Mahikari and Christianity

As you have probably guessed by now, I am a Christian. That is, I attempt to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible. Mahikari is based on the teachings of Yoshikazu Okada. I have observed that in this day and age, many people are seeking spiritual answers to life's questions. In this respect, Christians and members of Mahikari are no different. I see that we both desire a better world, and peace with our Creator. The issue is how this hope can best be realised. Are we taking different paths up the same mountain, or is one of these paths a dead end, so to speak? Mahikari claims that it seeks to unify all religions, and welcomes people of any spiritual persuasion into its organisation. This may sound appealing, but is this goal possibly in practical terms?

Sukyo Mahikari describes itself as a supra-religious movement. By accepting people of all spiritual backgrounds or none, Mahikari seeks to achieve unity between all religions. It teaches that since all religions originate from God, adherents of different faiths must put aside their differences, and unite under the umbrella of Mahikari. Yoshikazu Okada, the movement's founder, taught that all religions that originated before Mahikari were only a partial revelation of God, and that his movement was the complete fulfilment of God's revelation to humanity. Unity between religions can only be achieved by replacing them, declaring them obsolete. Indeed, this is the goal of Mahikari. This is intellectual suicide. Comparing the teachings of Mahikari to those of Christianity shows that the teachings of these belief systems are so different that harmonisation of them is impossible. They are like two magnets that repel each other when someone tries to join them together.

The God of Mahikari, and the God of Christianity are not the same. From what I have read, the God of Mahikari, Su God, is cold, distant, fearsome and cruel. His creation can only gain his approval by serving him satisfactorily. In the eyes of this god, Mahikari followers must seem like children trying in vain to earn the acceptance of an unloving father. Compare this to the God of Christianity. He is holy and also to be feared, but this is a healthy fear based on reverence. The God of Christianity is also loving, forgiving, and merciful, not wanting any of his children to die, but to come into a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. Indeed, He is grieved when someone passes into eternity without knowing Him. Therefore I believe that Mahikari teachings concerning the character and nature of God are distorted.

Reincarnation is a key part of Mahikari teachings, but not Christianity. Contrary to Mahikari literature, Jesus did not believe in reincarnation, and it is not a part of his teachings. As we shall see later on, the Christian, whose sins are forgiven by Jesus, has the assurance that when they die, they will go to be with Jesus forever. Although a person's physical body may die, the soul is immortal. According to Mahikari doctrines, before the soul is permitted to enter the afterlife, the soul may be required to be reborn over several lifetimes. Each life is to be used to rid the soul of whatever spiritual impurities it may have acquired in previous physical incarnations.

In Mahikari, that is why True Light is so important. This True Light is a mysterious supernatural energy radiated from the palm of the hand to the recipient. The Mahikari follower uses True Light by wearing an Omitama, an occultic amulet worn around the neck and kept in a protective pouch, and this is the source of believer's connection with God. This power is supposed to heal the body of its impurities, both physical and spiritual. It is claimed that it can be used to heal illnesses in the place of conventional medicine, and many Mahikari members claim to have been healed by this light. Mahikari members are told that this power comes from God, but it cannot come from the God of Christianity. Nowhere in the teachings of Christianity are there any commandments from God for his people to use these occultic powers, or to consult with spirits. In fact, God strongly warns His people against such practices, and anyone who disregards this warning does so at their own peril. See for example Deuteronomy 18:10-12; 2 Kings 21:6; Micah 5:12; Isaiah 47:12; Ezekiel 13:18, 20; Acts 8:11-24; Leviticus 20:27; Exodus 7:11; Revelation 9:21; 22:15, and Galatians 5:20-21.

In Mahikari, there is also a spiritual aspect to illnesses and human suffering. Members are taught that these are caused by "attaching spirits". To use a personal example, I have back trouble, caused by a workplace injury, which often causes me great discomfort. Seeking relief, I attend a Mahikari healing session. As I receive the light, strange phenomena may occur. An attaching spirit may manifest itself, and possess me. This spirit would then explain that in life, it was a warrior killed in battle by my ancestor who threw a spear into his back. It now seeks revenge by attaching itself to me, the descendant of his killer. Through this process of spirit investigation, I discover that an attaching spirit is the real cause of my illness, brought about through the misdeeds of my ancestors. The true light is used to elevate the condition of the spirit in the spiritual realm, and free them from their attachment to my body. As long as I receive the light often, and faithfully serve the Mahikari movement with my time and generous monetary donations, my suffering will be alleviated, my body will remain free of impurities, and through my own efforts, I will have made myself acceptable to God.

Hopefully, this makes me worthy to be a part of God's New Holy Civilisation. This civilzation will come about at the end of time. According to Mahikari teachings, the world is headed for a global cataclysm in which millions of people will die. Since they have made themselves pure and demonstrated their worth through their adherence to Mahikari, the only survivors will be Mahikari followers. These Tanebito, or "seed people", will live in a golden age in which the Emperor of Japan, who is worshipped as a god and divine, will establish theocratic rule on the earth. This is a clear distortion of Christian eschatology. As I will explain later, Jesus taught that one day, at the end of human history he will personally return to earth, and put an end to all suffering and evil. A mere man cannot accomplish this.

My reading about Mahikari to date leads me to the conclusion that it is spiritual slavery. For those who are involved in this movement, there is no love and forgiveness of sin in Mahikari, only fear, control, and a constant feeling of insecurity. Imagine being told that everything that happens to you is caused by malicious attaching spirits, whose sole purpose is to cause you harm? How can you ever be sure that you have done enough to earn the approval of God, free yourself from the influence of the attaching spirits, or be considered worthy enough to be a part of this so-called New Holy Civilisation? How could you ever find peace in such a movement? Such peace can only be found in following Jesus Christ, and him alone.

As you will see when you view this site, God's love cannot be earned by our own efforts, no matter how hard we try. He loves us even though we do not deserve it. He wants us to be his friends and his servants, and it is only by believing in Jesus that we can do this. Rather than take my word for it, is my hope that as you view this site, you will look into these matters for yourself.