1
!!!!!
*.”
油
2
#
**S W
** :
& OB
12 MARA 99 2002
18 ::
2
Freedom
of Worship
X
X
X
Amid the commercial complexities of Hong Kong, religion remains an integral part of everyday life. Its people follow a multi-faceted range of spiritual beliefs and religious customs from exuberant participation in colourful, noisy festivals to serene moments of worship of a pure- ly private nature. All faiths co-exist in characteristic harmony. It may be that re- ligious tolerance has evolved as a natural extension of Hong Kong's free enterprise philosophy with devotees giving, and ex- pecting, freedom to observe the tenets of their religion whether it is in temple, church or chapel, mosque, or synagogue. Along- side the inestimable numbers of Buddhists and Taoists who frequently practise a mixture of both faiths, the world's major religions are also well represented by strong if often small communities. Some half a million people follow almost every denomination of the Christian faith, with about 30 000 followers of Islam, 8000 Hindus, 3 000 Sikhs, and some 500 mem- bers of the Jewish community. Remark- ably, this blend of beliefs even extends to the practical accommodation of icons sacred to several independent religions within a single temple. It is not uncommon to find Taoist and Buddhist deities sharing the same altar, or to encounter a Christian who is stopping by a Buddhist temple to pay respects to an ancestor.*****
أونلاين
110
10
**
I
3
2
1.5
* X * ፡-
jee)
XXXX
Previous page: Taoist worshippers seek fair weather and good fishing at the yearly festival of the sea goddess Tin Hau, Queen of Heaven, at Joss House Bay Temple. Left: Roman Catholics join the procession for Our Lady of Fatima as it snakes its way from St Teresa's Church, Kowloon; a Chinese Methodist Church, completed in 1936, now lies at a busy road junc- tion in Wan Chai; Hong Kong's Israeli rabbi blesses the wine at the Ohel Leah Synagogue.
|||
020
::
X
X X
:
# XX
X 2
W O
|||
8 x 8 6
;
።።
፡-