Mr. Shoichiro Takahashi (Kokugakuin University) and Weekly Shincho should reflect on their opportunism and regain humility towards the truth.

In the July 23 issue of Weekly Shincho, philosopher of science Shoichiro Takahashi (Kokugakuin University) slanders spiritual messages. However, he does not respond at all to the rebuttals we presented and continues to repeat his own arguments filled with opportunistic citations, which does not seem sincere. Mr. Takahashi and Weekly Shincho should stop defaming faith and become humble before the Buddha and gods.

Mr. Takahashi who 'asserts' that Dr. Obokata's past life was Madame Curie

In this column, Mr. Takahashi 'asserts' that one of Dr. Obokata's past lives was Madame Curie, and questions the lack of commonality between her and Dr. Obokata, who is being condemned as the central figure of fraudulent research, by citing that Madame Curie is called a 'mirror of scientists.'

However, in the book, it is only speculated that Dr. Obokata's guardian spirit might be someone like Madame Curie, and it is not certified. Determining past lives is not easy, and there are cases where the spirit itself may speak falsely. Therefore, in making a determination, we conduct 'triangulation' by listening to opinions from multiple spirits, continuing efforts to ensure objectivity and empirical validity while valuing sincerity and intellectual honesty.

Mr. Takahashi who only cites what is convenient for his own theory

On the other hand, why is there no sincerity seen in Mr. Takahashi's writing? This time, he lists beautiful stories such as Madame Curie, who grew up in a poor family, donating all her Nobel Prize money, and criticizes spiritual messages by saying, 'There would surely be a storm of criticism from around the world against a view that treats Madame Curie and Ms. Obokata on the same level.'

However, it is a fact that Madame Curie was condemned by heartless media and academia with scandals, and was even stoned by crowds. In other words, she was treated as a 'villainess' by the media. Unable to endure this predicament, Madame Curie fled her home with her children and was sheltered by friends, which is exactly like Dr. Obokata's current situation.

Spiritual messages are about discerning the nature and tendencies of a person's soul and determining their 'line.' Madame Curie, in her pursuit of scientific truth that changed the times, aroused jealousy around her. Nevertheless, Mr. Takahashi only highlights the part of Madame Curie's life that was pure and hated injustice to justify his own argument, while ignoring her clear tendency of 'not being able to maneuver well and gradually increasing enemies.' If this is not opportunism, what is?

Mr. Takahashi who depicts Hippocrates as an atheist

Such opportunism of Mr. Takahashi was also prominent in the previous column (July 16 issue) that featured 'the father of medicine,' Hippocrates.

In this column titled 'Why blindly believe in absurd stories?', Mr. Takahashi states that humans believe everything they hear in childhood and attribute it to gods, and then features Hippocrates as a person who 'thoroughly criticized such ideas.'

He then emphasizes only that Hippocrates thought diseases naturally occur and are not the work of superstition, magic, or gods, and criticized it as unsuitable for Dr. Obokata's past life.

However, Hippocrates did not deny the existence of gods themselves. At the end of the column, Mr. Takahashi features the 'Hippocratic Oath,' still recited at medical school graduations, praising its spirit of positivism, but this 'Hippocratic Oath' itself begins with an oath to 'Apollo the physician, Asclepius, Hygieia, Panacea, and all the gods and goddesses.' Yet, Mr. Takahashi deliberately quotes the World Medical Association's Declaration of Geneva, where this oath to the gods is omitted, making it seem as if Hippocrates was a medical materialist. Does Mr. Takahashi, who approves of twisting citations to suit himself, not possess the spirit of 'purity and holiness in carrying out my life and my art' (from Article 5 of the Hippocratic Oath)?

Furthermore, Hippocrates is said to be a descendant of Asclepius, the god of medicine, who revived the dead with his excellent medical skills and later became a god. His humble attitude of considering his discoveries and wisdom as gifts from the god of medicine likely gave rise to such legends. This closely aligns with the attitude of Dr. Obokata's guardian spirit, who spoke of challenging the ultimate battle of 'whether science can be established by acknowledging the creative and formative actions of gods' in spiritual messages.

Incidentally, the staff of Asclepius, entwined with a snake, is still used worldwide as a symbol of medicine. This reflects the unconscious belief that modern medicine is under the guidance of the god of medicine, and it is evidence that the assistance of Buddha and gods works in the medical field, often performing miracles and enhancing people's awe for 'invisible forces.'

Mr. Takahashi and Weekly Shincho should regain humility

In the end, Mr. Takahashi lacks the religious knowledge to discuss spiritual messages and other mystical phenomena, and he merely follows the dictates of the Weekly Shincho editorial department, repeatedly making baseless accusations against Happy Science. It is hard to believe that Mr. Takahashi, who repeats irrelevant personal theories, has the pride of a researcher.

If Mr. Takahashi claims to be a philosopher of science, why not boldly develop a scientific philosophy theory? The lack of any sign of this is probably due to the limitations of the thinking of both Weekly Shincho and Mr. Takahashi. It is religious truth, including spiritual messages, that opens the door to the infinite possibilities of humans. Both should once again regain humility and sincerity before the truth.

※ Regarding Weekly Shincho, the following publications are available from Happy Science Publishing: 'Research on the Demon Nesting in Weekly Shincho' open_in_new'Weekly Shincho Editor-in-Chief: The Devil's Radioactive Contamination' open_in_new'No Longer Human: Shinchosha President Takashi Sato's Runaway to Ruin' open_in_new'Buddhist Sutra: The Phenomenon Edition of the Demon of Shincho' open_in_new.

Happy Science Group Public Relations Division Director Tomoaki Takama