China is a nation with diverse
religious beliefs, some wereoriginated from China and others were introduced
from other countries.
Confucianism and Daoism are rooted in ancient Chinese civilization, while Buddhism and Islam and Christianity and Judaism come from other civilization. Among them the most influential ones are Confucianism and Daoism and Buddhism.
In China one person can believe in different religions. For family and ethical concerns, he turns to Confucianism; forphysical and psychological health concerns, to Daoism; for rebirth, to Buddhism. Apart from the formal religions the Chinese have some other beliefs: the worshiping of the Heaven, the worshiping of nature,
and the veneration of ancestors.
It is known to all that religion
is a social phenomenon.
We can see similar trends in other countries where the rapid developments of science and technology do not in any significant way lessen the people’ s sense of, nor interests in, religion.
Even the people of China show similar interests in the devel-opment of religion. This phenomenon is enough to raise several theoretical questions concerning the need for a better understanding of religion:
(1 ) What is the nature of
religion?
(2 ) Does the human psyche require
a religious faith?
(3 ) Is religion synonymous with
religious belief?
(4 ) Is religious belief
beneficial to social life?
(5) Can people think seriously
about the problems of religion that exist in the world today?
(6) Should an ideal history of
religions be time-con-
scious?
(7) Is religion a superstition?
We can’t give satisfying answers
to all the questions，but we can bring about a ponderation on them.
