The Supreme God in the Bible

At first sight, the teaching of “the Supreme God” does not seem to differ from the basic monotheistic scriptural teaching, which postulates that “There is only one God.” But if you read the Bible carefully, it says “There are many gods, and the highest god is one of them.”

In the Old Testament it is written that “God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings.” (Psalms 82:1)

In the Book of Exodus when God saves the Israelites from Egypt, it says “I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.” (18:11)

In the Book of Deuteronomy, it says “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.” (10:17) There are many entities that can be referred to as “gods” (high level spirits), and all of them create and revive religions everywhere, giving guidance to the people of the world.

Moses and Jesus Christ, Muhammad, or in Japan, Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Kami, have played this role before. The archangels that appear in the Bible, Michael and Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel, all of them could be classified as gods.
Among these gods, the highest spiritual being is the Supreme god. This is also written in the Bible. In conclusion, based on the Bible, the Christian point of view hardly differs from what we believe at Happy Science.

All World Religions Originate from Spirit Messages

Criticism 2: Happy Science publishes messages from the spirits of the dead. The Bible says “Men and women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.” (Leviticus 20:27)

In his lecture “In Tune with the Mind of Science” Master Ryuho Okawa of Happy Science said that all world religions originate from spirit messages delivered by high level spirits.

He also pointed out that“at the beginning of every religion, the founder of the religion usually feels the presence and hears the words of a spiritual entity.”

The Old Testament, the Bible of the Jewish religion, is about Moses hearing the voice of God, while the New Testament, the Bible of the Christians, is about Jesus Christ hearing the voice of “God the Father. ” Through archangel Gabriel, Muhammad heard the word of Allah and consequently founded Islam.

The Bible is Full of Spirit Messages

This criticism based on the Old Testament condemns the spirit messages published by Happy Science, but in a broader sense of the word, the Bible itself is full of such spirit messages.

Jesus himself said:

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work though me.” (John 14:10)

The Old Testament and the Bible as a whole are full of God calling upon the prophets and communicating His thoughts through them. It is an accumulation of prophets passing on the word of God. Moses, Elijah, Isaiah the first and the second, and Jeremiah were all channels for the word of God.

Not only God, angels also pass on messages.

Archangel Gabriel visited Zechariah the priest in Jerusalem, and told him that his wife who had been plagued by infertility was pregnant with John the Baptist.

Gabriel also appeared to Mary of Nazareth and told her she would give birth to Jesus. In many ways, the famous Annunciation is actually a spirit message.

Of course in some cases, we also hear the devil speak. When Jesus meditated in the desert, Satan appeared to him, and challenged him with a series of temptations, but Jesus did not succumb to them.

One of the highlights in the New Testament is the conversion of Paul the Apostle, based on a spirit message delivered to him by Jesus after his death. On his way to Damascus, Paul, who was persecuting the followers of Jesus, heard a voice saying “Why are you persecuting me?” “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting, ” which led to his epic conversion to Christianity.

Christianity would never have become a world religion without these messages from the spirits of the dead, which the Old Testament allegedly forbids. The criticism against Master Ryuho Okawa’s spirit messages rejects the very starting point of Christianity itself.

Today, We Need to Learn how to Serve both God and Money

Criticism 3: Happy Science is for people who want profits and money in this worldly life, which makes it an impure faith.

Many Christians feel strong discomfort concerning the fact that Happy Science teaches how to become wealthier in this life.

After Master Ryuho Okawa’s lecture in Uganda, AP News published an article introducing the opinions of those criticizing Happy Science for focusing on how people can become wealthier in their worldly life.

“Happy Science followers expect Master Ryuho Okawa to give them money.”

“A lot of them are not genuine believers but just want to make profits.”

These statements bring up the fundamental question what role religion should play in the modern world.

In the New Testament, Jesus says:

“In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:25)

“You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)

If we took these statements literally, it would mean that rich people cannot go to Heaven.

Based on these statements, Happy Science can be criticized for its many teachings about work and management that concern this worldly life.

But giving it further consideration, it becomes obvious that in today’s society, in which economic activity is highly developed, the question how we can overcome poverty and attain wealth is at the root of many people’s trouble. In today’s environment, religion needs to include in its teachings how we can serve both God and Money.