The Shortcomings of Religious Institutions

[JDMS]

The shortcomings of religious institutions... or perhaps a religion's dependency on the institution.

(Skip to the bold below if you want to save time Before that is just a rant about the shrine I support.)

I've been thinking about this issue a lot lately, especially when it comes to Shinto. As someone who values access to religious sites/resources for all, I decided to become a member of the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America a year ago to help support them, as they are the only qualified physical shrine in the continental US.

However, I have so many issues with the shrine now that I am reconsidering renewing my membership.

One of my biggest problems with the shrine is the fact that they seem to make bizarre management decisions that seem to be based on tourism outcomes more than they are meant to reflect a reverence for the kamisama. Some of the decisions are straight-up appalling.

The Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America used to have an Inari Shrine on the premises. However, when the goshintai (which is literally the kami's "body"; a sacred object that contains a part of the kami enshrined) was stolen, instead of replacing the goshintai again, or even demolishing the site and performing the necessary rites, they repurposed it! They removed all of the Inari Okami paraphernalia (except the torii, which is yet another disrespectful act, as Inari Okami's torii style is different than Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto's) and replaced it with a "shrine" for the main kami's wife. Inari Okami's things are now collecting dust somewhere after being painstakingly transported from Japan.

This is like Inari Okami getting abducted, and then the police moving someone else into her home instead of prompting an investigation. Unheard of in Japan.

But they didn't even do that correctly. They erected an uncovered statue of Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto as her goshintai instead. Again, this is criminally odd. In Shinto, the only kami whose goshintai are represented by anthropomorphic statues are syncretic gods or figures like the Buddha and a couple of other exceptions. Even kamisama that originated as historical figures or family members are not to be represented as humans, as it acts as though the kamisama are human-formed rather than abstracted forces. There is a reason that kamisama are typically given a title as a name, or are simply referred to by the name of the shrine.

Goshintai are also supposed to be hidden from view. They are meant to be protected and secured from any major disruptions. Kamisama should be able to enjoy company or quiet as they please. But Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto's goshintai doesn't even have a roof over her head. She's exposed to all the elements now.

The Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America has managed to disrespect both Inari Okami and Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto.

You could even argue that they disrespect Sarutahiko Okami, which is the kamisama the shrine is predominantly dedicated to. The Guji uses the interior of the shrine as an aikido dojo. This means that people are yelling, fighting, and sweating right in front of Sarutahiko Okami's goshintai. This could be considered okay by some, but it's not great. There's a reason the dojo in the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of Japan is separated. There's no valid reason to invade the sacred place for such a noisy and potentially unclean activity.

This is in addition to the fact that the Guji writes a load of New Agey nonsense on the shrine's Facebook page. But this is a personal gripe, it's not necessarily a serious complaint as the others are.

All this is making me wonder if supporting them is worth it. Sure, they are providing a service for Shinto practitioners in the US, but is it a quality service...?

OKAY! Personal experiences aside...

This leads me to the main point of the thread, which is acknowledging the weaknesses and limitations of religious institutions. Shinto in particular is heavily dependent on official institutions such as the Jinja Honcho. It's completely ritualistic in nature, and Shrine Shinto has been the pinnacle of worship for literally thousands of years. Since World War II, shrines are not really considered "official" unless the kannushi (priests) managing them are actually qualified by the Jinja Honcho.

This means that the quality of the practice is completely in the hands of the institution. If the available institutionally-approved resources available are sub-par, your entire practice is uprooted.

Other religions face similar issues. Christians often face the tough choice of whether donating or supporting a church is worth it if certain aspects of the church are not to their liking. One corrupted pastor can ruin an entire church. Mega-churches and tele-Evangelists are also constantly under fire as parts of their body or support are exposed as frauds.

A lot of religion is limited and negatively impacted by the very people that are meant to be trusted.

For this reason, I kind of envy other religions or spiritual paths that allow for solo-practice.

What are your guys' experiences with these kinds of issues? What can be done about them? Should all religions strive to develop a way to practice without the interference of institutions, or is there an inherent value to them that cannot be easily replaced by the public? I know everyone's answers will be different.

Thanks

 

[sun rise]

Mostly I see the same thing you described for the shrine you have been supporting. Too often what I see is the equivalent of magic rituals performed mechanically which may entertain or satisfy those participating in it but which have lost

Whether in the East or West, quite a few religious leaders are outright frauds making a living from their position but doing nothing real beyond that.

Of course some are dedicated and some people are inspired to try to put the principles into action but all too often that's not the case.

You ask what should be done. Personally I of course won't support broken institutions. Rather I would look for whatever motivated me to work on myself to become a better human being.

 

[JDMS]

Mostly I see the same thing you described for the shrine you have been supporting. Too often what I see is the equivalent of magic rituals performed mechanically which may entertain or satisfy those participating in it but which have lost

Whether in the East or West, quite a few religious leaders are outright frauds making a living from their position but doing nothing real beyond that.

Of course some are dedicated and some people are inspired to try to put the principles into action but all too often that's not the case.

You ask what should be done. Personally I of course won't support broken institutions. Rather I would look for whatever motivated me to work on myself to become a better human being.

Thank you for your feedback. I really think it is time for me to reconsider my membership with Tsubaki Grand Shrine... I think the best thing I can do is to move on and start supporting other shrines that are attempting to create a base here in the US. There are several options, although one stands out as truly being devoted to the kamisama rather than tourism and attention. I may volunteer with their options first to get to know the people better before I commit to a membership.

And you are certainly correct. There are so many facets of Shinto that have corrupted qualities, whether in the US or in Japan. Frauds are everywhere. And a lack of devotion, too. Many kannushi and guji are family lines that take over shrine duties child after child for centuries. While this could be considered a great thing, I wonder at times how many pupils that genuinely care about the kami and the Shinto are shut out of these opportunities because they didn't have the birthright.

It's unfortunate that so many selfish people are able to worm their way into religious spaces to take advantage of the folks practicing, and so many good candidates struggle to succeed.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

The way I view religion, all religion can be practiced by oneself and doesn't need shrines or alters to be practiced corrected. Since Kami is a concept pretty exclusive to Shinto, I figure if you believe in that alone, you are probably part of the Shinto religion. Whether or not you are in Japan or have a shrine to practice ritual on the religion on. Belief is more important than ritual. In any case I thought followers of Shinto were able to practice and worship the Kami in their own private shrines. I don't know much about this religion however so excuse me for my ignorance.

When it comes to my religious hemisphere, there is a Second Life island which Terasem Joiners come to, to talk about various transhumanist topics and futurist discussions. I don't know if that Second Life establishment is still there. I haven't seen any other religious institutions in my hemisphere besides that. There's websites and Facebook groups for Syntheism, Earthseed, Solseed, Terasem, Turing Church, Astronism and my very own Exaltism. But of course people are going to take real life locations more importantly than a digital web addresses.

 

[PureX]

Unfortunately this kind of hierarchic social organization is written into our DNA. It's a system that we tend to fall into automatically, and then never question. Because it feels "normal" to us. Even when it's clearly not a good method of organization.

 

[JDMS]

The way I view religion, all religion can be practiced by oneself and doesn't need shrines or alters to be practiced corrected. Since Kami is a concept pretty exclusive to Shinto, I figure if you believe in that alone, you are probably part of the Shinto religion. Whether or not you are in Japan or have a shrine to practice ritual on the religion on.

Thanks for your reply! Any ignorance is no problem at all. I don't expect most people to understand Shinto. Most Japanese people couldn't really explain Shinto, either.

Unfortunately, Shinto is very much a ritualistic religion. It actually doesn't involve belief at all. One does not have to believe in the kamisama to be encouraged to honor and worship in the traditional ways in Japan. In Shinto, the belief is that kami serve us and protect us simply because we were born. Most Japanese people are parishioners of nearby shrines, regardless of whether or not they are religious, simply because Shinto is a cultural phenomenon that forgoes normal religious attitudes. Most people in Japan will tell you they are not religious, or they are Buddhist if you ask. That's because there's this weird idea that the teachings and such of Shinto are "Japanese" in nature, not "religious" in nature. With both my Japanese and western backgrounds, I can confidently say that it is of course religion. But other Japanese hardly see it that way. And yes, Shinto philosophy is very prone to a nationalistic attitude, unfortunately.

The original term for "Shinto" was "kami-no-michi", or "the way of the kami". The term "Shinto" actually came from Chinese writings describing the indigenous religion that is Shinto. Shinto came from "Shentao". "Shin" has since been adopted to also refer to the kami (Shinto, goshintai, etc...)

But, the original term, The Way of the Kami... it definitely describes the phenomenon better. Shinto is a practice, more than it is a belief. You can practice Shinto along with other religions, or even if you are agnostic/atheist and don't necessarily believe the kamisama. I don't think I believe they are real "gods" that exist in a literal sense myself -- but I am still fond of them. The relationship between the idea of the kamisama and the people is like that of a mother and child, especially for a Japanese person. We grow up surrounded by their iconography. We present our diplomas to them, they are present at certain birthdays, etc. Shinto offerings and celebrations are typically more about gratitude, or simply sharing our life, than they are about beseeching the kamisama for a request. Each year, festivals are held where the kamisama is paraded through town and people perform archery and dances for them. Simply to share our happiness with them. It is so entrenched in Japanese life that, again, it's hardly seen as a religion anymore.

In the end, believing in the kamisama does nothing for them. They will continue to freely give to us no matter what. The rituals to honor and thank them and have them present in our homes in what matters. This is the pinnacle of Shinto, after living good a good life, being kind to others, and being kind to nature.

In any case I thought followers of Shinto were able to practice and worship the Kami in their own private shrines. I don't know much about this religion however so excuse me for my ignorance.

That is accurate! But unfortunately, this whole process is ritualized as well. You need an ofuda, which is a temporary connection to a kamisama. Just like ordained priests are the only ones supposedly capable of creating goshintai, ordained priests are also the only ones capable of creating ofuda (which are essentially temporary goshintai). So again you have to get this from a shrine. You are subjected to whatever donation requirements are necessary to obtain one, too. It's not horribly expensive ($10-$20 USD per year) but it's still a pain. That is why I support the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America at the moment, though. It's one of two shrines that ship ofuda around the US. I will be switching membership to the Shusse Inari Shrine, though. They don't currently have a physical location either, so it will be of more help anyways.

Part of the problem with institutionalized religion, like Shinto, though, is that monetary requirement. By investing yourself in a religion that needs a greater institution to function, you also force yourself into a box where you need to support the institution and hope they are using your money well. I think solo practices are more practical, pure, etc. No need to make up stuff about the "ofuda losing energy" to persuade practitioners to buy another...

When it comes to my religious hemisphere, there is a Second Life island which Terasem Joiners come to, to talk about various transhumanist topics and futurist discussions. I don't know if that Second Life establishment is still there. I haven't seen any other religious institutions in my hemisphere besides that. There's websites and Facebook groups for Syntheism, Earthseed, Solseed, Terasem, Turing Church, Astronism and my very own Exaltism. But of course people are going to take real life locations more importantly than a digital web addresses.

I'm glad you have some resources at least! I hope they satisfy you.
And yes, haha. Brick-and-mortar locations mean a lot to many people... but American Shinto practitioners barely even have online spaces in English. I honestly have no idea what drives non-Japanese Americans, or anyone who doesn't know Japanese at the very least, to practice Shinto. They didn't grow up with it... the kamisama may not have that parent-child relationship with them... there are almost no resources... etc! I admire their loyalty. They are better practitioners and followers of the kamisama than almost any Japanese person, I can say that much.

 

[JDMS]

Unfortunately this kind of hierarchic social organization is written into our DNA. It's a system that we tend to fall into automatically, and then never question. Because it feels "normal" to us. Even when it's clearly not a good method of organization.

And questioning it often leads to negative results... sigh.