News & Stories

Freedom of Religion at Risk in Japan

February 22, 2007

Despite a constitution that guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the Japan Supreme Court is set to rule against public school teachers, some of them Christians, who were disciplined or removed from their posts because they refused to sing the national anthem, which praises the emperor as a deity. 
     Two lower courts already have ruled regarding the more than 200 teachers, and the Supreme Court has said it will hand down a ruling on February 27 without even hearing the case.  
     We wrote in our prayer letter last month that our son, Josiah, who attends first grade in Japan, has been feeling pressure to sing the anthem, since the Ministry of Education has begun forcing the singing of the anthem by school students. Thankfully, thus far Josiah’s teacher has not insisted that he sing it.  
     Persecution in Japan is not as severe as in many countries of the world, but it seems to be quickly heading in a bad direction. Please pray for Christians who must choose between their job and their Savior and for the children of believers who are being forced to participate in this and other Shinto-related activities in school.  
     As always, thank you for your prayers. 
 
—David and Evangeline Kindervater, Alliance missionaries to Japan