Dr Turnoi Wrote:

which is not very practical for the large lesser educated masses of farmers and workers moving across the country from one place to another.

I'm not sure if Turnoi has ever lived in China or rather Chinese Cities but Superstition, Folk Religions, Firecrackers Vs Ghosts mentality is alive and well and diligently practiced among many if not most of the relatively wealthy and well educated in my district (for that matter any district I've ever lived in) and of course we have the running joke among the university students that more 'materialist' the student and the more they profess ghosts aren't real the faster they will be on a bus back home for 'Tomb Sweeping Day' or lighting up Ghost money on Ghost Night!

Its a common misconception among the lesser educated that people with higher education are less superstitious and somehow more 'atheistic'. This is simply not true and whats especially interesting is that not only are the highly educated just as superstitious in China but there is a parallel in the West where the most devout cults often have the most educated memberships.

(well, by devout we can say hardcore or true believers and for example the mind-boggling mass-murder ritual suicides of 'The Solar Temple' where plenty had PHDs, Masters degrees and most were from excellent schools, neighbourhoods, wealthy and so on and likewise with the 'Heavens Gate' members (who incredibly, some voluntarily castrated themselves years before ascending to a Hale-Bopp spaceship!).