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Dignitaries discuss young Vietnamese religion Cao Dai

Kellie Kotraba/ColumbiaFAVS
/
KBIA

In this week's faith and values update, we learn about a religion that was founded in Vietnam less than 100 years ago. It’s called Cao Dai, and those who practice it see it as one religion to unify the rest.

Dignitaries of Cao Dai came Columbia earlier this week to do a presentation on the religion and spread the word about the religion – but not in the way you might think. 

Proselytizing is forbidden in the religion, so they weren't trying to gain converts. Instead, they were looking for prospective researchers.

The religion started in Vietnam in the 1920's. Although rooted in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, Cao Dai is seen as one religion to unify all the rest, so it has elements of Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and others. The basic idea is that there has always been one God, but because of a lack of global communication, he revealed himself differently in different times and places.  

I sat down with Canh Tran, one of the visiting dignitaries, to find out more. 

This show is produced in partnership with ColumbiaFAVS, mid-Missouri's source for news about faith and values. 

Kellie Moore left KBIA in the spring of 2014.