오늘날의 세계사는 서양사람들의 역사이다. 이 수필의 저자도 서양 사람들의 관점에서   

그리스도교와 중국의 관계를 서술하고 있다. 당과 명 시대에 중국에 온 선교사들이 

중국에서 무엇을 배워 갓고 서양에 미친 영향은 무엇이었는 가는 전혀 언급이 없다. 

잘 알려져 있지 않고 아예 그럴 가능성 조차 생각하지 않기 때문이다. 동양은 항상 서양

보다 저급의 문명이라는 개념은 현대인이 지을 수 없는 고정관념이다.  종교, 철학, 

과학, 민주, 국가.... 등등 서양사람들이 만든 단어를 일본사람들이 번역한 말들이다. 

당과 명은 당대의 최강국이었고 최고의 문명국이었다. 그러나 이 나라들이 어떻게 세계   

사에 영향을 미쳤는지는 거의 알려져 있지 않다. 결코 합리적인 현상이 아니다. 자못 궁금 

하다. 

유교는 종교가 아니고 그리스도교는 종교란다. 모두 "교"라고 해놓고 

그런다. 그러면 유"교"는 종"교"가아니고 무엇인가? 서양사람들이 

종교라는 말을 만들었고 유교같은 것은 서양에 없었기 때문이 아닐 까?

"교"는 유교와 종교로 분류 해야 하는 것일까?

I agree with the interpretation: "유교는 종교가 아니고 그리스도교는 종교", Dr. Ohn, because in 유교 there is no God to worship/believe to be defined as 종교 like 그리스도교. I understand 유교 is, therefore, rather the instruction to guide a social life under the rule by the emperor. Indeed, Korean culture and customs are 100% 유교-based, we all were raised through so that it has been a sort of fundamental structure for our social norm for centuries, isn't it? After all, Confucianism is based on the 'cultivation of virtue' to keep a 'morally organized' world, believing human beings are fundamentally good enough to be teachable to improve personal and communal endeavor. Correct?

BB Lee

I agree with you 100%, Dr. Lee. But communism does not allow to practice

Confucianism either. Why? Both Confucianism and Christianity must have

something in common to be categorized to be under certain terminology. What is it?

a belief? It does not suffice it. 

I don’t know any terminology in common to categorize both Confucianism and Christianity together but both are potentially the major threat to the big brother/CCP challenging to their de facto authority with no doubt, Dr. Ohn.

Indeed, I was fascinated by Chinese history since my middle school days, which gave me the motivation to commit to Chinese affairs for the last three decades with numerous trips until last October. So I feel I know enough(?) about China under the CCP rule in particular.

But it was a mind-boggling issue to me to figure out how the hell CCP changed their policy lately (since 2004?) - through the Cultural Revolution, they erased all the concepts based on the Confucianism as the tool of old feudalism to block the new proletarian concept of Communism, as I know of!- and now campaign for the Confucianism throughout the world based on 'Confucius  Institute'.

Although they claim the same role of France's Alliance Française and Germany's Goethe Institut only to promote Chinese language and culture as a part of cultural exchange, it really couldn't convince me and I tried very hard to understand but failed to figure out through quite a Chinese colleagues who are close enough to share their private affairs with me.

Due to such strong control by the big brother/CCP, they all are very very reluctant to talk anything related to the CCP and I had no desire to do any harm. Nevertheless, we heard lately that this Confucius  Institute is now found to work as a spy den so that many countries started to kick them out.

So namewise, they call it 'Confucius' institute, but it doesn't have much to do with actual 'Confucianism' I reckon.

Yes, all those Confucianism-based Chinese histories/cultures for thousand years were mercilessly destroyed through the cultural revolution led by such infamous Mao's Red Guards. When I started to travel around in the early '90 there were still many destroyed feudal cultures/remains through the Revolution (1966 -1976) but no one dared to speak but only murmuring 'it was simply awful' when I should keep asking.

So like Falun Gong, CCP considers Christianity is another potential threat to challenge to their position whether they are the religions or not, although CCP no longer openly attack/suppress the Christianity due to the risks involved to irritate Western Chrisitan countries.

During the May 4th movement in 1919, the Chinese thought that the root of

the dire situation in China was Confucianism, and Christian westerners could

not be trusted. And Communism became very attractive to them. Eventually, 

it took care of both and Soviet communism prevailed. In China, "elder first"

has not been practiced. Women are far more respected in China than in Korea or

other parts of the world. But how about "loyal to the nation",  "obedience to

parents" and emphasis on education? These are convenient tools for dictatorship.

Once, Chiang Kaishek brought back Confucianism to bring social order back.

I think Xi may be trying to use Confucius to strengthen the one-party rule. I think

Chinese are still searching for their soul that was lost during the 19th century. 

I feel ashamed to tell you that I never took 유교/Confucianism seriously despite I was raised through such rigid Confucian ethics- my mother is the founder /초대회장 of 성균관 여성유도회 and her father was the last 성균관 대사간 - so that I am supposed to know more about 'Confucianism' than anyone else but I don't, perhaps due to the ignorance and/or resentment.

But I am fully aware that 유교/Confucianism prevails throughout Chinese cultural territory including Korea and Vietnam as a social norm/ethics and not as a religion by all means. And I feel it was made for the ruler to rule the people as their own benefit and used as a logical tool for brain washing to keep them under their control, which has not been changed through centuries. And now even CCP tries to take advantage for their own good.

BB Lee