Message from victoriachan

[Anonymous]

I thought it was interesting that in Caodai, the LGBTQ community seems to be more accepted than in some of the other cultures/religions that are practiced in the U.S. In Caodai, a man can have female spirits inside him and a woman can be a vessel for a male spirit. It’s a much more nuanced way to think about gender/sexuality, especially since there’s so much homophobia in the U.S.
Parts of the elaborate rituals are reminiscent of Chinese culture, such as the dragon being present during ceremonies. It would make sense why anyone who is not familiar with Vietnamese culture might confuse the Caodai religion with Buddhism and label it as such.

Also, I see a parallel between how in both Vietnam and China, there have been times were religion was considered a waste of time by the government. Instead, the governments in both countries wanted to emphasize building the nation. Nonetheless, I do appreciate how Caodai has survived and continues to be practiced in both Vietnam and the U.S. despite this history.