On how religions could accidentally incite lies and violence: folktales as a cultural transmitter

This study explores the apparent contradictions between moral teachings and actions depicted in Vietnamese folktales. Folklore provides valuable insights into cultural values and norms, yet often presents morally questionable or violent actions with varying outcomes. The researchers aim to understand the interaction between religious teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism) and deviant behaviors (lying and violence) in shaping a folktale's conclusion. The study utilizes a rigorous statistical approach, Bayesian hierarchical analysis, to analyze the behavior of characters within the context of their religious affiliations. This methodology adds to the field of computational folkloristics by statistically analyzing behavioral patterns, moving beyond simple categorization and digitization of folklore data. The research also contributes to the growing body of work on non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) societies, offering a unique perspective on a developing Asian country. The central research question is: What are the credible statistical patterns for the interaction between negative behaviors (lying and violence) and the values of three major Eastern religious teachings (Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism) in determining the outcome of folktales?

The literature review examines three key areas: the relationship between religion and deviant acts, the portrayal of lies and violence in folklore, and the specific tenets of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in Vietnam. Regarding the first area, the existing research reveals inconclusive evidence on the inhibiting effect of religiosity on lying and violence. Studies show mixed results, with some suggesting no significant relationship and others indicating a potential inhibiting effect depending on specific religious contexts. The second area, the portrayal of violence in folklore, is well-documented, appearing frequently across diverse cultures and serving various narrative functions. However, research on lying in folktales is considerably less extensive. Regarding the third area, the study provides an overview of the core teachings of the Three Teachings in Vietnam, highlighting their shared emphasis on moral cultivation while acknowledging differences in their approaches and goals. The review emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding of how these teachings interact with deviant behaviors within a specific cultural context like Vietnam.

The study employs a Bayesian hierarchical analysis to investigate the research question. Data encoding involved analyzing 307 Vietnamese folktales, creating 345 binary data points representing variables such as lying, violence, adherence to Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist values, and supernatural or human intervention. The binary variables were used to represent the presence or absence of each factor in each folktale. Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analysis, with 5000 iterations, 2000 warm-ups, and four chains, was applied to a multilevel varying intercept model depicting the relationships between these variables and the outcome (positive or negative ending). To validate the model's accuracy, the Pareto smoothed importance-sampling leave-one-out cross-validation (PSIS-LOO) approach was used. Four models were compared: a basic model, a violence model, a lie model, and a primary model incorporating all variables. Model comparison involved calculating WAIC weights, Pseudo-BMA weights (with and without Bayesian bootstrap), and Bayesian stacking weights to assess each model's likelihood given the data. The study also examines the impact of external interventions (supernatural or human) on story outcomes.

The model comparison using PSIS-LOO and various weight calculations indicated the Basic Model, considering only lying and violence, as the most probable, followed by the Lie Model. The Primary Model, while including all variables, showed a risk of overfitting and was less probable. The analysis of regression coefficients from the models revealed that violent and lying behaviors generally lead to negative outcomes. However, interactions with religious teachings presented a complex picture. The results suggest that Confucianism exhibited tolerance towards lying, with characters exhibiting Confucian values and lying often experiencing positive outcomes. Conversely, violence associated with Buddhist values frequently led to positive outcomes, which might reflect the karmic principle of eventual justice. The results from the more complex models demonstrated the ambiguous effect of lying or violence when interacting with Taoist values. While there was a general tendency toward negative outcomes with lying and violence, the inclusion of religious teachings introduced nuances and exceptions to this trend. Specifically, there were scenarios where the interaction of these elements resulted in positive endings for characters. The impact of external interventions (human or supernatural) on outcomes was found to be negligible.

The findings highlight the complex interaction between cultural values, religious beliefs, and the representation of morality in folklore. The apparent contradiction of positive outcomes associated with violence within a Buddhist context, and lying within a Confucian context, reflects the complexity of how religious teachings are understood and interpreted by the storytellers and audiences. The study supports the notion that folklore may present socially approved outlets for otherwise repressed behaviors or desires, allowing for explorations of moral ambiguities. The study also suggests the potential influence of cultural context on the interpretation and application of religious teachings. The results might also reflect not ideal interpretations of religious values but rather a reflection of societal perspectives on morality at the time the stories were created. The study’s limitations include the country-specific nature of the data and the potential for alternative coding schemes.

This study used Bayesian network analysis of Vietnamese folktales to show that while lying and violence usually result in negative consequences, the interaction with Confucianism and Buddhism can lead to positive outcomes, reflecting complex cultural interpretations of religious teachings. This highlights the importance of considering cultural context when examining morality and the role of folklore in shaping societal values. Future research could investigate folktales from other cultures to test the generalizability of these findings and explore additional variables that might influence outcomes.

The study's limitations include the focus on Vietnamese folktales, limiting the generalizability of findings to other cultures. The coding of variables might also influence results, and further research employing different coding schemes is warranted. Additionally, the complexity of the primary model may have resulted in some overfitting, as suggested by the model comparison analysis. Future research should address these limitations to strengthen the understanding of the dynamics discussed in this paper.