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Q: Do you feel that living in China has affected your religious beliefs?
Have you become more or less religious?
I have no religious affiliation so no answer for me but I was just wondering whether or not those with strong religious beliefs retain these in China.
I used not to care.
Now I still don't believe, but came to notice the set of values it can bring to shape a society. Or absence thereof.
My personal religious beliefs have not changed (Agnostic leaning towards Atheist) but living here has made me appreciate a society based around Judeo-Christian values including selflessness and caring for the poor. Not like that's what America is about by any stretch but at least there's some inkling in most people's minds that it's morally wrong to lie, cheat, manipulate and steal. In China the only values seem to be money, face and self interest. Though ironically the biggest lying scumbag I've met in China is a self-proclaimed Christian so go figure...........
To be honest, someone's religious beliefs are irrelevant when compared to their integrity and character.
why people seem to think it is important which 'club' you belong to is petty and divisive.
mengxing:
That is a fair enough opinion but not really an answer to my question.
sorrel:
i know it doesn't answer the question, but to get hung-up on someone's religion or lack thereof is a very narrow view of people.
In many people's mind a religious belief/background is a label that very often just categorizes them as belonging to a particular group or 'type'.
I have met many people who become very dogmatic and provocative when others identify themselves as believing in one thing or another.
maybe a better question would have been:
Do you feel that living in China has changed you as a person?
Scandinavian:
I somewhat agree with Sorrel. You might as well ask "Do you feel that living in China has affected your feeling about Chocolate Ice cream?"
mengxing:
Thank you for helping me improve my questions asking skills... I have asked this because there are clear restrictions on religion in China and wanted to know how this has affected people who do have religious beliefs.
Also because I understand that religion does not equal everything about a persons being, and therefore your question is quite different from mine.
xinyuren:
@ sorrel - you seem rather defensive. He didn't ask anyone for details about their particular religion, just if their faith (if any) has been affected by China. It's a legitimate question. If you don't have any religious belief or don't want to be "labeled", noone is forcing you to answer. I'm reading this topic a day late. Could it be that he changed his question?
sm90:
@X - I don't think he did change the question, but I agree when you say this response was defensive and a little unnecessary.
I am not religious at all but do I think there is a spiritual nature of which most of us are unaware, quite possibly. Like RiriRiri I do appreciate the values Christianity bought to Europe and then we exported those values around the world. Is it just coincidence that the continent that had these values at the core of its societies was the continent that for centuries was the world leader and even now many countries are struggling to catch up with what we have.
Shining_brow:
"Is it just coincidence..."
Sort of, yes. Babylon was at the height of intellectualism etc for a while, as was the Greek Peninsula, as was Rome, as was Xian (when it went by a different name). There was a very strong period of scientific and literature investigation and research during the Islamic rise a few centuries ago. Japan had been known for its culture and civilisation as well, without any monotheistic values. Similarly in India where there was a huge civilisation which had awesome laws, sciences, medicine, etc etc.
You're obviously referring to the US - they just happen to be now, when technology is at the stage it is now... and was far enough away from the wars in Europe to advance relatively peacefully.
Also, need to remember, all those wonderful Christian values that were brought over were at the point of a gun, millions were killed, and the natives lost about 99% of their lands cos they were 'soulless savages'. (not unlike many other places where Europeans went)
I am not in the least bit religious but I have found myself saying "Oh dear god" (or something more descriptive) when I see or experience some of the things I do on a daily basis in China.
Therefore, I guess that I have become more religious. 
honestly since I lived in China I started to think more about money and girls and less about morals and God
I was not religious before coming to China and it won't change considering the lack of spirituality over here (stupid superstitions don't count). However I appreciate Asian societies where religion remains a major part of people's lifestyle/habits/mindset (Japan, South-Korea, ...) much more than today's China.
Agnostic I was, agnostic I am... I never talked about religion and meaning of life in China, simply because nobody tried to do that, and my rare attempt were just met with ...a big wide nothing...
When I was in Vietnam, I used to eat in Buddhist cantinas, because I like the food there. There were some monks I enjoyed to talk them with about such topics. They were not repeating dogmas, it was a discussion and it refreshing. I wish they could drink beer ^^
Came here Atheist - still Atheist. I do find myself saying Jesus Christ's name a lot but I don't think that counts. Agnostics are fence sitters and need to pick a side.
Robk:
Do they? Says who?
Religion is a personal thing, when someone tells you that you need to pick a religion or say you don't believe in a god... then it kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it?
DrMonkey:
Sitting on the fence *with popcorn*. Bunch of hipsters ^^
Agnostic basically says that God(s) or not, it's improvable, in the same sense that there are improvable statements in formal logic [1]. Then, some agnostics will go on and says
- that the question of God is superfluous
- that the answer is not likely to make much differences anyway
- that they just don't know and can't makes any conclusion
[1] Examples of that are
* A barber (who is a man) shaves all and only those men who do not shave themselves. Does he shave himself?
RobertZimmerman:
@DrMonkey That's why you're the doc doc. Enjoy your popcorn
Nope, but I wish they had more of it here. I think it would have helped society out quite a lot... but it seems the media tries focusing on the nut job cults and that scares people away from them.
Personally, I don't know anymore... I am not religious (was roman catholic), agnostic, atheist or all these other titles that one gives themselves. I don't worship anything but I am pretty sure there is a type of energy/perhaps entity that influences events and helps to mold the future. I think humans still don't quite know what it is...
If I had to pick ONE religion that may be the closest to this... I would say Buddhism.
I have been confirmed in my belief that religion exploits those who cannot or doesn't want to think for themselves.
I have never belonged to any religion and doubt that I ever will, but as several others here have said I can appreciate the role that religion has played in instilling a sense of morals, or right and wrong in my culture. It took living in China for me to see that.
RobertZimmerman:
Agreed. My personal beliefs haven't changed and I don't want to get into an argument online about religion but without a doubt religion has influenced cultural habits in the states which do not exist here in China.
I am still an agnostic with a vaguely spiritual outlook on life. However, I will say that my time in China has made me--someone who usually scorns religious institutions--give organized religion more credit.If China has taught me nothing, it is that people can act like idiots without a belief in a deity to justify their crummy behavior.
In fact, of all the locals, I tend to get along best with the Muslims. I am assuming it is because they, unlike the Chinese public at large, believe in something greater than the Almighty RMB, and a higher moral code than the typical Chinese 'it's all about ME' take on life. In fact, if, by some miracle I don't quit my current uni halfway through the semester for greener pastures in Japan/Vietnam/Indonesia (don't judge me, the university proved that I cannot depend on it, so it does not get to depend on me) and leave China altogether, I would go to Qinghai or Gansu.
No, I believe man invented God and the Church has always been a ''gimme scam''. Look at all the terrible things done in the name of religion through out the ages and are still going on. I believe that if anything should be worshiped, it should be life, that is the miracle. I could accept that life is God, but not an entity. From my limited knowledge of Buddism, I think that has some appeal.
My stay in China has affected my religious beliefs. China's culture suffers from a lack of good values. Values which normally stem from a religious structure. I know I will hear arguments that many atheists also have good values. I will counter that even good atheist values are rooted in religion. Such non-religious people come from religious societies. Just because you don't practice religion doesn't mean you didn't swipe or inherit their values. Others will argue that there have been godless societies with good values. They will offer no proof of this miracle society. It doesn't exist. So while there is a marked discrepancy between having values and upholding your values (as mainline religion clearly demonstrates), it certainly appears that "Atheism by mandate" has contributed more to the disintegration of society than any other single factor.
