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Vietnam Other Faiths
Religions with less of a following than Buddhism or
Catholicism were treated similarly by the regime, with the
exception of those the regime considered merely superstitious,
which incurred its outright hostility. Two religious movements
that enjoyed considerable followings before 1975 were the
Cao Dai (see Glossary) and the
Hoa Hao (see Glossary). Both were founded
in this century in the Mekong River Delta. The Cao Dai, the older
of the two and a self-styled reformed Buddhist sect, flourished
in the rural areas of the southern delta region. An amalgam of
different beliefs derived from Confucianism, Taoism, and
Christianity, among other sources, it claimed 1 million to 2
million adherents. The Hoa Hao, with more than 1 million
followers, identified itself as a reformed Theravada Buddhist
sect, but, unlike the Cao Dai, it preserved a distinctive
Buddhist coloration. Based mostly in the southernmost areas of
the delta, it stressed individual prayer, simplicity, and social
justice over icon veneration or elaborate ceremonies. Before 1975
both faiths sought, with some success, to remain neutral in the
war between Hanoi and Saigon. After 1975, however, like Buddhists
and Roman Catholics, they were under heavy pressure from the
communist regime to join its ranks.
Protestants, numbered between 100,000 and 200,000 in the
early 1980s, and were found mostly among the Montagnard
communities inhabiting the South's central highlands. Because of
their alleged close association with American missionaries of the
Christian and Missionary Alliance, Protestants were reported to
have suffered more than Catholics after 1975.
In addition to organized religions, there existed a melange
of beliefs without institutional structure that nevertheless had
an enduring impact on Vietnamese life well into the 1980s. These,
beliefs derived partly from Confucianism, stressed the virtues of
filial piety, loyalty, family solidarity, and ancestor
veneration--all central to the family system of the old society.
Taoism, another important system of belief introduced from China,
emphasized the importance of an individual's relationship to
nature and to the universe. Beliefs rooted in Taoism were
condemned by the regime as superstitious.
Despite official disapproval of superstitious practices, most
Vietnamese, regardless of their professed religion, level of
education, or ideology, were influenced at one time or another by
such practices as astrology, geomancy and sorcery. Diviners and
other specialists in the occult remained in popular demand
because they were believed to be able to diagnose supernatural
causes of illness, establish lucky dates for personal
undertakings, or predict the future. Moreover, many Vietnamese
believed that individual destiny was guided by astrological
phenomena. By consulting one's horoscope, one could make the most
of auspicious times and avoid disaster. It was not unusual, for
example, for a couple to consult an astrologer before marrying.
He would determine if the betrothed were suitably matched and
even fix the date of the ceremony.
The belief in good and evil spirits, or animism, antedated
all organized faiths in Vietnam and permeated the society,
especially in the rural areas and in the highlands. These beliefs
held that all phenomena and forces in the universe were
controlled by spirits and that the souls of the dead were
instrumental in determining an individual's fate. If propitiated,
they provided the living with protection; if ignored, they
induced misfortune. Although officially condemned as
"superstitious practices," these beliefs continued to proliferate
in the rural and in the highland areas as well as in the cities
in the 1980s.
Data as of December 1987
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