I'm sure you have thought, "Why is Christianity only 1% in Japan?" There are various causes, but I think one of the causes is the Japanese habit of "honne and tatemae".
"What does the Bible say about this?" Today, I would like to think about one of the Japanese culture, "Honne and Tatemae".
1. Japanese Culture in Matthew 23
Matthew 23 is a famous passage where Jesus severely rebuked the Pharisees. Am I the only one who feels like I'm talking about Japanese culture when I see this? Please think about it in light of life in Japan.
Verse 3-4: "Therefore, do whatever they say, and keep it. But do not imitate their conduct, for they say it but do not do it." Matthew 23:3
Even if you say good things with your mouth (tatemae), you don't act (honne)... Jesus calls this hypocrisy, that is, a lie, and rebukes it severely!
Verse 5-12: “Everything I do is for the sake of being seen by others.~ I lengthen the fringes of my clothes.~ I like to sit in the upper seats. 23:5-7
It is hypocrisy and severely reprimands those who place importance on the outside, appearance, and appearance that are shown to others, while neglecting the inside and the essence. It's normal to call a pastor a teacher, even though you shouldn't be called a "teacher" (Matthew 23:8). peer pressure).
Verse 13-15: "You go by sea and by land, hoping to make one convert, but when you make one, you make him a child of Gehenna who is twice as bad as you." 23:15
It's basically good to be loyal to authority, but even if the authority is wrong, it will be a tragedy if you make them obey and make mistakes. I think there is an air (peer pressure) throughout Japan that you have no choice but to obey organizations, traditions, common sense, and authority.
Verse 16-24: "Blind people, which is more precious, the offering or the altar that consecrates the offering?" 23:19
onflict, pretentiousness, and inversion of priorities are hypocrisy, lies, and sins in the Bible!
"Can you ignore the Pharisees...?" No, it's not someone else's problem!
2. What is Honne and Tatemae? ・・・Means for adjusting to air (tuning pressure)
Now, let's look up Honne and Tatemae on Wikipedia.
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Honne is synonymous with ``honshin'' and does not include deceit (lie) about yourself. If you reveal your true feelings, you may be criticized or have a bad reputation, so be gentle in your expressions and hide the parts that are likely to be criticized. As a result, the tatemae appears in the table.
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As mentioned above, tatemae means to vaguely express or hide one's true feelings in order to respond to the surrounding air (sympathetic pressure). And those who can distinguish between the truth and the truth are considered to be “adults” and are considered good things. Isn't this scary? What the Bible calls hypocrisy is good.
And it seems that Japanese people tend to give too much priority to the truth and lose sight of the truth. This is very dangerous, so be careful!
3. Honne and Tatemae in the church
"We'll dig deeper." What about inside the church?
In conclusion, unfortunately, I think that the church also has its true intentions. Now, I would like to ask you about an important point that can be said to be the basis of faith. everyone is,,,
①In Honne, did you believe that you were "a sinner who deserves hell"?
"General Japanese vaguely believe that they will go to heaven." This is probably because most people do not commit so-called crime-level crimes.
Among my acquaintances, after many years of believing, they realized in their hearts that they were sinners, genuinely repented, and became Christians at that time.
②In Honne, do you believe in the "victim of the cross"?
I often hear that in disasters, survivors feel guilty about the dead. And we really "killed" Jesus (Acts 2:36). I repented when the Holy Spirit taught me that I didn't really understand it until recently.
③In Honne, did you confess Jesus as "Lord"?
"Master" is the master, the one who is completely submissive (to aim). Many people have this "Lord and Confession" as a subject. If anything, I feel that it is a profit faith, a faith that uses God. "I was like that too at first." One day, when I repented and believed in Jesus as Lord, I became a true Christian.
④In Honne,can you say that the Holy Spirit resides in you?
In Acts 19:1~, Paul asked, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Because I was baptized wrong.
In this way, the Holy Spirit may not dwell in the body due to differences in beliefs and ceremonies, but the church does not take this seriously. Isn't it exactly "the indwelling of the Holy Spirit" that is the subject? This is the most important thing that separates Heaven from Hell.
⑤In Honne, are you worried that the Japanese people around you will "go to hell"?
This is about evangelism, but I feel guilty that I haven't been able to evangelize to my relatives, workplace, neighbors, and friends! It's not our responsibility when we preach but it's not accepted, but it's our responsibility until we distribute the tracts. Many people think that this is left up to the church. But evangelism is the responsibility of every believer. (Mark 16:15)
In other words, regarding the foundations of faith such as ① to ⑤, Tatemae is spreading like air in the church! If any of them are dead, they may not have been saved. This is not an individual problem, but the atmosphere of the church or denomination (common sense that goes against the Bible).
Let's face reality!
４． Free yourself from the church air (peer pressure) and follow the Bible
If you notice even a little bit of the church's morale (common sense that goes against the Bible), by all means throw it away and be free! And this time follow the Bible! We recommend the following:
・Read the Bible with your own eyes...Put the interpretation of the church aside and read through the New and Old Testaments.
Pray... what are you telling me? And ask the Holy Spirit for answers, not the church.
・I repent... What is the unscriptural Japanese culture in me? He asks, and repents of the sins shown.
・Discussing... Talking with a trusted friend and praying together is even better than thinking alone!
・Act…Try to act on what the Holy Spirit has told you, even if it is just the first step! Then you can see the second step. This is how God makes a way in the wilderness! (Isaiah 63:19)
Be prepared to stray from the common sense of the church and break up with yourself.
it's okay!
God knows how weak we are and the difficult situation in Japan, so please help us!
5. Prayer in Daniel 9
When I think about sins like "Tatemae" that affect Japan as a whole, like this time, I am reminded of the prayer in Daniel chapter 9. Daniel realizes that Israel was taken captive to Babylon as a result of disobeying God, and he repents of all Israel's sins as his own. Reading this prayer makes me want to pray for the sins of Israel (Christians) in Japan.
"O God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see the desolation of us (Japan) and the desolation of the city (church) which is called by your name. Not because we are right, but because you are right. Out of my deep mercy I fall down and offer up a prayer of supplication: Lord, hear me, Lord, forgive me, Lord, turn your heart and do your work, O my God, save for your own sake. for your name is called in your city and among your people.”Daniel 9:18-19
Don't you have a Tatemae in your faith?
