Chinese Religions

Chinese Religions

“An important feature of religions in China is that they are by no means mutually exclusive” (135).

It is not uncommon for a Chinese to be adherent to many religions. Various religions can use most of the places of worship. This may explain why the government has practiced some sense of neutrality when dealing with religion. Religion in China stemmed from the belief that there is only one Supreme God. This was followed by an emphasis on morality, especially from the rulers, to one that synthesized the beliefs from the various faiths. This might be explained by the fact that most of the traditional religions do not seem to fit in the changing times. For instance, Confucianism may be considered somewhat too obsolete for modern times. However, a synthesis of the teachings of the various faiths may bring a sense of commonality that may be suitable for the changing times.

Like many religions mentioned in the book, the Chinese religions believe in many gods and spirits who serve different purposes in the universe. However, they also believe in a supreme deity that is above the spirits. This makes it just like the traditional religions from around the world. The concept of the Yinyang can be understood much like the concept of good and evil, as taught in Christianity. This is where two forces explain the actions of human beings. The good and the evil forces are the main forces. It is like the struggle between Satan and God in Christianity. However, Yin and Yang are inseparable, and when one can balance them, they get the essence of life as it should be.

Like most traditional religions, Chinese religions also revere their ancestors. The older people are treated with respect and act as the leaders in a clan. When they pass on, they are treated with the respect of the guardians of society. The respect during burial can be compared to that of the African society that believes that when a person passes on, they join the spirits and become ancestors. This is also a concept that is applied to ensure that there is no bad blood between the deceased and the living. However, perhaps the aspect of divination may be explained further by showing how the unity in the universe is divine. It is quite challenging to understand how the shell of a tortoise is considered to be in sync with the rhythm of the universe. However, perhaps the longevity of the life of the tortoise may be associated with accumulated wisdom over the years, and that is why people used its shell to divine the future.

Reading through the emergence of the belief in Shangdi invokes teachings that are quite similar to the Confucian thoughts. Just like Confucianism, the Zhou rulers believed in morality, especially from the rulers. Likewise, the Confucian thought emphasizes the cultivation of virtues in a world that is morally organized. It focuses on cultivating the virtues of benevolence and humaneness as the essence of a human being. Confucius called this the virtue form of Heaven. Confucius, just like the Zhou, believed in the concept of Heaven. He believed that Heaven was the source of what is right and that the rulers were carrying out the will of God. This may explain why the Zhou emphasized the need for rulers to observe morality.

Confucianism can be explained as a philosophy that was conceived from the fall of the feudal system. The fall of the feudal system seemed to bring down the division of class in Chinese society. Many people began to get tired of the system that was kind of oppressive to those in the lower classes. Confucianism brought with it a sense of idealist form of a feudal government. On the other hand, the legalists wanted a form of government that was more centralized. The Daoist, on the other hand, wanted little or no government at all. This confusion brought about the philosophy based religions in China. This is a form of religion that tends to find meaning in various concepts and analyzes terms and beliefs before arguing them to find religious significance in it. This may imply that many of the religions in China often try to explain the ways of life of the Chinese people and that which would be considered morally right to the gods.

In conclusion, it is evident that the religions in China have gone through significant changes, both in belief and concepts. They have moved from believing in the divine trait of nature to being philosophy based. Nevertheless, they have maintained the aspect of morality throughout the changes. Morality is underscored as the essential requisite of leadership in China. This might explain why the Chinese political class does not interfere with the religious aspects of the citizens. However, with the changes that the Chinese religions have experienced and the fact that they have become more philosophy-based, one question that arises is whether there will not be a philosophy that is more superior to the others. Besides, if this happens, will the religions in China continue to be mutually exclusive?