Shinto, like Fascism, can be good or evil. A person can be devoted to evil Kami and do what is evil , and they still adhere to Shinto. Or they can be influenced by and pray to good Kami and do good, and they are practicing Shinto.
However, neonspectraltoast is always antagonizing me for my Religious beliefs, but what he doesn't realize is we belong to the same Religion.
Amaterasu doesn't want me to be obscene. That isn't Shinto. That's just a bad habit of mine.
It's true that he doesn't enshrine and venerate Mussolini or Amaterasu, but in Shinto you can not do any of that, you don't have to believe the Emperor of Japan descended from the Sun Goddess, You don't even have to believe in Amaterasu, and you're still in good standing with Shinto.
What Shintoism is essentially, is "Belief in the Kami. Belief that they can be contacted and influence us". If you believe in Angels, God, Ghosts etc. you are actually a Shintoist.
Shintoism can be Monotheistic or Polytheistic. The word Kami is often translated into "Gods/Goddesses", but that's a bad translation.
There actually is no translation for the word Kami into English , because Kami in Japan means "God" even in Christian circles , and Kami means Angel, Spirit, Demon, Tulpa, and applies to all Sentient beings that can't be seen, and often the Emperor is considered a Kami, and people can become Kami while they are alive.
Kami are attached to trees, in nature, rivers, pools, lakes, oceans, animals, and forces in nature. There is no word in the English language for Kami. Spirit isn't even a good translation because technically neonspectraltoast is probably a Kami and an Emperor.
(The highest priest in Shinto is called Emperor).
In Shinto it's encouraged to make Shrines, Kamidanas (Kamicupboards) and Hondens (rooms where only enshrined Kami can enter) and Spirit homes for enshrined Kami to dwell, bless them, pray for them, leave them offerings, offer up your suffering to them.
But if you don't do those things, but still believe in God or Spirits, you are still a practicing Shintoist (even though Shintoist isn't a word).
However, neonspectraltoast is always antagonizing me for my Religious beliefs, but what he doesn't realize is we belong to the same Religion.
Amaterasu doesn't want me to be obscene. That isn't Shinto. That's just a bad habit of mine.
It's true that he doesn't enshrine and venerate Mussolini or Amaterasu, but in Shinto you can not do any of that, you don't have to believe the Emperor of Japan descended from the Sun Goddess, You don't even have to believe in Amaterasu, and you're still in good standing with Shinto.
What Shintoism is essentially, is "Belief in the Kami. Belief that they can be contacted and influence us". If you believe in Angels, God, Ghosts etc. you are actually a Shintoist.
Shintoism can be Monotheistic or Polytheistic. The word Kami is often translated into "Gods/Goddesses", but that's a bad translation.
There actually is no translation for the word Kami into English , because Kami in Japan means "God" even in Christian circles , and Kami means Angel, Spirit, Demon, Tulpa, and applies to all Sentient beings that can't be seen, and often the Emperor is considered a Kami, and people can become Kami while they are alive.
Kami are attached to trees, in nature, rivers, pools, lakes, oceans, animals, and forces in nature. There is no word in the English language for Kami. Spirit isn't even a good translation because technically neonspectraltoast is probably a Kami and an Emperor.
(The highest priest in Shinto is called Emperor).
In Shinto it's encouraged to make Shrines, Kamidanas (Kamicupboards) and Hondens (rooms where only enshrined Kami can enter) and Spirit homes for enshrined Kami to dwell, bless them, pray for them, leave them offerings, offer up your suffering to them.
But if you don't do those things, but still believe in God or Spirits, you are still a practicing Shintoist (even though Shintoist isn't a word).
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