The Reason Why Religion is Necessary in Politics - What is the Meaning of 'Separation of Religion and Politics'?

In Japan, many people currently believe that 'the state was linked to Shinto and caused a tragic war' and 'we must learn from that lesson, and religion and politics must not be linked.'

However, 'Separation of Religion and Politics' does not mean that religious organizations should not participate in politics.

The Constitution of Japan guarantees 'freedom of assembly,' 'freedom of speech and publication,' and 'freedom of occupational choice,' allowing religious figures to become politicians and religions to establish political parties.

Separation of Religion and Politics was created to ensure that the state does not suppress religion, stemming from the fact that the pre-war Japanese government suppressed certain religions in connection with State Shinto, so that such things do not happen again. The essence of it is to 'protect religion from state power.'

So, is religion necessary in politics? What would happen if religion were completely excluded from politics? In this feature, we will introduce 'the reasons why religion is necessary in politics' based on the teachings of President Ryuho Okawa.