Lesson 11: Taoism

James grew up in a Taoist family in Malaysia. His family had idols and an altar for worshipping ancestors. James was afraid of the idols, but made offerings to them because he was afraid they would punish him if he didn’t. He had heard of Jesus, but thought that Jesus was a god only for Westerners.

Read Psalm 16 aloud. Write a paragraph that summarizes this scripture passage. What does this passage say that God does for his people? Write a list of statements. 

Introduction to Taoism

Taoism may have been started by a book called Tao Te Ching by a Chinese man named Laozi, written sometime before 350 B.C. It is not certain whether Laozi was an individual or if the writings were collected from several writers. The writings of a man named Zhuangzi also influenced the religion.

Taoism is also called Daoism.

[9]

The collection of scriptures for Taoism includes more than 1,000 books. The collection is called the Tao Zang.

Taoism’s practices and concepts have been influenced by Confucianism and aspects of Chinese local religions and culture. Taoist practices vary widely from one place to another.

It is difficult to estimate the number of Taoists because many people practice it individually and because it is blended with a variety of religions. It has been estimated that there are 400 million Taoists in China. Taoism exists among Chinese populations in various parts of the world, such as Singapore and Taiwan. There are also many in Vietnam and Korea.

A variety of schools and monasteries for Taoism exist, not united in one organization. Taoists practice rituals that are intended to influence gods and spirits.[1] Many Taoist monasteries require their monks to be vegetarians. Rituals can include sacrifices of pigs, ducks, or fruit. [2]Sometimes special paper with pictures is burned, with the idea that the thing in the picture becomes a real thing in the spirit world, creating something for spirits to use.[3]

► How should a Christian be involved in the spirit world?

Different groups of Taoists believe in different pantheons of gods. They believe in interaction with gods, spirits, and ancestors.[4] They practice fortune-telling and various forms of divination. Some believe in mediums, a person through whom spirits communicate. In China and other places where there are many Taoists, they have several parades each year. Participants perform in costumes that represent various gods or spirits. The participant is considered to be possessed by the god or spirit he is representing.[5]

The god who rules the world is called Yu-huang, the Jade Emperor. According to legend he was a man born to an emperor, who grew to be the god he is now. He rules over all other gods and spirits. Though Yu-huang is the ruling god, above him is another god, uninvolved with the world, who has absolute qualities. Yuan-shih T’ien-tsun is called the First Principal, and is believed to be without beginning or end, existing before all else. He is believed to be self-existing, limitless, changeless, invisible, with all virtues, present everywhere, and the source of all truth.

► What is missing in the Taoist’s concept of God?

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The “Yin and Yang” diagram (above) illustrates the Taoist concept that all opposites such as good and evil are really just different sides of reality.

The Tao is their term for the reality that includes everything that exists and sustains it. The term Tao is also translated as “the way” because it refers to the way that things are sustained and reshaped.[6]

They believe that the Tao cannot be explained or understood. They say that the Tao is not anything that can be said about the Tao.[7]

► How does Christian theology differ from Taoist’s statements about the Tao? Can we understand God?

Taoists believe that all opposites are illusions or simply complementing aspects of reality. The goal of the Taoist is to bring himself into harmony with the forces of the universe. His purpose is to improve his health and lengthen his life. A Taoist believes a person can become immortal if he fits into the forces of the universe perfectly. Taoists believe some people have achieved this and have become immortals to be worshipped as gods.[8] Taoists believe Jesus was a person who was spiritually advanced and showed the way for people to become gods.

Like Buddhists and Hindus, Taoists believe in endless cycles of time, with no beginning, no ending, and no events that change things permanently. Unlike Hinduism and Buddhism, Taoists do not believe in the system of reincarnation, karma, and nirvana.

Now go back over the preceding material. Each one has a footnote with a biblical fact and reference. Look up the verses and read them.

[1] “We believe in one God the Father All-sovereign, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.”  
- The Nicene Creed

[2] “It is this independent one who deals intimately with creation, this infinite one who sponsors and nurtures finitude at every level, this immense one who cares about the whole cosmos and the smallest sparrow, this eternal one who gives and sustains time and
temporal flow.”
- Thomas Oden, The Living God, 53

[3] The Bible tells us not to use things that other religions use to influence the spirit world. God is a person, and he is our Father, and we can talk to him (Matthew 6:7-9).

[4] The Bible says that those who follow the gods will find sorrow instead of the things they want (Psalm 16:4).

[5] Some religions consider spirit possession of a person to be a good thing, but the Bible shows that a person used by a spirit is a slave and needs deliverance (Acts 16:16-18)

[6] The Bible says that Jesus is the one who created everything and sustains everything (Colossians 1:16-17).

[7] We cannot understand everything about God, because he is infinite, but he has revealed truth about himself. Jesus came to show us what God is like (John 1:18, John 14:6-9).

[8] The Bible tells us that people who are in a higher form after death are not to be worshipped (Revelation 22:8-9).

[9]Image by Julian Tong from Unsplash, retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/ng7f_jtgbCc.

[10]Image: "Traditional yin and yang with dots", by Klem, retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Traditional_yin_and_yang_with_dots.png, public domain.

Because Taoists do not believe the Bible, using proof texts to refute their beliefs will not change their mind. Instead, present the biblical gospel in a way that addresses their need. The Christian’s personal testimony of relationship with God helps to touch the Taoist’s need to know God.

We can agree with some of the ethics of Taoism. They teach that people should love others, be gentle, give up selfishness, avoid judging others, and not follow after riches.

They believe that the Tao is the source of all things and is present in all things. We believe that God is the Creator of all and is present everywhere. The difference is that we believe that God is a being with a mind and purpose, and we can be in relationship with him.

They believe that the Tao takes care of all beings. We believe that God is involved in his creation and takes care of it, but he does it consciously, as a Father who loves us.

The Taoists believe that there must be a god with absolute qualities who knows all things, is everywhere, and has all virtues. This corresponds to the Christian belief in God, and we can share with them that he is the God who created man in his own image for the sake of relationship. Explain that the God that we cannot reach has reached out to us with the incarnation of Christ. Explain that we are separated from him by sin, but can come into relationship with him because of Jesus.

Christians believe that the eternal, absolute God has spoken and provided the Bible as a written form of his message to man. Offer to share the gospel with the Taoist, so he can decide whether or not to believe that it is a message from God.

Below is a special note (“A Confusing Variety”) related to the three religions that have just been studied. Someone should read and explain this note, then let class members say what branches of these religions they have heard of.

There are many branches of Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism with different names. For example, Falun Gong is a religion based on all three, but especially Buddhism. Like Falun Gong, a religious movement can begin with an individual teacher who changes some things and teaches his own way of practicing the religion. This can happen easily because these religions do not have a clear statement of their fundamental beliefs.

The followers of the branches of eastern religions have much in common and do not consider their own branch to be the only true religion. They borrow details from other religious groups.

Some branches emphasize physical health or ways of responding to the stress of life. Many people practice the mental and physical exercises for practical benefit and do not think much about religious beliefs. They may even think that what they do is not a religion. However, the practices are based on theology and cosmology that contradict biblical truth.

Now read Psalm 16 again. Write a paragraph explaining the message this passage has for the Taoist.