Editing Makuya (section)

==Beliefs and tenets==
The Makuyas stress "a return to the dynamic faith of the original [[Gospel]] of early [[Jewish Christian|Hebraic Christianity]], as opposed to the dogmatic, institutionalized, European-dominated [[Christian denomination|church]]es." In their view, when biblical religion was introduced to the [[Hellenistic world]], its lively spirit was interpreted within [[Greek philosophy|Greek logic]] and eventually replaced by a set of [[creed]]s. The Makuyas seek to restore this original spirit by returning to the Jewish roots of Christianity and learning about the Bible accordingly.

The Makuyas are concerned about individual salvation and the spiritual restoration, or enhancement, of each nation and social group. For example, they regard the contemporary value system of Japanese society as existentially deteriorated, overtly self-centered, with little consideration of fundamental moral virtues, traditional heritage, or the common and public good of the society as a whole. Unlike nearly all other Christians in Japan, the Makuyas, instead, respect their cultural heritage and seek to inspire, or "re-awaken", as they put it, the "existential spirit of the [[Japanese people]]." In this respect, many Japanese [[Shinto]]ists and [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] who share the same concern support Makuyas' cause. Further, the Makuyas do not seek to [[Proselytism|proselytize]] their faith to adherents of other religions, nor do they urge them to become Makuya members, because the Makuyas believe in religious pluralism, tolerance, and coexistence. In this sense, Makuya is best viewed, as they see it, not as a "[[sect]]", but as a "movement", not as an "exclusive" but as an "inclusive" group.

Unlike other Christians, who use the [[Christian cross]] as their symbol, the Makuyas take the seven-armed Jewish [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]] as their religious emblem, and they display it on their badges or pendants. They prefer to use the menorah as their religious symbol rather than the cross, because to them, the cross symbolizes "suffering," but the menorah is a symbol of "hope". The Makuyas have developed, or incorporated, a number of religious observances, customs, and rituals. They also engage in convocations, marriage ceremonies, and pilgrimages.

Today, the Makuya movement has about a hundred branches, including in [[Japan]], [[Israel]], the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Denmark]], [[France]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Spain]], [[Mexico]], [[Brazil]], [[Paraguay]], [[China]], [[Taiwan]], [[South Korea]], [[India]] and [[Indonesia]]. Following, in part, the biblical tradition ([[2 Samuel 24]]), the movement does not conduct a census; hence, the exact number of its members remains unknown. However, it is known that about 300,000 copies of its major magazine, ''The Light of Life'', are subscribed to and issued monthly.

For those Makuyas who live in Japan, more concretely, Teshima outlined a small number of tenets which he called "Our Beliefs" and they are intended to define the core beliefs of the Makuya:<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Teshima |first=Ikuro |title=Our Beliefs |magazine=The Light of Life |date=June 2011 |issue=35 |page=32}}</ref>
* ''We lament over the spiritual deterioration of Japan and wish for the awakening of'' {{nihongo3|Japanese Spirit|大和魂|"Yamato Damashii"}}.
* ''We wish for the revival of religion in the hearts of the Japanese and pray for the restoration of the 'Original Gospel'.''
* ''We stand on the basis of the non-Church spirit; therefore, we neither belong to nor create any churches or denominations. We solely learn from the [[Bible|Old and New Testaments]].''
* ''We wish for the purification of Christianity. However, we also cherish other religions of Japan and respect the personalities of their masters.''
* ''Rising above the differences of political beliefs, we intend to sanctify Japanese society. We proclaim social justice and humanity with divine love, goodwill, and peace.''
''Christ said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." ([[Matthew 11]]:28)''