What In The World Do They Mean By Religion?

What is Religion?

I am not a religionist, nor am I a expert who has made this subject my
special field of study.  However, as a human being, I am constantly
considering the question: what is religion? What is the relationship between
society and religion, what is the influence of religion on society and politics,
 the plus and minus factors?-As an individual I ponder these questions.
I have very grave doubts concerning the religion espoused by Soka Gakkai.
 Are they a religous organization? What do they mean by religion?  I am
concerned about these fundamental questions.  For example, it is concerning
their attitude about their favorite activity-shakubuku, that causes suspicions.
Religion is above all something which exists inside of a person, and unless a
person believes with their heart, it is meaningless.  Religion by compulsion is
not religion at all. Perhaps their goal in shakubuku is to help those whose
 hearts are possessed by evil religions and by shakubuku to bring out their
pure, innate religious nature.
However, when we consider their manner and methods of shakubuku, we
 have serious doubts concerning whether these methods are those which a
 conscientiously religious person should use.  In reply to this, they will perhaps argue:
"But fundamentally shakubuku is an act of mercy, and since the sin of espousing
an evil religion is so great, drastic measures
are necessary to expiate it."  However this is the belief of one peculiar religious
 sect, and we have grave doubts that this is the doctrine which a properly religious
person could apply to society as a whole.  Everytime a Soka Gakkai member
opens his mouth he will say: "But this is the doctrine of Soka", or "former
President Toda said this", or "because President Ikeda said it!" They regard
"Toda" and "Ikeda" as the absolute and sacred authority, and repeat like parrots
 their words, accepted as immutable and absolutely right and all important.
This attitude is similar to that of the Communists who, to give authority to
their opinions, quote directly from the works of Marx, Lenin and Mao.
This is why the doctrines of Soka Gakkai cause me to have doubts and I
 am not the only one who has them.
I admit that the Christian who quotes from the Bible, or the Moslem who
 quotes from the Koran, or the Maoist who quotes from the writings of Mao
 are, too, examples of religious believers, however, I have doubts concerning
 whether Soka Gakkai's true religious power has permeated their believers
and the public.  There is the problem of whether what they are doing is right
 or wrong, proper or improper, but also there is the bigger problem of this
mammoth organization 's recent use of their organizational power as a lever,
 and with this power as a cover, expanding their movement. Because they
are so powerful, to speak out concerning a religious group or to criticize them
 has become a kind of "taboo." This has become the prevalent tendency among
the mass communication media of Japan.  This sort of fear of and silence
 toward Soka Gakkai on the part of the media of Japan is not due to their
conception that Soka Gakkai is a fine, prominent and authoritative religion.
  It is rather because of the fear of social, economic, and political pressures
 which this vast power block can bring to bear on them.
Those normal individuals, who are annoyed by Soka Gakkai's attacks on
 their critics, do not protest because of fear of reprisals against them.
It is said that Mohammed engaged in mission work with a sword in one
hand and the Koran in the other, and there is no denying that there have
been many methods used in propagating religion, but we must understand
clearly the differences between the social conditions of that day and the present.
 Freedom of speech, and freedom of publication, which are recognized by the
Constitution, must not be hindered or pressured by Soka Gakkai, or tampered
with and crushed by behind the scenes Soka Gakkai pressure, but as a matter
of fact, I have heard of many such cases, not only in publications but in advertising,
 the press, and radio as well as other media.  They make a big show of their power,
which is a kind of sword by which they can bring pressure to bear. Is this normal for
 a religious body?  I will leave to the reader's judgement the matter as to whether this
 is a corrupted form of religion or a form of religious advancement.  I personally think
 this is a haughty, corrupt religion, engaging in non-religious activities.  A part of the
 responsibility for Soka Gakkai's being able to get away with this sort of thing may
 belong to the mass media of Japan, which to this extent indicates its own weaknesses
 and corruption, but we could never on those grounds, condone the methods of Soka
 Gakkai. Soka Gakkai is so far from being what a true religious group should be that
 from a strictly amateur's standpoint, we must raise the question:  "Just what is religion?"
We amateurs cannot help saying that there are many religions un-worthy of the name,
 and especially this swaggering religion, quite unlike a religion.  If this is the case, fo
 us human beings, what is religion anyway?  In Japan there are various religions,
and in the spiritual life of the Japanese, and particularly in the spiritual life of the
masses, the role of Buddhism has been quite large.  Also, there is the influence
of Shinto, formerly the state religion, and Christianity and to a smaller degree the
influence of the Moslem faith.  In the history of Japan, it is a well known fact that
 Buddhism has fulfilled many functions in the life of the people.
Human beings are weak, and there are times when they crack up, so religion
 gives hope to those who have a longing for something permanent to cling to.
Some heads of the "newly arisen religions" in Japan (PL Kyodan) have stated
that in the 21st century, with the progress in various new sicentific techniques,
 religion will disappear, but it could also be said that it will develop as a new form
of religion.  As long as human beings are under the questions of birth, life, and
death, and what will give meaning to the emptiness of life, whether God or Buddha,
 they will probably continue to seek for some absolute, and religion will continue
 to exist in some form as long as human beings exist.  Religion exists primarily to
 fill this need.
 My frank impression is that if Soka Gakkai continues its present course as
regards display of the outward development, it will rapidly degenerate and
come to ruin as a heretical religion-this is my deep feeling about Soka Gakkai.
 Soka Gakkai in its present form, is quite different from what I think of as a
religion-in a word, it is going down the wrong road.
A mountain is not beautiful because of its height alone and a mammoth organization
 is not valuable only because of its size.  The larger the religious organization, and
 the larger the institutions, the less the religion can meet the inward spiritual needs
and its spiritual foundation is lost, and its ability to fill spiritual needs degenerates.
 In history, from ancient times to the present, this has been the rule concerning
the degeneration of religions, and Soka Gakkai seems more and more to be no
exception to this rule.  In this meaning, it is necessary for Soka Gakkai to tackle
 the question of what is the true meaning for the existence of a religion, and on this
build their doctrine, instead of developing on the combination of the flimsy, bizarre,
 and farfetched philosophies and theories of Makiguchi and Toda . To show these
to the populace is significant.