Religious belief was differentiated from paying reverence in shrines or in shrine rituals, but it caused discord among Christians, who were totally monotheistic and repudiated the worship of other religions, or followers of Jodo Shinshu (the True Pure Land Sect of Buddhism), which insisted on the strict separation of government and religion.
宗教的な信仰と、神社と神社で行われる祭祀への敬礼は区分されたが、他宗教への礼拝を一切否定した完全一神教の視点を持つキリスト教徒や、厳格な政教分離を主張した浄土真宗との間に軋轢を生んだ面もある。