The Evening Star (December 16, 1945)
MacArthur abolishes state Shinto to end compulsory ‘religion’
Severance of all ties with government leaves sect itself unaffected
TOKYO (AP) – Gen. MacArthur today ordered state Shintoism abolished in Japan to destroy the compulsory religious ideology which his staff asserted led the nation into war – and defeat.
With the expressed aim of freeing people from “direct or indirect compulsion” to believe in “manufactured” religion, the Allied directive laid down a program of broad revision, calling for:
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Withdrawal of all government control and support of state Shinto – “the way of the gods.”
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Purging of militaristic and ultra-nationalistic ideology from doctrine of the cult which preaches ancestor worship and deifies the emperor.
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Removal of Shinto teachings from schools.
Allied officers emphasized that today’s action, carrying out the policy announced recently by the State Department, involves state Shintoism but does not affect the sect of Shinto which, in 1941, had an estimated 17,000,000 adherents. Nor is it an attempt, they said, to dictate religious beliefs of any kind to the Japanese.
70,000,000 considered members
However, the entire population of 70,000,000 is considered members of state Shinto, including 45,000,000 Buddhists and 315,000 Christians.
Brig. Gen. Ken R. Dyke, who described development of state Shinto as “a masterly job of promotion,” said Gen. MacArthur’s order liberates the Japanese from compulsory support of the ideology which “has contributed to their war guilt, defeat, suffering, privation and the present deplorable condition.”
Gen. Dyke is chief of the information and education section which drafted terms of the new religious freedom in Japan. In a statement for the Japanese press, he said all creeds, religions and faiths are placed on exactly the same legal basis.
“Shinto shrines that have a real religious following,” he said, “will be able to exist on voluntary contributions.”
Emperor may continue worship
Navy Lt. William K. Bunce, former professor of Oriental history and dean of Otterbein College, who prepared the text of the directive, expressed belief at a press conference that action in divorcing Shinto from government control would cause its influence to wane.
Asked whether steps affecting the Japanese conception of the emperor’s divinity were contemplated, Gen. Dyke said he could not answer that question at this time.
He added that he saw no reason why the emperor should not continue to worship at the Grand Shrine of Ise, to which Hirohito journeyed recently to report war’s end to his ancestors. In the future, however, the emperor cannot be accompanied by state officials.
“The emperor is still the spiritual head of Japan,” said the general.
Under the heading of militaristic and ultra-nationalistic ideology which must be abolished are doctrines that the emperor is “superior to heads of other states” and the Japanese superior to other peoples because of ancestral descent or special origin – the sun goddess, by Japanese mythology.
Shrine bureau abolished
The directive abolishes the Home Ministry’s shrine bureau, which has exercised jurisdiction over all shrines, written nature-loving rituals, appointed and supervised priests of state Shinto. Of 110,000 Shinto shrines in Japan, 220 are state shrines which have received full government aid.
Total contributions to all shrines from village to national sources has amounted to approximately 2,500,000 yen ($166,666) annually. The expressed Allied intention is to return the shrines to local communities.
A radio broadcast explaining the directive’s objectives is planned for tomorrow.