HELP! Did missionaries to Japan force people to convert?

[CatholicWife1]

haha I would fail. I think I can fudge it somehow. I just need to be crafty and sneak some evangelization into my response.

 

[mythbuster1]

No, it’s a genuine confusion on the part of St. Francis Xavier, and it did cause confusion among the Buddhists and Shintoists as to what it was he was preaching.

 

[CatholicWife1]

Sorry, I don’t follow. What do you mean?

 

[mythbuster1]

His use of the title, “Dainichi” to describe the Lord.

 

[CatholicWife1]

ohh I have to look more into that then. Thats an interesting point though.

 

[Sedona]

If you think you have a valid argument about St Francis Xavier, then you should ask if you can write a paper that dispels the premise of the original assignment. I am not aware of Francis Xavier forcing anyone to convert but I am aware that he did ask Rome to initiate the Goa Inquisition, which Rome in turn did. It persisted into the 19th century. The Goa Inquisition persecuted mostly Hindus in Goa (which is in India) who had converted to Catholicism who were suspected of continuing to practice some of the tenets from their past Vedic beliefs. The cruelties imposed on them included torture, flogging and burning at the stake. The accounts of St Francis Xavier’s work in Japan are more flattering of him insofar as I am aware.

So, while you may want to make a stand on the issue, you may want to do some research first and if you still feel you’re right, ask for permission to write a rebuttal to the premise of the assignment. Some professors will allow it, although I would suggest you make sure you’re right first. Remember, you are there to get an education and that may lead to places you hadn’t anticipated.

All the best!

 

[ZMystiCat]

in fact if my memory serves me correctly I believe they were forbidden under penalty of death to try and convert anyone

Unless I’m mistaken, it wasn’t forbidden when St. Francis Xavier was there. That came later. However, it was incredibly difficult to convince anyone to convert since the culture at large was hostile. Xavier actually thought it would be easier to convert Japan by first converting China and was headed there at the time of his death.

Sorry, I don’t follow. What do you mean?

I’ve heard that Xavier unintentionally spread Buddhism to an extent due to his choice of words. In general, though, he wasn’t particularly strong at Japanese.

The accounts of St Francis Xavier’s work in Japan are more flattering of him insofar as I am aware.

To be fair, short of the letter, his work in India was very good. He, unlike the other Europeans, had a lot of respect for the Indian people and wanted to properly train them in the ways of the faith, not just baptize and leave them. He, despite coming from a rather notable background, would even dress poorly as a way of reaching them.

However, there was plenty of heresy and persecution from Hindus and Muslims, which prompted the letter asking for the Inquisition. While not explicitly mentioned in the letter, I know he felt some of the worst treatment he received came from fellow European Catholics.

Now, personally I think Xavier, given the rest of his life, would have been horrified to see what came of the Goan Inquisition (it started after his death), but that’s still a mistake he made in his path to sainthood. If you really want to write about an error of his, that would by far be the biggest one. I say this as someone who loves St. Francis Xavier. He’s even my confirmation saint!

Our textbook, which has an account of a Japanese convert (Fabian Fucan) who converted back to Buddhism and slanders the church.

If the only evidence is from an apostate, I’m not sure I’d put much faith in that, at least not without more of an understanding of what his specific criticisms were. Was he just angry at infant baptism and accused parents of forcing Catholicism on their children?

 

[Crocus]

I am required to write about at least one “bias” or “inaccuracy” of his in order to get credit

Sounds like a difficult assignment. It must assume there is such, and that you will be able to produce evidence.

You inspire me to read about this saint. I found this https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo1.ark:/13960/t1tf0d10d;view=1up;seq=20;skin=mobile

 

[Servant31]

So you are forced to write a “bias”? A professor is compelling you to find evidence that someone compelled others to do something… This sounds like an awfully biased assignment. Find me a source that you committed a crime…not find the truth as to whether or not you committed it. Truthfully this sounds like a gun waiting to go off. Forgive me if I sound cynical here but the way you wrote it it sounds as if the goal is to support a conclusion which they have already drawn themselves? Maybe I’m misunderstanding? Is it possible to find an older resource, a respected historian, from a library?

 

[Servant31]

Hmm I wasn’t aware of that history, perhaps I stand corrected here…

 

[Genesis315]

My secular college is having us criticize St Francis Xavier and I am required to write about at least one “bias” or “inaccuracy” of his in order to get credit.

Why not use a well-intentioned cultural bias or inaccuracy? For example, he wrongly assumed that evangelical poverty as an example of virtue and disinterest in worldly things and a demonstration of pure intentions would make him more credible and be attractive to potential converts and penitents like it was in Europe.

This turned out to be totally wrong, so St. Francis had to change his approach and instead acted like a big shot which worked better:

Having now learned that evangelical poverty had not the appeal in Japan that it had in Europe and in India, he decided to change his method of approach. Handsomely dressed, with his companions acting as attendants, he presented himself before Oshindono, the ruler of Nagate, and as a representative of the great kingdom of Portugal offered him the letters and presents, a musical instrument, a watch, and other attractive objects which had been given him by the authorities in India for the emperor. Oshindono, pleased with these attentions from an envoy of so great a power, gave Xavier leave to teach in his province, and provided an empty Buddhist temple for his residence. Under these auspices, Xavier preached to such effect that he baptized many.

Taken from “Lives of Saints”, Published by John J. Crawley & Co., Inc.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/XAVIER2.htm

 

[alice24]

I’m majoring in history. I hope to teach at a Catholic school after I graduate and get all my certifications.

I´ll maybe gain alot of unfriendly responses for that, but I have to say this, as your professional life will be otherwise very difficult. I´m a historian myself, so, I was confronted with many such issues.

1. Yes, forced conversions did occur, generally said (I am not familiar with the special case here, but it happened in some areas) but rarely in japan, as the local nobility was actively watching what was going on in their communities.
2. The church is full of people, even saints are people, and people sin, from time to time. Forcing people to convert or converting with methods we today would not promote was such a sin in some time periods, it´s time wasting to deny this.
   3)I´m still a christian. The truth is not becoming untrue when people abuse it, force it, or do bad thngs with good intention.

Stop trying to jusify your faith that way. A simple “I´ll check it out, if it is true, it is sad, Lord have mercy on ALL us sinners” is enough.

 

[vsedriver]

I am required to write about at least one “bias” or “inaccuracy” of his in order to get credit.

this sounds like you are supposed to find a claim against St Francis that is inaccurate. I’d say writing about the inaccuracy of forced conversions makes sense. There is plenty of material that shows that the missionaries in Japan did not engage in forced conversions primarily because of the control of the local authorities and the society in general.

 

[midori]

Well, who made up most of the converts? The lower classes. In Japan, you live Shinto and you die Buddhist. The two religions coexist very nicely. But what’s Christianity? Christianity is putting God and God’s laws above yourself, above your country, above all else. What’s the basic premise of Japanese society? It’s about duty, and honor, and loyalty. So the thought of having this foreign religion come in and insert its God above all these other relationships and allegiances-- your relationship to your lord, or your Emperor, or your country, or to your country’s gods-- well, that’s pretty dangerous. And what’s more, there being neither slave nor free, woman nor man, all being brothers in Christ, etc? That kind of egalitarianism is pretty dangerous, too.

So it’s not that the missionaries forced people to convert, because they were outsiders in a very insular society, and generally had success with the humble, rather than the influential who were in a position to force everyone in fealty to them to come along to this new religion, like it or not. Originally, the Shogunate thought the Christians to be a good political tool to help encourage European trade and simultaneously counteract the power of the Buddhist monks. Then they realized that Christianity was quite dangerous in its own way to the status quo. So after on-and-off persecution, the Shogunate ultimately changed their mind and turned it into a death sentence.

Might individuals have experienced peer pressure when it came to conversion? Sure, you get peer pressure in any group dynamics. Here’s a Meiji-era account of one man’s path (Diary of a Japanese Convert), which you might read if you’re bored someday and looking for a primary source to pass the time with. He was someone who first attended a Christian Science mission, mostly for the entertainment value. He eventually converted, not because he liked the idea of setting aside a day for God, or sacrificing not only his political and religious allegiances, but also binding himself to the code of conduct that goes along with it–! He didn’t quite stay converted, but like I said, it was a path. And at the end–

Yes, Christianity we do need. We need it not so much to demolish our idols of wood and stone. Those are innocent things compared with other idols worshiped in Heathendom and elsewhere. We need it to make our bad appear worse, and our good appear better. It only can convince us of sin; and convincing us of it, can help us to rise above it, and conquer it. Heathenism I always consider as a tepid state of human existence; it is neither very warm nor very cold. A lethargic life is a weak life. It feels pain less; hence rejoices less. De profundis is not of heathenism. We need Christianity to intensify us; to swear fealty to our God, and enmity toward Devils. Not a butterfly-life, but an eagle-life; not the diminutive perfection of a pink-rose, but the sturdy strength of an oak. Heathenism will do for our Childhood, but Christianity alone for manhood. The world is growing, and we with the world. Christianity is getting to be a necessity with all of us.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Having read much about missionaries in Japan, they did not force people to covert.

In fact, it was just the opposite, Some were forced to commit apostasy as a village would be tortured to death until they agreed to stamp on a crucifix for all to see.

Jim

 

[mythbuster1]

Ironically, duty, honor and loyalty to lords and masters is a Christian virtue, insofar as it does not conflict with loyalty to God. I think the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus makes good testimony here: It is laudable that people love their ancestors enough that they would go to Hell to comfort them, but it’s ultimately foolish, as they’d be throwing away their own souls and not even accomplish their goal of comforting their ancestors. Rather, the damned would prefer their family members go to Heaven than join them in Hell.

 

[midori]

If you’ve ever had anyone swear fealty to you directly (or technically, to the Emperor through you), it’s an enormously powerful thing. Even if it’s just pretend, in a game, let alone for real. So you can understand how few people (especially those who have grown up in a purely Japanese culture) would be humble enough to allow those beneath them to start putting qualifiers on their allegiances, or start modifying their worldview to allow for a Christian perspective…

You see the same thing in European history-- St Thomas More said, “I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”

Putting God ahead of everything (and everyone) else has been the path of a whole lot of martyrs throughout history… and Japan was certainly not exempt from that.

 

[abucs]

My 2c.

I have been to Japan several times and am intrigued by the question.

I know of ‘bias’ and much worse persecution of Christians by the Japanese and if one was looking to write about religious bias in Japan then it would be much more straight-forward to write about this with the Christians as the victims.

I suspect the teacher might be displaying his own biases and perhaps knows about the persecution of Japanese Christians and this challenges his own prejudices.

Perhaps you can be a little clever with your paper and presentation.

You could say that you have been asked to write about Christian biases in Japan but then quickly mention the much more relevant anti Christian persecutions that are (should be) common knowledge before then addressing any Christian biases which I presume will fade into inconsequentiality by comparison.

In this way the (suspected personal) objective of the teacher might be turned on its head.

26 Martyrs of Japan - Wikipedia

Christianity in Japan - Wikipedia

Why Japan Wants Its Past Persecution of Christians to Be W...... | News & Reporting | Christianity Today

Scorsese’s ‘Silence’ Asks What It Really Costs to Follow Jesus | Christianity Today

In a historical side note Nagasaki was perhaps the major centre of Japanese Christianity in centuries past and (I believe) a majority Christian city at one point. Urakami was the centre of the Christian community. In later times the surviving Christian families of Nagasaki were identified and scattered to the different corners of Japan in order to end the Christian community once and for all. Children were separated from their parents etc.

Due to international pressure Japan brought them back to the Urakami district of Nagasaki. In 1944 during WW2 the American airforce travelled to the city of Kokura do deliver the second and final atomic bomb of the war. Due to cloud cover they abandoned the attempt and travelled to the back-up city of Nagasaki. The Americans were also just about to abandon the plan b attempt when there was a break in the cloud cover over the district of Urakami. The Americans dropped their bomb there and totally wiped out the remaining Christian community who had been returned to the city district.

 

[mythbuster1]

Notably, however, St. Maximilian Kolbe’s mission survived, as it was on the opposite side of the mountain (in open defiance of Feng Shui advise).

 

[RCIAGraduate]

How was the Church of Japan when you visited; it seems to be alive but struggling (with small and the pictures I see the vast, vast majority are quite elderly)?

Don’t you think it’d be wonderful if the Japanese peoples and the others of Asia all converted to Catholicism?