Confucianism vs. Shinto vs. Taoism

[Sweetheart]

The differences between them?
Afterlife?
Practices?
Beliefs?
Rituals?
God's or Goddesses if any?
Scripture quotes?

 

[Sunstone]

Briefly, Confucianism focuses on the right or proper relationships between people, Daoism focuses on reconciliation between oneself and the nature of reality, and Shinto is a form of animism with no doctrine or dogma.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

Sunstone hits the nail more or less on the head.

Confucianism and Daoism are philosophies, and you can combine either (or, with a bit of ingenuity, both) with most religions. In many ways, I'm a Confucian as well as a Hellenist.

Shinto is the Japanese religion, and the Chinese equivalent is Shenjiao. The latter is generally referred to in the West as Chinese Folk Religion — intellectuals have philosophy and the peasants make do with religion! In fact people of all walks of life practice it: about 3/4 of the population, by one survey. Shenjiao temples are usually called Daoist temples, to make life more complicated.

Rituals are the usual pagan ones: offering incense, food, and drink at the domestic altar or at the local temple. The domestic altar has tablets with the names of ancestors written on them and idols of the god or gods the family chooses to worship. Every town (or even district in a city) has its Town God, often a deified human, with a local shrine, who protects the locals. There are also many temple where a variety of gods are worshiped.

In fact most gods worshiped in China were human — what I would call heroes. These range from Huangdi (Yellow Emperor), who taught us civilisation, down to gods of trades and professions.
There are also gods who were never incarnate, like
San Qing: The Three Pure Ones, said to be teachers of mankind by the Daoists
Yu Huang: Jade Emperor, judge and ruler of the world
Xi Wangmu: Empress-mother of the West, granter of immortality

As in Hinduism, the idols of Gods are ritually consecrated to become dwelling places for them. The ceremony is called Opening the Eyes — rather like the ancient Egyptian Opening the Mouth.

 

[Baladas]

On Confucianism vs. Taoism:
"Generalization is risky, but the rough differences are these: Confucianism addresses propriety, morality, social organization, scholarly understanding, the dominance of family, and worldly accomplishment...Taoism is nonconformity, creativity, physical health, and lifelong integration with nature." - Ming-Dao Deng, The Lunar Tao

 

[crossfire]

On Confucianism vs. Taoism:
"Generalization is risky, but the rough differences are these: Confucianism addresses propriety, morality, social organization, scholarly understanding, the dominance of family, and worldly accomplishment...Taoism is nonconformity, creativity, physical health, and lifelong integration with nature." - Ming-Dao Deng, The Lunar Tao

to take it a step further: Confuciansim seeks social organization and hierarchy via the ritual creation of cultural (public) egregors (maaras,) which then reinforces this hierarchy, whereas Taoism seeks to be free of these enforced egregores/maaras.

 

[Asia: land of religions]

Taoism-
afterlife- You have 3 souls you get reincarnated 3 times before you go to heaven( according to the tao te ching) Practices- sexual, meditation
beliefs- The tao, heaven, souls, and ancestor spirits
rituals- breathing ritual
Deities- none( the tao is the force of life not a god)
scripture quotes-" fame or life? which do you hold more dear. "
Confucianism -
Practices - meditation
Believe- souls, the tao, heaven
Rituals-none(but maturity and marriage is celebrated),
Deities-none
Quotes-( i haven't read the four books, but the tao te ching is also confuc)
Shinto-
Practices-worship
Believe-spirits
Rituals-worship
Deities- none
Quotes- i don't know any, but read kojiki and nihon-gi
Btw deities means gods/ goddesses jik