How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"But what has happened during these six years? What about baptism and the sacraments?" (2.34)
That's a good question. As it turns out, Japanese Christians created their own version of Catholic rituals, changing certain aspects to evade the prying eyes of the government. But could the religion really have remained unchanged after all of that time?
Quote #5
The Buddhist bonzes simply treat them like cattle. For a long time they have just lived in resignation to such a fate. (3.84)
The Japanese peasants find Christianity to be a more sympathetic religion than Buddhism. After all, those Buddhist monks just keep rambling about boring old reincarnation, while the missionaries talk about paradise and heaven on Earth. As we'll see, however, this leads to a slightly different twist on the religion.
Quote #6
The peasants here [...] kept pressing me for a small crucifix or medal or holy picture [...] but somehow their whole attitude makes me uneasy. (3.91)
Rodrigues is finally realizing that the Japanese believe in a different sortof Christianity from what he believes in. The Japanese seem to hold holy objects in very high esteem—this might be due to the animism (the belief that objects can have souls) at the center of Shinto, the dominant native religion of Japan.