Taoism in a nutshell?

Also, Taoism vs. Confucianism?
Hm. Yes, I was hoping for just a basic blurb about it, not the insane wiped-DOAay-esquEsqhe sites that merely quote the article. Not many nice people here in R&S...

Wikipedia is your friend.

Google it.

Use wiped.DOA to their websites. Go to their critics websites. See what the atheists say about it. See what the critics of the critics (apologetics) say about it.

Were you expecting someone to just tell you what its all about on here?

I can only answer for the 'Western' philosophical type of Taoism I practice. There are many schools out East with different beliefs and rituals. Magic even. But that's not my Way.

What is Taoism? Put simply, as a Taoist I believe that there is a ?pattern?, a ?flow? to the Universe. We can see this in the changing of the seasons, the natural rhythms of the world. Taoism stresses the ?natural?, things being as they are meant to be. Taoists believe that we can harmonies ourselves with the Universe, the Tao, our lives will go more smoothly than if we act against it.

My sort of Taoist is not big on scripture. I believe that instinct, common sense, ?following one?s heart? are more effective ways of living than trying to follow a set of rules. In fact Taoists say that the Tao itself is beyond description. Beyond understanding even. Hence Taoist texts tend to be poetic, giving a flavor of Tao rather than trying to pin it down. The Tao Te Ching is the best known of these.

Taoists believe in living with compassion, simply, modestly. (We call these the Three Treasures). We are not big on standing out or being ?part? of something. The Taoist ideal is to live to ones heart.

That?s it. In a biggish nutshell. More? Just ask. And Confucianism? Sorry, don't know anything about that really.
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An excellent answer wood uncut