religion in Hong Kong and Evil Hufflepuffs/Good Slytherins)

[Alexandra Y. Kwan]

No: HPFGUIDX 17766

Hello,

> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., Catlady <catlady at w...> wrote:
> By the way, does anyone know what religions are common among
> > people from Hong Kong? For some reason, all the people from Hong
> Kong
> > whom I know are Christians..

Here's what the Encyclopedia Britannica says:

*****
The religious persuasions of the people of Hong Kong are as various as their
languages and dialects. Among the Chinese, followers of Buddhism and Taoism
by far outnumber other groups, and the numerous Buddhist and Taoist temples
and monasteries, some centuries old, play an important role in the daily
life of the average Chinese. Although each temple is generally dedicated to
one or two deities, it is not unusual to find images of a number of other
gods or goddesses inside. For a fishing and trading port, the most
significant deities are those associated with the ocean and the weather,
such as T'ien Hau, the goddess of heaven and protector of seafarers, who is
honoured by temples at virtually every fishing harbour. Other leading
deities include Kuan-yin (Avalokitesvara), the Buddhist goddess of mercy;
Hung Shing, god of the South Seas and a weather prophet; and Wong Tai Sin, a
Taoist saint and deity. Christians constitute some half-million people,
divided roughly equally between Roman Catholics and some 50 Protestant
denominations and sects such as Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, and Methodist.
There are also small numbers of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jews.
*****

But Taoist/Buddhist isn't exactly what's happening.  It's more like,
believing in the gods/saints without believing in the religion itself, or
not treating it as a religion.  I think most people wouldn't call themselves
Taoist or Buddhist, but they will tell you which specific saints/gods they
worship and which rules they observe.  And even if they believe in the
Buddha, most don't believe in Buddhism.  Am I making sense?  It's a
rather...pragmatic attitude about the whole religion thing.  Actually, this
is part of the reason I *never* understood the passion that many people feel
about religion, especially why people fight wars over something as...meager
as religion.

> I know quite a few people from Hong Kong, and as you say, most are
> Christians - Roman Catholics, to be precise.  In fact, many wealthy
> families send their children over here to be educated in
> English/roman Catholic private schools.

Well, I'm born and raised in Hong Kong, and I have to ask, what the heck are
you talking about?  Most importantly, where do you live?  I think most of
the HK people you've met are Christian because, forgive me if I'm wrong,
you're Christian yourself.  It's true that most of the top schools *are*
Christian (and Catholic at that), since they're founded by missionaries (in
HK, at least; I don't know the situation in USA), but most students don't
end up believing in the religion of the school.  Incidentally, back during
the fifties/sixties, most of the teachers in these schools are nuns and
priests (the high school my dad attended has Irish Catholic priests, which
means he speaks English with an accent that's an odd mixture of Irish and
Chinese; and now also Californian).

Kids are sent into certain schools not because the schools are of a certain
religion, but because of the schools' reputation; 'cause, trust me, grades
are way more important than religion.  It just happens that most top private
schools *are* Catholic.  And most families only need to be middle to
upper-middle class to send their kids over here, though more often for
college than for high school.

> overcame muggle blood.  So, does Slytherin value other things
> (cunning, ambition, pure evil) above blood?

Perhaps the wealth of V's family overcame the Slytherin's aversion against
his blood?  Maybe the fact that his mother was a witch was enough.  Or maybe
they just didn't know.  People know Hermione and other students are
Muggle-born because they tell others.  What if V's so ashamed of it that he
made up stories about his background?  If not stories, then perhaps at least
lies of omission?  The teachers would know, but maybe they don't divulge
such information?  It could happen...  Or perhaps his fellow Slytherins just
didn't care because Tom is such a great boy.

little Alex