World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide

©2018 Achieve Page 40 of 96 Agnostic or atheist: 42% In China, religion is multi-religious, or pluralistic. China is an extremely large country that includes 56 ethnic and minority groups. There are more than 1 billion living in China, and the largest group is the Han Chinese, which is comprised of approximately 900 million people. The Chinese are more family-related and do not demand adherence of family to a particular religious practice. In some ways, the use of the term “religion” to describe the practice of Buddhism and Taoism may be incorrect; they are more like cultural practices, thought systems, or philosophies, compared to religious doctrine. Therefore, there is some debate about what to call the practices – religious, cultural, or other? In China, freedom of religion is a government policy. That freedom is protected by their constitution. Taoism, Buddhism, Islamism, Protestantism, and Catholicism have all developed a following in the country. There is a special governmental committee at the State Council that renders assistance to all confessional groups in China. 5.1 Buddhism Buddhism is a popular and widespread religion in China. While the statistics show it is only self- reported at 18%, many do not declare Buddhism as a “religion”. Others practice Buddhism along with other religions. It was introduced in the 1 st century. Buddhism made its way to China from India. The religion follows the path of the Great Silk Road in the 11 th century BC. Today, Buddhism is popular in Tibet and Inner Mongolia. There are approximately 9500 Buddhist temples and monasteries in China, with most of them being built over 2000 years ago. The Chinese Buddhist Society, founded in 1953, brings together Buddhists of all nationalities. Buddhists are usually classified according the language spoken. There are three communities: Mandarin, Tibetan, and Bali. Most Mandarin Buddhists are Han Chinese. The Tibetan Buddhists, usually called “Lamaist”, are from Tibet, Mongolia, Yugur, Lhoba, Moinba, and Tujia. The Bali Buddhists are people from the Dai and Bulang ethnic groups that usually live in the Yunnan Province. Chapter 5: Asian Religions Part 1: China There are several different religions in China, and this evidence is based primarily on surveys of the people. • Folk religions and Taoism: Approximately 30% • Buddhism: Approximately 18% • Christianity: 4% • Ethnic minority’s indigenous religions (including Vajrayana and Theravada): 4% • Islam: 2% •