Religious Freedom in Chinese Cultural Context: the State and Religious Organisations

This Master’s thesis is the first in a series of papers concerning religious freedom in Chinese cultural context. As an introduction to the topic, the first paragraph confirms the hypothesis that the idea of universal religious freedom is based on Western philosophical tradition. In Chinese cultural context, one can begin to talk about religious freedom from the beginning of the first millennium AD as the first so-called voluntary religious organisations were created. Yet, despite the antagonism of the new religious movements, Confucian cosmology the –grand orthodoxy – survived. As all religious organisations must follow the way of the grand orthodoxy, they all are at the same time subjects to one ruler – the emperor of China. That is why religions in China can exist next to each other and why they have rarely been persecuted on the grounds of their theological or philosophical beliefs. When Chinese intellectuals came into contact with the Western understanding of religious freedom, they, obviously, could not agree to it. In the end of the third paragraph, I conclude that by the beginning of the 20th century, the Chinese society did not understand the meaning of the Western religious freedom nor was its political system ready to implement it. Although modern Chinese society is modernising, it will keep in general to its Confucian heritage. Therefore it can be concluded that the Western understanding of religious freedom will not be accepted by the Chinese in the future.Magistritöö esimeses peatükis leiab kinnitust hüpotees, et niinimetatud universaalne usuvabadusideaal on oma filosoofiliste lähtekohtade poolest läänelik. Hiinalik ususallivustava on läänelikust usuvabadusarusaamast väga erinev. See juurdus Hiina kultuuri konfutsianistlikus kosmoloogias, mille kohaselt on maailm üks tervik, millest ei saa üksikuid osi, ka erinevaid religioone lahutada. Tänu säärasele nn suure ortodoksia hõlmavale religioonikäsitusele ei ole Hiina erinevaid usulisi organisatsioone nende teoloogiliste veendumuste tõttu taga kiusatud. Ka sajanditepikkused kultuurikontaktid ja inimõiguste poliitiline kehtestamine ei muutnud läänelikku usuvabadusideaali hiinlastele omaseks. Kinnitust leiab hüpotees, et 20. sajandi alguse Hiina ühiskond ei mõistnud lääneliku usuvabadusideaali olemust ega olnud ka seetõttu valmis selle poliitiliseks kehtestamiseks. Psühholoogilistele uuringutele toetudes leidis kinnitust hüpotees, et ka kaasaja n ö moderniseerunud Hiina ühiskond ei jaga Lääne kultuuri väärtusi ega saagi seetõttu mõista läänelikku niinimetatud universaalset usuvabadusideaali