I would like to close with some thoughts about Japanese society to show the urgency of the Gospel to be grasped in this country. For weddings in Japan there is the traditional Shinto ceremony. More couples, however, are using the Christian ceremony today than Shinto. This does not mean they embrace the Christian faith, though. In fact marriage is in serious trouble. Couples are waiting longer to get married; of those who do marry 25% plan not to have children and 45% say that parenting is a drag! Last year there were over 400,000 abortions (a form of birth control); and 40% of those married in the last couple of years will end in divorce! 27% of Japanese wives admit to experiencing physical abuse. All this amounts to a projected 30% decrease in population from the present 130 million to 90 million by the year 2050!
From Bruce Young, CPI Leadership Team advisor and third generation missionary.
