Part 11: The Freedom to Believe, the Freedom Not to Believe

The Constitution of Japan in Daily Life

80 Years Post-War, 100 Years of Showa: Special Feature

Part 11

Bringing the perspective of the Constitution into our daily lives.

Last time, we talked about how no one can control what is inside your heart and mind.

What to think about.
What to question.
What to cherish in life.
What conscience to follow in walking your own path in life.

That inner realm is a very important place for a person to live as a human being.

Article 19 of the Constitution protects the freedom of thought and conscience.

Now, there is one more thing that the Constitution values, which is deeply connected to that freedom of the heart and mind.

That is the freedom of religion.

Article 20 of the Constitution of Japan states the following:

Freedom of religion is guaranteed to all.

Religion is a term related to believing in a religion or having a faith.

Believing in gods or Buddhas.
Praying.
Trying to live according to teachings.
Participating in festivals or rituals.
Cherishing something as a support for your heart.

Such things are deeply involved in a person's inner self.

People sometimes think about how to live based on what they believe.

What supports you when you are suffering?
How do you cope when you lose someone important?
How do you think about your own life?
How do you face other people?
How do you think about good, evil, and what is right?

Religion and faith are not just knowledge or customs.

They can be deeply involved in a person's way of life and the depths of their heart.

That is precisely why the state,

"You must believe in this religion."
"You must not believe in this religion."
"You must have faith."
"You must abandon your faith."
"Only this way of praying is correct."

These are not things that should be decided for others.

What to believe in.
Or, whether to believe in nothing at all.

That is a freedom that lies deep within a person's heart.

Freedom of religion is not just the freedom to believe in a religion.
It also includes the freedom not to believe in any religion.

The freedom to choose a specific religion.
The freedom to change to another religion.
The freedom to belong to no religion.
The freedom not to be coerced by others regarding faith.
The freedom not to be unfairly discriminated against on the basis of faith.

It includes such freedoms.

This point is very important.

The Constitution does not protect only those who "believe."

It also protects those who do not believe.

Those who believe in a certain religion.
Those who believe in a different religion.
Those who believe in no religion.
Those who are still unsure.

Each must be valued as an individual human being.

This is the same as the freedom of thought and conscience we looked at in Part 10.

The state must not trample into a person's heart.
That way of thinking is also connected to freedom of religion.

Furthermore, Article 20 of the Constitution does not merely recognize the freedom of faith.

It also draws an important line regarding the relationship between the state and religion.

Article 20 of the Constitution also stipulates the following.

"No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the State."
"No person shall be compelled to take part in any religious act, celebration, rite or practice."
"The State and its organs shall refrain from religious education or any other religious activity."

Although the wording is a bit difficult, this means that the state must not become too closely tied to any specific religion.

This is called the separation of church and state.

Separation of church and state does not simply mean that politics and religion must be kept completely unrelated.

In people's daily lives, there are events and cultures related to religion and faith.

There are temples and shrines.
There are churches.
There are festivals.
There are funerals and memorial services.
There are also events tied to local history and culture.

The Constitution does not deny the existence of these things within society itself.

What is important is that the state does not give special treatment to a specific religion or force a specific faith upon its citizens.

The state treats a certain religion as 'correct' and gives it special status.
The state grants special benefits to a specific religious organization.
The state attempts to spread the teachings of a specific religion to the public.
The state treats citizens differently based on whether they hold a faith or not.

If that happens, freedom of religion will be weakened.

This is because the state possesses great power.

If the state gets too close to a specific religion, those who do not believe in that religion may feel uncomfortable.

They might wonder if they are being placed on the outside within this country.
They might wonder if their own faith, or their position of not believing, is not being valued.

People who feel this way may emerge.

Furthermore, when the authority of the state or politics overlaps with a specific religion, that religion can appear to be specially correct or officially recognized by the state.

The names of politicians.
State facilities.
Public events.
Closeness to the administration.
Relationships with those in power.

When such things are used as credibility for a religious organization, people may find it difficult to refuse.

Even if they have doubts, they might think it must be fine because it is close to the state or politics.
Even if the burden is heavy, they might feel that refusing is a bad thing.
Even if their family is suffering, they might be made to believe that they must continue their faith, donations, and activities.

In this way, people's lives and families can be harmed.

Therefore, the separation of church and state is not merely a matter of form.

It is also a mechanism to prevent the authority of the state and politics from being used as credibility for a specific religion, which would result in aiding, encouraging, and promoting that religion.

It is also a mechanism to prevent a religion from wearing the authority of the state by getting too close to it, thereby gaining excessive power over people's hearts and lives.

To protect freedom of religion, it is essential that the state does not take sides with any specific religion.

This is not to make light of religion.
Rather, it is precisely because faith is something important that deeply concerns the human heart that it must be kept at a distance from the power of the state.

Religion is not something one believes in because the state orders it.
Faith is not something to be regulated by authority.
Prayer is not something to be determined by the state.

That is why the state must not become too closely tied to any specific religion.

That is the important meaning of the separation of church and state.

This also relates to reflections on pre-war Japan.

In pre-war Japan, the connection between the state and religious matters became strong, which had a significant influence on the state of the people's hearts and minds.

How one should think for the sake of the country.
What one should revere.
What kind of heart one should have.

There was an era when such things were tied to the policies of the state.

Sacrificing one's life for the country was considered noble, and such deaths were sometimes linked to religious significance.

Showing respect for specific places or rituals was sometimes equated with cherishing the country.

An atmosphere sometimes emerged where those who did not comply were seen as people who did not cherish the country or as anti-national.

When that happens, faith and rituals are no longer just a matter of the individual heart.

The state becomes a force that tries to align the direction of people's hearts.

Of course, today's society is not the same as that era.
However, when the state deeply intrudes into people's faith and the state of their hearts, freedom becomes very weak.

Neither believing nor not believing is something that can be ordered by the state.

That is why the Constitution of Japan guarantees freedom of religion and draws a line between the state and religion.

Here, let us think about this in a more familiar context.

What if you were strongly pressured to believe in a specific religion at school?

What if you were treated unfairly at your workplace because of your faith?

What if you were blamed in your community for not participating in the same religious events as everyone else?

What would happen if you were forced to believe or not believe in something within your family?

Because religion and faith are so important, being forced into them can deeply hurt a person's heart.

Conversely, it is not right to laugh at, fear, or label someone as strange simply because they have a faith.

Do not belittle those who believe.
Do not blame those who do not believe.
Do not immediately distance yourself from those who have a different religion.

That is the attitude that supports freedom of religion.

Of course, this does not mean that you can do whatever you want just by using the name of religion.

Harming others.
Defrauding people of their property.
Depriving people of their freedom.
Controlling people through fear and anxiety.
Cornering children or those in vulnerable positions.

Such actions are not protected by freedom of religion.

Freedom of faith is important.

However, it does not mean that in its name, it is permissible to harm the lives, bodies, property, freedom, or dignity of others.

This is also an important distinction to make when thinking about freedom.

What you believe in your heart is strongly protected.
However, not all actions taken on the grounds of that faith, such as controlling or harming others, are permitted.

This is the same as the freedom of thought and conscience we looked at in Part 10.

Your inner heart cannot be controlled by anyone.

However, when it manifests as action, you must face the freedom and rights of others.

Freedom of religion must also be considered within that context.

This perspective is also useful when watching the news.

Does that policy give special treatment to a specific religion?
Does that system leave behind those who do not have a faith?
Does that language unilaterally vilify people who believe in a certain religion?
Is that criticism pointing out problems that use religion, or is it denying faith itself?
Is the distance between politics and religion becoming too close?
Is the authority of the state or politics being used as credibility for a specific religion?
Is that relationship working to aid, encourage, or promote a specific religion?

Try asking these questions.

Even just doing that will make the Constitution feel a little more familiar.

Freedom of religion is a very delicate freedom.
This is because it concerns the depths of a person's heart.

People can sometimes be saved by what they believe in.

There are those who find peace of mind through prayer.
There are those who reflect on how to live by engaging with teachings.
There are those who try to come to terms with the grief of losing a loved one through faith.
There are also those who think seriously about their own lives from a position of believing in nothing.

All of these are connected to how people live their lives.

That is precisely why it is not something that should be easily mocked, imposed, or taken away.

The freedom to believe.

The freedom not to believe.

The freedom to change what one believes.

The freedom to remain silent about one's faith.

All of these are connected to human dignity.

Article 20 of the Constitution protects that freedom.

And at the same time, it draws a line so that the state does not become too closely tied to any specific religion.

This is not to exclude religion.
It is to protect the faith of each individual, or their position of not believing, from the power of the state.

No matter how much power the state may hold, there are places it must not tread.

What to believe.

What not to believe.

How to pray.

Whether to choose not to pray.

That place, too, exists within the human heart.

The freedom to believe, the freedom not to believe.

It is an important promise from the Constitution for us to live as human beings.

Hidemitsu Sato
80 Years Post-War / 100 Years of Showa Special Project
"The Constitution of Japan in Daily Life"

#ConstitutionOfJapan
#LearningTheConstitution
#TheConstitutionOfJapanInDailyLife
#FreedomOfReligion
#Article20OfTheConstitution
#SeparationOfChurchAndState