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Ogamisama Tensho Kotai Jingu Kyo is a religion founded by a charismatic individual called Sayo Kitamura, she is known by Her followers as Ogamisama, (the great god) (born January 1, 1900-1967). She grew up in rural Japan and at the age of 20, she married a farmer in the small village of Tabuse. She had completed only six years of formal education. Ogamisama had no religious convictions, until the year 1943 when she began to receive revelations. Tensho- kotai-Jin, a Shinto god descended into her body and she was told to be the founder of the kingdom of God on earth. She began giving daily sermons in July, 1945, after having gone through strict religious austerities for several years. Their religion claims she was chosen, just as were Buddha and Christ who preceded Her, to be the modern day Savior of mankind. This brings up problems immediately from a Christian perspective, since Christ the Son was not chosen as the Buddha, he decidedly came to earth from heaven in concordance with God the fathers plan. Tensho- kotai-Jin is seen as God of the universe equal to the Christian heavenly father and the eternal Buddha. God is taught to be both male and female pair and possessed Sayo Kitamura body to form a trinity. Ogamisama's mission had Her go throughout Japan, as well as to Hawaii and the U.S. mainland several times. from November 1964, to July 1965.she went on an Evangelical World Tour that covered 36 countries lasting nine months. , Her Teachings have continued to spread throughout the world. They have branches mostly centered in the Japanese- American communities, Hawaii being one of them. For 23 years she gave what she considered God's Message wherever She went. She is said to have had powers to heal and prophecy. Followers of Ogamisama consider this a critical time having urgency to convey her Teachings to establishing world peace. Her concept to establish the kingdom on earth involved purging 6 roots of evil. Regret, desire, hatred, fondness, love, and being loved excessively . for salvation one needed to be rid of evil spirits and karma was nullified with prayer. Odoru Shukyo is related to the Lords prayer. Where they dance expressing inner bliss after their spiritual purification. Adherents strive to spiritually purify their hearts and minds that they may fulfill their purpose in service to God and their fellow man. This certainly is a works base righteousness that Jesus came to deliver man from. The simple reason we cannot accomplish this with our fallen nature no matter how good we can become. They are active in evangelism supported by a number of publications. Voice of heaven and the main document the Prophet of Tabuse which is a biography of Ogamisamas life. Ogamisama sayings "Those who devote themselves to the attainment of world peace should first have peace within themselves and within their families." "Everyday life is that of spiritual discipline in which one bears the karma of their past, present, and future. So, in the course of your life, you may encounter various ordeals or difficulties according to your past karma. Ordeals come to you, so that you can pay your karmic debts, but at the same time, they are divine guidance to correct your faults which have been the cause of your negative deeds." 'Before you ask or require others to change, change yourself first, then they will change." "The time is over for you to only believe in God and ask for God's favor. Come up to God by advancing along the path to God by purifying your soul." The same old line of becoming something we cannot. Gods favor is found in only one, " Son of God" not another. "Anyone can live in Heaven on earth where there is no suffering and anxiety. As the Kingdom of God spreads, the world of the devil must inevitably disappear for it cannot win against the laws of nature. Nature itself is God; God himself is nature." This is typical pantheistic view that all is God, if this is true he is getting older and dying since the scientific law of entropy is in effect. "In the spiritual world nothing is more beautiful than sincerity. Those who want to advance on the road to God should do everything with sincerity. Sincerity is the only thing that you can offer to God which He accepts and praises. It is the only thing God entrusted in your custody. Everything else in the universe belongs to God. " By advancing spiritually while maintaining their families and occupations, they believe they can create a world of true sincerity and enlightenment called God's Kingdom on earth. Sincerity is a human quality that can be admired but one can be sincerely wrong. Case in point, their religion. When Sayo Kitamura died in 1967 her granddaughter Kiyokazu Kitamura (Himegamisama) succeeded her. Hardly a comparison to Jesus who died and rose again. Info from trac on Ogamisama And the Encyclopedia of American Religions J.Gordon Melton
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