What do you reckon to this whole Yasukuni Shrine business?

Question

Shinzo Abe's now visited this shrine, which stirs up trouble and makes Japan's neighbours angry because of the war criminals enshrined there. The most vocal would appear to be the PRC, which is a nominally communist power, and supposedly atheists. 

Some thoughts: do atheists really have a right to get annoyed about the way someone practices a religion? I'm an atheist myself, but I'm largely past caring myself about what others do to express their spirituality. Surely going in and saying 'this is wrong' in certain cases validates the religiosity. 

Secundus: if the soul were to exist, and for some dark deed in life, it is besmirched, then wouldn't it go to hell whatever? How far is it necessary to cry vengeance, unto what iteration of reincarnation? I believe the Shinto idea is that once enshrined, a spirit joins an amalgamated spirit made up of all the human spirits enshrined there. In other words, something quite different from the original man it came from. The mind boggles, and surely venerating such a being is quite different from just praying or making offerings in the name of a single war criminal. 

Tertius: apparently there are rites to split off spirits from shrines that have been used in the past. Ought the priests at Yasukuni to split off the 'criminal' spirits to appease the critics of the shrine? Or is it just foolish to pressure priests and the faithful in this way? What other alternatives might there be? Should Shinto be abolished, because in Shinto shrines across Japan there must inevitably be many former soldiers who fought in WWII enshrined, not to mention the first Sino-Japanese war and the Russo-Japanese war and WWI. Should a whole religion, a whole spiritual path, perish to satisfy its critics?

Well, esteemed answerers of questions, what are your thoughts? What are your opinions on this matter?

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) · Accepted Answer

You made me laugh with "esteemed" I don't think I qualify, but I will give it a go, if for no other purpose then to get my own muddled thoughts together.

Sadly tensions between China and Japan are rising again. Visiting the shrine has no other purpose then to add oil to the fire.  Just like the Chinese are adding fuel to the fire by their objections.  In the U.S. there was an issue regarding a presidential candidate should be wearing a "flag pin."  Just a symbol to rally the troops.

Atheist (like any one else) have a right to get upset how some practices a religion. And there are even cases like in the case of human sacrifice, where we humans even have a right/duty to intervene. 

If the soul did exist, then human life would be pointless.  If that were not enough to doubt its existence we know that our personality can be altered with brain damage, which would mean that at the point the brain stops functioning altogether our personality no longer exist, in any form.

As to the question if Shinto should be abolished, I see no point in forcing it, as at best something else will rise to take it's place, I rather see any such abolishment done in peace.

Thanks for the question.

Shichido · Answer

Sadly the visits to the shrine over the last 20 or so years have had NOTHING to do with religion. If it did, then certainly the news would cover the Prime Ministers visits to other shrines or temples....which he doesnt. The past Prime Ministers dont either. You really have to understand the political arena in Japan to understand what its all about and why these leaders keep doing what they do. The Japanese Right wing is an extremely aggressive and sometimes violent group known for bullying anyone who gets in their way. They also have ties to the mafia. They also support widows and families of WWII veterans and "encourage" them to vote for right wing candidates. In the last 10 or so years this group(s) have really gotten out of hand in trying to re-write history textbooks, pushing to refuse adopt laws connected to human rights and forming hate groups against koreans and chinese in Japan. The current prime minister is as stubborn as he is stupid. He and his right wing pals believe that its better not to bow down to western and asian opinion and remain defiant. His visit to the shrine is just that...a show. It has nothing to do with religion.

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What do you reckon to this whole Yasukuni Shrine business?

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