More Evidence that the Japanese are Just F-ing WEIRD

[Fish]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

My point isn't about being religious versus non-religious. It's that Japan's society and societal thinking is completely different than America's, which that can be traced directly to the absence of Judeo-Christian "morality".

For example, while I might choose to be agnostic or atheist, it would be virtually impossible for me to forget and disregard the Christian teachings I learned at church and in CCD during the first 12 years of my life. They're ingrained, regardless of whether or not I believe that the God of Abraham and Isaac or Jesus exists.

That is very, very different than a entire society of millions of people that have never been raised, nurtured or taught those same values and teachings.

I guess I just disagree with the way you're intertwining the two and still saying it's not about religion. Morality is way too complicated to be reduced only to values coming from Judeo-Christian teachings. And in your instance, you're still assuming that the example person in question went to church the first 12 years of their life. Most of those values are inherent to all humans no matter where they're born.

I simply don't think religion has any place in the discussion at all, either directly or latently applied like you're doing. And I also don't think the US is any example at all to point to in regards to great morals. We're suffering from many of the same moral ills that they are. And it will get worse as population density and poverty both increase here like it has there. We're headed down that path a lot more than people realize.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Fish

I guess I just disagree with the way you're intertwining the two and still saying it's not about religion. Morality is way too complicated to be reduced only to values coming from Judeo-Christian teachings. And in your instance, you're still assuming that the example person in question went to church the first 12 years of their life. Most of those values are inherent to all humans no matter where they're born.

I simply don't think religion has any place in the discussion at all, either directly or latently applied like you're doing. And I also don't think the US is any example at all to point to in regards to great morals. We're suffering from many of the same moral ills that they are. And it will get worse as population density and poverty both increase here like it has there. We're headed down that path a lot more than people realize.

Don't think of it as religion but rather a philosophy and how such philosophy came to shape our means of governance, business and social ethics and personal motivations.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Don't think of it as religion but rather a philosophy and how such philosophy came to shape our means of governance, business and social ethics and personal motivations.

Cultural?

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Fish

Cultural?

let me eat dinner and I'll try and defend myself

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Fish

I guess I just disagree with the way you're intertwining the two and still saying it's not about religion. Morality is way too complicated to be reduced only to values coming from Judeo-Christian teachings. And in your instance, you're still assuming that the example person in question went to church the first 12 years of their life. Most of those values are inherent to all humans no matter where they're born.

I simply don't think religion has any place in the discussion at all, either directly or latently applied like you're doing. And I also don't think the US is any example at all to point to in regards to great morals. We're suffering from many of the same moral ills that they are. And it will get worse as population density and poverty both increase here like it has there. We're headed down that path a lot more than people realize.

You're welcome to disagree.

FWIW, do you or your colleagues visit Japan frequently? Do you do direct business with them? Are you familiar with Buddhism and how it's practiced in Japan? Are you familiar with their current society, as a whole?