Religions and Religious Beliefs in China
2004-03-09 12:58
1. Religious Beliefs in China
China is a multi-religion country and has a large population of religious
believers.
The main religions in China include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and
Christianity (Protestant). There is also the Orthodox Eastern Church, as well as
religions of various minority ethnic groups and regional religious beliefs.
Buddhism falls mainly into three groups: Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism
(Lamaism) and Bali Buddhism. The country now has more than 9,500 Buddhist
temples, with some 170,000 monks and nuns.
Taoism, a traditional religion in China, has more than 600 Taoist temples
nationwide with 6,000 resident Taoist priests and nuns. It’s also difficult to
know the actual number of its followers since Taoism, like Buddhism, doesn’t
have strict admittance rites.
Islam, which entered China in the 7th century, is the belief of the
approximately 17 million members. There are more than 26,000 mosques with 40,000
Imams.
Catholicism was introduced into China in the 13th century. Now China is home to
4 million Catholics, including 2,700 clergymen who serve more than 4,000
churches.
Christianity (Protestant) made its way into China in the 19th Century. When new
China was founded in 1949, there were some 700,000 Chinese Christians. Today,
the number of Christianity believers has climbed up to 6.5 million, including
18,000 missionaries. There are more than 8,000 Christian churches and 20,000
meeting halls nationwide.
China has more than 2,000 religious organizations and 68,000 religious venues.
The number of professional religious personnel totals over 200,000, and there
are 48 religious seminaries and colleges. Various religions have published their
own classics, books and periodicals, including more than 10 million copies of
the Bible.
Chinese religious organizations have established contacts with their
counterparts in more than 70 countries and regions. Over the past decade and
more, 27,000 Chinese Muslims have made pilgrimages to Mecca. Chinese religious
organizations and personages have joined numerous international religious
organizations, with representatives attending many international religious
conferences. Some religious figures have accepted leading posts of international
religious organizations.
2. China’s Religious Policy
Freedom of religious belief is protected by the Constitution and state law.
Respecting and protecting the right of Chinese citizens to freedom of religious
belief is the basic policy of the Chinese government.
Article 36 of China’s Constitution states: “Citizens of the People's Republic of
China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state department, public
organization or individual may compel citizens to believe or not to believe in
any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens for their personal
belief. The state protects normal religious activities. The use of religion to
engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or
interfere with the educational system of the state is strictly prohibited.
Religious organizations and religious affairs shall not be subjected to any form
of foreign domination.”
In addition to the Constitution, the country's Criminal Law, Civil Law, Law on
Regional National Autonomy, Military Service Law, Law on Compulsory Education,
Electoral Law of the People's Congress and Organizational Law of Village
Committees contain special provisions protecting freedom of religious belief and
banning discrimination against citizens who choose to believe or not to believe
in any religion.
China’s state policy on handling religious affairs is based on the stipulations
in the Constitution. Its main points are as follows:
--The state respects and protects freedom of religious belief in accordance with
stipulations in the Constitution.
--Citizens enjoy the freedom to believe or not to believe in religion, as well
as the right to believe in any sect of their choice. Religious belief is the
private affair of a citizen, and no state department, social organization or
individual may compel citizens to believe, or not to believe, in any religion.
--Citizens with or without religious preference enjoy equal rights and bear
equal duties. While enjoying the freedom of religious belief, a citizen must
bear duties stipulated in the Constitution and state law, and must abide by all
state laws, regulations and rules.
--The state follows the principles of separating religion from politics and
separating religion from education. The government provides equal treatment to
all religions, and no single religion is granted a special position. No religion
is allowed to interfere in government administrative, judicial and educational
systems.
--The state protects normal religious activities and protects the legitimate
rights and interests of religious organizations, as well as the rights and
interests of professional religious personnel performing religious duties.
--All religions in China shall follow the principles of independence and
self-management, and shall contact and develop mutual exchanges and cooperation
with overseas religious organizations and personages on the basis of equality
and friendliness. Chinese religious organizations and religious affairs are not
subject to the domination of foreign forces. The Chinese Government and Chinese
religious organizations will never interfere in the religious affairs of other
countries. Neither will they allow foreign forces to interfere in China's
religious organizations and religious affairs.
--Governments at all levels are responsible for the implementation of the laws,
regulations and policies on freedom of religious belief. Religious affairs
departments under governments on each level are responsible for organizing and
supervising the implementation of state laws, regulations, rules and policies
related to religion.
--Just as other social organizations, religious organizations must act within
the scope of the Constitution and the law, and bear obligations stipulated by
the law. No organization or individual should use religion as a pretext for
opposing the people's government, disrupting the social system and national
unity, or engaging in other illegal or criminal activities.
3. Seek Truth from Facts
Some US media reports accused China of “persecuting” religious believers and
“encroaching on freedom of religion”, citing an underground sect called the
“Shouters” as evidence.
The fact is that the “Shouters” was an evil religious organization engaged in
anti-government, anti-society criminal activities against the law under the
guise of religion. It was threatening to "organize all Christian sects to resist
the government to the end" and getting its misguided followers to harass the
government and government leaders, and was involved in criminal acts of rape and
swindling people. Some of the organization's leaders had behaved indecently with
more than a hundred women and forcibly held more than 20 young female followers
for a long period of time in the name of religion. Chinese government punished
these criminals in accordance with the law. This had nothing to do with
religion.
The international community can be assured that no one in China was arrested or
jailed because of his or her religious belief , or because of his or her normal
religious activity. It’s law that no Chinese citizen shall be arrested or jailed
because of his or her religious belief. The Chinese criminal code also
stipulates that government functionaries who illegally deprived citizens of
their freedom of religious belief or violate customs of ethnic groups shall face
imprisonment.
China is a multi-religion country and has a large population of religious
believers.
The main religions in China include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and
Christianity (Protestant). There is also the Orthodox Eastern Church, as well as
religions of various minority ethnic groups and regional religious beliefs.
Buddhism falls mainly into three groups: Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism
(Lamaism) and Bali Buddhism. The country now has more than 9,500 Buddhist
temples, with some 170,000 monks and nuns.
Taoism, a traditional religion in China, has more than 600 Taoist temples
nationwide with 6,000 resident Taoist priests and nuns. It’s also difficult to
know the actual number of its followers since Taoism, like Buddhism, doesn’t
have strict admittance rites.
Islam, which entered China in the 7th century, is the belief of the
approximately 17 million members. There are more than 26,000 mosques with 40,000
Imams.
Catholicism was introduced into China in the 13th century. Now China is home to
4 million Catholics, including 2,700 clergymen who serve more than 4,000
churches.
Christianity (Protestant) made its way into China in the 19th Century. When new
China was founded in 1949, there were some 700,000 Chinese Christians. Today,
the number of Christianity believers has climbed up to 6.5 million, including
18,000 missionaries. There are more than 8,000 Christian churches and 20,000
meeting halls nationwide.
China has more than 2,000 religious organizations and 68,000 religious venues.
The number of professional religious personnel totals over 200,000, and there
are 48 religious seminaries and colleges. Various religions have published their
own classics, books and periodicals, including more than 10 million copies of
the Bible.
Chinese religious organizations have established contacts with their
counterparts in more than 70 countries and regions. Over the past decade and
more, 27,000 Chinese Muslims have made pilgrimages to Mecca. Chinese religious
organizations and personages have joined numerous international religious
organizations, with representatives attending many international religious
conferences. Some religious figures have accepted leading posts of international
religious organizations.
2. China’s Religious Policy
Freedom of religious belief is protected by the Constitution and state law.
Respecting and protecting the right of Chinese citizens to freedom of religious
belief is the basic policy of the Chinese government.
Article 36 of China’s Constitution states: “Citizens of the People's Republic of
China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state department, public
organization or individual may compel citizens to believe or not to believe in
any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens for their personal
belief. The state protects normal religious activities. The use of religion to
engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or
interfere with the educational system of the state is strictly prohibited.
Religious organizations and religious affairs shall not be subjected to any form
of foreign domination.”
In addition to the Constitution, the country's Criminal Law, Civil Law, Law on
Regional National Autonomy, Military Service Law, Law on Compulsory Education,
Electoral Law of the People's Congress and Organizational Law of Village
Committees contain special provisions protecting freedom of religious belief and
banning discrimination against citizens who choose to believe or not to believe
in any religion.
China’s state policy on handling religious affairs is based on the stipulations
in the Constitution. Its main points are as follows:
--The state respects and protects freedom of religious belief in accordance with
stipulations in the Constitution.
--Citizens enjoy the freedom to believe or not to believe in religion, as well
as the right to believe in any sect of their choice. Religious belief is the
private affair of a citizen, and no state department, social organization or
individual may compel citizens to believe, or not to believe, in any religion.
--Citizens with or without religious preference enjoy equal rights and bear
equal duties. While enjoying the freedom of religious belief, a citizen must
bear duties stipulated in the Constitution and state law, and must abide by all
state laws, regulations and rules.
--The state follows the principles of separating religion from politics and
separating religion from education. The government provides equal treatment to
all religions, and no single religion is granted a special position. No religion
is allowed to interfere in government administrative, judicial and educational
systems.
--The state protects normal religious activities and protects the legitimate
rights and interests of religious organizations, as well as the rights and
interests of professional religious personnel performing religious duties.
--All religions in China shall follow the principles of independence and
self-management, and shall contact and develop mutual exchanges and cooperation
with overseas religious organizations and personages on the basis of equality
and friendliness. Chinese religious organizations and religious affairs are not
subject to the domination of foreign forces. The Chinese Government and Chinese
religious organizations will never interfere in the religious affairs of other
countries. Neither will they allow foreign forces to interfere in China's
religious organizations and religious affairs.
--Governments at all levels are responsible for the implementation of the laws,
regulations and policies on freedom of religious belief. Religious affairs
departments under governments on each level are responsible for organizing and
supervising the implementation of state laws, regulations, rules and policies
related to religion.
--Just as other social organizations, religious organizations must act within
the scope of the Constitution and the law, and bear obligations stipulated by
the law. No organization or individual should use religion as a pretext for
opposing the people's government, disrupting the social system and national
unity, or engaging in other illegal or criminal activities.
3. Seek Truth from Facts
Some US media reports accused China of “persecuting” religious believers and
“encroaching on freedom of religion”, citing an underground sect called the
“Shouters” as evidence.
The fact is that the “Shouters” was an evil religious organization engaged in
anti-government, anti-society criminal activities against the law under the
guise of religion. It was threatening to "organize all Christian sects to resist
the government to the end" and getting its misguided followers to harass the
government and government leaders, and was involved in criminal acts of rape and
swindling people. Some of the organization's leaders had behaved indecently with
more than a hundred women and forcibly held more than 20 young female followers
for a long period of time in the name of religion. Chinese government punished
these criminals in accordance with the law. This had nothing to do with
religion.
The international community can be assured that no one in China was arrested or
jailed because of his or her religious belief , or because of his or her normal
religious activity. It’s law that no Chinese citizen shall be arrested or jailed
because of his or her religious belief. The Chinese criminal code also
stipulates that government functionaries who illegally deprived citizens of
their freedom of religious belief or violate customs of ethnic groups shall face
imprisonment.