As we look closely upon the commercial scene, we observe that there are two kinds of retail stores: those which have just been opened and those which have been long established.

As everybody knows, in new stores there is a kind of vigorous, energetic atmosphere, which comes from the desire of the owners for tremendous expansion. However, they have not established credit with the world as yet. From the customers’ point of view, there is concern about the quality of the merchandise and the reasonableness of the prices. So they buy with experimental attitudes or only because of urgent need.

Conversely, customers have absolute confidence in long-established stores. Their way of thinking is, “The merchandise sold at Such and Such store on Such and Such Street is always good. We can fully trust in its superiority. It is better to shop at such a store with peace of mind than to shop at a new store with an uncertain state of mind.” So they make special trips to buy from the established places, especially when they have to make sizable purchases, even though the stores may be a bit far from their homes. This is indeed due to the reputation these stores have established through the years. So, stores that have just opened must sometimes sacrifice profit in order to draw as many customers as possible from these established stores.

This is nothing new; I think everybody knows about this kind of situation in business. It is interesting to note, however, that the same kind of situation exists among religious organizations. In fact, “new stores” in religion have far more difficult situations to cope with than new stores in business. Most people assume these religions are full of superstition or are totally phony. What a sad situation!

It is true that there are many such false religions, but I would like readers to realize that there are also genuine ones, though they are comparatively rare. I would also like them to give thought to the fact that all long-established religions were also new in their very beginnings. They have only become well-established as the years have gone by.

The “new stores” of religion will eventually become well-established, Trustworthy stores if the “commodities” are of good quality and the “prices” are reasonable. So, it is surely a mistake to think that the “new stores” of religion which have just been founded are all false.

For this reason, I think those who are in a position to comment on a new religion should first investigate it thoroughly with an impartial attitude before coming to a conclusion as to whether it is good or bad. Only then can they rightfully criticize it in public.

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