Confucianism: “Atheism” or Religion? 5. How Confucianism Became a Religion—Unless It Didn’t
In contemporary China, some try to establish a “Confucian Church,” while Xi Jinping believes a non-religious Confucianism lives within the Communist Party.
A magazine on religious liberty and human rights
In contemporary China, some try to establish a “Confucian Church,” while Xi Jinping believes a non-religious Confucianism lives within the Communist Party.
A long process made the “Way of the Ru” an ideology governing the bureaucracy, education, and the imperial rites. The label “official religion” may however be misleading.
Confucius’ notion of “Heaven” (Tian) was not necessarily religious. Rather than “a religion,” traditional Confucianism may be regarded as a “religious tradition.”
Scholars believe a sage called Kongzi (Confucius) did exist between the 6th and the 5th century BCE. He was a traditionalist who tried to restore the way of the ancient scholars.
Confucianism is now presented in China as non-religious and an early form of atheism. To address the issue, we should first ask what “religion” in this discussion means.
The Arhat Mountain scenic area, built with private funds to pay tribute to Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, came under the government’s attack.
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