(February 8, 2012 at 10:50 am)Rhythm Wrote: Believe confucianism has been widely regarded as the east's version of humanism. It's missing some things that are pretty central to other religions (and is a psuedo-religion itself, like buddhism). One of those issues where east meets west, and the traditions and words we've created to describe our own are not exactly up to the task of describing theirs. Confucianism does make claims to truth, and does hold it's "prophet" up as an "ultimate example".
I've noticed this common trend among the eastern religions that rather than being strictly religions, they often blur the line between religion, philosophy and a way of life. It seems like it is quite possible to be a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Confucianist or a Jain without believing in the mythology or the lore but simply following the principles. Is it because of some cultural psychology particular to the East or is it because the term "religion" itself is a Western word unable to completely divorce itself from Abrahamic religions. For example, in my native language, we do not have a word for religion. The closest translation is "Dharma" which means "that which upholds, supports or maintains the regulatory order of the universe".
