Taiwan’s Religion

Introduction

The reason for this confusion is that it is quite difficult to separate the different elements of what we call Taiwanese “religion”, what we call Taiwanese “religion” is a blend of 3 or 4 different elements. Different people will blend these elements in a variety of ways. It is confusing not only to outsiders but even to practitioners in Taiwan. Therefore, this paper will attempt to clarify each of the elements.

The Taiwanese Folk Religion

As discussed earlier, the Taiwanese religion is portrayed as one diverse system with different people having different beliefs and practices, especially those that are related to the Chinese culture. However, this does not mean that Chinese is the only culture in the region since there are cultures including the Japanese, European, American as well as the Taiwanese aborigines’ cultures. These cultures are established and sustained in both the traditional and the modern settings in accordance with the understanding of the people. As much as there have been constant debates in Taiwan concerning the cultural diversity, the socio-political experiences in the region have over time created some sense of cultural identity. As such, the people recognize and appreciate their diversity in terms of their beliefs and their feelings (Makeham, and A-chin, 6). Similarly, the concept of multi-religions in the region has been developed and supported largely by the politics, which has included the mainlanders, and the minority groups in the region. For tranquility and achievement of the common goal for the people, there has been the need for a collective system of meaning and customary patterns of thoughts. These aspects influence the behaviors and religious beliefs shared by the people of Taiwan in such a way that they appreciate each other’s’ perceptions (Makeham, and A-chin, 125-127).

The most dominant form of religion in Taiwan is the combination of Buddhism, Taoism, the Chinese folk religion, and the ancestor believers as they are made up of huge numbers of devotees. Unlike in Christianity where the believers believed in one God, the Taoists worshipped several gods and deities in their religion, who were believed to have existed among the people. These gods were deified individuals who at one time in the past made a huge contribution to the society, making them acquire the favor from the people. Nonetheless, Christianity has also been on the active half of religion in the region both during the Japanese rule and on the martial law era of the Republic of China (Kuo, n.p). Over time, the church has been on the forefront advocating for human rights and encouraging the people to speak and write in the Taiwanese as way of uniting the people and instilling more understanding about religion among the people. As such, this kind of incorporating oneness by way of religion has also been taken beyond the borders to other countries especially through organizations like the Buddha’s Light International Association and Tzu Chi. With such perceptions and sturdy believe on the need of harmony in the religion, the largest religion in the land Buddhist-Taoist has ensured that religious diversity does not compromise “religion.”

The bond between the Buddha people and the Taoists was strengthened during the Japanese rule of 1895-1945, when the Taoists used the Buddhist temples for worshipping their deities (Haar, 12). The reason for this was that the Japanese had suppressed the religion as it massively supported the Chinese people. Subsequently, even after the end of the Japanese reign, the two religions have used the same places for worship since then, enhancing the unique feature of Buddhist-Taoist worship in Taiwan. In addition, the Taoism in Taiwan greatly intertwined with the Chinese folk religion as framed by the ritual ministry, in which the priests serve the local cults in the region. Confucianism   is not seen as a religion in the region but as an optimistic source of guidance for a virtuous and self-disciplined attitude towards the nature of human beings. Therefore, Confucianism is not dependent on any kind of rituals from the religious priests and people do not need to worship, making it possible to integrate some aspects of Confucianism in Taoism. Clart and Charles (48) emphasizes that Confucianism is only active in the Taiwanese religious sects integrated in various forms, temples and the shrines of the people.

Several people in Taiwan follow the three religious traditions, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, which are collectively viewed as “sanjiao” or the “three teachings,” practiced as a syncretic blend known as the folk religion. The resultant Taiwanese folk religion comprises all the elements of these three sets of sanjiao coupled with localized cults, and the people’s beliefs in ancestral spirits, ghosts, as well as in the power of magic. The folk religion of Taiwan involves the traditional worship of both the Buddhist and Taoist figures, astrological objects and animal totems. These gods are a source of magical power and brought unity in the community as people were expected to carve their gods, which were linked to the mother temple where they congregated on several occasions to pay their respects. Here, they would trace their religious backgrounds, reconfirm their bonds, and developed means to promote industrialization within the society. With the increased rate of modernization in Taiwan, several religions originating from the folk religion have emerged to address the social developments resulting from modernity. Nonetheless, the traditional beliefs like the Taiwanese belief in the Buddhist good life in heaven, bad life in hell and reincarnation, are still incorporated in some of these modern religions.

Consequently, despite the many religious systems in Taiwan, there have never been religious wars in the region. More also, it is amazing how religion has been handled in the region where there is no any defined system of leadership for the religious sects in the country. As much as the leadership of the celestial masters on the island is divided into more than three competitive sectors, there are no overarching structures of authority among Taoists. According to Brown and Tun-Jen (68), these competitive sectors aim at heading the Taoist Society in Taiwan without dividing the people. After all the people in the nation are of diverse believes that a common leader would be quite difficult to define and establish.

Conclusion

The Taiwanese folk religion is at a closer range to the people who live in the rural areas, and it comprises a huge category in the religious system of the region which as several believers. Moreover, the religious system is found in the urban areas where it is practiced in the family or at an individual level. As such, the folk religions do not entirely seem to reinforce the democratic virtues and behaviors of the people because the members are not usually in a congregation.

Works Cited

Kuo, Cheng-Tian. “Religion and Democracy in Taiwan – BOOK REVIEWS – Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York.” Overseas Office Republic Of China ( Taiwan ). N.p., 2008. Web. 11 May 2015.

Makeham, John, and A-chin Hsiau, eds. Cultural, ethnic, and political nationalism in contemporary Taiwan: bentuhua. Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.

Clart, Philip, and Charles Brewer Jones, eds. Religion in Modern Taiwan: Tradition and Innovation in a Changing Society. University of Hawaii Press, 2003.

Brown, Deborah A., and Tun-Jen Cheng. “Religious Relations across the Taiwan Strait: Patterns, Alignments, and Political Effects.” Orbis 56.1 (2012): 60-81.