Shintoism

Shinto (神道 Shintō?) or kami-no-michiis the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past.[1] Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written historical records of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 7th and 8th century. Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified "Shinto religion", but rather to disorganized folklore, history, and mythology.[2] Shinto today is a term that applies to public shrines suited to various purposes such as war memorials, harvest festivals, romance, and historical monuments, as well as various sectarian organizations. Practitioners express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual, dating from around the time of the Nara and Heian Periods.[2]

It depends on how you count it. Most Japanese (roughly 80% of the 135 million population -- 108 million) are Shintoists in name, but rarely pray and only visit a Shinto Shrine once or twice a year (usually for New Year festivals).

I would suggest that a principal similarity between these three traditions is that they are all non-theistic (i.e., they do not make any assertion one way or another about God, in contrast to atheism, which asserts that there is no God). While each of these traditions has deities (divine figures, archetypes or persons), these deities are not regarded as the Creator. Instead, the entire Cosmos (including the illusion of time) is regarded as beginningless.

Shamanism is not a religion. It is a anthropological description of many religions that have some traits in common such as people who go into trance states and communicate or traveling or guide souls in or heal with the spirit world. There are many differences within each religion and to lump them together is to devalue their true meaning to the believers of these religions. They are not universalizing religions although as almost all religions they make universal claims about the nature of reality as they see it.

Its more of a Ethnic religion that tried to link the spiritual realm with the physical world, so then that makes it also universalizing. Its both actually, but more of a ethnic religion.

Shintoists worship thousands of gods and goddesses, spirits and ghosts. They also believe in the reverence (not worship) of their ancestors. And they believe in demons and evil spirits to be avoided.

there are none because Daoism is a philosophy not a religion

Shintoism is a form of nature worship and spiritism. It is sometimes considered "polytheistic" or "pantheistic" but it is more properly categorized as "animistic" in the sense that everything has a spirit.

In practice, Shintoism uses many small shrines to both spirits of ancestors and natural forces. It uses folk remedies and prayer for healing. Its rituals, songs, and dances are primarily life affirming. In Japan, celebrations of birth and marriage are generally from Shinto traditions, while funerary celebrations are generally from Buddhist traditions.

Shinto is a Japanese religion that began as a "folk" religion made up of disparate oral traditions, creation myths, and shamanistic practices. With bits of Confucianism and Buddhism added in, it later became a state religion. As a state religion in Imperial Japan, the Emperor became the head of the religion, and the religion was used to promote strong Nationalism.

The religion has been associated with "Kamikaze" suicide bombers during World War II, and the "Banzai Cliff" suicides of civilians who leapt to their death from a cliff in order to avoid capture by the allied forces. These issues arguably have more to do with the Emperor and the manipulations of the Bushido code than they do with Shintoism.

During World War II, the Emperor was portrayed as a descendant of the creation spirit of the sun. In the West, this translates to "Sun God".

The Emperor stole several manipulative beliefs from different sources. He stole the rhetoric of Manifest Destiny from United States expansionism. He promoted the belief that if a person died in the service to the emperor they would go directly to paradise or heaven. He also extended the Nationalist beliefs with concepts drawn from Nationalist Germany, and claimed that the Japanese were the superior race of the world and therefore had the right to rule.

For the most part, modern Shintoism is free from worshipping any particular man as God, and free from the extreme Nationalism that declares the Japanese are a superior race. Extreme factions still exist, however, just as similar conservative factions exist in the United States.

See "15 facts about Shinto".

1. Animism 2. Nature worship 3. Ancestral reverence 4. Purification

Japan and some of Cambodia. Not to mention there have been Countries in North and South America, Europe, and Australia to build Shrines for the Shinto religion.

http://shintoreligion.wikispaces.com/Shinto-Origins

The State Shinto era was from 1868 to the end of WWII

Animism is centered on the belief that various elements of the natural world, including animals, plants, rocks, and even inanimate objects, possess spiritual essence or consciousness. Key individuals in animistic traditions often include shamans, who act as intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds, and elders or community leaders who guide rituals and teachings. Additionally, ancestral spirits and totemic beings are significant, as they are believed to influence the lives of individuals and communities. Each culture may have its own specific figures or deities that embody these principles.

Shintoism is a Japanese religion that dates back to about 1000 BCE. The major laws are that spiritual powers exist in the natural world and that spirits called kami live in all natural places. The followers of Shintoism pray to and make offerings to the kami.

They both say that everything in nature doesnt need a soul but should have one

Shintoism is a local Japanese religious belief that Japan is the land of the gods and no other land is divine. Christianity believes Israel is God's land and Jerusalem the Holy City of Peace for all mankind.

Shintoism believes there's is the country of the gods which her people are descendants from. Christianity believes in only one God and all people have descended from His Creation of our first parents - Adam & Eve.

From the divine descent which fosters feelings of pride and superiority of the Japanese people, the Judeo-Christian Bible teaches against 'elitism.'

The 'Kami' of Shintoism might commune with those making themselves worthy through ritual cleansing/purification. The Christian God sent His Son to pay the price of mankind's sin and promises to make all who repent are baptized and become disciples (imitators) of Christ, spiritual sons and daughters of the God Family.

The three core values of Daoism are; 1) Simplicity 2) Compassion 3) Humility These things are said to be only achieveable by constantly practicing the state of "Wuji" or "no mind" or "emptyness" during meditation. The more a person practices "Wuji" or "no mind" the more and more these virtues manifest themselves of their own accord. [[User:67.148.120.72|67.148.120.72]]stardingo747

Shinto, (pro: Shin-do)

There are no such thing as Shinto gods, (half true) the term "gods" is our western understanding of deities.

People that believe in Shinto believe in Kami which are spirits

Kami appear as spirits that govern nature and other aspects of the living world, every aspect of life has its own Kami, rivers, trees, earth.. etc etc

There are over 8000 Shinto deities, and are all in some way related to "Amaterasu" the goddess of the sun, either by a family bond, created by or simply one of many different forms of Amaterasu herself,in some cases its a mix of all three a concept that is hard for alot of westeners to come to grips with.

that it is an ancient religion which gives us an review on what ancient religion was like back then. it helps us to understand the culture of japan.

Yes Shinto is its own distinct religion. Indigenous to Japan focuses on the the balance of kami or invisible spiritual force. The most recognizable aspect of Shinto is by far the red cross beam arch that marks a shrine.

Shintoist's have 8 gods they are: * Amaterasu, the sun goddess * Tsukuyomi, the moon god * Inari, god of foxes * Kotoamatsukami, the primary kami trinity * Izanagi, the first man * Izanami, the first woman * Susanoo, god of storms * Sarutahiko, kami of earth

The above is wrong, but only partially wrong. Yes, those are the main kami. However Shintoists believe everything thing living or not has a kami. You'll sometimes hear that there are 8 million kami. This is just used to imply the infinite number of kami there are.

The main kami the Shinto religion is Amaterasu, but not all Shintoists worship her.

Inari is also a kami that is depicted as male or female. He/She is not only the kitsune god, he/she is also the god of food and rice.

Susanoo is also the kami of the sea.

I think they had scripture early on during the time the emperor was both religious and political leader than a shogun. but the shoguns just incorporated Buddhism for happy occasion like weddings, births, summer holyday, and Shinto was just solemn to shrines for other things. the general rules about Shinto is belief in a certain pantheon and that the emperors' line in the direct bloodline of the goddess Amaterasu. Since the emperor would be the most accessable "god" on hand, he had ultimate control. and some particular holysites, shrines, and like great epic battles.

There are about 17.822 million people who practice the Shinto religion. Most of them reside in Japan, or come from Japanese background. Asia has the largest population of the Shinto religion. The religion was founded about 2,500 years go.

Approximately 0.2% of the world is Shinto.

Buddhists don't have a concept of "paradise" which is equivalent to those in Christianity, Judaism or Islam. Buddhists believe that our experience of reality in the every day world is confused, and dream like. When we are asleep and dreaming, we aren't aware that there is another one of us - our waking selves - experiencing reality differently than we do in our dreams. Likewise, our day-to-day waking reality is not all there is, and through practicing Dharma, we can "wake up" to the true nature of reality. When we awaken in this way, we are enlightened, and that might be similar to other concepts of paradise, but Buddhists also believe that paradise or enlightenment is here right now, all around us, and all we need to do is recognize it.

The method for reaching that understanding of the true nature of reality varies amongst the different sects and paths that Buddhists take. One common method is meditation. When one learns to focus one's attention single-pointedly, one can comprehend the true nature of reality. There are various meditation techniques which all have the goal of awakening.

"Shinto" is not so much a religion as it is an ancient way of life. A deep respect for beings (past and present) and all things in our environment. No organized religion or church or for that matter any type of worship. Just a sacred belief in each other and in our ancestors, our natural world and logical steps (hence - The Way") of interaction between all those beings and things. It is reflected in Japanese life and Japanese rituals ie; Obon Festival, which is like the American holidays of the 4th of July and Memorial day all in one.