Religion 宗教観

I found a newspaper article the other day that Spanish court brought a sentence of a 40,000-year prison. It is quite familiar that American court would say 150 or 230-year prison for murders. But this one is far beyond by figures. As commonly discussed with such punishment is capital punishment. On the background of such an absurd judgment there is a warm merciful idea that human being may never kill other human being that God created. However, who on the earth in this current world would believe in God as people used to? After the World War II, people in many of Western Europe would not visit Churches, especially in Scandinavian countries. So-to-say this is being skeletonized.

先日の新聞記事から、スペインで４００００年の懲役刑が出された。懲役１５０年、２３０年というのはよくアメリカの裁判で耳にするところだったが、それとはさらに桁が違う。このことといつも同じように議論されるのが死刑判決。こんな馬鹿げた懲役刑判決のうらには、神が創った人間を別の人間が死刑にすることはできない、というありがたい思想が隠れているわけだが、今の時代いったい誰がどこまで神を、これまでのように無垢に信じている人がいるんだろう？大戦後はスカンジナビア諸国が著しいが、ついで西側先進国ですら教会へ行く人など減る一方。まさに形骸化しつつある。

On this point, it is quite interesting and impressive that Chinese and Japanese can share the similar view. People do not have to promise human right to those who would ignore human right of others. It is out of reason that murders would live comfortably in prison being fed and general people would live in efforts with least public assistance. It is common sense in Japan that whoever broke the rule and brought turbulence in the society should be punished. I do not think that death sentence would disappear in Japan.

この点については面白いことに中国と日本では考え方に相違点がある。人の人権を無視する者に人権を認める必要はない、殺人犯が監獄でぬくぬくとただ飯を食べて、一般の人が生活保護を受けながら苦しい生活をするのは道理が通らない。日本では社会の和を壊したものはその報いを受ける。これは当たり前。日本で死刑がなくなることは絶対にありえないと思う。

As quite usual then would come Japan reproach. It seems very often that European or American would believe without any doubt that what they think is absolutely right, as if it is the very their task and fate to broaden their idea to primitively developed barbarians. Well there is no other developed countries but Japan to have a capital punishment. Japanese are brute, and they eat whales, too... In general, European or American are open, reasonable and kind. I have no doubt about it. But once we are standing on the other side due to benefit, they would ware the superior air and just push their idea to other, without imagining even to hear a single word of people living in "different" world. They are too busy to have interest what an idea Japanese would have for the capital punishment and for how European would think about it.

そこでいつものことだが、ジャパンバッシング。何かにつけて欧州人というのは自分の考えこそが絶対的に正しいことで、それを未発育の野蛮人に教えてやることが彼らの使命だと思っているようだ。死刑を執行しているような国は先進国の中では日本だけだ。日本は野蛮だ。そういえば日本人は鯨も食う。。。。。一般的には西欧人はオープンで、理性的で親切。これに異論はない。ただ一旦何かの利害が対立する場面になると、彼らはすぐに高慢な態度で人を見下し、自分たちの考えをゴリ押しするばかりで”別の世界”に住む人間の言うことになど耳を傾けようなどこれっぽっちも考えない。日本人が死刑に対してこんな考え方を持っていて、西洋人の捕らえ方についてはこんな感想を持っている。自分の主張に夢中でそんなことには興味すら持たない。

Japanese common sense is out of reason in the world. This common phrase is but used just to look down to what Japanese would do. But it should not just be that. Lost camera or wallet was found at police station, a stranger helped me at train station... If such unreasonable happening would happen in Japan, why can we be proud of it? Even if European would call us barbarian, we would not intentionally open old woulds of Europeans. Such common matter in Japan would never happen in poor Europe! As we already know that they have no idea to have respect for others, Japanese should justify themselves. No way to europanise Japan! In such decade with so the unreliable government, the idea is quite important.

日本人の常識は世界の非常識。このよく聞く言葉はかならず日本を見下した意味で使われるが、それだけじゃない。落としたカメラや財布が交番で見つかった、見知らぬ人が駅で助けてくれた。そういういわゆる世界では非常識が起こり得るのが日本だと思えば、これこそが胸を張っていいことではないか。西洋人にお前たちは野蛮人だと言われても、わざわざ傷持つ脛をつつくようなことを敢えてしない。そんな日本では当たり前のことすらできないのがヨーロッパなのだと。向こうに相手に対する敬意を持つ気がないことを知れば、日本人は自己弁護をしなければならない。日本を西洋化するなどとんでもない。政府もこんな頼りない時代にこそ大切な考え方だと思う。