Why Chinese People Can Believe in Three "Religions" at Once

If you ask a European what they believe in, you get a clear answer. If you ask an ancient Chinese person the same question, they would not understand why you are asking. In the morning they read Confucius. In the afternoon they practiced Taoist breathing. In the evening they burned incense at a Buddhist temple. They saw no contradiction in any of this. The Western concept of religion assumes a supreme god, exclusive devotion, and an organized church. None of these apply to China. Confucianism has no god. Taoism is closer to a philosophy of nature than a faith. And Buddhism, after entering China, was reshaped so thoroughly that its Indian founders might not recognize it.