Confucianism as a religion

It is widely debated among scholars and among laypeople interested in Confucianism whether or not Confucianism is a religion or just a philosophy with some spiritual aspects. The early dynasties, and some of the ideas developed later by post-Confucius philosophers point to confucianism being more of a religion.
The Shang Dynasty was very influential in the formation of Confucianism. This dynasty was a theocracy; the rulers at that time were considered divine. As a matter of fact, the term Shang-di arose, meaning the supreme ruler in heaven, or the lord above. The Shang-di was said to have human like qualities but was still considered divine. This term brings to mind the idea of a form of monotheism, but that is not exactly what it was going to turn into. Also during this time, ancestor worship became important. There was a belief that there were ancestral and nature spirits that could influence the material world that the worshipers lived in. It was believed that if the spirits were unhappy, bad things would happen to the worshiper. Another common practice during that dynasty with a religious tone to it was scapulimancy. Scapulimancy was divination, or a type of fortune telling that involved animal bones. This early Chinese dynasty laid a good early foundation for the development of the more religious aspects of Confucianism.
The Zhou Dynasty was the next influential time period in early Chinese history. During this era, the ideas of the Shang were built upon. The supreme being in the previous period, Shang-di, became more of an idea than a figure. Shang-di became Tian. Tian was considered a sort of heaven place. This place handed down the right to rule to the leaders, called “mandate of heaven” and was also the source of bl...

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...s of the golden rule along with doing your best and loyalty. This virtue is also important in many other religions. Next is li, which has two meanings. The first is the proper etiquette (especially in social situations) and also brings back the idea of ancestor worship. The last two virtues are zhi, which is wisdom and xin, which is fidelity and integrity. It would be difficult to look upon these ideals in Confucianism and be able to relate them to ideals and virtues in other religions.
Confucianism can easily be thought of as a religion because of the ideas that were brought about during the Shang and Zhou dynasty. The virtues, and even the societal rules that are pivotal in Confucianism can be thought of in a religious context without strain. The debate will continue, but for some, these arguments are considered enough to end the debate, at least in their minds.