Current State of Religion in China

Current State of Religion in China

China is a multi-Religion country. The main religions followed by Chinese religious adherents are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity. Chinese citizens can freely choose, express their faith, and declare their religious identity. According to incomplete statistics, there are now over 100 million religious believers of various faiths in China, more than 85,000 religious activity sites, approximately 300,000 religious clergy, and over 3,000 religious groups. Religious groups also run 74 religious colleges for training religious clergy.

——Buddhism has a history of 2,000 years in China. There are now over 13,000 Buddhist temples in China, with about 200,000 monks and nuns who have left home. Among them, Tibetan Buddhism has about 120,000 lamas and nuns, over 1,700 Living Buddhas, and more than 3,000 temples. Theravada Buddhism has nearly 10,000 bhikkhus and elders, and over 1,600 temples.

——Taoism originated in China and has a history of over 1,700 years. There are now more than 1,500 Taoist temples in China, with over 25,000 male and female Taoist priests.

——Islam was introduced to China in the 7th century AD. Islam is followed by the masses among ten ethnic minorities in China, including the Hui and Uyghur peoples. The total population of these minority groups is approximately 18 million. There are now over 30,000 mosques and more than 40,000 imams and ahongs.

——Catholicism was introduced to China several times since the 7th century AD and spread on a large scale after the Opium War in 1840. There are now about 4 million Catholics in China, approximately 4,000 clergy, and over 4,600 churches and meeting places.

——Christianity (Protestantism) was introduced to China in the early 19th century AD and spread on a large scale after the Opium War. There are now about 10 million Christians in China, over 18,000 pastoral and missionary personnel, more than 12,000 churches, and over 25,000 simple activity venues (meeting points).

In China, national religious organizations include the Buddhist Association of China, the Chinese Taoist Association, the Chinese Islamic Association, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China, the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China, and the China Christian Council. Each religious group elects and produces its leaders and leading bodies according to its own charter.

Religious groups in China independently manage their religious affairs. They establish religious colleges and schools as needed, print and distribute religious scriptures, publish religious periodicals, and engage in social welfare and public service undertakings. Like many other countries in the world, China implements the principle of separation of religion from education. In national education, students are not subjected to religious instruction. Some institutions of higher education and research institutes carry out teaching and research in religious studies.

In religious colleges and schools run by various religious organizations, professional religious education is conducted according to the needs of each religion. The normal religious activities performed by religious clergy, as well as all normal religious activities conducted in places of worship or, in accordance with religious customs, in the homes of believers—such as worshipping Buddha, chanting scriptures, holding prayer services, praying, preaching sermons, conducting Mass, administering baptism, ordination, observing fasting, celebrating religious festivals, performing last rites, and holding memorial services—are all managed by religious organizations and believers themselves. These activities are protected by law, and no one may interfere with them.

The "Cultural Revolution," which occurred from 1966 to 1976, caused catastrophic damage to all aspects of Chinese society, including religion. In the process of correcting the mistakes of the "Cultural Revolution," governments at all levels in China also made tremendous efforts to restore and implement the policy of freedom of religious belief. They rehabilitated religious figures who had been wrongfully accused in unjust, false, and mistaken cases and reopened places of religious activity.

Over the past decade or so, the Catholic Church in China has trained and ordained over 900 young priests. At the Chongwenmen Christian Church in Beijing, more than 3,000 people attend the Sunday service each week. At the South Cathedral (St. Mary's Church) in Beijing, four Masses are held every Sunday, attended by over 2,000 people. One of these Masses is conducted in English specifically for foreigners in Beijing.

Since the 1980s, approximately 600 Christian churches have been restored or newly built each year in China. By the end of 1996, the cumulative number of printed and distributed Bibles had reached over 18 million copies, enjoying various tax exemption benefits. The China Christian Council has edited and published Hymns since 1983, with cumulative circulation exceeding 8 million copies. From 1958 to 1995, the Catholic Church in China had successively elected and consecrated 126 bishops.

Throughout its long historical development, the cultures of various religions in China have become part of traditional Chinese intellectual culture. Chinese religious believers have a tradition of loving their country and their faith. The Chinese government supports and encourages religious circles to unite believers in actively participating in national construction. All religions advocate serving society and benefiting the people, such as Buddhism's "Glorify the Nation and Benefit Sentient Beings," Catholicism and Christianity's "Glorify God and Benefit People," Taoism's "Compassion, Harmony, Helping the World and Saving People," and Islam's "Blessings in This Life and the Hereafter."

In China, various religions enjoy equal status and coexist harmoniously, with no occurrence of religious disputes. Similarly, citizens who follow a religion and those who do not respect each other, maintaining unity and harmony. This is due both to the influence of the spirit of inclusivity and tolerance within China's long-standing traditional ideology and culture, and more importantly, to the fact that after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese government formulated and implemented a policy of freedom of religious belief, establishing state-religion relations suited to the national conditions.

Legal Protection

The right to freedom of religious belief for Chinese citizens is protected by the Constitution and laws.

In the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, freedom of religious belief is a fundamental right of citizens. Article 36 of the Constitution stipulates: "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief." "No state organ, public organization, or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion." "The state protects normal religious activities." It also stipulates: "No one may make 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." "Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination."

Chinese laws such as the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, General Principles of the Civil Law, Education Law, Labor Law, Compulsory Education Law, Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses, Organic Law of the Villagers' Committees, and Advertising Law also stipulate that: citizens enjoy the right to vote and the right to stand for election regardless of their religious beliefs; the lawful property of religious groups is protected by law; education is separate from religion, and citizens enjoy equal opportunities for education according to law regardless of their religious beliefs; people of all ethnic groups should respect each other's languages, scripts, customs, and religious beliefs; citizens shall not be discriminated against in employment based on their religious beliefs; advertisements and trademarks shall not contain content that discriminates against ethnic groups or religions.

The Chinese government has promulgated the Regulations on the Administration of Venues for Religious Activities to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of venues for religious activities. The regulations stipulate that: venues for religious activities are autonomously managed by the management organization of the venue, their lawful rights and interests and the normal religious activities conducted within the venue are protected by law, and no organization or individual may infringe upon or interfere with them. Infringement upon the lawful rights and interests of venues for religious activities shall bear legal responsibility. Religious activities conducted at venues for religious activities must also comply with laws and regulations.

The Chinese government has also promulgated the "Regulations on the Administration of Religious Activities of Foreigners within the Territory of the People's Republic of China," respecting the freedom of religious belief of foreigners within China and protecting their friendly interactions and cultural and academic exchanges with Chinese religious circles in religious matters. Foreigners may participate in religious activities at venues for religious activities within China, may be invited by religious organizations at or above the provincial level to give lectures on scriptures or sermons, may hold religious activities attended by foreigners at venues approved by people's governments at or above the county level, may invite Chinese Religious Clergy to conduct religious rituals such as baptisms, weddings, funerals, and Taoist or Buddhist ceremonies for them, and may bring religious publications, religious audio-visual products, and other religious articles for personal use into Chinese territory. Foreigners conducting religious activities within China must comply with Chinese laws and regulations.

China's legal protection of citizens' right to freedom of religious belief is fundamentally consistent with the main content of relevant international instruments and conventions on this matter. The principles outlined in the "Charter of the United Nations," the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," the "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights," the "International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights," the United Nations "Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief," and the "Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action" – that freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right; that citizens have the freedom to choose their religion or belief; that no one shall be subject to discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief; that there is freedom of religious worship and assembly and the freedom to establish and maintain places for these purposes; that there is freedom to produce and disseminate religious or belief publications; that there is freedom to observe religious holidays and conduct ceremonies in accordance with religious or belief precepts; and the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to ethnic, racial, religious, and linguistic minorities – are all clearly stipulated and implemented in China's laws and regulations.

Chinese law stipulates that while citizens enjoy the right to freedom of religious belief, they must also fulfill the obligations prescribed by law. In China, any individual, any organization, including any religion, must safeguard the interests of the people, uphold the dignity of the law, maintain ethnic unity, and preserve national unification. This is consistent with the relevant content of United Nations human rights instruments and conventions.

The Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief states: "Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others." The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also stipulates: "Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law." All citizens, whether they believe in a religion or not, are equal before the law. This is also a fundamental requirement of a modern, civilized, and law-based state.

Countries have different histories, cultures, and national conditions, which determine that their practices in protecting freedom of religious belief will have distinct characteristics. While emphasizing the protection of the freedom to believe, China also emphasizes the protection of the freedom not to believe, placing both on an equally important footing, thereby embodying freedom of religious belief in its full sense. This represents a more sufficient and comprehensive protection of citizens' fundamental rights.

The Chinese government holds that religious belief is a private matter for individual citizens. Building a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and modern socialist country, and safeguarding national sovereignty and ethnic dignity, are the common goals and fundamental interests of all Chinese people, including both religious and non-religious individuals. Therefore, believers and non-believers can unite and cooperate politically while respecting each other's beliefs.

For a religion to adapt to the society in which it exists is a universal law governing its existence and development. As the Chinese people are building a modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese government advocates that religions should adapt themselves to this endeavor. Such adaptation does not require citizens to abandon their religious beliefs, nor does it change the basic tenets of religions. Rather, it requires religions to operate within the bounds of the law and to adapt to social development and the progress of civilization. This is in line with the fundamental interests of both religious believers and the religions themselves.

Since the 1980s, some cult organizations have emerged in parts of China, engaging in illegal and criminal activities under the guise of religion. The ringleaders of these cult organizations either distort religious doctrines, fabricate heresies to deceive the public, resist the implementation of state laws and decrees, and incite the overthrow of the government; or use superstition, pretend to be gods or ghosts, causing injury or death; or engage in group promiscuity, defraud people of their money, seriously endangering the normal order of people's lives and production.

The general public and religious figures strongly detest such acts. The Chinese judicial authorities punish such criminals who severely endanger society and public interests in accordance with the law precisely to safeguard public interests and the dignity of the law, and to better protect citizens' freedom of religious belief and normal religious activities. The punishment of crimes by Chinese judicial authorities in accordance with the law is unrelated to religious belief. No one in China is punished for holding religious beliefs. In today's world, no country governed by the rule of law would tolerate such criminal activities conducted under the guise of religion.