Can anyone explain this to me?

2 things: 1. I read somewhere that at Shinto temples there are like these lists where people write their names in order to be like accepted into Shinto or something like that (I didn't understood exactly) and there anyone can put their names even if they are of other religion. Can anyone explain this?
2. I was watching an anime where this guy was going to a temple and the priest said something like "I've informed your patron deity of your intention to get married". What did he mean by "patron deity"? Can people choose the deity they want as patron or what?

I wrote an explanation, but I switched pages and lost the text that I wrote. Why don't you stop watching anime for your information on Japan, and pick up a book, (ANY BOOK) on shinto in the library... it's all pretty clear.

PS. I have prayed & given an offering of yen at a Shinto temple... I am not practicing Shinto, per say... if that answers anything.

edit: Oh... this link below answers pretty much all of your questions, a little bit more expansively than I originally replied... Except for the personal kami, the personal kami may be one that is chosen because of what prefecture the person lives in etcetera... or any other personal choice, being that there are so many thousands of different kami in shinto.

http://www.globalcompassion.com/gallery05.htm

Dark Gami said:

2. I was watching an anime where this guy was going to a temple and the priest said something like "I've informed your patron deity of your intention to get married". What did he mean by "patron deity"? Can people choose the deity they want as patron or what?

Click to expand...

Dungeons & Dragons

I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist. It so sounded like something from D&D. Don't use it as a reference, either, it's actually worse than anime. I couldn't help laughing my rear off when I read this, though.

Isn't this the user that has talked about abandoning her citizenship and going off to live in Japan to be a Shinto priestess or something? Perhaps you should stop using anime and video games as a reference tool if you have any serious interest in Shinto, it's proving detrimental to your education.