[CS-FSLUG] 34-year old Christian Martyred for Distributing Bibles in China

[Daniel Miller]

And while we are on the subject of Asia, here is a little blurb I
wrote a couple of weeks ago:

 Lack of Updating & Christianity in Japan

The lack of updates lately has been due to a lack of time. I will do
my best in an attempt to keep up with this blog. Time permitting...

Today I have learned a great deal about Christianity in Japan. I feel
that this information needs to be dispersed, so that others may have
an understanding about Japan's history with Christianity and the
possible effect that it has had for half a millenia.

Francisco de Xavier was born on the 7th of April, 1506. Francisco was
born a noble at his mothers castle in Spain. This is the man
accredited with bringing Christianity to Japan. During his college
years in Paris, he begain a Jesuit (member of the Jesus society) circa
15 August, 1534. Two years later ,he headed to Italy to meet up with
Ignatus. They were to then head to Palestine in an effort to convert
Muslims to Christianity.

Fast-forward to 1547. Francisco de Xavier is now an experienced
missionary in Malacca, where he meets a Japanese exile name Yajiro.
His encounter with Yajiro, inspired him to spread the good news in
Japan.

Francisco finally arrived in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, in 1549. He
was accompanied by Yajiro, who later became known as Paul of the Holy
Faith. They spread the gospel throughout Japan for two years, finally
returning to Malacca in 1551.

The seed in Japan was planted. Christianity flourished under the
protection of Oda Nobunaga, until his death in 1582. After Nobunaga's
death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to power. Hideyoshi is accredited with
reunifying Japan and ending it's civil war. Not only did Hideyoshi
reunify Japan, but began the persecution of Christians, because
Christians did not believe in the Japanese class system.

Hideyoshi's successor, Tokugawa Ieyasu, began the Edo period in Japan
in 1598. During this time, Tokugawa began killing off Christians. And
after the revolt in Shimabara, in 1637, he had them killed off to
include every last one of their children.

After the revolt, the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu closed Japan off
from the rest of the world. He also put a stop to Christianity by all
means necessary. It wasn't until the end of the Edo period in 1867,
when Chrisitanity began to make it's way back into the country.

During World War II, Chrisitianity was also but to a brief end in
Japan, as Christians were thought to be American spies. At the end of
World War II, Christianity was once again allowed back into Japan.
Christians are now allowed to worship as they wish for the time being.


Blessings,
Daniel Miller



On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 19:34:48 -0500, Fred A. Miller
<fmiller at lightlink.com> wrote:
> And, we keep on buying Red Chinese made goods.........right.
> 
> Fred
> 
> http://vom.403net.com/a/vomso/bg_vomso_wdbm_200.html#sisterjiang
> 
> --
> "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to
> have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the
> vote." - Benjamin Franklin 1759
> 
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