new.

The Baptists believe that the multitude of “uncaught fish” in Japan are destined for Hell.  I don’t.  I believe that God’s love reaches deeper than their own disbelief.  The hodgepodge of their metaphysical history has not only generated their apathy, but has also fed their confusion.  Each individual is precious in God’s sight.  Many who appear to outwardly reject God or Jesus simply do not know them.

We all have been shaped by our past.  More times than not our religious past renders a false sense of security.  Most followers cannot honestly explain why they believe what they believe without deferring to another source.  And since we can’t prove what we believe, the natural progression of all “Why?” questions will ultimately lead to an “I don’t know.”

That being said, there is no reason for us to stop believing.  However, we should never grow tired of asking the tough questions.  God has created in us the ability to sort things out.  And what if you continue to struggle to find him?  Not to worry.  He’ll find you, even in the midst of the many religions.  He never lets one sheep stay lost. 
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Shinto
Buddhism

Buzz Thomas thinks that we take the Biblical command to multiply too literally.  He thinks that we are being environmentally irresponsible by having too many babies.  I have a beautiful new grandson, so Buzz can just buzz off. 

He cites the Aztec religion, with their own self-destruction, as a lesson for modern-day religion, which supports large families and shuns abortion. 

Each new person requires more food, water and oxygen. At the same time, each is producing more carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane (the big culprits of global warming).

Give me a break!  Maybe he would have us kill off a few folks in order to keep an acceptable number.  God values life, and he created the world.  His desire for us is that we care for the other living beings on this planet — not regulate them.

Today is Earth Day.  Born during the Vietnam war, the day now commemorates the annual observance of making the planet pollution-free — cleaning up the air that we breathe and the water that we drink.  That’s a great goal.  But should we determine who lives or dies — or who gets to be born?  Absolutely not.

Granted, we do have some overcrowded cities.  We should use our ingenuity to spread those people out, not hoarding our land and resources.  Where I live in the Tennessee mountains you can go for quite a few miles without seeing a person.  If you go westward in my country you can travel hundreds of miles without seeing anyone.  Space is definitely not a problem.  Russia is the largest country in the world.  Let’s put some of them there.

I am quite certain that God is not the author of human misery, but by preaching against birth control at the same time we are preaching against abortion, it seems that we’re making God out as cruel, a buffoon, or both.

God is not cruel, nor does he indiscriminately cause human misery.  He did, however, create the reproduction process which, for humans, was designed to be the natural outcome of the sincere love between a man and a woman.  Maybe this is what should be taught in our churches.  Then the population would only increase as God planned it. 

It’s funny that Mr. Thomas should compare our situation to the Aztecs.  When things didn’t go their way, they actually increased the number of human sacrifices, thereby reducing the population.  Surely he’s not advocating that!
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World Population Awareness
Earth Day

I passed a church billboard today that read, “GOD ANSWERS KNEE-MAIL.”  That is fast becoming your backup position if you lose your internet connection.  The latest of the online prayer groups is Dear God, an Australian based site that lets you air your petitions to the Almighty, by whatever name you want to call him/her.  Obviously, the greatest audience is among young people.  Most of the old folks probably regard it as “of the Devil.”  But the kids are always looking for new ways to personalize their Creator.

The site’s founder, Bill Tikos, an avowed “believer,” isn’t affiliated with any religion.  He just thinks that today’s youth need an outlet for their religious feelings, along with their mortal frustrations.  The anonymity of the web, like a confessional, encourages participation.  Of course, Dear God is not the first to feature shared submissions.  God Tube and Planetshakers has a similar interactive format.

I have a feeling that God’s in-box has been full since the beginning of time.  Man’s search for spiritual completion has involved various portions of fear, passion, power, entertainment, and now cyber-Spirit.  If you put your laptop on the floor, you can still be on your knees, while typing your prayer request. 

I’m all for using the internet to wax religious.  But we must be careful that we don’t let the worldwide web, like so many other forms of entertainment, consume us.  Personal interaction, human to human, is still the most excellent way to communicate.  Reading a book or viewing a sunset, listening to soft music or smelling fresh cut flowers — all of these are welcome devices to pull you away from the mesmerizing screen.

God can surely be found online, but the real chatroom is in our hearts.  All things in moderation.  Allow him to speak to you in many ways.  Listen and obey.  He’s always talking to you.  Maybe typing your thoughts online is a great way to express your feelings and share your experience with others as well

Dear God got 63,000 hits the first week alone.  I wish I’d thought of that.
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Dear God

Just down the road from me in Newport Tennessee, on any given Sunday, snake handling can be observed at Edwina Holiness Church with Signs Following.  Did I mention that they were poisonous snakes?  And Pastor Jimmy Morrow doesn’t just preach while holding them; he catches them for the services.  In fact, he knows just about everything there is to know about them — especially copperheads.

Phil Colclaugh, the curator for the department of herpetology at the Knoxville Zoo has checked Pastor Morrow out and found him to be the real deal.  Apparently, the key to handling the deadly critters is that you first have to be anointed.  Once that happens, any church member, man or woman, can pick them up without injury.  Of course this excludes children, due to the fact that faith and Child Protective Services will lock horns.

The Biblical basis for this practice is found in an obscure passage in Mark 16:17-18.  It’s where, following his resurrection,  Jesus sends out his disciples to preach, and saying that believers will be recognized by signs, such as speaking in tongues, driving out demons, healing sick people, handling poisonous snakes and drinking deadly poison with no ill effects.  Paul the Apostle had actually got bitten by a viper in Acts 28:3, but he just shook it off and went on like nothing happened.  I wanted to say why don’t some of these charismatic followers let the snakes bite them and see if faith will suck out the poison.  But I read that Jimmy Morrow did get bit once, and he’s still walking.  The passage in Mark also listed drinking deadly poison, but that obviously didn’t work for the Jim Jones crowd in 1978. 

For the record, the “words of Jesus,” as recorded at the end of Mark, were not in any of the earliest New Testament manuscripts.  But Curator Colclaugh says that even he can’t explain why the folks don’t get attacked.  Is it really faith?  And what is the sign for?  Is it to prove to yourself that you’re anointed?  If you’re not, it’s kind of late to say, “Oops!”  Is it a sign for non-believers only?  The article states that the groups are kept small to avoid public attention.  Why not demonstrate it on David Letterman and let millions of folks see ”God’s power?”

I say let sleeping snakes lie.  If it’s not for show, then what is it for?  I would rather see one hardened criminal transformed into an instrument of love than a thousand snake shows.  I would be more inspired by the repenting of one wife or child abuser than a dazzling array of serpent-stroking.  It seems to me that the other 99% of Jesus’ words would be a lot more helpful in making us into genuine believers.  Step away from the snake, slowly.   
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Snake Handling
Snake Handlers and The Law
Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple

While the rest of the world suffers under high gas prices, the rich oilmongers of Saudi Arabia are struggling to find uses for their money.  Already having luxuries like a full-sized, completely enclosed ski slope and palaces that make Disney World look like a gazebo, where else can you go but up?  The Dubai Tower, shown above (and still under construction), would have been the world’s tallest building, at 2,300 feet and 160 storeys.  But Prince al-Walid bin Talal (pictured) is already planning to spend $10 billion on a mile-high structure that should dwarf any rivals.

Eerily similar to the Biblical account of the Tower of Babel, this story portrays the age-old problem of ambition, fueled by money and power.  Isn’t it interesting that we never hear about Middle East philanthropy — helping others in need around the world?  With their towering toys and plush playgrounds, they just don’t have time for anything, or anyone, else.  Prince bin Talal also owns the $2.5 billion Savoy Hotel in London.

In fact, the Saudi’s have been quietly buying up property and businesses for years.  Money buys power.  So we have good reason to be concerned when our economy is threatened and our society begins to feel the effect of Islamic persuasion.  I’m sure glad that God is going to work all of this out!  People control you through fear.  We all know of God’s power, but we may not often realize that his power is rooted in his love.  And perfect love casts out fear.

The as-yet-unnamed tower will be located near Jeddah, a port city on the Red Sea.  It will be interesting to see if God (or Allah) will thwart this prideful project.  A well-placed earthquake could cause another parting of the waters.
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Saudi Holding
Tower of Babel