Significance of the US (II)
The US is a very violent country.
In comparison with other nations in the American Continents, its characteristics as a violent nations is so stark.
Europeans who came to North America never ceased to be violent against native Americans and the nature of the Continent.
But they never doubted that they believed in God. It is very interesting why people who thought they were believers of God could be so violent to native Americans and the nature.
Anyway, when WWII ended and American generals and troops landed on Japan to start post-war occupation, they wondered how they could control the Japanese people who had no faith in the sole God unlike Americans and Europeans, since most of the Japanese people were not Christians.
General MacArthur and his aids could not understand the Japanese mind set as the Japanese regarded the Emperor as a god, though nominally. So, they wondered how they could change the authoritarian regime in Japan to a democratic government. Or, from the beginning, they did not even have assurance that their military occupation could be successful. There was a big possibility, MacArthur thought, that a large-scale sabotage or a guerrilla war might be set off in Japan proper under occupation of the US and its allies.
So, General MacArthur decided to win the Emperor on his side. If the Emperor accepted a shift of the regime to a democratic government, all the Japanese would follow suit.
As the Emperor lost his trust in the leaders of the Imperial Army and Navy due to a fear that they might have forced him to fight till the death with them, he willingly accepted the strategy of MacArthur. The Emperor decided to cooperate with General MacArthur who assured the Emperor that the supreme commander of the Allies, namely MacArthur, would not indict the Emperor as a war criminal in the Tokyo Tribunal of War Criminals.
Before the Imperial Army and Navy took power in the Imperial Government in early 1930s, the Empire of Japan had already experienced some development of democratic movement in its politics and society. Accordingly, MacArthur's initiative to introduce the American style of democracy became big success.
However, though Douglas MacArthur initially intended to introduce Christianity into Japan, he eventually gave up this idea. Instead, he deepened his personal relationship with the Japanese emperor who was the greatest Shinto priest, too.
So, significance of the US lies in its function to diffuse the American style democracy widely in Asia.
But, the American view in religion is not so matured. Though Japanese people do not have faith in, or a religion connected to the sole Creator of the universe, their spirituality is deeper than most of Americans. Japanese people are familiar with Buddhism. Though the Buddha is not the Creator of the universe, he understands the greatest and final truth of the universe. So, the idea of the structured and layered spiritual world is very common to Japanese people. They could easily understand the concept of monotheistic religion and Christianity, but it is not fit for the Japanese culture, nature, and environment. Rather, the image of the vaguely structured spiritual hierarchy is suitable for the Japanese mind.
Anyway, there are many Christian Americans whose behaviors are more violent than Japanese while those Americans have faith in the sole Creator of the universe. Having faith in the sole god alone does not improve humanity of an individual.
Being American does not even mean he or she truly has faith in God and can prove his or her faith through his/her behaviors.
The Emperor and Empress of Japan in a Shinto shrine with a Shinto priest in 1973
*** *** *** ***
Luk 7:24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Luk 7:25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.