Post by pitbull on Oct 12, 2008 5:44:19 GMT -5
DAILY WISDOM
¡°Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.¡± [Proverbs 12:25]
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GODLY MAN
1. Strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9)
It takes both strength and courage to lead a family.
2. Provides for family (Genesis 3:19; 1 Timothy 5:8)
Provides not only for their material needs, but also for their emotional and spiritual needs.
3. Teaches (Deuteronomy 6:7; Ephesians 6:4)
If a father fails to teach his children about Christ and the Bible, they are more likely to become atheists and reject the Gospel.
RELIGIOUS AWARENESS
Shinto
Shinto (ÉñµÀ, shint¨?) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. It involves the worship of kami (Éñ, kami?), spirits. Some kami are local and can be regarded as the spiritual being/spirit or genius of a particular place, but other ones represent major natural objects and processes: for example, Amaterasu, the Sun goddess, or Mount Fuji. Shinto is an animistic belief system. The word Shinto, from the original Chinese Sh¨ºntao (ÉñµÀ), combines two kanji: "shin" (Éñ, "shin"?) (loan words usually retain their Chinese pronunciation, hence shin not kami), meaning gods or spirits; and "t¨" (µÀ, "t¨"?), meaning a philosophical way or path (originally from the Chinese word dao). As such, Shinto is commonly translated as "The Way of the Gods". Some differences exist between Koshint¨ (the ancient Shint¨) and the many types of Shint¨ taught and practiced today, showing the influences of Buddhism when it was introduced into Japan in the sixth century.
After World War II, Shinto ceased to be Japan's state religion, although it continued to be considered the native religion of Japan. Some Shinto practices and teachings, once given a great deal of prominence during the war, are no longer taught or practiced today, while others still exist as commonplace activities such as omikuji (a form of fortune-telling) and the Japanese New Year to which few people give religious connotations. Important national ceremonies such as coronations and royal marriages are conducted at the Three Palace Sanctuaries in Tokyo.