Keywords: Religious ethics; Religious culture; Cultural values; Vietnam.
During the period of national renewal, the Party issued Resolution No. 24/NQ-TW dated October 16th, 1990, of the Politburo, affirming that religion and beliefs are spiritual needs of a segment of the population. Religious ethics has many things suitable for the work of building a new society. In many subsequent documents, our Party advocates respecting and promoting the good cultural and moral values of religion in the work of building a new society.
Directive No.37/CT of the Politburo dated July 2rd, 1998 on religious work in the new situation affirmed: “The good cultural and moral values of religions are respected and encouraged to be promoted” [1]. Resolution No. 5 of the 8th Central Committee (1999) on building an advanced Vietnamese culture with strong national identity clearly states: “Encourage ideas of fairness, charity, and goodness... in religion, at the same time propagating education to overcome superstition and combat the exploitation of religion and beliefs to carry out evil political intentions” [2].
Resolution No. 25/NQ-TW dated March 12th, 2003, of the 7th Plenum of the 9th Central Committee, supplemented and developed the Party’s viewpoint on religious issues, including the viewpoint on promoting the cultural and ethical values of religion. Accordingly, the Party encourages religions to participate in the socialization of activities in healthcare, culture, social affairs, education,...
The 13th Party Congress affirmed: “Strongly awaken the spirit of patriotism, the will for national self-reliance, the strength of national unity and the aspiration for a prosperous and happy country” [6]. Therefore, promoting the positive cultural and ethical values and resources of religions for the cause of national development today is very important, creating a combined strength in achieving targets and contents related to socio-economic development, culture, education, health, strengthening national defense and security, expanding foreign relations and cooperation and development. At the same time, it contributes to foiling all plots and schemes of hostile and reactionary forces against the Vietnamese revolution, firmly protecting the ideological foundation of the Party and building the country.
During the period of national renewal, the positive cultural and ethical values of religions are respected and encouraged to be promotedFirstly, the appearance of religious culture has flourished, contributing to enriching the national cultural landscape.
The number of religious organizations recognized by the State increased along with the increase in the number of clergy, monks, followers, places of worship and training facilities of religions [8]. In 2003, the whole country had 6 religions, 15 organizations with 17 million followers, about 20,000 places of worship; 34,000 religious leaders, 78,000 religious officials. By 2022, the government had recognized 43 organizations, belonging to 16 different religions, with over 27 million followers, over 53,000 religious leaders, about 148,000 religious officials, over 29,700 places of worship…[13]. Many religious places of worship have been renovated to be more spacious and clean; hundreds of hectares of land in various localities have been allocated to religious organizations to build places of worship, meeting the genuine religious needs of the people. The number of religious schools and training courses is increasing. Many religious leaders and clergy have been given opportunities by the State to study abroad to improve their qualifications.
Every year, there are over 8,000 religious festivals, with tens of thousands of believers participating [13]. Major religious festivals such as: Buddha's birthday, Vu Lan festival of Buddhism, Christmas of Catholicism and Protestantism, Yen Dieu Tri festival of Cao Dai religion, the founding ceremony of Hoa Hao Buddhism... are all organized on a large scale in many localities across the country... The State also pays attention to and facilitates large-scale celebrations and international conferences of religions, such as: the United Nations Vesak Day (2008, 2014, 2019, 2025), the 11th Buddhist Women’s Conference (2009); Celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Protestant mission to Vietnam (2011); General Chapter of religious orders, International Conference of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady, Regular Conference of Jesuits of the East Asia-Australia Province; The 10th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnamese Hierarchy, the 350th anniversary of the establishment of the Catholic Dioceses of Dang Trong and Dang Ngoai,...
Changes in the appearance of religious culture contribute to building an increasingly civilized and modern cultural and social life.
Secondly, the general level of education and political awareness among religious leaders, clergy, and followers has been steadily improving, leading to increased trust, enthusiasm and active participation in socio-political life among people of all religions.
Vietnamese Buddhism with the motto “The Dharma - Nation and Socialism”; Catholicism with the motto “Living the Gospel in the heart of the nation to serve the happiness of our compatriots”; Protestantism with the following direction: “Living the Gospel, serving God, serving the Fatherland and the nation”; Cao Dai religion with the motto “The nation prospers, the religion shines”; Hoa Hao Buddhism with the principle “Reviving the religion, being closely connected with the nation, conforming to the policies and laws of the State, contributing to building and protecting the Fatherland”...
Many religious leaders have set exemplary examples, leading and guiding the activities of their organizations and followers towards engagement with the world, accompanying the nation, connecting religion with life and making positive contributions to society.
Thirdly, religious leaders, clergy and followers actively participate in patriotic emulation movements and the building of a cultured way of life.
In response to the Party and State’s policies, emulation movements promoting a good and virtuous life have been widely organized in various forms across many regions inhabited by people of different religions. Through these movements, the positive cultural and moral values of religions are vividly expressed in real life.
The “National Unity for Building a Culturally Rich Life” movement in residential areas has been creatively applied by numerous religious leaders, clergy and followers of various religions, adapting it to the specific characteristics of each religion and forming movements such as: “Building exemplary and progressive pagodas”, “Building progressive parishes and communities and exemplary Catholic families”... Movements to combat crime, drugs, and social vices, to build a new way of life in matters of funerals, weddings and festivals, and to establish and implement village and neighborhood conventions and customs,… have all been enthusiastically supported by a large number of religious followers.
Fourthly, religious leaders, clergy and followers actively participate in the socialization of education, healthcare and charitable and social activities.
Over the years, scholarship funds established by religious organizations in many regions have been changing the perceptions of religious followers and contributing to raising the educational level of religious believers. Many charity classes, schools, kindergartens and literacy classes established by religious leaders, monks and organizations have made practical contributions to education and training, and are increasingly gaining trust in society. Many clinics and medical facilities run by religious organizations have been operating effectively, contributing alongside the government to improving the quality of medical care for the people. The social charity movement is actively carried out by numerous religious leaders, clergy and followers in various forms such as providing production capital, opening charity schools and classes, building social welfare centers, granting scholarships, providing medical examinations and treatment, assisting natural disasters, donating blood and helping vulnerable social groups,...
In order to ensure that the positive cultural and ethical values of religion continue to be effectively promoted in real life, the following solutions should be implemented:
Firstly, strengthening research and identification of cultural and ethical values of religion, unifying viewpoints throughout the political system and creating a legal framework for promoting cultural and ethical values of religion.
The Party and the State need to pay attention to promoting scientific research on religion and assessing the role of religion in social life. Based on the traditional cultural and ethical values of the nation and its suitability for building a new society, it is necessary to identify the values and anti-values within religion. From there, appropriate policies can be developed to promote the positive values and gradually reduce the negative aspects of religion; unifying the views and responsibilities of the entire political system on religious issues in general and the cultural and ethical values of religion in particular.
Secondly, socio-political organizations need to closely cooperate with religious organizations, guiding religious activities to ensure compliance with the law, at the same time creating conditions for religious organizations to continue promoting the positive cultural and ethical values of their religions.
Thirdly, strengthening research and learn from the experiences of countries that have successfully applied cultural, ethical and religious values to national development.
In recent years, stemming from the practical role of religion in social life and with an open-minded perspective, some countries that were once very rigid in building secular, secular states with the principle of separating religion from the state and politics from religious influence are now gradually adjusting their policies to promote the resources of religion, especially in the fields of culture and ethics. Singapore shares many similarities with Vietnam in terms of religious diversity and has been very successful in implementing a policy of religious harmony, respecting and utilizing religious cultural values in the process of national development, achieving encouraging results. Laos and Thailand have also been quite successful in using religious cultural values to serve national development.
The policy model of religious harmony, incorporating religious education, and utilizing, promoting religious cultural and ethical values to serve social development in countries in the region has many similarities with.
Vietnam, in terms of culture and society, offers good models for application in order to more effectively exploit and promote cultural, ethical and religious values to serve the process of national construction and development in the new era.
References
1. Political Bureau, Directive No. 37/CT dated July 2nd, 1998 on religious affairs in the new situation.
2. Communist Party of Vietnam, Documents of the 5th Conference of the Central Executive Committee, 8th Term (1999).
3. Communist Party of Vietnam, Documents of the 12th National Congress, Party Central Committee Office, Hanoi, 2016, p.165.
4. Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Ordinance No. 21/2004/PLUBTVQH11 dated June 18th, 2004 on beliefs and religions.
5. Resolution No. 25/NQ/TW, dated March 12th, 2003, of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on religious affairs in the new situation.
6. Documents of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Volume I, National Political Publishing House, p.171.
7. Initial exploration of the relationship between the State and the Church, Religious Publishing House, Hanoi, 2003.
8. According to the Government's Religious Affairs Committee, as of 2014, Vietnam had 13 religions with 41 religious organizations and 1 practice recognized and registered by the State, with nearly 24 million followers, 83,000 religious dignitaries, 250,000 religious officials, 46 training institutions and 25,000 places of worship.
9. Vietnam and the Human Rights Issue, Hanoi 2005, p.1.
10. Arguments criticizing erroneous and hostile viewpoints, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2014.
11. Religion and religious policy in Vietnam. Religious Publishing House, Hanoi, 2022, p.90, 91.
12. According to Nguyen Cong Huyen, “Promoting the role of religious organizations in social charity activities”, Journal of Religious Affairs No. 10/2009, pp. 12-14.
13. MA. Nguyen Van Long: Never before have religions in Vietnam had such favorable conditions for operation as they do now, https://mattran.org.vn/dan-toc-ton-giao/chua-bao-gio-cac-ton-giaoo-viet-nam-co-dieu-kien-hoat-dong-thuan-loi-nhu-hiennay-49720.html, ngày 14/05/2023.
14. Ho Van Duc, Promoting the positive cultural and ethical values of religions for the current national development, https://www.quanlynhanuoc.vn/2024/02/08/phat-huy-nhunggia-tri-van-hoa-dao-duc-tot-dep-cua-cac-ton-giao-cho-sunghiep-phat-trien-dat-nuoc-hien-nay/, ngày 08/02/2024.
15. Dr. Vu Chien Thang, Awakening and promoting the ethical, cultural values and religious resources to serve the cause of national developmen, ttps://tapchicongsan.org.vn/media-story/-/
asset_publisher/V8hhp4dK31Gf/content/khoi-day-va-phathuy-gia-tri-dao-duc-van-hoa-va-nguon-luc-ton-giao-phucvu-su-nghiep-phat-trien-dat-nuoc, ngày 11/6/2022.
