Major Religions In China: An Insight

China, communist as it is, is officially atheist; however the people do follow different religions, of which the important faiths are Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. The last-mentioned, Confucianism, is more a philosophy than a religion, and is embodied in the concept of living a moral life. Confucianism’s main thrust is at improving society, and it is known for two main ideas. The first is that of bureaucracy (Confucius, or to give him his Chinese name, Kong Zi- first put forward the notion of officials having to `qualify’- through examinations- for the positions they occupied). The second tenet is that of ancestor-worship, a practice that is still prevalent in parts of China.

As opposed to Confucianism, Taoism is the religion of the recluse- a religion, which inextricably ties up human life with nature, and preaches the supremacy of man’s oneness with nature. Taoism is basically a faith involved deeply with meditation and contemplation. Of the `imported’ religions, Buddhism is the main faith in China; Islam and Christianity have their followers but only in very small numbers.