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Shinto

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Religion

The Resume

    Born in Japan
    Japanese national religion
    Origins can be traced back to 2000 BC
    Teaches that Japan was created by the gods as a paradise for the Japanese people
    Pantheistic
    Practices and beliefs involve the veneration/worship of ancestors, the placation of spirits, idolatry, animism, harvest/seasonal prayers, and Japanese mythology
    The term Shinto means, 'Way of the Gods'
    Divided into several different schools; Imperial, Shrine, Folk, etc
    Worship revolves around formal and home shrines

Why Shinto might be annoying:

    Its origins are lost in antiquity.
    It has no central text ala the Bible or Koran to define what is or is not Shinto.
    For a long time, its followers worshiped the Japanese emperor as a god.
    Its worship of inanimate objects like mountains, rivers, and idols is hard for 'rational' people to understand.
    It has bizarrely gained non-Japanese followers in the West.

Why Shinto might not be annoying:

    It and Japan have developed together to such a degree that to be one is to almost be the other by definition.
    It has developed syncrestic relationships with Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism in Japan.
    Almost all Japanese practice it to some degree and simultaneously identify themselves as Buddhist.
    It emphasizes respect for other people and is responsible for the Japanese people's famous civility, hospitality and formality.
    The 'Grudge' and 'Ring' horror movies were inspired by its teachings about the afterlife.

Credit: tom_jeffords


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 58 Votes: 36.21% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 130 Votes: 40.77% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 222 Votes: 53.15% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 108 Votes: 48.15% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 235 Votes: 50.21% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 140 Votes: 55.00% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 15 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 49 Votes: 65.31% Annoying