Religion, China

One of the people we met in China described the Chinese attitude towards religion as ‘pragmatic’. He said there were six religions in China and he thought all of them had some good points. “We take those.  It doesn't matter where they came from.” Kind of a refreshing and open-minded view, and probably not surprising in a place where devout religiosity was never really the norm.

And what are the six religions that coexist side-by-side? His list was Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, Christianity, and (wait for it) - communism. I wonder if one has not been left off - capitalism? I guess the distinction might be between those religions that are practiced, as opposed to those whose principals are revered and taught. If the latter is your standard then maybe capitalism does not fit. If the former is the standard, maybe it is communism that drops off.

As for the other five, we saw evidence of the practice of each of them. Buddhism was probably the most widespread and common, with temples and shrines dating back centuries and representing significant architectural and cultural achievements of the ancient regimes. In Shanghai we visited a Taoist temple with priests and practitioners mingling with the visitors who paid 40 Yuan to visit the historic site. The mosques we visited in Nanjing and Xi’an were about the same. Xi’an has had an Islamic presence for centuries and the city has its Muslim quarter where their food and wares are quite prominent. Their mosque is both a place of worship and a tourist attraction but the religious go about their business unmolested.

The same is true of Christians.  On Easter we were invited to a “Home Church” meeting which took place in a hotel conference room. Despite hearing of government suppression, no one seemed worried about this group - who did their thing and went home. My sense is that if you don't stir up the hornets’ nest, the hornets leave you alone.  I  think the most interesting thing I saw was the revival of Confucianism. During the Cultural Revolution, Confucius was attacked in the fervor to destroy the old. 

Today, it seems the regime has come to appreciate Confucius’ conservative perspective and his calls to respect authority.  As a result, his prominence and that of his philosophy have grown in recent years. I saw more statues of Confucius than of the entire communist leadership combined. Confucius is out and about - Mao they keep in museums.

WiT? Clue:  You need one?  Seriously?