On the Constitutional Norms of Religious Belief

Modern states rely on the rule of law to govern the country. Among all laws, the constitution is the fundamental law and the foundation for other laws. The degree and condition of freedom of religious belief in a country must be understood and grasped from the constitutional level, in terms of the overall policy of that country toward religious groups and believers. The provisions of the constitution on citizens’ freedom of religious belief and the right to religious activities reflect the degree of citizens’ freedom. The relationship between state power and religion, from the perspective of the design of the state system, reflects the condition of freedom of religious belief in the country. The provisions on the autonomy of religious groups and religious affairs embody national sovereignty in the religious sphere. China is a country where multiple religions coexist, with over 100 million citizens nationwide who hold religious beliefs. The freedom of religious belief and the management of religious affairs are matters of widespread public concern. In order to correctly address the objective reality of the existence of religion in social life, correctly adjust the relationship between state politics and religion, and protect citizens’ right to freedom of religious belief, the state stipulates in Article 36 of the Constitution: “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state organ, social organization, or individual may compel citizens to believe in or not 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. No one may use religion to engage in activities that disrupt social order, impair the health of citizens, or interfere with the state’s educational system. Religious groups and religious affairs are not subject to the domination of foreign forces.” The provisions on religious belief in the Constitution concisely summarize and indicate the state’s norms on religious belief.

现代国家依靠法制管理国家，在一切法律中，宪法是根本大法，是其他法律的基础。一个国家的宗教信仰自由程度与状况，要从宪法的层面，总体上认识和把握这个国家对待宗教团体和信仰者的政策。宪法对公民宗教信仰自由与宗教活动权利的规定，体现了公民自由的程度，对国家权力与宗教的关系则从国家体制设计上反映了国家宗教信仰自由的状况，在宗教团体和宗教事务上的自主性规定，体现了在宗教领域的国家主权。我国是一个多种宗教并存的国家，全国信仰宗教的公民一亿多，宗教信仰自由和宗教事务的管理受到人们的普遍关注。国家为正确对待宗教在社会生活中存在的客观现实，正确调整国家政治与宗教的关系，保障公民的宗教信仰自由权利，在宪法第36条中规定：“中华人民共和国公民有宗教信仰自由。任何国家机关、社会团体和个人不得强制公民信仰宗教或者不信仰宗教，不得歧视信仰宗教的公民和不信仰宗教的公民。国家保护正常的宗教活动。任何人不得利用宗教进行破坏社会秩序、损害公民身体健康、妨碍国家教育制度的活动。宗教团体和宗教事务不受外国势力的支配。”宪法中对宗教信仰的规定，精练地概括和表明了国家在宗教信仰上的准则。

I. The Principle of Freedom of Religious Belief

一、宗教信仰自由原则

Freedom of religious belief is an expression of the freedom of people’s spiritual life. It is a basic need of human nature, based on individual conscience, and should not be disturbed by external forces. Any person with an independent personality should enjoy this innate freedom to choose their own beliefs and to express those beliefs through certain means. Therefore, freedom of religious belief is an important component of fundamental human rights and has been affirmed by numerous international treaties and national constitutions. The provisions of China’s Constitution on religious belief are in line with the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, embody the contemporary idea that “the constitution should reflect the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights,” and reflect the modern state’s recognition and protection of citizens’ right to freedom of religious belief.

宗教信仰自由是人们精神生活自由的体现，它是人性的基本需求，基于各人之良心，不应为外力所干扰。任何具有独立人格的人，都应当享有这种与生俱来的、自由选择自已的信仰，并通过一定的方式将信仰予以表达的自由。因此，宗教信仰自由是基本人权的重要组成部分，已为众多国际条约和各国家宪法所确认。我国宪法对宗教信仰的规定符合《世界人权宣言》的精神，体现了当今世界强调“宪法应体现对公民基本权利保护”的思想，体现了现代国家对公民享有的宗教信仰自由权利的承认与保护。

Freedom of religious belief includes not only the inner, spiritual belief in a certain religion but also the behavioral expression of that belief, i.e., participating in religious ceremonies, engaging in religious activities, and practicing one’s free religious belief. Therefore, religious belief encompasses two aspects: the inner aspect includes belief and emotion. It is purely a personal matter, occurring in the spiritual realm of people. Generally speaking, freedom of religious belief refers to freedom in this inner aspect. The outer aspect includes organization, systems, behavior, etc., which are social affairs occurring in the sphere of social life and must be conducted within the bounds permitted by law. Even lawful religions must be subject to the constraints of state law and accept state management according to law. In social life, the management of religious affairs according to law should strictly distinguish the boundaries of religious belief in public life and private life. In public life, strict restrictions on the involvement of religion aim to protect everyone’s freedom of religious belief and prevent oppression of others’ freedom of religious belief. In private life, each person can fully enjoy their freedom of religious belief. The freedom of religious belief in the Constitution and laws is confirmed and equally granted as a fundamental right and freedom of citizens. It aims to protect the freedom of religious belief of every citizen, which also includes the freedom not to believe, and ensures equal status. This equal status does not remain merely at the level of general principles but needs to be effectively protected through specific means such as legislation, judicial adjudication, and administrative law enforcement.

宗教信仰自由，它不仅包括人在思想上，精神上对某种宗教的信仰，而且包括人对信仰的宗教在行为上表示，即参加宗教仪式，参与宗教活动，实践自由的宗教信仰。因此，宗教信仰包含两个方面：内在方面包括信念、情感。它纯粹属于个人事情，发生在人们的精神领域。一般意义上的宗教信仰自由是指内在方面的自由。外在方面包括组织、体制、行为等，属于社会性事务，它发生在社会生活领域，必须在法律允许的范围内进行。即便是合法的宗教，也必须受国家法律的约束，接受国家依法管理。在社会生活中，依法管理宗教事务应严格区分宗教信仰在公共生活和私人生活中的界限。在公共生活中，严格限制宗教的介入，旨在保护每个人的宗教信仰自由，防止对别人的宗教信仰自由造成压迫；在私人生活中，每个人可以充分享受自己的宗教信仰自由。宪法和法律中的宗教信仰自由是作为公民的基本权利和自由被确认和平等赋予的。它旨在保护每一个公民的宗教信仰自由，其中也包含着不信教的自由，并且享有平等的地位。这种平等的地位不是停留在一般的原则层面，而是需要通过立法、司法和行政执法等具体方式予以切实保护的。

II. The Principle of Separation of Church and State

二、政教分离原则

The principle of separation of church and state is a fundamental principle in the relationship between the state and religion in modern secular states generally. In human social life, no one can impose their religious belief on others, not even the rulers of a state. Therefore, the separation of religion and politics means that state power cannot be used to support a religion by establishing a state religion, forming an integration of religion and political rule. Separation of church and state means that state law stipulates neither support for nor prohibition of any religion. The state does not levy religious taxes, nor does it provide any form of financial subsidy to any organization; expenditures related to religion must not be included in the state budget. Religious organizations and personnel do not interfere in the state’s judiciary, administration, or education. The relationship between church and state is entirely regulated by law. Under this model, the legal relationship between the government and religion is one of mutual equality and independence; religions are also equal to each other. If religious activities violate the law, interfere in politics, or harm national interests and public social interests, they will also be subject to legal investigation and sanctions.

政教分离原则是一般现代世俗国家在处理国家与宗教关系的一个基本原则。在人类社会生活中，任何人都不能将自己的宗教信仰强加于别人，即使是国家统治者也不允许。所以宗教和政治分离意味着不能用国家政权去支持宗教而设立国教，形成宗教与政治统治的一体化。政教分离是指国家法律规定不支持、不禁止任何宗教。国家不征收宗教税，也不向任何组织提供任何形式的财政补贴，涉及宗教的开支不得列入国家预算。宗教组织和人员不干预国家的司法、行政教育。政教关系完全由法律调节。在这种模式下，政府与宗教的法律关系是相互平等、独立的，各宗教之间也是平等的，如果宗教活动行为违反法律、干预政治，或者危害了国家利益和社会公共利益，也会受到法律的追究和制裁。

The principle of separation of church and state and the right to religious equality are the best interpretation and embodiment of the idea of freedom of religious belief. If church and state are not separated, there will be no complete freedom of religious belief; people can only submit to an official religion and cannot fully express their free will in belief, and their beliefs and actions will be constrained by the official religion. Only with the separation of church and state can people fully express their will in belief and practice their beliefs without being dominated by external forces. If people’s inner beliefs lack freedom, they have no practical significance. If freedom of belief is improperly restricted or interfered with by the government, freedom of religious belief does not exist. Separation of church and state is a prerequisite for freedom of religious belief and a guarantee of religious freedom. Regarding issues involving spiritual realms such as religious belief, the state’s responsibility is to guarantee the freedom of every citizen, to prevent the use of one religion to dominate the thoughts and beliefs of all people, and to prevent the use of others’ religious beliefs to coerce the religious beliefs of others.

政教分离原则与宗教平等权，是对宗教信仰自由理念的最好诠释和体现。如果政教不分离，就不会有完全的宗教信仰自由，人们只能服从官方化的宗教，而不能充分表达自由的信仰意愿，其信仰和行为都要受到官方化宗教的约束。只有政教分离才能充分表达人们的信仰意愿和信仰行为的实践，而不受其外力的支配。人们内心的信仰若缺乏自由就没有实际意义，如果信仰自由受到政府不当的限制或干涉，就不存在宗教信仰自由。政教分离是宗教信仰自由的前提，也是宗教自由的保障。对涉及宗教信仰等精神领域的问题，国家的责任是保证每一个公民的自由，防止用一种宗教信仰来统治所有人们的思想信仰，也防止用别人的宗教信仰来强迫其他人的宗教信仰。

Truly achieving equal treatment and coexistence among all religious believers, strictly confining religion to the sphere of personal life, and preventing religious belief from interfering with public life—only in this way can a space of freedom be created, enabling citizens to pursue and enjoy their spiritual life in a genuine environment of spiritual and mental freedom.

真正做到对各种宗教信仰者平等相处、平等对待，且严格地局限于个人生活领域，防止宗教信仰对公共生活造成干扰。这样才能创造一个自由的空间，才能使公民在一个真正的精神自由、心灵自由的生活环境中去追求和享受自己的精神生活。

In social life, if the state recognizes religious and cultural diversity, it must implement a policy of freedom of religious belief, adhere to the principle of separation of church and state, and uphold the right to equality in the religious sphere. This is also the foundation for achieving religious harmony and social harmony. Religion is a complex social ideology, a historical phenomenon that appears at a certain stage of human social development, and has its own process of emergence, development, and extinction. Based on the social characteristics of the existence of religion and the reality of multiple religions in China, the state implements a policy of citizens’ freedom of religious belief, making religious belief entirely a matter of free choice for individual citizens, with the state prohibited from coercive intervention or pressure. At the same time, it also requires that religious circles must love the country and abide by the law; normal religious activities are protected by law; using religion to interfere in administration, judiciary, and public social education is prohibited; and all illegal and criminal activities carried out under the cloak of religion, as well as superstitious activities that are not within the scope of religion and harm national interests and the safety of people’s lives and property, must be resolutely combated. Striking at illegal activities that use religion is also a protection of normal religious belief and activities, and at the same time, a protection of citizens’ fundamental rights.

在社会生活中，国家承认宗教和文化的多元化，就必须实行宗教信仰自由的政策，要坚持政教分离的原则，维护宗教领域的平等权，这也是实现宗教和睦、社会和谐的基础。宗教是一种复杂的社会意识形态，是人类社会发展到一定阶段的历史现象，有其发生、发展和消亡的过程。基于宗教存在的社会特点和我国有多种宗教存在的现实，国家实行公民宗教信仰自由的政策，使宗教信仰完全由公民个人自由选择，国家不得强制干预和施加压力。同时，也要求宗教界必须爱国守法，正常的宗教活动受法律保护，禁止利用宗教干预行政、司法和社会公共教育，坚持打击一切宗教外衣掩盖下的违法犯罪活动，以及不属于宗教范围的、危害国家利益和人民生命财产安全的迷信活动。对利用宗教进行违法的活动予以打击，也就是对正常的宗教信仰和活动的保护，同时，也是对公民基本权利的保护。

III. The Principle of Independence and Self-Management

三、独立自主自办的原则

China’s religions implement the principle of independence and self-management. This principle is a concrete manifestation of national sovereignty in religious affairs and also a concrete manifestation of China’s foreign policy in the religious sphere, serving and being subordinate to the Party and the state’s independent foreign policy. The Constitution clearly stipulates: “Religious groups and religious affairs are not subject to the domination of foreign forces.” This indicates that China’s religions implement the principle of independence and self-management. Its essence is: China’s religious affairs are handled by China’s religious circles themselves and are not subject to the domination of foreign forces. Its basic content is: absolutely no foreign religious forces are allowed to regain control over China’s religions; absolutely no foreign religious groups or individuals are allowed to interfere in China’s religious affairs; absolutely no foreign religious organizations are allowed to proselytize in China by any means.

我国宗教实行独立自主自办的原则，这一原则是国家主权在宗教事务上的具体体现，也是我国外交政策在宗教领域的具体体现，服从、服务于党和国家独立自主的外交政策。宪法明确规定：“宗教团体和宗教事务不受外国势力的支配。”表明了我国的宗教实行独立自主自办的原则。其实质是：中国的宗教事务由中国的宗教界自己处理，不受外国势力的支配。其基本内容是：绝不允许任何境外宗教势力重新控制我国的宗教，绝不允许任何境外宗教团体和个人干预我国宗教事务，绝不允许任何境外宗教组织用任何方式在我国传教。

Adhering to the principle of independently and self-reliantly running religious affairs is based on the historical fact that China was once subjected to long-term aggression and plunder by imperialist powers, with some religions having been controlled and exploited by imperialist forces for a period. It is also the autonomous choice made by China’s religious circles and religious believers. Apart from Daoism, all major religions currently existing in China were historically introduced from abroad. After the founding of New China, each religion embarked on the path of independent and self-reliant development, which does not preclude religious circles from engaging in friendly exchanges and conducting academic discussions on religion with religious organizations and individuals from other countries on the basis of equality and friendship. However, hostile Western forces exploit ethnic and religious issues as a primary breakthrough point in their strategy of “Westernizing” and “dividing” China. In particular, ethnic separatist forces attempt to undermine national security geographically and ideologically through the form of religious infiltration. Therefore, to create a stable environment for building a socialist harmonious society in China, it is necessary to uphold the principle of independent and self-reliant management, resist infiltration by foreign forces using religion, and safeguard ethnic unity and national unification.

坚持独立自主自办宗教，是基于我国曾经长期遭受帝国主义列强侵略和掠夺，有的宗教被帝国主义势力一度控制和利用的历史事实，也是我国宗教界和信教公民做出的自主选择。我国现有的各主要宗教，除道教外，都是历史上由国外传入的。新中国建立后，各宗教都走上了独立自主自办的道路，并不排斥宗教界在平等友好的基础上与各国宗教组织和人士进行友好交往，开展宗教学术交流活动。但是，西方敌对势力利用民族宗教问题作为对中国实施“西化”、“分化”战略的主要突破口，特别是民族分裂势力妄图用宗教渗透的形式，在地缘上和意识形态上破坏国家的安全。因此，为构建我国社会主义和谐社会创造稳定的环境，必须坚持独立自主自办的原则，抵御境外利用宗教进行的渗透，维护民族团结和国家统一。

IV. The Principle of Managing Religious Affairs in Accordance with the Law

四、依法管理宗教事务原则

Managing religious affairs in accordance with the law is an inevitable requirement of the state’s implementation of the strategy of law-based governance. It is not opposed to, but rather complements, the effective protection of citizens’ freedom of religious belief. To protect citizens’ freedom of religious belief, it is necessary to manage religious affairs properly according to the law. While individuals are free to choose their religious beliefs according to their personal will, this freedom does not mean that actual religious activities, especially group religious activities, can be free from any constraints. The management of religious affairs according to the law primarily aims to ensure the normal conduct of religious activities and protect the legitimate rights and interests of religious groups from harm. It is in this sense that China implements the principle of separation of religion and state, emphasizing that no religion has privileges beyond the Constitution and that none may interfere with the exercise of state functions such as administration, judiciary, and education. Matters and activities concerning religion that involve national interests or public interests must be brought within the scope of legal management. The freedom of religious belief and the principle of separation of religion and state cannot be used as excuses to abandon or evade the state’s management of religious affairs. It is absolutely impermissible to use religion to oppose the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the socialist system, to undermine national unification and the unity of all ethnic groups within the country. It is also absolutely impermissible to use religion to harm the interests of the state and society or to obstruct the legitimate rights of other citizens. In managing religious affairs according to the law, it is necessary to correctly handle the relationships between rights and obligations, religious precepts and policies and laws, protecting legality and stopping illegality and combating crime, and promoting positive factors while limiting negative factors. This includes legally protecting normal religious activities and the legitimate rights and interests of religious circles, resisting and stopping infiltration by foreign forces using religion, and resolutely cracking down on illegal and criminal activities that use religion to undermine ethnic unity, national unification, or other such acts.

依法管理宗教事务，是国家实行依法治国方略的必然要求，与切实保障人民的宗教信仰自由不是对立的，而是相辅相成的，保障公民的宗教信仰自由，就要依法管理好宗教事务。宗教信仰按照个人的意愿加以选择是自由的，但这种自由不等于现实开展的宗教活动，特别是群体性的宗教活动可以不受任何约束。依法对宗教事务进行管理主要是保障宗教活动的正常进行，保护宗教团体的合法权益免受伤害，正是在这个意义上，我国实行政教分离的原则，强调任何宗教没有超越宪法的特权，都不能干预国家行政、司法和教育等国家职能的实施。宗教方面涉及国家利益和社会共公利益的事项和活动，必须纳入依法管理的范围。不能以宗教信仰自由和政教分离为借口，放弃或摆脱国家对宗教事务的管理。绝不允许利用宗教反对中国共产党的领导和社会主义制度，破坏国家统一和国内各民族的团结。绝不允许利用宗教损害国家和社会的利益，妨碍其他公民的合法权利。依法管理宗教事务要正确处理好权利与义务、宗教戒律与政策法规、保护合法与制止非法和打击违法、发挥积极因素与限制消极因素的关系，依法保护正常的宗教活动和宗教界的合法权益，抵御和制止境外势力利用宗教进行的渗透，坚决打击利用宗教进行的破坏民族团结、国家统一以及其他的违法犯罪活动。