Is China Really an Atheistic Country?

[marylandblue]

2. The equation of theism with religion is a Western concept.

Outside the Abrahamic faiths, religion and the various related categories like ancestor worship, superstition, philosophy, magic, cultural practice etc. are much more fluid and non-exclusionary. Unlike Western religion, there was never an idea of One True Belief, with all others being evil. So people were much likely to integrate different beliefs than be intolerant of them.

The Chinese Communists did come in and tried to suppress religion. But this was something they got from Lenin and Stalin rather than a Chinese tradition.

The way Eastern religions work make me feel more positive on religion as a whole. If we could learn to do religion the Eastern way, there would be less religious intolerance in the future.