Today we have witnessed a very dramatic change: Our "official" state religion has been reverted yet again. "Neo-Confucianism" has risen.
A scholar named Chu Hsi has "long been calling for a new system of beliefs". He does not emphasize the importance of gods or various deities; rather, his new ideas incorporate several other beliefs. Buddhism, as well as others, are largely incorporated with Confucianism. "I do not care about this god or that one. I care about morality and ethics. If it takes religion to get people to behave well, so be it. Good is not justified".
The emperor Taizong likes Chu Hsi's ideas- he has made Neo-Confucianism the state belief at least. He believes that to keep an empire from crumbling apart you must unify the people under one faith. Neo-Confucianism would (in his eyes) offer a base from which to start. It sees life as an opportunity to become "pure" in spirit. "Such an ideology would encourage people not to do evil, and to consider the consequences of their actions", Taizong said as he issued the decree, "My goal is to attain peace and harmony within the empire. Neo-Confucianism is the way to do it."
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