Confucianism is very different from other religious or philosophical systems. One of its characteristics is that it does not have a specific cult of gods or religious rituals.
Therefore, there are no gods in the Confucian system, not to mention superstition and the worship of supernatural powers.
On the contrary, Confucianism honors Confucius as its spiritual teacher and moral model. Confucius’s concept of “not speaking of strange powers” clearly expresses the avoidance of supernatural powers, which is also a key attitude of Confucianism towards deities.
3 reasons why Confucianism not believing in God
In fact, Confucianism has a complete philosophical system, but it is not centered on God’s worship. Why is that?
To explore this question in depth, we need to examine Confucianism’s ideological origins and the context of its rise to prominence in ancient Chinese society.
1. Confucianism’s emphasis on active participation in worldly affairs
Confucianism is vital in admonishing people, cultivating their character, helping them set goals, and motivating them to actively engage in social construction. Therefore, it is a school of thought that emphasizes the efforts of human beings.
2. Confucianism as the dominant ideology of the feudal dynasty
Over time, different cultures have been tested for survival at different times in history. Once a culture has been selected as the dominant culture, it will last for a long time.
On the contrary, to survive, non-mainstream cultures that lack official support often incorporate elements of deities to enhance their persuasiveness and gain widespread acceptance. One example is the Taoist belief in the “Three Purities” (“三清,” universal, human plane, and earth purity).
Throughout history, Confucianism gradually became the mainstream culture of various feudal dynasties based on its continuous development and strong official support. Therefore, in later times, Confucianism did not need to strengthen its persuasiveness through deities as in the case of other non-mainstream cultures.
3. Confucianism always emphasizing personal efforts rather than ghosts and gods
Since Confucius, Confucianism has always emphasized funeral rites. Some people believe that this is a manifestation of Confucianism’s worship of spirits and gods.
But this is not the case. Confucius made it clear that wise people do not blindly and superstitiously believe in ghosts and gods.
Through funeral rites, Confucianism emphasizes the spirit of filial piety and gratitude, embodies the practice of Li, and aims to promote a firm and stable social order.
Thus, despite the Confucian emphasis on funerary rites, they always stress humanistic concerns rather than the worship of ghosts and gods.
Other religions and their gods
Globally, human beliefs have evolved over thousands of years, resulting in a rich and diverse system of religions. Unlike Confucianism, these religions all worship different gods.
From Buddhism and Hinduism in the East to Christianity and Islam in the West, to deity worship and primitive religions around the world, each religion entails deep wisdom and powerful beliefs in its unique system of god.
Here is a collection of some of the world’s major religions and the gods they believe in.
| Religions | Deities |
| Taoism | The Three Pure Ones (三清); Wenchang Wang (文昌王) |
| Buddhism | Sakyamuni Buddha (释加牟尼佛), Amitabha Buddha (阿弥陀佛), Guanyin (观音), and Manjushri (文殊菩萨) |
| Christianity | Lord |
| Islam | Allah |
| Hinduism | Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva |
| Judaism | Jehovah |