June 2005 Issue
Opiate Of The Masses: China's War On Religion
Brendan McGowan '06On December 4, 1982, the Fifth Session of the Fifth National People’s Congress in Beijing amended the constitution of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In a revised section entitled “Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens,” the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed religious freedom for all Chinese citizens: “No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion.” Yet, as is so often the case in “revolutionary” societies, reality did not square with professed ideals. To this day, religious freedom in China remains yet another socialist fantasy; the CCP continues to incarcerate individuals and persecute entire religious groups.