Berkley Center

Religion serves many purposes: it is an explanation of origins, a reassurance of life after death, and an influential code of ethics. The multi-faceted role of faith, a role that encompasses morals as well as meanings, makes identifying with a single religion (or lack of religion) a common practice. This, however, is not the case in Vietnam. More than 80 percent of Vietnam’s 85 million people identify as “non-religious,” yet the country’s conservative nature indicates that some system of belief is either complementing or supplementing religion. From my walks down the streets of Saigon to the conversations I have had with locals, I have observed the influence of two doctrines that, along with faith, have deeply influenced and constructed the beliefs of a nation: Communism and Confucianism.

Propaganda, particularly of the Communist brand, is an art in Vietnam. Every road, from the dusty, dirt pathways in the Mekong Delta to the chaotic traffic-filled streets of downtown Saigon, are marked with red sickle and hammer flags—the infamous symbol of Communism. More pervasive than the sight of sickles and hammers are the images of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’'s most prolific historical figure. “Uncle Ho” appears everywhere: above the entryways of schools, on highway billboards, printed on the nation’'s currency. There are more visual representations of Ho Chi Minh in Saigon than there are images of Jesus Christ and Buddha. In a sense, Ho Chi Minh has been deified by the government, his face not merely an image from the past but the embodiment of a way of life: simple living, patriotism, loyalty, Vietnam. Paradoxically, Ho'’s legacy of a supposed simple lifestyle stands in contrast to his post-mortem existence. His mausoleum, an ostentatious white marble structure in Hanoi, is fit for a king—or a god. It is a constant reminder that atop the competing ideologies in Vietnam is the sheer power and strength of the Communist government , a power that religion cannot, without cost, compete with.

Arguably, the large “non-religious” portion of Vietnam'’s population is the result of Confucianism’'s cultural and societal impact, an impact that is subtle yet more present than Buddhism. The significance of Confucianism, which is often interpreted as philosophy rather than religion, is prevalent in most of Vietnam’'s cultural and societal institutions. The aging powers that be in Vietnam’'s government are a reflection of Confucianism’'s emphasis on seniority. Relationship dynamics between parents and children, husbands and wives, and the elderly to the young are the result of Confucianism'’s stringent system of respect. Children, for example, are subordinate to parents. My Vietnamese peers intended to live at home until marriage, subsequently assuming responsibility of their aging parents post-marriage. This common practice is a testament to Vietnam’'s long history of Confucianism, which has become a natural way of life for the Vietnamese. Consequently, many Vietnamese often turn to themselves or their families, rather than an organized religion, as a model for living.

Thus, a stark contrast that I have observed between the role of religion in the Western world and Vietnam has been the origin of an individual’'s moral compass. For many in the Western world, to commit something morally reprehensible is akin to committing a sin as set forth by standards that combine individual, societal, and religious thought. In Vietnam, to be “bad” is foremost a strike against family (Confucianism), followed by the honor and legacy of a society (Communism). For many Vietnamese, apologies and peace made with Buddha or God is, comparatively, of lesser importance.