| Line 114: |
Line 114: |
| | The ''Christian Post'' published an article entitled ''North Korean Defector Who Spent 28 Years in Prison Camp Details Hunger, Torture, and Cannibalism in the DPRK'' which stated: | | The ''Christian Post'' published an article entitled ''North Korean Defector Who Spent 28 Years in Prison Camp Details Hunger, Torture, and Cannibalism in the DPRK'' which stated: |
| | {{cquote|More than 200,000 North Koreans, including children, are imprisoned in camps where many perish from forced labor, inadequate food, and abuse by guards, according to Human Rights Watch. The isolated, secretive nation has no media, functioning civil society, or religious freedom, and pervasive problems include arbitrary arrest, lack of due process, and torture.<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/north-korean-defector-who-spent-28-years-in-prison-camp-details-starvation-torture-and-cannibalism-in-the-dprk-138746/ ''North Korean Defector Who Spent 28 Years in Prison Camp Details Hunger, Torture, and Cannibalism in the DPRK'']</ref>}} | | {{cquote|More than 200,000 North Koreans, including children, are imprisoned in camps where many perish from forced labor, inadequate food, and abuse by guards, according to Human Rights Watch. The isolated, secretive nation has no media, functioning civil society, or religious freedom, and pervasive problems include arbitrary arrest, lack of due process, and torture.<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/north-korean-defector-who-spent-28-years-in-prison-camp-details-starvation-torture-and-cannibalism-in-the-dprk-138746/ ''North Korean Defector Who Spent 28 Years in Prison Camp Details Hunger, Torture, and Cannibalism in the DPRK'']</ref>}} |
| − |
| |
| − | == Japan and atheism ==
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [[Japan]] is one of the most atheistic countries in the world.<ref name="thechapmans.nl"/><ref name="washingtonpost.com"/>
| |
| − | [[File:Japan location.png|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Japan]] is one of the most atheistic countries in the world.<ref>[http://www.thechapmans.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)]
| |
| − | *[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live], ''Washington Post'' By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013</ref>]]
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Japan has higher degree of social conformity than [[Western World]] nations which have a cultural legacy of Christianization. A Japanese proverb states, "A nail that sticks out gets hammered down".
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Michelle Vu wrote at the ''Christian Post'':
| |
| − | {{Cquote|The quality of missionaries or the methodologies used is not the problem when it comes evangelizing. But it is the Japanese mentality itself that is hindering more people from coming to Christ, said a mission leader last week at a global conference in Tokyo.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Japanese people value human relationships more than truth and principle, said Dr. Minoru Okuyama, director of the Missionary Training Center in Japan, during his presentation at the Tokyo 2010 Global Missions Consultations.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | “Because they are afraid of disturbing human relationships of their families or neighborhood even though they know that Christianity is the best,” said Okuyama, who previously was Buddhist and a Shintoist. “Thus, Japanese make much of human relationships more than the truth. Consequently we can say that as for Japanese, one of the most important things is harmony; in Japanese ‘Wa.’”...
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Okuyama noted that Christianity is thriving in neighboring China and Korea because the mentality of the people is to “make more of truth or principle than human relationships.”<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/mission-leaderwhy-so-few-christians-in-japan-45217/ Mission Leader: Why So Few Christians in Japan?] by Michelle Vu, Christian Post</ref>}}
| |
| − |
| |
| − | {{See also|Atheism and groupthink}}
| |
| | | | |
| | == Mongolia and irreligion == | | == Mongolia and irreligion == |