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Can Confucianism be considered a religion?

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GoodbyeDave

Well-Known Member
As I said a year ago, Confucius practiced the same religion as his contemporaries, as do his followers today.

The idea of a "Confucian religion" was launched by the Jesuit Matteo Ricci to try to split off the intellectuals, trained in Confucian philosophy, from the mainstream of Chinese thought, as a first step to converting them.
 
Theweirdtophat

Theweirdtophat

Well-Known Member
Don't people go to Confucian temples to pay homage or pray or honor him? I wouldn't think it'd be a political philosophy. No one goes to Karl Marx to honor him or build temples to him
 
G

GoodbyeDave

Well-Known Member
Theweirdtophat said:
Don't people go to Confucian temples to pay homage or pray or honor him? I wouldn't think it'd be a political philosophy. No one goes to Karl Marx to honor him or build temples to him
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They aren't all that common, in fact. A book I have on the temples of Singapore is based on a survey of 100, of which only one is dedicated to Confucius. Don't forget that most Chinese gods are deified humans. Also, worshiping such a deity does not create a separate religion; I worship the Emperor Julian, but that doesn't make me a Julianist.
 
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