Yet this reflects a gap in definitions, not an absence of practice.
The concept behind the word shūkyō was imported from the West in the 19th century, tied to churches and doctrine. In Japan, religion is lived more through practice than formal affiliation. New Year shrine visits, Buddhist funerals, and local festivals remain widespread. What looks secular is often ritual by another name.
Politics offers another counter to the "Japan is atheist" claim. Even after WWII, religious groups continued to play a role in democracy. They mobilized votes, backed political allies, and shaped constitutional debates. [This article] takes a closer look at their sometimes stabilizing, sometimes even controversial influence on Japanese politics."
"Two Orthodox Christian women have created a new website about sexual misconduct and abuse in their denomination that not only names names, but offers victims help in coming to terms with their trauma.
More than two years after Katherine Archer and Hermina Nedelescu decided more needed to be done to advocate for clergy abuse survivors, the two recently debuted Prosopon Healing as a way to call attention to the problem. "Katherine and I were determined not to be silenced," said Nedelescu. "The Orthodox Church has a clergy sex abuse problem it must reckon with."
But the two founders — one a therapist-in-training, the other a neuroscientist — also present evidence-based research and supportive resources rooted in behavioral neuroscience to explain the actions of the predator and the victim. Its database collates third-party information across the internet on documented and alleged Orthodox clergy abuse.
The Prosopon site draws heavily on work by Melanie Sakoda and Cappy Larson, who for decades collected information for their now-retired Orthodox abuse website, Pokrov.org. "The reason Katherine and I did this in a year and a half and completed it in two years is because of Melanie and Cappy," Nedelescu said. "Melanie gave us the list. We ourselves also did a thorough search, but many of the names are coming from Melanie's work."
The new database adds an extra layer to account for multiple levels of authority. For each alleged or charged abuser, the list adds the overseeing bishop whom the abuser ultimately reports to."
"A severe case of sexual harassment has surfaced in Delhi involving self-styled godman Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, formerly known as Swami (Dr.) Parthasarathy, police said on Thursday, with several women, especially those belonging to underprivileged families, accusing him of repeated sexual harassment, intimidation, and abuse of power.
The Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, filed a complaint against the godman. Soon after the allegations, the Peetham announced that it had cut all ties with him and cancelled the powers of attorney that had given him authority over the Sringeri Peetham.
According to the FIR registered at Vasant Kunj North police station, the survivors have alleged that Chaitanyananda often messaged them at odd hours and pressured them to visit his quarters late at night during foreign trips, calling such encounters 'necessary for spiritual growth and education.'
A complaint initially surfaced through a letter written by an Indian Air Force officer and former student of the institute, which alerted the management."
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