Freedom of Religious Belief and the “Other,” Law, and the State – Interpreting China’s Policy on Freedom of Religious Belief

Religion is humanity’s “way of explaining and interpreting nature through fantasy and imagination, i.e., so-called divine revelation, and of expecting to conquer and master nature through gods and religious rituals.” (Liu Li, *A Study of Marx’s Critique of Religious Thought and Its Contemporary Significance*, Chengdu: Bashu Publishing House, 2009, p. 173.) As one of the unique spiritual lives of human beings, it plays a role in balancing, stabilizing, and comforting people’s psychology. Regarding freedom of religious belief, China’s religious policy, guided by Marxism and established through long-term practice, treats freedom of religious belief as a basic human right, emphasizing that citizens, regardless of differences in religion, sect, or belief, equally enjoy various rights and interests. However, we also recognize that freedom, as an important category within the social structure, is grounded in society; therefore, it cannot be defined abstractly but can only be discussed within a relational space. This article interprets China’s religious policy from the dimensions of the relationship between religion and the “other,” law, and the state. The author believes that religion, as a socio-cultural system centered on transcendental belief, should, under the guidance of China’s religious policy, proceed from the public interest and national interest and play its positive role as “the most useful hypothetical meaning” of society.

宗教是人类“通过幻想和想象即所谓神的启示来说明和解释自然，并期望通过神和宗教仪式等来征服和掌握自然的方式”。（刘丽:《马克思宗教批判思想研究及其当代意义》，成都:巴蜀书社，2009年，第173页。）它作为人类独享的精神生命之一，起着平衡、稳定和慰藉人们心理的作用。关于宗教信仰之自由，我国以马克思主义为指导的、在长期实践过程中确定下来的宗教政策，即是将宗教信仰自由作为一项基本人权，强调公民不分宗教、教派或信仰的差异皆平等地享有各项权益。然而，我们也认识到，自由作为社会架构中的重要范畴，是立于社会之基点上的，因而不能抽象地进行规定，而只能在关系性空间上进行讨论。本文从宗教与“他者”、法以及国家这三者的关系维度释义我国的宗教政策。笔者认为，宗教作为以超世信仰为核心的社会文化体系，应在我国宗教政策的引导下，从公共利益和国家利益出发，发挥其作为社会之“最有用的假设意义”这一积极作用。

I. Religion and the “Other”: Harmonious Coexistence in Freedom of Religious Belief

一、宗教与“他者”:和谐共生的信仰自由

Adhering to the principle that religious belief is a private matter for individuals is a fundamental tenet of the Marxist view on religion, and respecting individual choice mechanisms is also an inherent meaning of China’s religious policy. However, belief is not an abstraction detached from society, nor can freedom be separated from the specific world on which it depends; both are always in an actual relationship with the “other.” The “other” is what the “self” must inevitably confront in this society. The “other” is not only the “other” as an other but also the “other” as the self, that is, signifying another “I,” who also enjoys their own freedom and rights. “If freedom rejects the ‘other,’ it ceases to be a freedom.” (Jean-Paul Sartre, *Sartre’s Thoughts in Miniature*, Shanghai: Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Press, 1999, p. 85.) China’s religious policy precisely embodies mutual respect for the religious “self” and the “other” outside it — every citizen has the freedom to believe in religion and the freedom not to believe in religion; the freedom to believe in this religion and the freedom to believe in that religion; the state protects the freedom to believe and also protects the freedom not to believe; citizens who believe in religion must not be discriminated against, nor must citizens who do not believe in religion be discriminated against — in order to achieve equal treatment among people of different faiths, harmonious coexistence between religious believers and non-believers, harmony between religion and society, and harmonious coexistence among different religions. The essence of this harmony is to recognize differences and respect diversity while seeking a balance point for the fundamental interests of the people, allowing each dimension to understand both the distinctions and connections between itself and the “other,” thereby guiding them to play their unique and indispensable roles.

坚持宗教信仰为个人私事是马克思主义宗教观的基本原则，尊重个人的选择机制亦是我国宗教政策的应有之意。但信仰不是游离于社会之外的抽象，自由也离不开所依存的特定世界，二者一直处于同“他者”的实际关系之中。“他”是“我”在这个社会中必然要面对的，“他”不单是作为他者的“他”，也是做为自我的“他”，亦即寓意着另一个“我”，也享有自身的自由与权利。“如果自由拒绝了‘他’，它就不再是一种自由。”（〔法〕萨特:《萨特思想小品》，上海:上海社会科学院出版社，1999年，第85页。）我国的宗教政策正是对作为宗教之“我”与其外之“他者”的共同尊重——每个公民既有信仰宗教的自由也有不信仰宗教的自由;有信仰这种宗教的自由，也有信仰那种宗教的自由;国家保护信教的自由，也保护不信教的自由;不得歧视信仰宗教的公民，也不得歧视不信仰宗教的公民——以实现信仰不同宗教的群众平等相待、信教群众和不信教群众和睦相处、宗教与社会和谐相处、各宗教和谐相处。这种和谐的实质即是在寻求人民根本利益的平衡点上承认差异、尊重多元，让每一维度认识自身与“他者”之间既有区别又有联系，以引导他们发挥各自独特而又不可或缺的作用。

First, in a contemporary world determined by science, to truly understand China’s religious policy, one must first grasp its positive interpretation of the relationship between religious belief and the materialist “other.” Respecting and advocating freedom of religious belief and protecting all normal religious activities are consistent principles in China’s handling of religious issues. The 1982 Central Committee document “Basic Views and Basic Policies on Religious Issues during the Socialist Period in China,” while proposing freedom of religious belief, also clearly states the need to “conduct education in the scientific worldview of dialectical materialism and historical materialism (including atheism) among the masses, especially the vast number of young people, and strengthen the dissemination of scientific and cultural knowledge concerning natural phenomena, social evolution, and human birth, aging, illness, death, fortune, and misfortune.” [1]1 The 1982 Central Committee document refers to Document No. 19 issued by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, which systematically outlined the Party’s basic views and policies on religion during the socialist period, emphasizing both freedom of religious belief and the propagation of atheism. This is because, on the one hand, disseminating scientific and cultural knowledge throughout society and implementing the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education are fundamental interests of our country and nation. On the other hand, propagating atheism does not contradict the implementation of the policy of freedom of religious belief. Although “conflict” has historically been the most representative relationship between the materialist “other” and religion, this confrontational tone was set by two works from the late 19th century: John William Draper’s *History of the Conflict between Religion and Science* and Andrew Dickson White’s *A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom*. Science explores causal relationships between events, while religion explores the meaning and purpose of our lives, recommends a way of life, and elicits a set of attitudes. These two forms of inquiry offer complementary views of the world. Similarly, all materialist “others” and religion are independent languages with entirely different functions; each language game is distinguished by the methods it uses in social situations. Therefore, in a socialist society, based on the consistency of the people’s economic and political interests, both upholding atheist propaganda and education and adhering to the policy of freedom of religious belief are necessary. We emphasize that the relationship between the materialist “other” and the religious sphere is one of “political unity and cooperation, mutual respect in belief” (*Selected Documents on Religious Work in the New Era*, Beijing: Religious Culture Publishing House, 1995, p. 210).

首先，在一个由科学所决定的当代世界里，要真正了解我国的宗教政策，就必须先行洞悉其宗教信仰与唯物之“他者”之关系的积极释义。尊重和主张宗教信仰自由，保护一切正常的宗教活动是我国处理宗教问题的一贯方针，1982年中央《关于我国社会主义时期宗教问题的基本观点和基本政策》中在提出宗教信仰自由的同时，也明确指出要“向人民群众特别是广大青少年进行辩证唯物论和历史唯物论的科学世界观(包括无神论)的教育，加强有关自然现象、社会进化和人的生老病死、吉凶祸福的科学文化知识的宣传”。因为，一方面，在全社会进行科学文化知识的宣传，实施科教兴国战略，是我们国家和民族的根本利益所在。另一方面，宣传无神论与贯彻宗教信仰自由政策并不矛盾。虽然“冲突”是历史上唯物之“他者”与宗教的最具代表性的关系，这种对抗的基调，由19世纪末约翰•威廉•德雷珀的《宗教与科学冲突史》与安德鲁•迪克森•怀特的《基督的世界中神学与科学的交战史》这两本著作奠定下来。科学探寻事件之间的因果关系，而宗教则探寻我们生活的意义和目的，推荐一种生活方式，并引出一系列态度。这两种探究，对世界提供了互补的看法。同理，唯物之一切“他者”与宗教都各是独立的语言，具有完全不同的功能，每一种语言游戏由他们在社会情境中使用的方法而区别。因而，在社会主义社会，在人民经济、政治利益上的一致性的基础上，坚持无神论宣传教育和坚持宗教信仰自由政策都是必要的，我们强调，唯物之“他者”与宗教界的关系是“政治上团结合作，信仰上相互尊重”（《新时期宗教工作文献选编》，北京:宗教文化出版社，1995年，第210页。）。

Second, besides the positive interpretation of religious belief and the materialist “other,” China’s religious policy also guides various religions and sects to develop along the path of harmonious coexistence through the establishment of inter-religious “other” relations. In contemporary China, where peace and development, prosperity and stability are the themes of the era, we must concentrate the wisdom and strength of the vast number of believers on the common goal of building a socialist harmonious society. Therefore, guiding various religions and sects to resolve differences, expand consensus, achieve consistency amidst divergence, and seek unity amidst diversity is also an important implication of China’s religious policy. China’s religious policy emphasizes the need to excavate the common pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty, guiding each religion and every religious “other” towards harmonious coexistence, mutual respect, enhanced unity, and strengthened cooperation, “opposing a very small number of people forming cliques, setting up separate factions, creating antagonism, and undermining unity” (Chen Zongrong, “Grasping China’s Basic Religious Policy from Seven Pairs of Relationships,” *China Religion*, Issue 2, 2008). In fact, although various religions have diverse doctrines, creeds, worship rituals, and different forms of expression, they are all beliefs in some supernatural or superhuman, sacred or ultimate being. As Tillich said: “So-called religious belief is actually ultimate concern, and the religious traditions formed under different cultural backgrounds are actually different experiences and expressions of the same ultimate reality” (Paul Tillich, *Dynamics of Faith*, New York: Harper & Row, 1957, p. 49). Any model that excludes or distorts the religious other is inadvisable and is what we oppose.

其次，除了宗教信仰与唯物之“他者”的积极释义外，我国的宗教政策还通过宗教“他者”关系的确立来引导各宗教、各教派在和谐共生的道路上发展前行。把和平与发展、繁荣与稳定作为时代主题的当今中国，我们要把广大信众的智慧和力量集中到建设社会主义和谐社会这个共同目标上来。因而，引导各宗教、各教派化解分歧、扩大共识，在差异性中达成一致性，在多样性中寻求统一性，也是我国宗教政策的重要寓意之一。我国的宗教政策强调要通过挖掘对真、善、美追求之共性，引导各宗教与每一宗教“他者”和谐共生、互相尊重、增进团结、加强合作，“反对极少数人拉帮结派、另立山头，制造对立、破坏团结”（陈宗荣:《从七对关系把握我国的基本宗教政策》，《中国宗教》2008年第2期。）。事实上，尽管各种宗教具有纷繁多样的教义信条、崇拜仪式和种种不同的表现形式，但它们都是对某种超自然者或超人类者、神圣者或终极者的信仰，如蒂利希所言:“所谓的宗教信仰其实也就是终极关怀，而不同文化背景下形成的宗教传统其实也就是对同一终极实在的不同经验和表达形式”（〔美〕保罗•蒂利希:《信仰的动力》，纽约:哈波罗出版公司，1957年，第49页。）。任何排斥、扭曲宗教他者的模式都是不可取的，也是我们所反对的。

II. Freedom of Religious Belief and Law: Ordered Freedom of Religious Belief

二、宗教信仰自由与法:有秩序的信仰自由

The establishment of the relationship between religion and the materialist “other” and between religious “others” serves as the foundation for China’s religious policy. As early as in ancient Greece and Rome, Aristotle said: “To abide by the rules of life established by a state, to let each person’s actions be restrained, law… is salvation” (Aristotle, *Politics*, trans. Wu Shoupeng, Beijing: The Commercial Press, 1965, p. 276). In China, law, precisely in the salvific sense Aristotle spoke of, has become the institutional guarantee for freedom of religious belief and its organizational activities.

宗教与唯物之“他者”及宗教“他者”关系的确立，是作为我国宗教政策的基础而铺设的。早在古希腊和古罗马时期，亚里士多德就说过:“遵守一邦所定的生活规则，让各人的行为有所约束，法律……是拯救”（〔古希腊〕亚里士多德:《政治学》，吴寿彭译，北京:商务印书馆，1965年，第276页。）。在我国，法律亦恰如亚里士多德所言之拯救意义，成为宗教信仰自由及其组织活动的机制保障。

1. Religious belief and its activities must be premised on legal constraints; order is the true essence of freedom.

1.宗教信仰及其活动须以法律约束为前提，秩序是自由的真谛所在

Law codifies people’s rights in a definite form. Freedom of religious belief and the various religious activities that extend from it, as concrete social rights, are empty and abstract without explicit legal provisions and genuine protection. Chinese law prohibits arbitrary or discriminatory coercion and infringement against lawful religions, providing solid guarantees for religious believers to enjoy their due rights. While exercising the right to freedom of religious belief, citizens also have the obligation to abide by the law. They may not use religion to harm citizens’ physical health, disrupt social order, or undermine ethnic unity; that is, religious activities must be conducted within the bounds of the law. If freedom is understood as doing whatever one wants without any restriction, an unlimited power to arbitrarily dispose of and control the “other,” this will inevitably lead to a state of chaos, and there will be no freedom at all. “The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom” (John Locke, *Two Treatises of Government*, Book II, trans. Ye Qifang and Qu Junong, Beijing: Commercial Press, 1996, pp. 35–36). Law is the condition for obtaining freedom of religious belief. The legalization of religion is conducive to maintaining stability and harmony within religious circles, ensuring the smooth and orderly conduct of religious work, and making religion a positive part of a harmonious society.

法律以确定的形式将人们的权利明文化，宗教信仰自由及其延伸的各项宗教活动作为具体的社会权利，如果没有法律的明文规定和切实保护，则是空洞和抽象的。我国法律禁止对合法宗教实施任意的或歧视性的强制与侵犯，为信教群众享受应有的权利提供了坚实的保障。公民在行使宗教信仰自由权利的同时，也有遵守法律的义务，不能利用宗教损害公民身体健康、妨碍社会秩序、破坏民族团结，即宗教活动必须在法律范围内进行。如果把自由理解为不受任何限制地为所欲为，无限的权力去任意支配、处置他者，这样下去必定会陷入一种混乱状态，那就无自由可言。“法律的目的不是废除或限制自由，而是保护和扩大自由”（〔英〕洛克:《政府论》(下)，叶启芳、瞿菊农译，北京:商务印书馆，1996年，第35～36页。），法律是获得宗教信仰自由的条件，宗教法制化有利于保持宗教界安定和睦、宗教工作顺畅有序，使宗教成为和谐社会的积极部分。

2. Law Provides Broad Space for Religion to Exercise Its Creative Spirit for Society

2.法律使宗教为社会发挥其独创精神提供广阔的空间

A well-functioning society must create a tension between order and freedom, so that social life has both stable order and sufficient space for freedom. This tension is law as a set of rules. First, Chinese law supports religious circles in strengthening their own construction and conducting activities autonomously. For example, actively participating in public welfare and charitable causes provides broad possibilities for religion to develop its scope of action in disaster relief, poverty alleviation, disability assistance, and spiritual healing. Second, Chinese law values the creativity of religion and encourages religious circles to play a role in promoting social harmony and advancing economic and social development. This also provides guarantees for maximizing the realization of religion’s positive potential. To enable religion to exert its broadest capacity within the order of law, China’s religious policy also emphasizes improving the quality of the administrative personnel handling religious affairs, and strengthening legal education on religious affairs among patriotic religious organizations and religious clergy, so as to bring into play their unique bridging and bonding role between religion and law.

运行良好的社会须在秩序与自由之间形成一种张力，从而使社会生活既具有稳定的秩序，又具有足够的自由空间，这种张力便是作为规则的法。首先，我国法律支持宗教界加强自身建设，自主开展活动。如积极参与公益和慈善事业，这就为发展宗教在抗灾救困、济贫助残、心灵疗护等方面的作为空间提供了广泛的可能性;其次，我国法律重视宗教的创造性，鼓励宗教界发挥其在促进社会和谐、推动经济社会发展等方面的作用，这亦为最大限度地使宗教之积极性潜能成为实在提供了保障。而为了使宗教能在法的秩序下发挥最广阔的能力际域，我国的宗教政策亦重视对宗教事务行政公职人员队伍的素质建设、重视对爱国宗教团体和宗教教职人员的宗教法制宣传教育，以发挥他们在宗教与法之间特有的桥梁纽带之积极作用。

III. Freedom of Religious Belief and the State: Just and Patriotic Freedom of Religious Belief

三、宗教信仰自由与国家:正义爱国的信仰自由

As presented above, freedom of religious belief exists in balance with the material “other” and with law; it is a category with concrete historical reality, not a metaphysical abstract fence. The next question is: what is the relationship between freedom of religious belief and the sovereign state, which is an absolute precondition? In this regard, the author deeply agrees that “in the modern world, no society can survive without state power” (Benjamin Schwartz, *In Search of Wealth and Power: Yen Fu and the West*, trans. Ye Meifeng, Nanjing: Jiangsu People’s Publishing House, 1995, p. 235). Only within the organizational form of the state can various freedoms obtain objectivity and enjoy that objectivity, and can various rights be fully exercised. In China, no pole of society has reality apart from the socialist family. Therefore, freedom of religious belief must also, under the absolute precondition of justice and patriotism, and under the precondition of the interests of the socialist state and public significance, follow the principle of independence and self-determination, and develop healthily and harmoniously.

综上所呈现，宗教信仰自由是在与唯物之“他”、与法的平衡中存在的、是一个具有现实历史性的范畴，而不是形而上学的抽象樊篱。接下来的问题就是，宗教信仰自由与作为绝对前提的这个主权国家的关系又是什么呢?在这方面笔者深以为然的是，“在近代世界里，没有一个社会能不具备国家力量而幸存下来”（〔美〕本杰明•史华兹:《寻求富强:严复与西方》，叶美凤译，南京:江苏人民出版社，1995年，第235页。），只有在国家这个组织形式里，各种自由才能获得客观性并享受这种客观性，各种权利才能得到充分行使。在我国，社会的任何一极离开了社会主义大家庭便不具有实在性。因此，作为宗教信仰之自由，亦需在正义爱国的绝对前提下、在社会主义国家利益和公共意义的前提下，遵循独立自主的宗教原则，健康和谐发展。

1. Religious Activities Must Submit to and Serve the Highest Interests of the State and the Public Interest of Society, Love the Motherland, and Uphold the Socialist System

1.宗教活动要服从服务于国家最高利益和社会公共利益，热爱祖国、拥护社会主义制度

State interests are “the synthesis of the factors for the common survival and further development of the vast majority of residents” (Song Zuhong, “A Brief Discussion on Mao Zedong’s Thought on the International United Front,” *Contention and Discussion*, 2008, Issue 7). They are both objective and concrete, and subjective and abstract. Regarding the former, their objectivity lies in the fact that they are constituted by the common interests of the entire nation and the entire society, and do not change according to people’s will. Regarding the latter, because state interests represent the comprehensive demands of various interest groups within a country, they must be the abstract expression of these common interests. Therefore, all religious organizations and religious figures must combine patriotism with love of religion, safeguard the people’s interests, uphold ethnic unity, and protect state interests. As a socialist country, China implements a policy of separation of state and religion. The state does not use political power to promote any religion, nor does it use state power to prohibit any religion. At the same time, religion must not interfere with the state’s administration, judiciary, or education, nor disrupt the normal order of social life, so as to maximize the protection of our state interests. China’s religious policy guides all religions in the general direction of adapting to the socialist society, enabling religious believers to unite to the greatest extent possible under the grand goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and to work together for socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Religious believers and non-believers must adhere to political unity and cooperation, mutual respect in belief, and jointly safeguard the stability and order of the country.

国家利益是“绝大多数居民共同生存与进一步发展的诸因素的综合”（宋祖红:《毛泽东国际统一战线思想简论》，《探讨与争鸣》2008年第7期。），它既客观具体，又主观抽象。就前者而言，客观性在于它是由全民族、全社会的共同利益构成的，是不以人们的意愿为转移的;就后者来说，由于国家利益代表的是一个国家内各种利益体的综合诉求，所以它必须是这些共同利益的抽象表现。因而，所有宗教组织和宗教界人士要把爱国与爱教结合起来，维护人民利益、维护民族团结、维护国家利益。作为社会主义国家，我国实行政教分离的政策，国家不利用政治权力推行某一宗教，亦不使用国家政权禁止某一宗教;同时，宗教也不可干预我国的行政、司法与教育，不能干扰正常的社会生活秩序，以最大限度地保证我们的国家利益。我国宗教政策引导各宗教朝着与社会主义社会相适应的总方向前进，使信教群众在全面建设小康社会的宏伟目标下最大限度地团结起来，共同致力于社会主义现代化建设、致力于中华民族的伟大复兴。信教群众与不信教群众要坚持政治上团结合作、信仰上相互尊重，共同维护国家的安定与有序。

2. Adhere to the Principle of Independence and Self-Determination

2.坚持独立自主自办的原则

China’s religious policy upholds the principle of putting state interests first. In the context of globalization, it is necessary to achieve independence and self-determination and develop oneself within this framework. China’s religions engage in exchanges and dialogue with foreign religious organizations or figures on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and friendship, to strengthen mutual understanding with religious circles in various countries and develop friendship with them. At the same time, they actively participate in international public welfare activities in the religious field, contributing to building a better world. However, “international hostile forces regard ethnic and religious issues as a breakthrough point for ‘Westernizing’ and ‘dividing’ socialist countries” (*Selected Documents on Religious Work in the New Era*, p. 211). Therefore, the more we expand opening up and exchanges, the more we must resist the infiltration of religion by hostile forces abroad.

我国宗教政策坚持国家利益至上原则，在全球化的局面中，便需要做到独立自主、并在其中发展自己。我国宗教在互相尊重、平等友好的基础上与国外宗教组织或宗教人士进行交往、对话，以加强与各国宗教界的相互了解，发展与他们的友谊;同时积极参与国际宗教领域的公益活动，为建设美好世界出力。然而，“国际敌对势力把民族问题和宗教问题作为对社会主义国家实行‘西化’和‘分化’的突破口”（《新时期宗教工作文献选编》，第211页。），因此，越是扩大开放交流、越要抵御境外敌对势力利用宗教进行渗透。

Article 36 of China’s Constitution clearly stipulates: “Religious groups and religious affairs are not subject to the domination of foreign forces.” That is, under the principle of independence and self-determination, the policy of self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation is implemented. No foreign organization, group, or individual is allowed to interfere in China’s religious affairs. They are not allowed to conduct missionary activities or recruit followers within China’s territory. Still less are they allowed to establish religious organizations or institutions, open religious activity sites, or run religious schools within China’s territory. China’s policy on freedom of religious belief emphasizes combining the resistance to infiltration with education in patriotism, collectivism, and socialism, consciously safeguarding the overall interests of the state and the highest interests of the nation, and providing guarantees for achieving religious harmony and social harmony, and for maintaining a stable religious order and social order.

我国宪法第36条明确规定:“宗教团体和宗教事务不受外国势力的支配”，即在坚持独立自主自办的方针下，实行自治、自养、自传。不允许境外任何组织、团体和个人干预我国宗教事务;不得在我国境内进行传教、招收教徒活动;更不得在我国境内成立相关宗教组织机构、开辟宗教活动场所、开办宗教院校等。我国宗教信仰自由政策强调，要把抵御渗透同加强爱国主义、集体主义、社会主义教育结合起来，自觉维护国家整体利益和民族最高利益，为实现宗教和睦与社会和谐、维护安定的宗教秩序和社会秩序提供保证。

In the 21st century, religion has already become a social and cultural system with transcendental belief as its core. It exists not only in the form of belief, but more often as a form of social and cultural phenomenon. China’s policy on freedom of religious belief highly values and protects this ancient religious cultural resource and citizens’ freedom to believe in religion. In the relationships between religion and the material “other,” the religious “other,” law, and the state, it sequentially articulates wise guidance and regulations conducive to religion’s own development and social harmony. As a social and historical phenomenon, religion has multiple positive functions, such as psychological adjustment and cultural exchange. “But the positive and negative functions of religion correspond to each other; behind each positive function there is a corresponding negative function” (Dai Kangsheng and Peng Yao, eds., *Sociology of Religion*, Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2000, pp. 162–189). Under the guidance of China’s policy on freedom of religious belief, we should promote the strengths of religion and avoid its weaknesses, “unite believers and non-believers on the basis of their fundamental interests being identical, and concentrate their will and strength on the common goal of building a modernized country and achieving a better life” (Li Ruihuan Holds a Pre-Spring Festival Symposium with Leaders of National Religious Groups, *People’s Daily*, February 1, 2000).

21世纪的宗教已然成为一种以超世信仰为核心的社会文化体系，它不仅以信仰的形态，而更多的是以一种社会文化现象的形态存在，我国的宗教信仰自由政策高度重视和保护这种古老的宗教文化资源以及公民信仰宗教的自由，在宗教与唯物之“他者”、宗教“他者”、法、国家的关系上依次阐发了有利于宗教自身发展、社会和谐的智慧引导与规定。宗教作为一种社会历史现象，具有心理调适、文化交往等多项正功能，“但宗教的正负功能相互对应，在每种正功能的后面都有一种与其相对应的负功能”（戴康生、彭耀主编:《宗教社会学》，北京:社会科学文献出版社，2000年，第162～189页。）。我们应在我国宗教信仰自由政策的指导下，扬宗教之长，避宗教之短，“把信教和不信教的群众在根本利益一致的基础上团结起来，把意志和力量凝聚到建设现代化国家、实现更加美好生活的共同目标上来”（《李瑞环同全国宗教团体领导人举行迎春座谈》，《人民日报》2000年2月1日。）

Online Editor: Wang Jiafei

网络编辑：王佳菲