Patriotism = Parochialism

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Originally Posted by bigboab

The following demography may have given Hobbes a clue.

The following entry in demographic details:

CHINA
Area: 9,596,596 sq km.
Population: 1,273,111,000.
Capital: Beijiing.
Government: Single-party Communist.
Ethnic Groups: Han Chinese 92%, 55 other minority groups.
Languages: Mandarin Chinese ( Official).
Official Religion: atheism.
Currency: Renminbi yuan.

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It's only "officially atheist".

Religions there include: Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity.

There are 20 million Christians in China for instance.

btw Before the Communists took over the major religions co-existed peacefully in China quite at odds with Hobbes' theory.

Whoever wrote that saw atheism as a religion.

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Originally Posted by SnnY

But boab, atheism was forced on them, who knows what they really believe in?

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It was probably Taoism followed by Buddism. Christianity sits about 2% of the populutaion at the moment. This will increase with advent of democracy.

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Originally Posted by SnnY

Whoever wrote that saw atheism as a religion.

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I have only looked at two sources to date:

http://www.vision4china.net/china/religion.htm

and

Philips World Atlas.

both give the official religion of China as atheism.

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Originally Posted by MCHeshPants420

It's only "officially atheist".

Religions there include: Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity.

There are 20 million Christians in China for instance.

btw Before the Communists took over the major religions co-existed peacefully in China quite at odds with Hobbes' theory.

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It is actually not at odds with my theory at all. I said that anyone who subscribes to faith based thought is not able to be flexible when it comes to a matter that contradicts their teaching. They have accepted immutable teaching which has a potential for conflict and serves to separate people.

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Originally Posted by hobbes

It is actually not at odds with my theory at all. I said that anyone who subscribes to faith based thought is not able to be flexible when it comes to a matter that contradicts their teaching. They have accepted immutable teaching which has a potential for conflict and serves to separate people.

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So what about the Buddhists, Confucianists and Daoists in China then? They had no problems embracing each other's different religious teachings.

That's because they are a bunch of :hug:

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Originally Posted by MCHeshPants420

So what about the Buddhists, Confucianists and Daoists in China then? They had no problems embracing each other's different religious teachings.

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Good for them, that is a healthy way to express a belief in a higher power as I discussed before in describing the unitarian church. People are bound under a belief in a higher power and people of different actual religions pray together.

I think this would be ideal. Sort of assemble the wisdom of all the religions without getting hung up on the particulars.

1 planet- 1 religion.

Of course, I still wouldn't believe, but then again, that is just me.

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Originally Posted by MCHeshPants420

So what about the Buddhists, Confucianists and Daoists in China then? They had no problems embracing each other's different religious teachings.

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There is a critical difference between those religions and others.

Each of those three are based on following the teachings not of an deity but of philosophers in the past - Confucianists based on Confucius's teachings, Daoism on those of a small group of sages (such as Lao-tzu), and Buddhism based on Siddhartha Gautama's. Likewise, their teachings are based towards the development and spiritual enlightenment of one's self.

Most other religions are based towards one or several supernatural entities who deserves respect and worship. The teachings are arguably more socially friendly - Be good to others as well as to yourself - But in a lot of these cases, the followers of these religions do these because they are told to by the almighty, not because it is their nature to.

However, like Hobbes says, I would love to see the united religion idea carried out, or at least the chance for everyone to see the same way with each their own differences (after all, we all think different from each other ;))

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Originally Posted by SnnY

But boab, atheism was forced on them, who knows what they really believe in?

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Quote:

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It's only "officially atheist".

Religions there include: Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity.

There are 20 million Christians in China for instance.

btw Before the Communists took over the major religions co-existed peacefully in China quite at odds with Hobbes' theory.

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Uh oh the above posts contain common sense and book knowledge. :ohmy:

Someone is using the noggin. ;)