How did some vietnamese turn from budhist to catholic?

Question

im catholic and vietnamese...

i think it was the french who influenced us to become catholic...
or were some forced?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church has been in Vietnam since before 1533.

The original Diocese of Quy Nhon was started in 1659. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dquyn.html

There are currently over 5.5 million Catholics in Vietnam.

Here is an article on the history of the Vietnamese Catholic Church: http://www.catholic-doc.org/miscellany/2001/0510vietnam.HTM

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

You're right, it was the French colonization there to start, but it's really interesting if you read up on what was happening there right before the Vietnam war. There were French, Spanish, and Portuguese missionaries there in about the 1600s.

The French encouraged conversion, saying that catholicism was needed to "balance" out Buddhism. I had heard that there may have been some "strong encouragement" to convert, but I bet most of it was economic, like people were rewarded for being catholic, of course there are stories, more than one case of someone being forced, much like how Spanish missionaries often forced Native Americans to convert or be killed otherwise.

The Catholic church started getting involved in the Vietnam war and may have moved more than 1 million people to south Vietnam under the guise of making them escape communism in the north. Today, there are twice as many catholics in the North.

It seems like for a long time, those Vietnamese people who were willing to be Catholic and learn French had the advantage in business and jobs with the French colonizers and businesspeople.

Below is a good story of the history of the link between the two. Also, a link that discusses some of the darker side of what happens. I've read the book from the second website, and it's pretty alarming.

Answer 3

Some Viet Catholics are being forced out by the Communists,but they are not forsaking the Catholic Faith of Christ for they have the example of their own Viet Catholic Martyrs over the last 4 centuries to inspire them

Answer 4

They saw the goodness of the missionaries and moved by God's grace they became Catholics some even died for the faith and are an example for Catholics not only allover the world but for future generations of Catholics.

Answer 5

i think during the war when americans were in vietnam they set up sum missionaries and i guess sum people wanted 2 try sumthing new.

Answer 6

They turned left.

Answer 7

christianity is like bird drops..... s||it is every where.

When the west came to Asian countries they brought two things - Guns and christianity. Dumb kind harted asian got trapped to that.

Answer 8

http://www.beautifulislam.net/prophethood/muhammad_mercy.htm