Tuesday, January 10, 2023

What is wrong with Brazilian Christians compared to Japanese non-Christians?

 According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_by_country , 90.2% of Brazilians are Christians, while only 1.1% of Japanese are Christians.

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate , the intentional homicide rate in Brazil is 22.5 intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, while in Japan it is only 0.3.

In conclusion, a nation of unbelievers seems to be an example for a nation of believers.

According to the Bible, we are born sinners, enemies of God. It is only through Jesus that we have our hearts transformed. This goes for the Brazilian and the Japanese. However, in practice, the Japaneses are behaving much more in accordance with the teachings of Jesus than the Brazilians, despite their evil hearts, at least when we talk about homicide rate.

My explanation begins with:

  • - the 90.2% of Christians in Brazil are clearly wrong. It is more convenient to profess the Christian faith in a Christian country. This is particularly true for Catholics: many people are baptized in a Catholic church but do not attend any religious services.
  • - in Japanese culture, society comes before the individual. In Brazil it is the opposite.
  • - Japan went through famines, wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. These difficulties shaped Japanese society to expel those who do not work. Society obliges everyone to contribute, to work. Brazil has not faced problems like this.
Despite this explanation, I am sure that the percentage of Christians in Brazil is much higher than in Japan. Does Christianity have any influence on the Brazilian soul? I will continue saying that "sin" can not be measured by intentional homicide rate alone. Brazilians are more open to Jesus because their sins are different.
  • - According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate , the suicide rate is 6.4 deaths per 100,000 population, while Japan has a higher suicide rate of 12.2.
  • It is evident to me as a Brazilian, of Japanese descent, that Brazilians enjoy life much more than Japanese people. I think that, in general, a Brazilian is happier than a Japanese. You could argue that since Brazilians haven't gone through the Japanese adversities, they are happier, but I think it is something more profound. 
  • - Brazilians are more open to other cultures. Although I was bullied when I was young, I think Japanese society is much more prejudiced than Brazilian society.
  • - Pharisees behave better than prostitutes and tax collectors, but Jesus came to save the lost. Suddenly, the Brazilian people have the notion that they are even more lost. Brazilians need Jesus more.
  • - Some sinners are more transparent than others. For instance: an adulterer is more transparent than an arrogant person (because his sin is more scandalous). I think that Japanese people are very proud but they seem humble. It is very difficult to understand what goes in a Japanese mind. For me, a Brazilian, people here are much more transparent and humble. 
In resume, Brazilians Christians seem to be much worse than Japanese non-Christians and in a shallow reasoning, it seems an argument for the failure of Christianity. However, in a more deep reasoning, Jesus changes individuals and society. Jesus came to the sick, for who that recognizes their sickness (because Brazilian and Japanese societies alike are ill). Jesus changes our eyes. The world is beautiful with Jesus. Brazilian society is more open, transparent and happy than the Japanese society. 


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