Religion in China

A wide variety of religions have been practiced in China since the beginning of its history. Temples of many different religions dot the landscape of China. The study of

is complicated by several issues. Because many Chinese belief systems have concepts of a sacred and sometimes spiritual world yet do not invoke a concept of God, classifying a Chinese belief system as either a religion or a philosophy can be problematic. Thus, some regard Confucianism and Taoism as religions, while others regard them as solely philosophies of life. Secondly, unlike Abrahamic_religion, Chinese belief systems allow for syncretism and it is common to profess a belief in multiple belief systems. It is possible for someone to claim to be a Buddhist while living life according to Taoist principles and participating in ancestor_worship rituals. A Buddhist would have no trouble viewing Jesus_Christ as a Bodhisattva and incorporating Christian concepts into Buddhism while the reverse is not necessarily the case. Major belief systems that developed within China include ancestor_worship, Chinese_folk_religion, Confucianism, shamanism, and Taoism. Most Chinese have a conception of heaven and yin_and_yang. The Chinese have also believed in such practices as astrology, Feng_Shui, and geomancy. Historically, the emperor was regarded as the Son_of_Heaven, and he typically led the imperial court in performing elaborate annual rituals. He was not believed to be a deity, but rather someone who mediated between the forces of heaven and earth. A central idea of the dynastic_cycle was that an unjust imperial dynasty that had lapsed into corruption could lose the Mandate_of_Heaven and be overthrown by a rebellion. Influential religions introduced from abroad include Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity.

Buddhism

''Main article: Buddhism_in_China'' Buddhism was introduced from India during the Han_dynasty and has been very popular among Chinese of all walks of life, admired by commoners, and sponsored by emperors.

Taoism

''Main article: Taoism''

Islam

Islam was brought into China via the Silk_Road in the 7th century. It is now practised by such minority groups as the Hui, the Uygur, and the Kazakhs.

Christianity

Christianity was spread by European or Middle-Eastern travellers who came to China in AD 635, as documented by the Nestorian_Stone in Xi'an. In 1289, Franciscan friars initiated mission work in China. This mission collapsed in 1368. The fist Jesuit attempt to reach China was made in 1552 by Francis_Xavier, but he died the same year on the Chinese island of Shangchuan, without having reached the mainland. In 1582, Jesuits once again initiated mission work in China, introducing Western science, mathematics, and astronomy. One of these missionaries was Matteo_Ricci. In the early 18th_century, the Chinese_Rites_controversy, a dispute within the Catholic_Church, arose over whether Chinese folk religion rituals and offerings to the emperor constituted idolatry. During the 1840s, foreign missionaries spread Christianity rapidly through the foreign occupied coastal cities; the Taiping_Rebellion was an indirect result. British and American churches (such as the British Methodist Church) continued to send missionaries until they were prevented from doing so following the establishment of the People's_Republic_of_China. Protestant missionaries played an extremely important role in introducing China to the United States and the United States to China. The book ''The_Small_Woman'' and film ''Inn_of_the_Sixth_Happiness'' tell the story of one such missionary, Gladys_Aylward. Since loosening of restrictions on religion after the 1970's, Christianity has become increasing popular within the People's Republic.

People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China was established in 1949 as an officially atheist state, and organized religion was banned. Houses of worship, including temples, mosques, and churches, were converted into non-religious buildings for secular use. In the early years of the People's Republic, religious belief or practice was often discouraged because it was regarded by the government as backwards and superstitious and because some Communist leaders, ranging from Vladimir_Lenin to Mao_Zedong, had been critical of religious institutions. During the Cultural_Revolution, religion was condemned as feudalistic and thousands of religious buildings were looted and destroyed. This attitude, however, relaxed considerably in the late 1970s, with the end of the Cultural Revoluion. The 1978 Constitution_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China reversed the atheist stance of the government and guaranteed freedom of religion. However, religious practice is subject to a number of restrictions; the Communist_Party_of_China will react harshly against groups such as Falun_Gong which it perceives as challenging its authority. Since the mid-1990s there has been a massive program to rebuild Buddhist temples that were destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. Many Chinese actually continue to practice a wide variety of religions. One source gives about 100 million religious worshippers (less than 10% of the population) in China:

Buddhists 72%

Muslims 11%

Protestant Christians 10%

Catholic Christians 5.10%

Taoists 1.5% However, this estimate of only 100 million worshippers possibly vastly undercounts the actual extent of religious practice in China because some may be afraid, for various reasons, to admit religious belief.