| 摘要: | 因果信仰是台灣乃至整個華人社會普遍的信念，「善有善報，惡有惡報」的想法深植人們的心中，根據「社會變遷基本調查」在歷年來的調查當中，至少六成的臺灣成年民眾相信「因果輪廻」的說法，大多數的人們相信種善因、結善果，因為畏懼做壞事得到的惡果，進而要求自己或別人遵循善的行為，所以因果信仰無形之中成為社會穩定的支撐力量。 台灣是個宗教自由的國家，根據美國Pew Research Center在2014年的研究結果，台灣在宗教的多樣性指數，排名全世界第二名，各種宗教信仰所衍生之宗教活動及宗教行為，豐富而多元，本文利用2009年台灣社會變遷基本調查之宗教組(第五期第五次之問卷二)資料，企圖了解國人因果信仰宗教行為之間是否存在著關聯，並建立一個民眾因果信仰與宗教參與二變量之順序多重分類模型（a two-equation ordered probit model）。 根據實證結果顯示：受教育的年數愈短、年齡愈長、女性族群、民間信仰者、佛教、道教、本土宗教以及數教合一者、小時候母親去宗教場所的頻率較頻繁者、較相信因果。整體而言受教育的年數愈長、年齡愈低、男性族群、基督徒及天主教徒、未婚族群、小時候母親去宗教場所的頻率較少者，較不相信因果。而月所得、總捐款、居住地、十一、二歲去宗教場所的頻率，則對因果信仰的影響並不顯著。 另外本研究之結論顯示，高知識、年長者、總捐款較低、高所得者這四個族群去宗教場所的頻率相對較低；經過兩者實證結果顯示，本研究發現因果信仰與宗教行為之間是為正相關，表示因果信仰者的宗教參與程度確實較高，且因果信仰程度越高會導致宗教行為越頻繁。
Karma is a widespread belief in Taiwan and the whole Chinese society. The idea of “what goes around comes around” is deeply rooted in people's minds. According to Taiwan Social Change Survey, at least 60% of adults in Taiwan believe karma over the past years. Most people believe that good thoughts can reap good karmic fruits. Because of the fear of the bad consequences, people will ask themselves or others to behave well. So karma becomes invisible forces which support social stability. Taiwan is a country of religious freedom. Religious diversity in Taiwan ranks the second in the world, according to the US Pew Research Center study in 2014. Religious activities and practices derived from the various religions are rich and diverse. In this research, we attempt to understand whether karma is related to religious behaviors or not by using the data of Taiwan Social Change Survey of Religion Group（Phase 5, Wave 5 Questionnaire 2）and set up a two-equation ordered probit model between people’s beliefs in karma and religious behaviors. The results of this study show that people who deeply believe in karma are low-educated, aged, female, believe in folk beliefs, Buddhist, Taoist, and other local religious syncretism, or their mothers went to religious sites more frequently in childhood. Overall, people who are high-educated, younger, male, Christian, Catholic, unmarried, or their mothers seldom went to religious sites have weaker karma beliefs. And monthly incomes, total contributions, residences, the frequency to religious sites in childhood are no obvious effect to karma beliefs. This study shows that people who go to the religious sites less frequently are high-educated, aged, and has lower money donations or higher income. This study found that there is a positive correlation between karma beliefs and religious behaviors. It shows that karma believers have higher attendance in religions, and the higher the levels of karma beliefs, the more frequent the religious behaviors will be. |
