扒车喵西方国家一贯重视宗教信仰在生活中的重要角色，美国网友在美版知乎Quora上提问道：为什么这么多中国人都是无神论者？他们到底信仰什么？这引起了各国网友的围观和热议，一些专家网友根据中国历史和民俗文化，撰文回答了这个问题。
问题：为什么这么多中国人都是无神论者？他们信仰什么？
美国专家亚瑟•戴恩的回答
The main belief of the Chinese people is their ancestors. They worship heroes and respect the embodiment of kindness and kindness. It is their duty to continue and inherit their spirit.
中国人的主要信仰是祖先，他们崇拜英雄人物，也敬重善良与仁慈的化身，以延续和继承他们的精神为己任。
During the Ming Dynasty, Western missionaries came to China’s Guangdong Province to preach. No matter how he described the greatness and love of God, the Chinese people were not interested in it at all. The churches he built were often empty.
明朝时期，西方传教士来到中国广东省传教，无论他如何描述上帝的伟大和爱，中国人对它根本不感兴趣，他建起教堂里常常空无一人。
But one day, by a very accidental chance, many Chinese people who passed here fell down and expressed their pious respect to the statue of the Virgin Mary. The missionary was very surprised and curious. He asked: why do you suddenly pray to the Virgin Mary?
但有一天，一个非常偶然的机会，许多路过这里的中国人轰然跪倒，向圣母玛利亚像表达了他们虔诚的敬意。传教士非常惊讶，同时也很好奇，他问道：为什么你们突然向圣母玛利亚祷告？
These Chinese said they saw a loving mother holding her child. They thought she was similar to Guanyin Bodhisattva, the God of Chinese Buddhism. Giving birth to Guanyin can protect parents without children to conceive their children as soon as possible. After this, he finally understood the Chinese people’s view of religion.
这些中国人说，他们看到一位慈爱的母亲抱着自己的孩子，他们认为她与中国佛教的神—观音菩萨相似，慈爱符合他们的传统，送子观音可以保佑没有孩子的父母尽快怀上自己的子女，经此一事，他终于稍微理解了中国人的宗教观。
There are many religions in Chinese History:
中国历史上有许多宗教：
Confucianism is the most firm belief of Chinese nobles and intellectuals. In fact, it is not a religion in the strict sense. Confucius said: One does not speak and strange forces confuse gods.
儒学是中国贵族和知识分子最坚定的信仰。事实上，它不是严格意义上的宗教，孔子说：子不语，怪力乱神。
It only advocates the divine grant of monarchical power, but basically denies the existence of all ghosts and gods. Confucianism is the code of conduct and the concept of governing the country for intellectuals, and it is also an enlightening Maxim.
它只主张君权神授，而基本上否认一切鬼神的存在，儒学是知识分子约束自己的行为准则和治国理念，也是给人以启发的至理名言。
Buddhism originated in India and was introduced into China in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Buddhism was not a religion at first, but a theory. The Buddha is a person whose name is Sakyamuni, not God. In order to spread more widely, Buddhism created a god system and world outlook, and Sakyamuni became the greatest God in Buddhism.
佛教起源于印度，东汉时期传入中国。佛教起初也不是一种宗教，而是一种理论。佛陀是一个人，他的名字叫释迦牟尼，而不是神。为了更广泛地传播，佛教创造了一个神的体系和世界观，释迦牟尼成为佛教中最伟大的神。
Taoism. At first, it was also a theory similar to Confucianism, not a religion. This theory advocates “conforming to nature and governing by inaction”.
道教。最初，它也是一种类似儒家思想的理论，而不是一种宗教。这一理论主张“顺应自然，无为而治”。
At the end of the Han Dynasty, they specially studied the teaching methods of Buddhism and created a fairy system that developed into religion. There are many religious factions, but they all respect the supreme old gentleman, that is, Lao Tzu, a famous Chinese thinker two thousand years ago.
汉朝末年，他们专门学习佛教的教学方法，创造了一个发展成宗教的神仙体系。这个宗教派系繁多，但他们都以太上老君为尊，也就是两千年前中国著名的思想家老子。
Christianity was introduced into China in the Tang Dynasty about 1400 years ago. At that time, it was called “Beijing religion” in China, and its Chinese pronunciation was similar to Christianity. Xi’an, the most famous ancient capital of China, has a museum with Christian stone tablets 1400 years ago.
大约1400年前的唐代，基督教传入中国，当时，它在中国被称为“京教”，汉语发音与基督教相似。中国最著名的古都西安有一座博物馆，里面有1400年前的基督教石碑。
The Tang Dynasty allowed Christianity to establish churches, but the Chinese did not accept this theory. Christianity did not develop and grow in China until missionaries came to China again in the Ming Dynasty 400 years later.
唐朝允许基督教建立教堂，但中国人没有接受这一理论，基督教没有在中国发展壮大，直到四百年后明朝时传教士再次来华。
In China, people can find almost all religions with more followers in the world. Nevertheless, the proportion of religious population in China is still low. China has never excluded or discriminated against people with religious beliefs, because they believe that religious activities can exist legally as long as they comply with laws and moral customs.
在中国，人们可以找到世界上几乎所有信众较多的宗教，尽管如此，中国的宗教人口比例还是偏低。中国从不排斥也不歧视有宗教信仰的人，因为他们认为只要符合法律和道德风俗，宗教活动就可以合法存在。
In addition, the Chinese people have one of the most unique awe, that is, the importance they attach to their ancestors.
此外，中国人有一种最独特的敬畏，那就是对祖先的重视。
In China’s creation myth, mankind was created by an ancient great God “Nu Wa”. She is a beautiful, loving and great goddess. She molded her children one by one with clay, and finally died of fatigue. Ancient Chinese people used their common mother to express their worship of reproduction and ancestors.
在中国的创世神话中，人类是由一位上古大神“女娲”创造的，她是一位美丽、慈爱、伟大的女神。她用泥土一个接一个地把自己的孩子塑造出来，最后因疲劳而死。古代中国人用他们共同的母亲来表达他们对生殖和祖先的崇拜。
Influenced by factors such as the distribution of means of production, China has formed a national system – patriarchy, which has continued to the Qing Dynasty since the primitive society.
受生产资料分配等因素的影响，中国自原始社会就形成了一个延续到清朝的国家制度——父权制。
During the feudal dynasty, they advocated the three cardinal principles and five permanent principles, monarchs, ministers, fathers and sons. On this basis, the Chinese seriously strengthened their family values. They feared their elders and respected their ancestors.
他们在封建王朝时期提倡三纲五常，君君、臣臣、父父、子子，在此基础上，中国人认真强化了他们的家庭价值观，他们敬畏长辈，尊敬祖先。
China’s worship of national history is beyond the imagination of Westerners. In the history of China’s Ming Dynasty, the number of existing books is tens of millions of words, and there are millions of words in the Han Dynasty more than 2000 years ago.
中国对民族历史的崇拜超出了西方人的想象，在中国明朝历史上，现存的图书数量有几千万字，两千多年前的汉朝，也有数百万字。
In each dynasty, officials recorded in detail the emperor’s life and work, as well as the origin and career of hundreds of thousands of officials, as well as the important events that took place in that dynasty.
在每个朝代，官员都会详细记录皇帝的生活和工作，以及数十万官员的出身和职业生涯，以及该朝代发生过的重要的事件。
Historical celebrities such as Huo Qubing against the Huns, Liu Guan, Zhang Taoyuan, and Yue Fei against Jin have left a strong mark in the history books, which has always been the spiritual sustenance and national example of the Chinese people.
霍去病抗击匈奴，刘关张桃园三结义，岳飞抗金等历史名人都在史书上留下了浓墨重彩的一笔，一直是中国人的精神寄托和民族榜样。
德国网友埃米利奥的回答
The Chinese do not deny the existence of God, but they are not used to believing in God.
中国人并不否认神的存在，只是中国人不习惯相信神。
In the West: a long time ago, God caused a great flood in the world to destroy the world. In order to continue the fire of civilization, God asked Noah to build an ark and save mankind.
在西方：很久以前，上帝在世界上造成了一场大洪水毁灭世界，为延续文明的火种，上帝要诺亚建造了方舟，拯救了人类。
In the East: in ancient times, there was a great flood in the world. A man named Dayu led people to dredge the river. Finally, the flood retreated and defeated natural disasters.
在东方：上古时期，世界上发生了一场大洪水，一个名叫大禹的人带领人们疏通河道，最终洪水退却，战胜了自然灾害。
Do you see the difference?
你看到区别了吗？
Even in fairy tales, the Chinese have always believed in themselves rather than relying on God to save them.
即使在神话故事中，中国人也一直相信自己，而不是依靠上帝来搭救。
About 3200 years ago, the rulers of the Shang Dynasty believed that the monarchy was granted by God. However, over time, the tyranny of the rulers led to social unrest and instability.
大约3200年前，商朝统治者认为君权神授，然而，随着时间的推移，统治者的暴政导致了社会动荡和不稳定。
King Wu of Zhou revolted and established the moral concept of “Virtue” and the theological concept of “the ruler must have the necessary virtue to accept the destiny”. The Shang Dynasty was overthrown and the Zhou Dynasty established a dynasty that ruled China for 800 years.
周武王起兵反抗，创立了“德性”的道德观和“统治者必须具备必要的德性才能接受天命”的神学观，商朝被推翻，周朝建立了一个统治中国800年的王朝。
Since then, the right to resist unjust rulers has been a part of Chinese political philosophy.
自此以后，反抗不公正统治者的权利一直是中国政治哲学的一部分。
All problems in human society are essentially problems between people, not between heaven and man. The truly kind and wise God always listens to the wishes of the people, because man is the source of God.
人类社会的所有问题本质上都是人与人之间的问题，而不是天与人之间的问题。真正善良、智慧的神总是听从人民的意愿，因为人是神的来源。
A wise king must first meet the requirements of the people and then pay attention to religious affairs. This is the beginning of the rise of atheism in China.
一个贤明的国王必须首先满足人民的要求，其次才是理会宗教事务，这是中国无神论兴起的开始。
About 2600 years ago, the contention of a hundred schools of thought (China’s Renaissance) was the golden age of Chinese philosophy. Shocking theoretical concepts were put forward in schools including Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, Legalism and yin-yang school. These theories still have a profound impact on the way of life and social consciousness of East Asian countries.
大约2600年前，百家争鸣（中国的文艺复兴）是中国哲学的黄金时代，在包括儒家、道家、墨家、法家、阴阳家等流派提出了惊世骇俗的理论观念，这些学说至今还在深刻地影响着东亚国家生活方式和社会意识。
In a paragraph of the Analects of Confucius, Confucius discussed supernatural phenomena. He told his disciples that although “God” and “spirit” should be respected, it is best to keep a distance from them.
在《论语》的一段中，孔子讨论了超自然现象，他对徒弟们说，虽然“神”和“灵”应该受到尊重，但最好和他们保持距离。
On the contrary, human beings should base their values and social ideals on moral philosophy and the essence of things, This is similar to what Protagoras said: “man is the measure of everything.”
相反，人类应该把自己的价值观和社会理想建立在道德哲学和事物本质的基础上，这类似于普罗泰戈拉所说：“人是衡量一切事物的尺度。”
Now in the west, more and more people are liberated from their beliefs and become atheists. China has been a secularist country for 3000 years. People are not used to the rule of God. Therefore, the Chinese people do not believe in God, but only believe in themselves.
现在的西方，越来越多的人从信仰中解放出来，成为无神论者。中国3000年来一直是一个世俗主义国家，人们不习惯上帝的统治，因此中国人不相信上帝，只相信自己。
海外网友梅拉尼娅的回答
In China, the Constitution stipulates that everyone has the freedom to believe or not to believe in religion, and this legal provision has been well respected in practice.
在中国，宪法规定，每个人都有信仰或不信仰宗教的自由，该法律条款在实践中受到了相当好的尊重。
The Chinese are only “atheists” in the strictest sense understood by western culture. They do not worship and rarely pray, but beyond this narrow definition, the Chinese also have their deep beliefs.
中国人只是西方文化所理解的最严格意义上的“无神论者”，他们不做礼拜，很少祷告，但在这个狭隘的定义之外，中国人也有他们内心深处的信仰。
Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all Abraham religions. We can compare the scenes of Abraham religious believers and ordinary Chinese believers in prayer:
犹太教、基督教、伊斯兰教都是亚伯拉罕宗教，我们可以比较一下亚伯拉罕宗教信徒和普通中国信众在祈祷时的场景：
• when a religious believer of Abraham walks into a temple, he can only pray to one God, who decides whether to give blessings.
•当亚伯拉罕的宗教信徒走进一座寺庙时，他只能向一位神灵祈祷，再由这位神决定是否给予赐福。
• when entering a temple, Chinese believers first pray to the God of the land (the God of the land), the God of the common people, and then continue to worship and pray to historical idols, Buddhist or Taoist statues, personal ancestors and other figures of various religions. Many times, a temple can accommodate representatives of many religions.
•而中国信徒进入寺庙时，首先向平民之神—土地之神（土地公）祈祷，然后继续向历史偶像、佛教或道教雕像、个人祖先和其他各种神教人物祭拜祈祷，很多时候，一座寺庙可以容纳诸多宗教的代表。
Therefore, many Chinese people’s beliefs are a mixture of different religions, including divinity, Feng Shui, Buddhism, Taoism, folklore and so on.
因此，许多中国人的信仰是不同宗教的混合体，它包括神教、风水学、佛教、道教、民间传说等等。
Despite the fact that these beliefs are not allowed to be so mixed and matched when they are carefully observed, this happens because many religious customs have become very common and have entered folk traditions.
尽管事实上，这些信仰在认真遵守时不允许如此混合和匹配，之所以会发生这种情况，是因为许多宗教习俗已经非常普遍，已经进入了民间传统。
Feng Shui is a good example. Some parts of it are very reasonable: it depends on the measurement of wind, humidity, the location of nearby water bodies (and their impact on temperature and humidity), as well as the compass to control sunlight to determine the direction and location of buildings, but it also contains many superstitious things.
风水学就是一个很好的例子。它的某些部分是非常合理的：依靠对风、湿度、附近水体位置（及其对温度和湿度的影响）的测量，以及控制阳光照射的罗盘，来决定建筑物的方向和位置，但其中也包含着许多迷信的东西。
