By David Bolling
Among the compelling excuses espoused by American policy makers and warmongers for the extraordinary cost in lives, treasure and domestic tranquility invested in the Vietnam War, was the alarm frequently sounded by conservative politicians and from Christian pulpits that “losing” Vietnam would loose a tidal wave of falling dominos carrying not just Communism, but Godless Communism across all of Southeast Asia, and who knew where the flood would finally ebb. On American shores?
Perhaps the only belief remotely as tragic as the illogical impulses that drove U.S. soldiers into Vietnam, is the D.O.G.E. belief that U.S.A.I.D. dollars spent combating a real menace – AIDS in Africa – was a prime example of “waste, fraud and abuse.”
Here’s the ultimate irony: Compared to U.S. church-going statistics, Vietnam is experiencing a steady increase in religious practice, especially among Christian religions. By official government statistics (and all churches must register with the government) the most popular religion in Vietnam is Buddhism, practiced by something over 13 percent of the population.
Buddhist monks in their saffron robes are spotted frequently, and one of the most popular heroes of the Vietnam War was the Buddhist monk Thic Quang Duc, who set himself on fire at a busy Saigon intersection in 1963 to protest persecution by the corrupt South Vietnamese government. During his fiery death, Duc sat completely still, not making a sound. A photo of his burning body was seen around the world.
The second most popular religion is – surprise – Catholicism, practiced by close to seven percent of the population, thanks in no small part to the colonial presence of the French, who left their language, their architecture and their religion as reminders of their colonial rule.
I visited the far northern city of Sapa with my wife and youngest daughter in May, and was privileged to have a trekking guide who explained that she was Catholic and attended the historic Catholic church that had recently reopened after long-delayed renovations. The church was built by the French in 1902 and features a cross-shaped belltower and sandstone walls. She said there was a significant Catholic congregation in the area, and according to the Vietnamdiscovery website, every Saturday evening ethnic people come to the courtyard in front of the Sapa Church to “seek the potential lover. Local people may participate in many cultural games, sing or dance to show their love and affection. These activities create a romantic and festive atmosphere,” says the site, and “in this love market, visitors have a chance to participate in some rare cultural practices of the ethnic group, such as wife kidnapping, H’Mong Khen dancing or singing a love song in minority languages.” Alas, I learned this after I left.
Other registered religions in Vietnam include Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, Protestant Christians, Islam and Judaism. There is evidence that some Muslim communities in the Mekong Delta have experienced persecution.
Religious freedom is guaranteed by the Vietnam constitution but religious practices must not threaten national security or social unity.
Not counted in the official statistics is the number of people who practice Confucianism, which is more of a belief system than a religion, and teaches ethical conduct, social harmony, education and self-cultivation and, perhaps most tangibly, the importance of family.
Family relationships, and respect for family past and present, are the defining qualities of Vietnamese life. Most homes have some kind of family shrine with photos and mementos of ancestors, and those ancestors are ritually honored throughout the year.
As a result, and in part as a product of economic realities, Vietnam households are multigenerational, and grandparents usually remain with their children until the day they die. Retirement homes are rare and the age of retirement for women is 55, for men 60. The country has a social security system and retirees are eligible for monthly pensions.
All said, far from being a threat to Western religious values, Vietnam has proven to be spiritually devout and culturally accepting, with more religious devotion per capita than in the U.S.
Photo: A massive stone Buddha inside a mammoth cave on Marble Mountain, near Da Nang in central coastal Vietnam. David Bolling photo
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