Is Offering Money to the Gods Bribery?

*Hiragana Times CIA(Cynically Insulting Agency)

It is a traditional custom that Japanese people visit shrines and temples at the beginning of the New Years period and make a wish to the gods. Can gods make their wishes come true? Hiragana Times CIA recently successfully contacted a Japanese god thanks to a top secret, ultra high technology communication device.

CIA: Thank you for your time. How's business this year?

God: As Japan failed again last year to get through the recession, many people have been visiting me with high expectations and so I'm very busy.

CIA: It's good. What are the common characteristics of visitors this year?

God: The number of those who neglect being courteous to gods has increased. This year few people offered monetary gifts of over 1,000 yen. Most offered less than 500 yen. Nevertheless, they made big wishes without even hesitating. One woman made a wish, "Dear god, please find a man for me with lots of money, good character and who is handsome like Bae Yong Joon," and offered me a 100 coin.

CIA: This probably means that for many Japanese, living has become so tight that they can't afford to make enough money to offer you. Frankly, Do the worshippers get any benefit?

God: Well, you know, hundreds of thousands of people visit me only at New Years, but the number of people for whom a god can make their wishes come true is limited. Unfortunately, we cannot grant the wishes of everyone.

CIA: This is something I hesitate to ask you, but as there is a proverb "Money talks." Does a wish come true depending on the amount of money offered?

God: No, it's not true. The amount of money offered depends on the visitors' feelings. It is a representation of human nature that people offer large amounts of money if they want their wishes to come true.

CIA: Then how do you select the people for whom you will grant their wishes?

God: It's a corporate secret. One thing I can give you a hint about is that in this world there are lucky people whose wishes come true, and at the same time, there are many unlucky people.

CIA: Many people lose money while some people are lucky. This is the same as a gamble or a lottery operator in principal. You are doing this business knowing from the beginning that many people lose their money, aren't you? Don't you feel bad about this?

God: Not at all. They are offering money to us gods in order to fulfill their wishes. If they do the same thing in human society, it will be a bribe and they will be arrested. We take the money offering as a donation.

CIA: We believe that the role of a god is to help the unlucky people in human society. You receive donations, but actually you do nothing. Any comment on this?

God: We have never said that your wishes would be granted if you paid a visit to us. Human beings voluntarily built our shrines and have worshiped us gods. In fact, we gods can do nothing. Remember! Human beings created us. You human beings can make yourselves happy and have the power to save unlucky people, but ironically you ask us, who have no power, for help. We don't understand the mentality of human beings.

*Hiragana Times CIA(Cynically Insulting Agency)

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