It is dangerous for Communist Party members to join a religion; it is not "a private matter" since they are subject to the Party's constitution, this according to a paper by the Communist Party Central Committee in Liaoning province designed to boost atheism.

Beijing (AsiaNews) – Some 20 million members of the Chinese Communist Party have joined various religions and this is a concern to its Stalinist stalwarts as evidenced in an internal paper in Liaoning province which has come into AsiaNews' possession. Here is the full text.

 "In the last few years, in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities where not all the people were professing a religion some Communist Party members have become religious. This is a threat to building our party. It is bad behaviour and a bad idea that influences and weakens the party's purity. We must fight it with vigour and determination.

The problem of Communists professing a religion should not be underestimated. It is necessary to reassert the Communist Party's atheism. It is a fundamental need of the proletariat's dialectical materialism.

1.      Communists cannot use Article 46 of the constitution as a pretext to profess a religion. The article says that "citizens have religious freedom". That is true, citizens have religious freedom, but that is for the average citizen, and although Communists are also citizens, they are not average citizens. They are members of the "vanguard of China's working class".  Hence, every Communist must be subject to the Party's constitution. No one can deny that religion is not an idea of the proletariat. How can a Party member be guilty of complicity [in this]?

2.      to profess a religion is not a "private matter";

3.      building new churches should not be done to welcome party members;

4.      to profess a religion is not a correct attitude for dissatisfied party members;

5.      as more Communists profess a religion feudal superstition grows;

6.      as Communists profess a religion Party members' capacity to struggle falls;

7.      the fact that Communists profess a religion is a dangerous signal;

8.      we must propagate atheism to shake up Communists who have joined a religion.

[It is said that] religion draws people because it teaches good things. For instance, Buddhism is against stealing, obscenities, lying. In the teaching of Christianity the focus is on work, love for one's parents, and an injunction against harming others. Islam teaches to tell the truth, promotes good deeds, and condemns gambling and prostitution. But Marxism is not opposed to "good deeds". On the contrary, recommendations to do "good deeds" are found in the texts and works of Marxism and the central government.

The "three disciplines and eight attentions" (san da ji lu, ba xiang zhu yi) are so deep that religious doctrines cannot reach their depth. Why can't we carry out propaganda that is superior to that of religion?

If we look back at the history of Communists in the revolutionary war against feudalism and imperialism and during the period of peace and reconstruction we can extol once again the majesty of our ideological construction.

Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Liaoning province."

(Translated from the Chinese by AsiaNews)

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