[Buddha-l] Buddhism, the second largest religion in the world

[Vicente Gonzalez]

jkirk wrote:

j> The "counting: system is quite flawed.

I think the same. In example, in an official paper of the USA gov in
2002: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/13870.htm 

"Approximately 8 percent of the population are Buddhist, approximately
1.4 percent are Muslim, an estimated 0.4 percent belong to the
official Catholic Church, an estimated 0.4 to 0.8 percent belong to
the unofficial Vatican-affiliated Catholic Church, an estimated 0.8 to
1.2 percent are registered Protestants, and an estimated 2.4 to 6.5
worship in Protestant house churches"

That sums around 15%. However, some lines later we can read:

"according to government sources, up to 20 to 25 percent of Communist
Party officials in certain localities engage in some kind of religious
activity. Most officials who practice a religion are Buddhist or
practice a form of folk religion."

How is possible the Buddhist population is 8% and all together 15%,
when the officials of Communist Party can arrive to 20% or 25%?.
It  can means the officials of the Communist Party are the more
religious statement of the society.
Just I speculate that at least in those localities in where the
communist officials are religious in a 25%, the population must
arrive at least until 70%. On the contrary it becomes quite
difficult to understand. Or maybe it depends of the zone; I don't
know. 


Here there is a recent news in the press:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2007690,00.html
"Professors at East China Normal University estimated that about 300
million people - equivalent to more than 30% of the adult population -
followed Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, Muslim or other beliefs.  
The new figures cast doubt on official statistics, which claim China
has only 100 million religious worshippers, as well as calling into
question the government's assertion that superstitious beliefs will
wither away under communist rule."

But then neither I understand such progression; from the 15% to 30%
in 4 years. It means today the communist officials are 50% religious
in these localities?. Probably not.


best regards,