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Family Religious History

Satisfactory Essays

Lixin Guo
PHIL 110 – ADF
Family Religious History
I grew up with my maternal grandparents in China. From an early age, I was taught the notion of filial piety, paying respect to elderly members while making concessions to the younger members. It plays a central role in my family as well as the families in which my grandparents came from.
My grandmother is born in a scholarly family heavily influenced by teachings of Confucianism. Strict rules apply to how children should behave to show respect to adults. For instance, children are not allowed to eat before adults begin eating, which exemplifies the belief that parents are authoritative over children. Unlike her parents, my grandmother is not keen on being an authoritative figure. She believes that a mutually respectful relationship with everyone regardless of age is the key to a harmonious family. …show more content…

I have adopted a secular view on traditions. Rather than accepting filial piety as an obligation, I see it as a guide to the moral conducts. Making sacrifices means more of a duty to preserve my cultural identity than a religious experience.
My grandfather, on the other hand, is from a poor, rural family. Although his family did not enforce a harsh discipline which is derived from the notion of filial piety, he is the most pious devotee to traditional practices in my family and sees filial piety as an obligation. It is his way of showing reverence to his mother, who changed his course of life. Despite the meager income, my great grandmother insisted on him to complete his college education so that he could find work that allows him to escape poverty. He feels heavily indebted to

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