On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 15:31:36 GMT, "necoandjeff" <spam@schrepfer.com>
wrote:

>Eric Takabayashi wrote:
>> It is Japanese authorities, who for example, consider each and every
>> Japanese person to be Shinto by birth, making Shinto one of the
>> world's major religions. I wonder if Japanese Americans or Japanese
>> who emigrated are also to be considered Shinto.
>
>What authorities? The fact that people are labeled Shinto by birth should
>tell you right there that Shinto is not a religion the way we typically
>think of religion in the west.

There's a few countries in Europe - Germany is one IIRC - where you
automatically become a member of the local Establishment church when
you are born unless you take action otherwise.

I would type more but this is yet another thread that I can see
heading towards the kill file very soon...

Ken