How can I evangelize when Japanese don't care and I have trouble believing that it's true?

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I have a hard enough time being private about my faith unless it comes up in conversation here in Los Angeles.

I think we are more called to witness than to proselytize and more to change ourselves than to influence others…

We can plant a seed but leave the converting to God.

I am still learning a very very hard lesson about being vocal about my faith.

I might actually do better in a foreign country because I doubt they would be as nosy.

I also think eastern religion is fascinating.

“Respect Buddha and the Gods but do not rely on them.” - Musashi.

“If you see Buddha on the road kill him.” - famous Zen quote
 
I recommend that you live the holiness that God calls you to live and pray for guidance of the Holy Spirit.
 
I think generally speaking here in Japan if you “live your faith” by being good to people, they will assume it’s just your personality, and not think about your religion at all. But on the other hand, there is a stereotype that Christians are generally helpful people.

I guess it’s hard to describe and you just have to do your best wherever you live.
 
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Do you have any access to Catholic pamphlets? Are you involved with any Japanese ministries?

If not, then I think it is best to work with who you know personally rather than bother people you don’t know. Of course, this may not be a good idea if you can’t procure a good defense of your Faith or are yourself not strong in it.

That said, perhaps something like bringing a rosary and praying it may garner some attention/curiosity which can sometimes be enough to let the seed of Faith in.
 
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The Japanese are trained to ignore whatever is strange or makes them uncomfortable. Praying the Rosary in a public place I’d just be ignored.

I’m also busy with school.
 
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I don’t mean they get curious and ask you about it, that’d likely not happen, I mean one or two if they see someone on a train might get curious and mention it to someone or look it up because it’s so odd. Hopefully they don’t end up thinking you’re some Buddhist with his beads!

The reason this could be helpful is because it’s nonconfrontational you don’t need to offer any defense or anything you’re unsure of yourself, it’s just eliciting some inner curiosity that may end up being a small seed that could lead somewhere.

I’m trying to be creative!
 
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Hm. Seems unlikely, but it’s possible.

Another problem is that praying the Rosary appears to be a waste of time.
 
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I pray for you and Japanese for an opening of heart to God.
I think the problem is that, besides the strong Shinto beliefs, Japan is a very civilized and comfortable country. There is a reason why Jesus praised the poor before the rich on the road to Heaven (saying the poor gets there more easily) and the Holy Fathers of the Church spoke repeatedly about the spiritual power of sufferance and lack of material pleasures.
For example, do you think you’d do a better job in …say… France? 😔
French people even have an alliteration to mock the word Christians (“Chretiens”" in French) with “Cretins”(meaning “idiot” in English).
In many places in Europe if you pray the Rosary in public you will not be ignored and left alone but labeled a bigot, and questioned if you aren’t try to provoke people with public religious display with authorization.
 
I spent time with a Syrian refugee yesterday, and he impressed upon me the reasonableness of not trying to make others do and believe the same things that you do.

So it’s got me wondering if I should even be trying to make Japanese Christian. Perhaps it really is enough for me to just live well and pray, and perhaps God will prompt them to ask me questions. i.e. maybe I don’t need to do anything “extra” beyond living a good life and prayer for them to evangelize.
 
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Why are you specifically targeting the Japanese? Do you live in Japan?

Anyway, no matter where you go, you’ll find the same types of people. Anyone that is secularized will be difficult to evangelize.

As for your doubts, consider what the purpose of life on earth is. The best way to put it is that it’s a prison. A beautiful prison, but a prison nonetheless meant for us to grow that we become saints. The purpose of life is so that we can grow to to be the best persons we can be. God is Love and so he wants us to grow to imitate that love. Suffering actually helps us learn how to love. If I didn’t suffer a horrible illness where I couldn’t eat or drink for days, then I never would have seen how much my wife loved me. Seeing that love in turn helped my own love for her grow. If you want more thoughts, you can ping me for links to my thoughts on the Pursuit of Happiness
 
Hmm, it’s not a waste of time! It is a wellspring of grace!
You may not get your specific intentions, but that is not the point! It is always ultimately as Jesus prayed in the garden, “Your Will, not Mine”. Perhaps if you’ve gone through with some novenas through a specific saint or a blessed who needs a miracle to be brought to sainthood, and you still do not get the request, perhaps change your prayers to use the sufferings for others. Also, don’t forget to ask others to pray for you.

But, when you can I guess help others and stay outta trouble. Trying to go up to people would just be a nuisance. I think it’s not right to think that way about Japan, the current irreligiosity is a modern issue that has come from losing WW2 and having American values impressed on them. In the past they were so quickly converted…so I think indirect methods are best here. Beyond that, then perhaps you can join some Japanese mission.

But for now, I say work on your faith, growing stronger.
 
“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5

I don’t think it does much good to evangelise if you haven’t first got your own faith sorted.
 
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