Vietnam can be recognized for its tolerance for different beliefs. Article 70 in the Vietnamese constitution states: "The citizen shall enjoy freedom of belief and of religion; he can follow any religion or follow none. All religions are equal before the law. The places of worship of all faiths and religions are protected by the law. No one can violate freedom of belief and of religion; no one can misuse belief and religions to contravene the law and the State policies." The religions most practiced in Vietnam include: Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, and Muslim. .
Around 1920 there was an organized movement for the restoration of Buddhism. For the Buddist, life is seen as a "vast sea of suffering." Wisdom lies in the suppression of desires: desires for life, happiness, riches, power, etc. which are considered the root of human suffering. Buddhism is also a religion that involves believing in the Laws of Karma, which is basically the belief that what goes around comes around. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. The Buddist believes that you are rewarded for the good things and punished for the bad things you do in this life, in the next. The present existence is conditioned by earlier existence and will condition those to fo llow.
Most of the Christians that are in Vietnam are Catholics. Protestants Missions have operated in the country since World War II. Some Vietnamese people who practiced other religions looked down upon Protestants because of the association with American missionaries of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Protestents were considered to have suffered more than Catholics after 1975. In 1965 there were about 1.5 million Catholics in the South and a good majority of the priests and nuns were Vietnamese. .
Confucianism was and is also a major spirituality in Vietnam to the point where it has had an affect on government.
