An email to a friend - on Confusianism to be a religion

Old C.,

When it comes to Confucianism we could talk about it for years on end.
As you find it difficult to "write" your characters into your computer, I decide to use English as a means of chatting as we usually do.

I think a religion must accommodate the followers with at least one mighty god or deity less mighty. Confucianism doesn't fall into such category. Confucius himself even never talked about divine beings (子不語怪力亂神), he might have doubted the existence of such and have no means of disproval and no intention to disprove it, so he might know there was no point in discussing about the same. Confucius must have a very clear and rational mind that a teacher is supposed to always possess.
"論語" has never been something like a gospel. It will never become one in the future. To my humble opinion declaring Confucianism a religion is pointless and is destined to be in vain. Yet even if such application does succeed in being endorsed by the local authorities, it will do no harm to the philosophy itself and most people, except for some of its followers who are a bit too superstitious. These followers, of which some could be highly educated, would burn incense and make contributions in a bribing nature, wishing only to receive blessing from Confucius as if he is a god, so as to excel in examinations to become a "狀元", or something like that!
Perhaps those worshippers of Confucius just want to enjoy the status of a religion as the Hong Kong Taoists do. There are quite a few schools run by the religious Taoists in the SAR. Yet that of the religious Taoism 道教 is a very different story. I don't see the possibility of Confucianism's running a similar course.
The ancient followers of religious Taoism, which might have originated from a wizardry, were smart enough to declare 老子, the founder of philosophical Taoism 道家, as their ultimate ancestral founder and respectfully dubbed him 太上老君. That's why most people confuse 道教 with 道家.
In the long, long course of time the religious Taoists accumulated many 仙 for their everyday worshipping, so they can enjoy a true religion of their own.
Confucius' teachings per se and Confucianism in the broad sense have never initiated such course or process. If some of the worshippers want to do it now they should find their predecessors had already missed their golden era in history. Now they certainly cannot create a god-like being out of Confucius or any of his followers, or any who would claim to be his follower.
Now Confucius is going global fast. Once Confucius has become really famous globally, Confucianism and Confucius himself will be subject to intensive studies, exposed to both eastern and western modern thinking.