Cracking down on illegal religious activities is an important measure to build a safe village

(Picture from the Internet)

The No. 1 Central Document 2018, entitled "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on the Implementation of the Rural Revitalization Strategy", announced on February 4th, has comprehensively deployed China's strategy of implementing rural revitalization from now until 2050.

Document No. 1 includes improving the quality of agricultural development, promoting green development in rural areas, prospering and prospering rural culture, building a new system of rural governance, improving the security of rural people's livelihood, fighting the precise poverty alleviation, strengthening the institutional supply of rural revitalization, strengthening the support of rural revitalization, We have made comprehensive arrangements for strengthening input guarantees for rural revitalization, adhering to and improving the Party's leadership over the work of "three rural issues".

This year ’s No. 1 document not only proposes a long-term strategic development plan for the socialist rural revitalization with Chinese characteristics, but also has specific implementation goals in stages: by 2020, important progress will be made in rural revitalization, and the institutional framework and policy system will be basically formed ; By 2035, decisive progress has been made in rural revitalization, and the modernization of agriculture and rural areas has basically been achieved; by 2050, rural revitalization will be comprehensive, and agriculture will be strong, rural beauty, and farmers will be rich.

To achieve this great strategic goal, a basic condition is that it must maintain stable development in the countryside. When talking about rural development in China, the Nineteenth National Congress pointed out: rural stability is the world's peace, agricultural prosperity is the foundation, and rich farmers are the country's prosperity. To revitalize the countryside, we must promote rural economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, ecological civilization construction, and party construction, and accelerate the modernization of the rural governance system and governance capabilities.

We note that this year ’s Central Document No. 1 clearly emphasizes: According to the law, we will step up efforts to crack down on illegal religious activities in rural areas and overseas infiltration activities, stop the use of religion to interfere in rural public affairs according to law, and continue to rectify rural temple construction and indiscriminate religious sculpture.

There are various measures aimed at addressing the various problems of religious issues in rural areas. For illegal religious activities and overseas infiltration activities, the emphasis is on increasing the crackdown according to law; for the use of religion to interfere in rural public affairs, the emphasis is on stopping it; for the phenomenon of chaotic temples and excessively molding religious statues, it is emphasized to continue Remediation.

Our Constitution stipulates that citizens have freedom of religious belief. China ’s religious policy is freedom of religious belief. It manages religious affairs according to law. Religion adheres to the principle of independence and self-management, and actively guides religion to adapt to a socialist society. Therefore, legal religious activities should be protected by the laws of the country. But religion exists in society, and religious believers live in society, so religious activities must be carried out within the scope prescribed by the Constitution and laws. Some people think that since the Constitution gives citizens freedom of belief, all religious activities should be protected and should not be interfered with. It seems good to listen narrowly, but it is not comprehensive. There is also a distinction between legal and illegal religious activities. Legal religious activities should be protected by law, but illegal religious activities must be stopped and even cracked down. So what is legal religious activity? In short, the so-called legal religious activities refer to activities that are carried out in accordance with religious doctrines and laws in accordance with national laws and regulations. Legal religious activities should be conducive to maintaining national unity, promoting national unity, social stability and unity, promoting public order and good customs, and guiding believers to promote lofty moral ideals and moral sentiments. In contrast, illegal religious activities are activities carried out in the name of religion that violate national laws and regulations, violate social morality and detract from the physical and mental health of participants. There are many ways to express such activities, such as interference in the freedom of religious belief of others, Forced or disguised others to believe in religion; organized religious activities outside the place of religious activity without approval; self-styled preachers, random development of believers, ordination of clergy without authorization; unauthorized acceptance of religious organizations outside the country (overseas) Consecration; without permission, edit, translate, publish, print, copy, produce, distribute, sell, and distribute religious illegal publications and audiovisual products without authorization; set up private activities without registration and approval; without approval, Unauthorized new construction, reconstruction, expansion of religious activity venues or construction of other buildings in disguised form for religious activities; control and manipulation of monasteries on the grounds of funded construction, etc. Illegal religious activities affect social order, impair the health of citizens, hinder the national education system, interfere with administration, justice, family planning policies and inheritance distribution, damage national interests, social public interests and citizens ’legitimate rights and interests. Such activities are of course subject to national laws. Sanctions.

In addition, there are some cult organizations, such as "Almighty God", "Disciples' Association", "Three Class Servant School", "Full Range Church", etc. In recent years, their activities in rural areas have also affected the stability of the countryside and the people's physical and mental Health and even public affairs in the countryside have caused great harm.

As for overseas penetration activities, it is a problem that needs to be taken seriously in recent years. China has a vast territory and a large population. Therefore, China's "religious soil" has long been valued by overseas religious institutions. And the social environment of reform and opening up has brought certain convenience to the spread of religion. Therefore, in recent years, various religious groups abroad have tried every possible means to spread and develop their teachings and organizations in China. Our Constitution stipulates that our religious organizations and religious affairs are not subject to foreign forces, which legally guarantees the principle of independence and self-management of our religion. Religious affairs in China are handled independently by Chinese clerical staff and believers, and are managed by Chinese religious organizations. The principle of self-reliance and self-management of religions is to block hostile forces abroad to use religion to control and incite the public to endanger our national unity, national unity, and social stability. Of course, adhering to the principle of independence and self-management is not about self-closure. Our religious circles have been actively participating in international religious exchanges, exchanges, and cooperation. Of course, such exchanges and cooperation can only be carried out normally and healthily on the basis of equality and friendship. Therefore, the so-called religious penetration outside China should refer to attempts by some religious organizations abroad to restore the old affiliation and religious privileges in China, and to re-control the religious activities in China. Of course, such activities are strongly opposed by us. As for some foreign countries, for ulterior political purposes, they use religion to infiltrate in order to infiltrate our country in terms of ideology. That should be resolutely stopped and cracked down.

Of course, increasing the intensity of cracking down on illegal religious activities and foreign infiltration activities in accordance with the law is a very complicated and detailed work. First of all, it needs to be clearly defined at the legal level. In the actual operation process, it is necessary to strictly distinguish different properties, study carefully, and take different measures for various situations. (Ye Luhua, former director and research institute of the Institute of Religion, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences)

Source: China Anti-Cult Network