Journal paper

Issue No.	No. 35
Title	The Study of the Phenomenon that Men and Women of Folk Secret Religious Sects Anticipated Meetings Together in Ch’ing Dynasty
Author	Li-Chuan, Chiu
Page	141-175
Abstract	NA　　Folk secret religious sects were widely prevalent among the lower strata society in Ch’ng Dynasty. These sects often permitted male and female believers to anticipate religious activities together. Because such behavior was against traditional morality, they were suspected and criticized by the Ch’ing government, intellects, and orthodox religions. The Ch’ing government censured activities of secret sects to violate tradi- tional ethics, and to damage social custom. The reasons male and female believers of the sects anticipated meetings together included organization of enlargement, believers of increase, both sexes equality of promotion, couple cultivation of advocacy, and life pattern believers. In fact, although the sects permitted male and female believers hold meetings together, the sects still warned their believers to avoid sexual obscenity. However, because of complexity of the sects, it was unavoidable to occur some salacious cases. The masters of the sects often utilized the opportunity to teach religious doctrine or to cure disease, and lured the wives and daughters of believers or women seeking to cure to occur sexual promiscuity. These salacious cases added negative image of the sects. 　　In order to restrain the existence of the sects, the Ch’ng government not only counseled people not to anticipate the sects by announcement, but also punished the leaders of the sects by laws. Because the Ch’ng government especially tried salacious cases of the sects by severe laws, the male masters often were sentenced to death, and the female believers were beat, yoked by cangue, or banished frontier to be slaves. In sum, in order to maintain good custom and strengthen political power, the government authorities prohibited the spread of such sects by sanction of laws.
Keyword	Ch’ing Dynasty, Folk Secret Religious Sects, Religious Meeting, Salacious Cases.
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