Religious groups in Beijing must promote Chinese culture and socialism, officials order

Dot Mediano Tuesday, February 09, 2016

Christians fill a church in China during a Sunday service. | Reuters

Beijing officials have circulated the news that retired members of the Communist Party must shun from practicing and believing in religion. The new regulation was issued by the Organization Department of the Communist Party.

According to UCA News, members from religious groups must incorporate Chinese culture and socialism to their faith, as stated by Politburo official Yu Zhengsheng.

Religious groups like Protestantism, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity must make an effort into building their belief with Chinese characteristics.

The order also stated that retired officials are banned from participating in and practicing their religion, claiming they should be able to distinguish the difference between ethnic customs and religious beliefs.

Under President Xi Jinping's regime, many Christians, Muslims and Buddhists have been complaining about the growing number of cases of persecution. He also recently launched a campaign to bar international influences from being practiced in the country.

The ban also includes pre-retirement, Eurasia Review reports. Retired government and military personnel have since been a part of the growing trend in the community, being a sensitive sector of the Chinese population. From the Communist Party's point of view, it has become a tradition to be secular. But over the past decades, an increasing number of retirees have been turning into religion, according to democracy activist Zha Jianguo.

Police in the province of Zhejiang have publicly torn down publicly visible crosses from churches. Communist party members were forced to renounce their faith, and if they did not, are forced to leave the organization.

As stated in BBC News, China is now officially an atheist country. Although guaranteeing that there will be liberty for people to practice their faith, religious activities are barred from being showed in public. Since 1999, Muslims in Xinjiang have been restricted to practicing in their religious traditions while a spiritual movement in Falun Gong has been denounced as an evil cult.