Expert: Joe McSorley - 3/8/2005

Question
Am i right in thinking that all chinese are Buddhists ? also are in Buddhism, are the women allowed to have sex before marriage ?

Please help

Answer
Dear Alfie,
 The predominat religion in China is Buddhism but most Chinese practice a mish-mash of Taoism and Buddhism with a lot of superstitions thrown in.  It is not nearly as structured as Western religion.  Since Mao many religious practices have been removed, especially in the major cities.
Buddhism does not have the rules and dogmas of Western religion so there is not rule about sex.  The idea is that we are accountable for everything we do so we must behave accordingly.  If sex before marriage creates problems with society or family then we must do what is best overall.  There are a lot of social norms and the Confucian ethic that have restrictions on women's behaviour but that is not Buddhism.
 I hope this helped you.  Take care,
        Joe