The Prohibition on Party Members Believing in Religion Is Not Contradictory to the Party’s Policy of Freedom of Religious Belief

The report of the 19th National Congress of the CPC stated that, in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, it is necessary to pursue comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, to enforce strict political life within the Party, and to tighten Party discipline. Although the “Norms for Political Life Within the Party Under the New Situation” adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC explicitly require that Party members must not believe in religion, in reality, as the number of people in society who believe in religion continues to increase and as understanding of religion becomes increasingly diverse, a small number of Party members “care not for the people’s livelihood but for ghosts and spirits,” [1]1 An allusion to a line from a poem by the Tang dynasty poet Li Shangyin, contrasting concern for the people’s livelihood with superstitious practices. being keen on fortune-telling, physiognomy, and praying to Buddha, and even believing in religion—a phenomenon that is not uncommon. At the same time, some scholars have explicitly stated that “Party members may believe in religion” and “religious believers may join the Party,” and have even accused the prohibition on Party members believing in religion of contradicting the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief. In fact, the prohibition on Party members believing in religion is an ideological principle, an organizational principle, and a political discipline that our Party has long adhered to based on the worldview of dialectical materialism. Its re-emphasis under the new situation of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is necessary both for strictly regulating political life within the Party and for comprehensively implementing the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief.

党的十九大报告提出，新时代坚持和发展中国特色社会主义，必须坚持全面从严治党，严肃党内政治生活，严明党的纪律。尽管党的十八届六中全会通过的《关于新形势下党内政治生活的若干准则》明确要求，党员不准信仰宗教，但现实中，随着社会上信仰宗教的人数不断增多和对宗教的认识日益多样化，少数党员“不问苍生问鬼神”，热衷于算命看相、求神拜佛，甚至信仰宗教的现象也屡见不鲜。与此同时，一些学者明确提出“党员可以信教”“教徒可以入党”，甚至指责不准党员信仰宗教与党的宗教信仰自由政策相矛盾。事实上，党员不准信仰宗教是我们党基于辩证唯物主义世界观长期坚持的思想原则、组织原则和政治纪律，在全面从严治党的新形势下再次强调，既是严格规范党内政治生活的需要，也是全面贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策的需要。

I. The Prohibition on Members of the Communist Party of China Believing in Religion Is Determined by the Party’s Worldview Foundation of Dialectical Materialism

一、中共党员不准信仰宗教是由党的辩证唯物主义世界观基础决定的

From the day of its founding, the Communist Party of China established Marxism as its guiding ideology, and all of Marxism’s theoretical and practical activities are built upon the worldview foundation of dialectical materialism. Marx and Engels critically absorbed Hegel’s dialectical thought and Feuerbach’s materialism, insisting on explaining the world from the material world itself, holding that “it is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness.” [2]2 A quotation from Karl Marx’s preface to *A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy* (1859). This fundamentally excludes the possibility of any supernatural subject power existing and lays the foundation for the Marxist worldview of dialectical materialism. Based on this foundation, Marx and Engels examined the laws of development of human social history, especially the laws of motion of the fundamental contradictions of capitalist society, establishing for the proletariat and working people of the world the lofty ideal of realizing communism and pointing out the basic path to realize this ideal: “There has never been any savior, nor do we rely on gods or emperors. To create human happiness, we rely entirely on ourselves!” (The Internationale) [3]3 A line from the lyrics of *The Internationale*, the international anthem of the socialist movement. All of this, in fact, confirms the atheistic nature of Marxism. It can be said that atheism is the most fundamental cornerstone of the entire edifice of Marxist theory. Its relationship with the Communist Party is, as Lenin pointed out in “On the Attitude of the Workers’ Party to Religion”: “The entire world outlook of the Social-Democratic Party is based on scientific socialism, i.e., Marxism… The philosophical basis of Marxism is dialectical materialism, which has fully inherited the historical tradition of materialism of 18th-century France and of Feuerbach in the first half of 19th-century Germany, that is, the tradition of a materialism that is absolutely atheistic and resolutely opposed to all religion.” [4]4 A quotation from V. I. Lenin’s 1909 article “On the Attitude of the Workers’ Party to Religion.”

中国共产党从成立之日起，就把马克思主义确立为指导思想，而马克思主义的全部理论和实践活动都是建立在辩证唯物主义世界观基础之上的。马克思、恩格斯批判地吸收了黑格尔的辩证法思想和费尔巴哈的唯物主义，坚持从物质世界本身出发说明世界，认为“不是人们的意识决定人们的存在，相反，是人们的社会存在决定人们的意识”。这就从根本上排除了任何超自然的主体力量存在的可能性，奠定了马克思主义的辩证唯物主义世界观基础。立足于这个基础，马克思、恩格斯考察了人类社会历史发展规律，特别是资本主义社会基本矛盾运动规律，为全世界无产阶级和劳动人民确立了实现共产主义的远大理想，并指明了实现这个理想的基本途径：“从来就没有什么救世主，也不靠神仙皇帝。要创造人类的幸福，全靠我们自己！”（《国际歌》）所有这些，事实上都确证了马克思主义的无神论本色。可以说，无神论是马克思主义全部理论大厦最底层的基石，它与共产党的关系，正如列宁在《论工人阶级政党对宗教的态度》中指出的那样：“社会民主党的整个世界观是以科学社会主义即马克思主义为基础的……马克思主义的哲学基础是辩证唯物主义，它完全继承了法国18世纪和德国19世纪上半叶费尔巴哈的唯物主义历史传统，即绝对无神论的、坚决反对一切宗教的唯物主义的历史传统。”

Precisely for this reason, the Constitution of the Communist Party of China stipulates: “Members of the Communist Party of China are vanguard fighters of the Chinese working class with communist consciousness. Members of the Communist Party of China must serve the people wholeheartedly, sacrifice all personal interests if necessary, and fight for communism for life.” This very clearly points out: “The foundation of us communists is faith in Marxism, belief in socialism with Chinese characteristics and communism, and loyalty to the Party and the people. The foundation we must consolidate is to strengthen this faith, this belief, and this loyalty.” [5]5 A paraphrase of a formulation from Xi Jinping’s speech on the ideals and convictions of communists. If a Party member believes in religion, they inevitably abandon this faith, this belief, and this loyalty that they established when joining the Party, instead entrusting their own and humanity’s destiny to supernatural spirits or a creator, no longer believing in humanity’s own strength and the objective laws of social development, and no longer accepting the Marxist worldview of dialectical materialism. Even if they can still participate in the revolution, construction, and reform undertakings led by the Communist Party, for them this undertaking becomes a tree without roots or an arrow without a target; at most, they can accept the Party’s minimum program for the current stage, but absolutely not the Party’s maximum program of realizing communism. If a Party organization allows its members to believe in religion, it is in effect allowing the coexistence of two opposing worldview systems within the Party—theism and atheism, idealism and materialism—and allowing some Party members to accept both the leadership of the Party organization and the leadership of their respective religious organizations. The inevitable result would be to weaken the Party’s advanced nature and purity, shake the Party’s worldview foundation of dialectical materialism, and cause ideological and organizational splits within the Party.

正因如此，《中国共产党章程》规定：“中国共产党党员是中国工人阶级的有共产主义觉悟的先锋战士。中国共产党党员必须全心全意为人民服务，不惜牺牲个人的一切，为实现共产主义奋斗终身。”这就十分明确地指出：“我们共产党人的本，就是对马克思主义的信仰，对中国特色社会主义和共产主义的信念，对党和人民的忠诚。我们要固的本，就是坚定这份信仰、坚定这份信念、坚定这份忠诚。”党员如果信仰了宗教，就必然抛弃他在入党时即已确立的这份信仰、这份信念、这份忠诚，转而把自己和人类的命运寄托于超自然的神灵、造物主，不再相信人自身的力量和社会发展的客观规律，不再接受马克思主义的辩证唯物主义世界观基础。就算他还能投身共产党领导的革命、建设和改革事业，但这个事业在他那里已经成为无本之末、无的之矢，他能够接受的顶多是共产党在当下阶段的最低纲领，绝无可能是共产党实现共产主义的最高纲领。党组织如果允许党员信仰宗教，其实就是允许党内存在有神论和无神论、唯心主义和唯物主义两种对立的世界观体系，允许一些党员既接受党组织领导又接受所属宗教组织领导，结果必然是削弱党的先进性和纯洁性，动摇党的辩证唯物主义世界观基础，造成党在思想上、组织上的分裂。

Therefore, the prohibition on Party members believing in religion has become an ideological principle, organizational principle, and political discipline consistently upheld by the Communist Party of China. As early as the period of the democratic revolution, Mao Zedong pointed out: “Communists may form an anti-imperialist and anti-feudal united front on political action with certain idealists or even religious believers, but they must never approve of their idealism or religious doctrines.” [6]6 A quotation from Mao Zedong’s 1940 essay “On New Democracy.” After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Zhou Enlai also pointed out: “We communists are atheists.” “Religious thought is idealistic. Idealism and materialism are different; there is no need to conceal this.” [7]7 Quotations from Zhou Enlai’s speeches on religion in the 1950s. In 1982, the “Basic Views and Basic Policies on the Religious Question during the Socialist Period in Our Country,” issued by the Central Committee of the CPC, explicitly stated: “A Communist Party member, unlike an ordinary citizen, is a member of a Marxist political party and, without doubt, should be an atheist, not a theist. Our Party has repeatedly made clear stipulations: Communist Party members must not believe in religion, must not participate in religious activities, and those who persist in doing so after long-term education should be persuaded to withdraw from the Party. This stipulation is entirely correct, and for the whole Party, it should still be resolutely implemented in the future.” [8]8 Document 19 of the Central Committee of the CPC (1982), a foundational text on religious policy in the reform era. In 1991, the “Notice on Properly Resolving the Issue of Communist Party Members Believing in Religion” issued by the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the CPC stated: “Communist Party members are vanguard fighters of the working class with communist consciousness and are atheists. They can only believe in Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, must not believe in religion, and must not participate in religious activities… For those who have lost their communist belief, firmly believe in religion, or have become religious professionals, and who do not change after education, they should be persuaded to withdraw from the Party; if persuasion fails, they should be expelled.” [9]9 A 1991 directive from the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee. In 2001, Jiang Zemin further pointed out: “We must educate Party members and cadres to strengthen their communist belief, correctly understand the Party’s religious policy, and understand that not believing in religion is the minimum condition for being a qualified Communist Party member. Communist Party members must not only not believe in religion but should also actively propagate atheism and propagate correct views against feudal superstition.” [10]10 A statement from Jiang Zemin’s speech at the National Conference on Religious Work in 2001. In 2006, Hu Jintao also reiterated: “We Chinese communists are atheists and do not believe in any religion.” [11]11 A statement from Hu Jintao’s remarks on religion during his tenure. In 2016, Xi Jinping, at the National Conference on Religious Work, particularly emphasized: “Communist Party members must be firm Marxist atheists, strictly abide by the Party Constitution’s stipulations, strengthen their ideals and convictions, keep in mind the Party’s purpose, and must never seek their own values and beliefs in religion.” [12]12 A statement from Xi Jinping’s speech at the National Conference on Religious Work in 2016. From this series of important documents, it can be seen that the Chinese Communist Party’s requirements for its members regarding worldview are both strict and consistent.

因此，党员不准信仰宗教就成了中国共产党一贯坚持的一项思想原则、组织原则和政治纪律。早在民主革命时期，毛泽东就曾指出：“共产党员可以和某些唯心论者甚至宗教徒建立在政治行动上的反帝反封建的统一战线，但是决不能赞同他们的唯心论或宗教教义。”中华人民共和国成立后，周恩来也曾指出：“我们共产党人是无神论者。”“宗教思想是唯心主义的。唯心主义和唯物主义，不同就是不同，不必隐瞒。”1982年，中共中央印发的《关于我国社会主义时期宗教问题的基本观点和基本政策》明确提出：“一个共产党员，不同于一般公民，而是马克思主义政党的成员，毫无疑问地应当是无神论者，而不应当是有神论者。我们党曾经多次作出明确规定：共产党员不得信仰宗教，不得参加宗教活动，长期坚持不改的要劝其退党。这个规定是完全正确的，就全党来说，今后仍然应当坚决贯彻执行。”1991年，中共中央组织部发出的《关于妥善解决共产党员信仰宗教问题的通知》提出：“共产党员是工人阶级的有共产主义觉悟的先锋战士，是无神论者，只能信仰马列主义、毛泽东思想，不得信仰宗教，不得参加宗教活动……对于丧失共产主义信念，笃信宗教，或成为宗教职业者，经教育不改的，应劝其退党，劝而不退的予以除名。”2001年，江泽民进一步指出：“要教育党员、干部坚定共产主义信念，正确理解党的宗教政策，懂得不信仰宗教是做一名合格共产党员的起码条件。共产党员不但不能信仰宗教，而且应该积极宣传无神论，宣传反对封建迷信的正确观点。”2006年，胡锦涛也重申：“我们中国共产党人是无神论者，不信仰任何宗教。”2016年，习近平在全国宗教工作会议上特别强调：“共产党员要做坚定的马克思主义无神论者，严守党章规定，坚定理想信念，牢记党的宗旨，绝不能在宗教中寻找自己的价值和信念。”从这一系列重要文献中可以看出，中国共产党对其党员在世界观上的要求既是严格也是连贯的。

II. From the Day They Join the Party, Communist Party Members Have Chosen the Freedom Not to Believe in Religion from Among Citizens’ Freedom of Religious Belief

二、中共党员从入党之日起就选择了公民宗教信仰自由中不信仰宗教的自由

The prohibition on Party members believing in religion is determined by the Party’s worldview foundation of dialectical materialism. Freedom of religious belief is a fundamental right granted to citizens by the Constitution. Party members are also citizens. How should a Party member, as a citizen, enjoy the constitutionally granted freedom of religious belief? Does the prohibition on Party members believing in religion contradict the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief? We must provide a clear answer to these questions.

党员不准信仰宗教是由党的辩证唯物主义世界观基础决定的，宗教信仰自由是宪法赋予公民的基本权利。党员也是公民，身为党员的公民如何享有宪法赋予的宗教信仰自由？党员不准信仰宗教，是否与党的宗教信仰自由政策相矛盾？对于这些问题，我们必须予以明确回答。

From the day of its founding, the Communist Party of China has advocated respect for and protection of freedom of religious belief, and upon entering the new period of reform and opening up, it established this advocacy as the basic policy of the Party and the state in dealing with religious issues. Regarding this policy, the Party Central Committee explains: “Freedom of religious belief means that: every citizen has the freedom to believe in religion, and also the freedom not to believe in religion; the freedom to believe in this religion, and also the freedom to believe in that religion; within the same religion, the freedom to believe in this sect, and also the freedom to believe in that sect; the freedom of those who did not believe in the past to believe now, and the freedom of those who believed in the past not to believe now.” Not believing in religion and believing in religion are both forms of realizing citizens’ freedom of religious belief. The majority of people in society, including Party members, who do not believe in any religion, are exercising precisely the freedom not to believe in religion, which is part of citizens’ freedom of religious belief. In order to maintain its unity in ideology and organization, and to defend its dialectical materialist worldview foundation, the Communist Party of China requires that Party members not believe in religion. This is, in fact, requiring Party members to exercise the freedom not to believe in religion, which is part of the freedom of religious belief granted to citizens by the Constitution. When a citizen faces the Party flag and swears, “I volunteer to join the Communist Party of China,” he should in fact have already accepted the demands put forward to him by the Party organization: to uphold the dialectical materialist worldview and not to believe in any religion. Of course, after joining the Party, he can still undergo a transformation of worldview, abandoning atheism and embracing theism, changing from not believing in religion to believing in religion. This is the freedom to believe in religion that he, as a citizen, can still enjoy. But once he realizes this freedom, he is no longer a qualified Communist Party member. Should this situation arise, ideological education should be used to urge him to abandon his religious beliefs; if he persists in his beliefs after education and refuses to change, organizational measures must be taken.

中国共产党从成立之日起就主张尊重和保护宗教信仰自由，进入改革开放新时期又把这一主张确立为党和国家对待和处理宗教问题的基本政策。对于这项政策，党中央的解释是：“宗教信仰自由，就是说：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；在同一宗教里面，有信仰这个教派的自由，也有信仰那个教派的自由；有过去不信教而现在信教的自由，也有过去信教而现在不信教的自由。”不信仰宗教和信仰宗教一样，都是公民宗教信仰自由的实现形式。包括党员在内的社会上大多数人不信仰任何宗教，行使的正是公民宗教信仰自由中不信仰宗教的自由。中国共产党为了维护自己在思想上、组织上的统一，捍卫自己的辩证唯物主义世界观基础，要求党员不信仰宗教，其实就是要求党员行使宪法赋予公民的宗教信仰自由中不信仰宗教的自由。当一个公民面向党旗宣誓“我志愿加入中国共产党”时，实际上应该已经接受了党组织向他提出的要求，坚持辩证唯物主义世界观，不信仰任何宗教。当然，入党以后他还可以发生世界观的转变，放弃无神论而接受有神论，由不信仰宗教转变为信仰宗教，这是他作为公民仍可享有的信仰宗教的自由。可他一旦实现了这个自由，就不再是一个合格的共产党员了。出现这种情况，就应该通过思想教育促使其放弃宗教信仰，经教育后仍坚持不改的必须进行组织处理。

From this it can be seen that “Party rules and discipline are stricter than national laws; Party organizations at all levels and the vast majority of Party cadres and members must not only model compliance with national laws, but also demand more of themselves according to higher standards set by Party rules and discipline.” [13]13 Xi Jinping, “Explanatory Notes on the ‘Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Comprehensively Advancing the Rule of Law,’” October 20, 2014. Regarding the freedom of religious belief granted to citizens by the Constitution, ordinary citizens can choose to believe or not to believe, but Party members can only choose not to believe; they cannot choose to believe. This is because Party members are not ordinary citizens, but citizens with special political responsibilities. Special political responsibilities require that Party members must be firm Marxist atheists, loyal to the Party’s cause, fulfill their Party member obligations, and strictly observe Party discipline, which includes relinquishing some freedoms and rights that ordinary citizens can enjoy. This is not at all strange: “Modern political parties all have political discipline requirements; without political rules, they cannot be called political parties. Even in Western countries, major political parties have strict constraints in political aspects; important members of a party must support the party’s political propositions, policy propositions, including the party’s ideology.” [14]14 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection,” January 13, 2015. A communist party, which takes dialectical materialism as its worldview foundation, should be even more so.

由此可见，“党规党纪严于国家法律，党的各级组织和广大党员干部不仅要模范遵守国家法律，而且要按照党规党纪以更高标准严格要求自己”。对于宪法赋予公民的宗教信仰自由，普通公民可以选择信仰，也可以选择不信仰，但党员只能选择不信仰，不能选择信仰，这是因为，党员不是普通公民，而是有着特殊政治责任的公民。特殊政治责任要求党员必须做坚定的马克思主义无神论者，忠诚党的事业，履行党员义务，严守党的纪律，其中就包括放弃一部分普通公民可以享有的自由和权利。这一点也不奇怪，“现代政党都是有政治纪律要求的，没有政治上的规矩不能成其为政党。就是西方国家，主要政党在政治方面也是有严格约束的，政党的重要成员必须拥护本党的政治主张、政策主张，包括本党的意识形态”。以辩证唯物主义为世界观基础的共产党就更应该如此了。

As for some who advocate “distinguishing political belief from religious belief, and allowing some leading figures and elite members from religious circles to join the Party,” this is in fact separating political belief from religious belief, confusing the targets of Party member development with the targets of the Party’s united front work, shaking the Party’s dialectical materialist worldview foundation, and violating the political discipline that Party members are not allowed to believe in religion. Theoretically, it is erroneous; practically, it is harmful.

至于有人主张“将政治信仰与宗教信仰相区分，允许一部分宗教界的领袖人物和精英分子入党”，实际上是将政治信仰与宗教信仰相隔离，将党员发展对象与党的统一战线工作对象相混淆，动摇的是党的辩证唯物主义世界观基础，触碰的是党员不准信仰宗教的政治纪律，在理论上是错误的，在实践中是有害的。

Theoretically speaking, political belief and religious belief both belong to life beliefs, but they are located in different domains. Political belief mainly refers to people’s trust, respect, and submission to certain political propositions and the political actions and political systems generated under such propositions; religious belief mainly refers to people’s belief in, worship of, and even total devotion and surrender to certain supernatural mysterious forces. Precisely because there are differences between the two, for ordinary citizens, if they accept religious belief and become religious believers, the Communist Party will politically unite and cooperate with them and mutually respect their beliefs. Not only will it not regard them as alien forces because of their religious beliefs, but on the contrary, through education and guidance, it will promote the unification of patriotism and love for their religion, leading them to devote themselves to the revolution, construction, and reform undertakings led by the Communist Party, and to play a positive role in promoting national prosperity, national rejuvenation, and people’s happiness. But for Party members, the requirements are different. Party members must not only adhere to the correct political direction, but also uphold dialectical materialism in their worldview, adhere to atheism, and not believe in any religion. The so-called “allowing some leading figures and elite members from religious circles to join the Party,” although labeled with reasons such as “care and tolerance for religion” and “actively promoting the patriotic and Party-loving sentiments of China’s religious circles,” will inevitably result in breaking the political rule that Party members are not allowed to believe in religion, causing ideological and organizational chaos or even splits within the Party.

从理论上讲，政治信仰与宗教信仰同属人生信仰，但又分处不同领域。政治信仰主要指人们对某种政治主张以及在这种主张下所产生的政治行动、政治制度的信任、尊重和服从；宗教信仰主要指人们对某种超自然神秘力量的相信、崇拜以至全身心地皈依、投靠。正因为二者之间存在差异，所以对于一般公民来说，如果接受了宗教信仰、成为了信教群众，共产党就会在政治上与他们团结合作、在信仰上与他们互相尊重，不但不会因为他们信仰宗教而把他们视为异己力量，相反会通过教育和引导，推动他们将爱国与爱教统一起来，投身于共产党领导的革命、建设和改革事业，在促进国家富强、民族振兴、人民幸福中发挥积极作用。但对于党员来说，要求就不一样了，党员不仅必须在政治上坚持正确方向，而且必须在世界观上坚持辩证唯物主义，坚持无神论，不信仰任何宗教。所谓“允许一部分宗教界的领袖人物和精英分子入党”，尽管标以“对宗教的关怀和包容”“积极促进我国宗教界的爱国爱党情怀”等理由，但结果必然是突破党员不准信仰宗教的政治规矩，造成党在思想上、组织上的混乱甚至分裂。

From a practical perspective, Lenin did indeed say at the time: “One cannot declare in all circumstances and without variation that a priest cannot become a member of the Social-Democratic Party… If a priest comes to us to engage in common political work and performs Party duties conscientiously, without opposing the Party program, we can admit him into the Social-Democratic Party.” [15]15 V. I. Lenin, “Socialism and Religion,” 1905. But immediately after that he also said: “If this priest, after joining the Social-Democratic Party, actively propagates religious views within the Party as his main or even sole work, then the Party should expel him from its ranks.” [16]16 Ibid. Lenin’s attitude is very clear: religious believers can join the Party because they “perform Party duties conscientiously,” but the prerequisite is that after joining the Party, they do not “actively propagate religious views within the Party.” Consider this: can a religious believer who does not actively propagate religious views still be considered a qualified religious believer? This is perfectly clear: religious believers can join the Party, but they must abandon their original religious views; if they do not abandon their religious views, even if they have joined the Party, they should be expelled from the Party. In the history of our Party, there have indeed been some people who originally believed in religion who joined the Party, but they all did so only after a long period of revolutionary struggle and under the Party’s education, gradually completing the transformation from religious believers to communists. For example, Fu Lianzhang, [17]17 Fu Lianzhang (1894–1968), a Chinese physician and medical educator, served as Minister of Health of the People’s Republic of China. He was born into a Christian family and worked at the Gospel Hospital in Changting, Fujian, before joining the Red Army. who came from a Christian family, began participating in the work of treating wounded and sick Red Army soldiers in 1929 and repeatedly proposed renaming the Gospel Hospital to the Central Red Hospital. After the Long March reached northern Shaanxi, “the spirit and deeds of Bethune directly prompted Fu Lianzhang to write his Party membership application. On September 7, 1938, introduced by Mao Zedong and Chen Yun, Fu Lianzhang gloriously joined the Communist Party of China.” [18]18 Reference to Fu Lianzhang’s biography, detailing his conversion from Christianity to communism under the influence of the revolutionary cause and the example of Norman Bethune. It can be said that from 1929 onward, Fu Lianzhang began to draw closer to communism. By the time he joined the Party in 1938, he was already a firm communist rather than a Christian. It was precisely because he had completed the transformation of his worldview outside the Party that he met the qualifications for Party membership and was admitted into the Party. As for those Communist Party members who carried out revolutionary work in the capacity of religious clergy, one must even more not set aside the special environment and complex circumstances they were in, confusing their true identity with their public identity. As for some ethnic minority Party members, one cannot simply assume that they are all believers in a specific religion because of their specific ethnic identity. As for other countries’ communist parties allowing believers to join the Party and Party members to believe in religion, that is a matter for other countries; we do not necessarily need to emulate them, and moreover, their handling of religious issues is not necessarily better than ours.

从实践中看，当年列宁确实讲过：“不能一成不变地在任何情况下都宣布说司祭不能成为社会民主党党员……如果有一个司祭愿意到我们这里来共同进行政治工作，真心实意地完成党的工作，不反对党纲，那我们就可以吸收他加入社会民主党。”但紧接着他还讲道：“如果这个司祭加入社会民主党之后，竟在党内积极宣传宗教观点，以此作为他主要的甚至是唯一的工作，那么党就应该把他开除出自己的队伍。”列宁的态度很明确，宗教信徒可以因“真心实意地完成党的工作”而入党，但前提是入党之后不“在党内积极宣传宗教观点”。试想，一个不积极宣传宗教观点的宗教信徒还能算是合格的宗教信徒吗？这再清楚不过了，宗教信徒可以入党，但必须摒弃原来的宗教观点；不摒弃宗教观点，即使入了党，也应该被开除出党。在我们党的历史上，确实有一些原本信仰宗教的人入了党，但他们都是在长期的革命斗争中，在党的教育下，逐渐完成了从宗教信徒到共产主义者的转变之后才入党的。比如，基督教家庭出身的傅连暲在1929年就参加了救治红军伤病员的工作，并多次提出将福音医院改名为中央红色医院的建议。长征到达陕北后，“白求恩的精神和事迹，直接促使傅连暲写下了入党申请书。1938年9月7日，由毛泽东、陈云介绍，傅连暲光荣地加入了中国共产党”。可以说，从1929年起，傅连暲就开始向共产主义靠拢。到1938年入党的时候，他已经是一个坚定的共产主义者而非基督徒了。正是在党外完成了世界观的转变，他才具备了入党资格，才被吸收入党的。至于一些以教职人员身份开展革命工作的共产党员，就更不能抛开他们所处的特殊环境和复杂形势，将他们的真实身份和公开身份混为一谈。至于一些少数民族党员，也不能因为他们特定的民族身份，就简单认定他们都是特定宗教的信仰者。至于其他一些国家的共产党允许教徒入党、党员信教，那是其他国家的事情，我们未必需要向他们看齐，况且他们对宗教问题的处理也不见得就比我们处理得好。

Since “religious leaders and elite elements” are not permitted to join the Party, how can “care and inclusiveness” toward them be manifested, and how can their “patriotic love for the Party” be nurtured? In fact, the united front, one of our Party’s “three magic weapons,” [19]19 The “three magic weapons” (三大法宝) refers to the united front, armed struggle, and Party building, identified by Mao Zedong as the three key instruments for the CPC’s victory in the Chinese revolution. plays precisely this role. From the period of the democratic revolution onward, our Party has recognized the positive influence of religious figures among religious believers and has formed a united front with them on the basis of patriotism, achieving political unity and cooperation while respecting each other’s beliefs. To better leverage their role, after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, appropriate arrangements were made for them in people’s congresses at all levels and in the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In this way, religious figures, as important targets of united front work, have consistently taken patriotism and love for their religion as their code of conduct, uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China, carry out religious activities in accordance with laws and regulations, and participate in discussions of national affairs and major social issues at the people’s congresses and the political consultative conferences, offering relevant opinions, suggestions, criticisms, or motions and proposals. Their beliefs are fully respected, their roles are fully utilized, and they are not discriminated against or suppressed because they are outside the Party; on the contrary, they are regarded by the Communist Party as close friends and candid friends. They do not raise the demand to join the Communist Party, because they know that their worldview foundation differs from that of the Communist Party, and their unity and cooperation with the Communist Party is political, not worldview-based. If they were to join the Communist Party, which takes dialectical materialism as its worldview foundation, how would religious believers view them, and could they still be recognized as religious clergy?

既然不能允许“宗教界的领袖人物和精英分子入党”，那么如何体现对他们的“关怀和包容”，如何呵护他们的“爱国爱党情怀”？其实，作为我们党“三大法宝”之一的统一战线发挥的正是这方面的作用。从民主革命时期开始，我们党就认识到宗教界人士在信教群众中的积极影响，并在爱国主义的基础上同他们结成统一战线，政治上团结合作、信仰上互相尊重。为了更好地发挥他们的作用，中华人民共和国成立后还在各级人民代表大会、政治协商会议给他们作了适当安排。这样，宗教界人士作为统一战线工作的重要对象，始终自觉地把爱国爱教作为行为准则，拥护中国共产党领导，依法依规开展宗教活动，并在人大、政协会议上参与国家大事和社会重要问题的讨论，提出相关的意见、建议、批评或议案、提案。他们的信仰得到了充分尊重，作用得到了充分发挥，并没有因为身处党外而受到歧视或压制，相反被共产党当作挚友、诤友。他们并没有提出加入共产党的要求，因为他们知道，自己的世界观基础和共产党的世界观基础是不同的，他们与共产党的团结合作是在政治上而不是在世界观上，如果他们也加入了以辩证唯物主义为世界观基础的共产党，那么信教群众如何看待他们，还能承认他们的宗教教职人员身份吗？

On this issue, religious figures are clear-headed; what is unclear are certain religious studies scholars who are quick to invoke “relevant expositions by Marxist classical writers.” Perhaps intimidated by our Party’s repeatedly emphasized political rule that Party members must not believe in religion, they adopt a roundabout tactic. On the one hand, they acknowledge that “Party members cannot believe in religion and must draw a clear line with religion in terms of ideology”; on the other hand, they claim that “‘Party members believing in religion’ and ‘religious believers joining the Party’ cannot be equated, because ‘Party members believing in religion’ means moving toward a religious worldview, while ‘religious believers joining the Party’ means moving toward a communist worldview… the two have different directions and entirely different ideals, with no logical equivalence whatsoever.” Whether there is a logical equivalence must be subjected to logical analysis. Those who hold this lofty theory also admit that “religious believers joining the Party” means “moving toward a communist worldview.” Let us ask: can a religious believer who is “moving toward a communist worldview” still be considered a devout religious believer? When he finally establishes a communist worldview, it should be said that he has completed the transformation from a religious believer to a non-religious believer. If he meets the conditions for Party membership, he can naturally join the Party. But this is no longer “a religious believer joining the Party”; it is an ordinary citizen willing to strive for the Party’s line and program joining the Party. To insist on “religious believers joining the Party,” even if one can say that the religious believer who joins the Party is “moving toward a communist worldview,” he is still developed for Party membership before he has “arrived” at the endpoint. At that point, as a Party member, he is still a religious believer. Can this be said not to violate the political rule that Party members must not believe in religion? Whether those who hold this lofty theory are confused in their thinking or have other motives is anyone’s guess.

在这个问题上，宗教界人士是清醒的，不清醒的倒是某些动辄抬出“马克思主义经典作家的相关论述”的宗教研究学者。可能是惮于我们党反复强调的党员不准信仰宗教的政治规矩，他们采取迂回战术，一方面承认“党员不能信教，必须与宗教在思想意识上划清界限”，另一方面却说“党员信教”与“宗教信徒入党”“是不可等同的，因为‘党员信教’是走向宗教世界观，而‘宗教徒入党’却是走向共产主义世界观……二者方向不同、理想迥异，毫无逻辑等同关系可言”。有无逻辑等同关系，还得进行逻辑分析。持此高论者也承认，“宗教信徒入党”是“走向共产主义世界观”。试问，一个“走向共产主义世界观”的宗教信徒还能算是虔诚的宗教信徒吗？当他最终确立了共产主义世界观，应该说已经完成了由宗教信徒到非宗教信徒的转变，如果符合党员条件，自然可以入党。但这已经不是“宗教信徒入党”，而是愿意为实现党的路线和纲领而奋斗的普通公民入党了。执意提出“宗教信徒入党”，尽管可以说入党的宗教信徒是“走向共产主义世界观”的，但在他还没有“走到”终点时就被发展入党。此时，作为党员的他还是一个宗教信徒，这能说没有违反党员不准信仰宗教的政治规矩吗？持此高论者到底是思维混乱，还是另有他图，就不得而知了。

III. Only CPC Members Who Do Not Believe in Religion Can Fully Implement the Party’s Policy of Freedom of Religious Belief

三、只有不信仰宗教的中共党员才能全面贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策

Freedom of religious belief is a long-term basic policy of our Party. Implementing this policy requires striving to build a contingent of Party cadres working on religious affairs who systematically master the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics on religion and possess a strong political consciousness and a sense of responsibility. This contingent must be able to adhere to a Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method in understanding and treating religion. On the basis of recognizing that “all religion is nothing but the fantastic reflection in people’s minds of those external forces that dominate their daily lives,” [20]20 This is a quotation from Friedrich Engels, “Anti-Dühring,” describing the essence of religion as a reflection of external forces. they must firmly believe that “with the development of society’s productive forces, the progress of civilization, and the elevation of people’s ideological awareness, the foundations and conditions for religion’s existence will gradually diminish, and it will ultimately die out,” [21]21 This paraphrases a standard Marxist-Leninist view on the eventual disappearance of religion under communism. while acknowledging that “religion is an objective existence in human society; it has existed for a long time in the past and will continue to exist for a long time in the future, and cannot be forcibly eliminated.” [22]22 This reflects the CPC’s official position that religion is a long-term social phenomenon that cannot be forcibly abolished. Only by establishing such an ideological understanding can the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief be comprehensively and correctly implemented. This is manifested concretely in the following: at the national level, treating the issue of religious belief as a private matter for individual citizens, protecting both the freedom of every citizen to believe in religion and the freedom of every citizen not to believe in religion, neither using state power to promote any religion nor using state power to eliminate any religion; at the level of the Communist Party, “under no circumstances can religion be considered a private matter,” [23]23 This is a reference to Lenin’s argument in “Socialism and Religion” that the Party, unlike the state, cannot treat religion as a private matter. while respecting and protecting citizens’ freedom of religious belief, unremittingly propagating Marxist atheism, ensuring that it always occupies a dominant position in the ideology of the masses as the mainstream ideology. Those who can establish such an ideological understanding and, on this basis, fully implement the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief can never be religious believers; they can only be Communist Party members who do not believe in any religion.

宗教信仰自由是我们党一项长期的基本政策。贯彻这项政策，需要努力造就一支系统掌握中国特色社会主义宗教理论、具有很强政治意识和担当精神的党的宗教工作干部队伍。这支队伍要能够坚持用马克思主义的立场、观点、方法认识和对待宗教，在认清“一切宗教都不过是支配着人们日常生活的外部力量在人们头脑中的幻想的反映”的基础上，坚信“随着社会生产力的发展、文明的进步和人们思想觉悟的提高，宗教存在的基础和条件将逐渐减少，最终是要消亡的”，承认“宗教是人类社会的客观存在，不仅过去长期存在，将来也还会长期存在，不可能强制地加以消灭”。只有确立了这样的思想认识，才能全面正确地贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策。具体表现在，从国家层面，把宗教信仰问题看成公民个人的私事，既保护每个公民信仰宗教的自由，也保护每个公民不信仰宗教的自由，既不利用国家政权来推行某种宗教，也不利用国家政权来消灭某种宗教；从共产党层面，“无论如何也不能认为宗教是私人的事情”，在尊重和保护公民宗教信仰自由的同时，坚持不懈地宣传马克思主义无神论，使其始终作为主流意识形态在人民群众思想中占据主导地位。能够确立这样的思想认识并在此基础上把党的宗教信仰自由政策全面落到实处的，绝不可能是宗教信徒，只可能是不信仰任何宗教的共产党员。

As for those who say, “Only when those who believe in religion are in power can freedom of religious belief be truly realized,” this has no historical or practical basis. In medieval Europe, Catholicism held absolute dominance, yet freedom of religious belief belonged only to Catholics; for “heretics,” only persecution and slaughter awaited them. In modern times, some Western countries, when engaging in colonial plunder abroad, held a sword in one hand and a Bible in the other; where was the freedom of religious belief for the people of the colonized and plundered regions? In today’s world, in certain countries that have established a state religion, religions other than the state religion are heavily discriminated against or even prohibited from existing. Even in some countries that have declared the separation of church and state, religious groups often exert strong influence on the government’s domestic and foreign decisions. U.S. President George W. Bush’s blurted-out “crusade” after the 9/11 attacks is a case in point. [24]24 The “crusade” remark by U.S. President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001 attacks was widely criticized for its religious connotations, implying a religious war against Islamist terrorism. It can be seen that state power dominated by religious believers may not necessarily be able to truly realize freedom of religious belief. Such state power generally can only guarantee people’s freedom to believe in the dominant religion, but cannot guarantee people’s freedom to believe in other religions or not to believe in any religion. In contrast, looking at China, no religion has historically occupied a dominant position in ideology and culture, and therefore there have been no religious persecutions or religious wars like those in Europe.

至于有人说，“只有信仰宗教的人执政才能真正实现宗教信仰自由”，这是没有任何历史和现实依据的。在中世纪的欧洲，天主教占据绝对统治地位，可宗教信仰自由只属于天主教徒，对“异教徒”来说，属于他们的只有迫害和杀戮。在近代西方，一些国家对外殖民掠夺时，一手举着利剑，一手举着圣经，哪里有属于被殖民被掠夺地区人民的宗教信仰自由。在当今世界，某些确立了国教的国家，国教以外其他宗教倍受歧视甚至不允许存在；就是一些宣布实行了政教分离的国家，宗教团体也时常强有力地影响着政府的内外决策，“9·11”事件之后美国总统小布什脱口而出的“十字军东征”就是例证。可见，宗教信徒主导下的国家政权未必能够真正实现宗教信仰自由。这样的国家政权一般只能保障人们信仰占统治地位的宗教的自由，而不能保障人们信仰其他宗教或者不信仰宗教的自由。反观中国，历史上没有哪一种宗教在思想文化上占据主导地位，故而没有发生过像欧洲那样的宗教迫害和宗教战争。

Listing “those who believe in religion in power” as a precondition for “realizing freedom of religious belief” is in fact an attempt to have religious believers dominate the Party’s religious work. Following this logic, to realize such domination, one would have to allow Party members to believe in religion and religious believers to join the Party. What is overlooked is, first, that contemporary China has five major religions. From which religion would the believing Party members who dominate religious work come? How would they view their own religion and other religions, and could they treat each religion equally? If, in handling relations among different religions, due to special religious feelings, they favor the religion they believe in while neglecting other religions, then the situation of equality and harmonious coexistence among China’s religions could be undermined, and the foundation of the Party’s religious work could be shaken. Second, whether historically or in reality, because those who truly believe in religion do not constitute a majority of China’s total population, the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, while emphasizing that citizens have the freedom to believe in religion, also emphasizes that citizens have the freedom not to believe in religion. If believing Party members are tasked with handling the relationship between the Party and government and religion, and between society and religion, can they set aside their own feelings toward religion? Can they guarantee citizens’ freedom not to believe in religion as they guarantee citizens’ freedom to believe in religion? Any hesitation in this regard would make it very difficult to resist the spiritual temptation and ideological penetration of religion among the masses, and very difficult to slow the rate of increase in religious adherents. Third, “at present, some local Party and government leaders treat religion as a tool for obtaining economic benefits and raising local visibility, regard it as a ‘performance’ achievement, compete to build large Buddha statues and temples indiscriminately, are keen on large-scale religious activities, artificially fuel a religious fever, and completely disregard the lawful management of religious affairs and the education and guidance of religious groups, leading to the spread of chaotic phenomena. The emergence of this phenomenon is inseparable from the fact that some Party cadres and members have abandoned the dialectical materialist worldview and have even become de facto religious believers.”[25]25 Zhu Weiqun, “Several Issues Concerning the Party’s Religious Work in the Current Stage,” Scientific Socialism, no. 3 (2013). Under the circumstances where our Party has repeatedly stressed that Party members are not permitted to believe in religion, there are still Party cadres and members acting in this way. Once the ban is lifted, Party cadres and members who previously concealed their religious beliefs can openly profess them, and religious believers can also become Party cadres and members. By then, to what extent will the practice of using administrative means to vigorously develop religion and fuel a religious fever, and the practice of binding religion to the economy and pushing religion toward commodification and socialization, spread? This is truly unimaginable. Once such phenomena occur, what will ultimately be harmed is the development of religion itself and the legitimate rights and interests of religious circles and religious believers. Fourth, the Communist Party of China is based on the worldview of dialectical materialism. It must not only uphold Marxist atheism but also actively propagate Marxist atheism; this is also an important component of the Party’s religious work. If believing Party members are allowed to dominate the Party’s religious work, would they be willing and able to “use Marxist philosophy to criticize idealism (including theism), educate the masses, especially young people, in the scientific worldview (including atheism) of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, and strengthen the dissemination of scientific and cultural knowledge about natural phenomena, social evolution, and human life, death, illness, fortune, and misfortune”?[26]26 Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, “Document No. 19 [1982]: The Basic Viewpoint and Basic Policy on the Religious Question during the Socialist Period of Our Country,” in Selected Documents on the Religious Question (Beijing: Religious Culture Press, 1995), p. 11. This is also an important issue that cannot be ignored in fully implementing the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief. If the propaganda and education of Marxist atheism are abandoned in the Party’s religious work, it would be equivalent to abandoning the great principle of Marxist atheism in the entire ideological work, ultimately shaking the Party’s dialectical materialist worldview foundation and endangering the development of all the Party’s undertakings.

把“信仰宗教的人执政”列为“实现宗教信仰自由”的前置条件，其实就是想让宗教信徒来主导党的宗教工作。而按这样的逻辑，要实现这样的主导，就得允许党员信教、教徒入党。殊不知，其一，当代中国有五大宗教，主导宗教工作的信教党员来自哪一宗教？他如何看待自己信仰的宗教和其他宗教，能否平等地对待每一宗教？如果在处理不同宗教的关系时，因特殊的宗教感情，偏袒了自己信仰的宗教而忽视了其他宗教，那么中国各宗教平等、和谐相处的局面就可能被破坏，党的宗教工作的基础就可能被动摇。其二，无论历史上还是现实中，因为真正信仰宗教的人在中国总人口中并不占据多数，所以党的宗教信仰自由政策在强调公民有信仰宗教的自由的同时，也强调公民有不信仰宗教的自由。如果让信教党员来处理党和政府与宗教、社会与宗教的关系，他能否将自己对宗教的感情排除在外？能否像保障公民信仰宗教的自由一样保障公民不信仰宗教的自由？在这方面稍有迟疑的话，就将很难抵御宗教对群众的精神诱惑和思想渗透，很难降低宗教信众增加的速度。其三，“当前有的地方党政领导把宗教作为获取经济利益和提高本地知名度的工具，视为工作‘业绩’，争相滥修大佛和寺庙，热衷大规模宗教活动，人为助长宗教热，而对宗教事务依法管理、对宗教团体的教育引导根本不当回事，导致混乱现象蔓延。这种现象的出现，与一些党员干部放弃辩证唯物主义世界观甚至成为事实上的宗教徒是密不可分的”。在我们党反复强调党员不准信仰宗教的情况下，还有党员干部如此行事，一旦放开了禁令，过去隐匿了宗教信仰的党员干部可以公开其信仰了，宗教信徒也可以成为党员干部了，届时，利用行政手段大力发展宗教、助长宗教热的做法，以经济捆绑宗教，把宗教推向商品化、社会化的做法将会蔓延到何种程度？这实在令人难以想象。这种种现象一旦发生，最终受到伤害的必然是宗教自身的发展以及宗教界和信教群众的合法权益。其四，中国共产党是以辩证唯物主义为世界观基础的，不仅要坚持马克思主义无神论，而且要积极宣传马克思主义无神论，这也是党的宗教工作的重要组成部分。如果让信教党员来主导党的宗教工作，他是否愿意、是否能够“用马克思主义哲学批判唯心论（包括有神论），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”？这也是全面贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策不能不虑及的重要问题。如果在党的宗教工作中放弃了马克思主义无神论的宣传教育，就等于在整个意识形态工作中放弃了马克思主义无神论的大原则，最终将动摇党的辩证唯物主义世界观基础，危及党的各项事业发展。

As for some ethnic minority areas where the majority of the masses believe in religion, having non-believing Party members dominate the Party’s religious work and implement the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief is likewise an important principle that cannot be discarded. It is only that in concrete operations, appropriate steps should be taken according to actual circumstances, and it should not be handled simplistically. Party cadres and members from ethnic minorities may support and participate in some traditional wedding and funeral ceremonies and mass festivals that have evolved from religious rituals, so as to avoid becoming detached from the masses and isolating themselves. However, throughout the entire process of support and participation, they must draw a clear line ideologically from religious belief. They should neither indiscriminately confuse ethnic customs with religious activities, nor turn a blind eye to those ethnic customs that are detrimental to the masses’ production, livelihood, and physical and mental health. Instead, they should, based on the will of the majority of their own ethnic group, actively advocate appropriate reforms and unswervingly guide Chinese religions along the path of Sinicization. For the very few Party members who not only believe in religion but also participate in inciting religious fanaticism, or even participate in using religion to oppose the Party’s line, principles, and policies and to undermine ethnic unity and national unity, they must be dealt with seriously in accordance with Party discipline and regulations. The same applies in ethnic minority areas: only by forever preserving the Party’s advanced nature and purity can the correct direction of the Party’s religious work be upheld and the policy of freedom of religious belief be fully implemented.

至于在一些大多数群众都信仰宗教的少数民族地区，由不信仰宗教的党员来主导党的宗教工作、贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策，这同样是不能丢弃的重要原则，只不过在具体操作中要按照实际情况采取适当步骤，不宜简单了事。少数民族中的党员干部可以支持和参加一些由宗教礼仪转化而来的民族传统的婚丧仪式、群众性节日活动，以避免脱离群众、把自己孤立起来。但在支持和参加的全过程中，一定要从思想上同宗教信仰划清界限。既不能不加分析地把民族风俗习惯同宗教活动混为一谈，也不能对那些不利于群众生产生活和身心健康的民族风俗习惯视而不见，而应当依据本民族大多数人的意愿，积极倡导适当的改革，坚定不移地引领中国宗教走中国化道路。对极少数不但信仰宗教，而且参与煽动宗教狂热，甚至参与利用宗教反对党的路线方针政策，破坏民族团结和国家统一的党员，一定要按照党规党纪严肃处理。在少数民族地区也是一样，只有永葆党的先进性和纯洁性，才能坚持党的宗教工作正确方向，使宗教信仰自由政策得到全面贯彻执行。

(Author: Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, School of Marxism, University of Science and Technology Beijing)

（作者：北京科技大学马克思主义学院教授、博士生导师）

Online Editor: Rainbow

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