New Party Campaign on Morals Reaches Religious Communities

Ethnic and religious affairs offices from several provinces in China reported in June on local efforts by government offices and patriotic religious associations to instruct religious communities in the socialist concept of glory and shame, part of a new nationwide Party campaign on morals. Termed the "eight glories and eight shames" by PRC President Hu Jintao, the concept describes eight sets of moral guidelines for Chinese society. The guidelines include "taking ardent love for the motherland as a glory and harm of the motherland as a shame," and "taking obedience of discipline and law as a glory and the violation of them as a shame." The Party campaign, launched in March, is designed to address corruption and social disillusionment as China undergoes swift economic and social changes.

The recent training sessions also reflect the government's larger program to maintain control over religious communities in China and promote allegiance to the state. The Communist Party established national "patriotic religious associations" in the 1950s to lead China's religious communities and ensure that religious teachings are aligned to state goals. In addition to carrying out Party-led campaigns and training in patriotism, the patriotic religious associations control such matters as the appointment and education of clergy and other religious personnel, contacts with religious groups outside China, the interpretation of religious texts, the content of sermons, and the publication of religious materials. The Islamic Association of China, for example, has been compiling new selections of sermons designed to reflect the "correct and authoritative" view of religious doctrine in line with state policy.

Reporting on the recent training sessions highlighted the "eight glories and eight shames" as a means of promoting a moral foundation for China's religious communities and promoting patriotism:

• The Wujiang city Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau, in Jiangsu province, led members of religious circles on a tour of revolutionary monuments in June to study and put into practice the "eight glories and eight shames," according to a June 20 report posted on the Suzhou city Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau Web site. Participants said that the study tour aroused their passion to "love the country and love the Party," according to the report.
• At the end of May, the Ningbo city Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau, in Zhejiang province, held a study session on the socialist concept of glory and shame for about 20 leaders from city-level ethnic and religious organizations, according to an article posted June 12 on the Zhejiang Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission Web site. Religious leaders quoted in the article described the concept as an important moral foundation.
• The Ethnic and Religious Affairs department from Huangyan District, in Taizhou city, Zhejiang province, instructed religious organizations and venues in the region to launch education in the socialist concept of glory and shame, according to a June 12 report from the Zhejiang Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission. The instructions were prompted by a provincial-level circular "Concerning the Launching Among Religious Circles of Study and Discussion Activities Related to the Socialist Concept of Glory and Shame," according to the report. The district Daoist association reported that it would publish information about the concept in its periodical and engage in efforts to raise the "moral quality" of Daoist followers, while the district Buddhist association announced plans to hold ceremonies at the graves of revolutionary martyrs, carry out education in patriotism, and engage in social welfare activities to put into practice the principles of "ardently loving the motherland" and "serving the people." The district's two Protestant associations said they would organize over 100 Protestant followers to visit a revolutionary martyrs' cemetery to carry out education in patriotism.
• The Beijing Municipal Buddhist Association organized a study session on May 30 for leaders from all temples and Buddhist lay circles and set targets for implementing the concept, according to a June 8 report from the Beijing Municipal Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission.
• Areas throughout Hebei province have launched educational activities on the concept at venues for religious activities and in ethnic minority areas, in conjunction with other campaigns pertaining to religion and ethnic unity, according to a June 9 report from the Hebei Ethnic and Religious Affairs Department. Provincial- and lower-level patriotic religious associations reported on their activities to propagate the concept.

For more information on religion in China, section III(d), Freedom of Religion, in the CECC 2005 Annual Report.