Shinto Religion Essay

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Shinto Religion Shinto is a religion out of Japan that is more popular in indigenous areas of the country. The founder of Shinto is unknown and despite having an unknown beginning, Shinto has been a part of Japanese culture for thousands of years. “The word Shinto, which comes from the Chinese shin Tao, meaning "the way of kami", came into use to distinguish indigenous Japanese beliefs from Buddhism, which had been introduced into Japan in the 6th century CE” (Shinto,2016). People that follow Shinto are devoted to worshipping spiritual beings. Kami is not a god, but multiple spirits that are worshipped. The spirits are interested in humans and want to help. It is considered an unofficial religion in Japan. It goes hand in hand with Buddhism …show more content…

In Shinto there are no laws that were written like in Christianity with the commandments. With Shinto you follow the will of the Kami, to have a relationship and understand the kami is the goal. Kami itself is not perfect there are example throughout time of them doing wrong. With certain religions the gods and spirits are perfect, in Shinto this is not the case. All human being is initially good, evil is from bad spirits that make us do wrong. “The overall aims of Shinto ethics are to promote harmony and purity in all spheres of life. Purity is not just spiritual purity but moral purity: having a pure and sincere heart” (Religion,2009). Evil comes in forms like demons and the typical evil but also as disease, pollution etc. It has a karma aspect in a way. How humans act reflects on the treatment they will get from the universe in this life. Bad is things that will disrupt the kami and they natural order of the world. Purity is the main principle of Shinto. Tsum is things that will make humans impure like sin or pollution of the kami. Sin according to Shinto comes later in life and is not something humans are born with. Tsumi is little different from sin in the Christian sense. Tsumi can be cause by humans but also can be out of our control as

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