re: #395 Obdicut

Oops, missed this question.

They’re always Shinto. Shintoism in Japan is pretty indelibly tired up with being Japanese. But you can be a Zen Buddhist and still follow Shinto traditions as well.

They were very explicitly Zen Buddhist, though obviously a corruption of any decent philosophy or theology of that belief. It’s just another example of a religion being perverted to serve secular ends.

Obdi - I’m just going to point out - some Christians here have tried to make the “corruption of any decent philosophy” argument at different times here (most specifically, with regard to the evil Phelps clan); and have been excoriated for it.

However, I do happen to agree with you; religion can be (and has been) perverted to serve secular and/or selfish ends.