The basic principles of the party's religious work are: fully implementing the party's policy of freedom of religious belief, managing religious affairs according to law, adhering to the principle of independence and self-management, and actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society. These four sentences are an organic whole. The first three sentences are about major policies, and the last sentence is about the fundamental direction and purpose, which is the focus of work. The basic principles of the party's religious work have been formed in the long-term practice of revolution, construction and reform, and must be unswervingly and comprehensively implemented.
To fully implement the party's policy of freedom of religious belief means to respect and protect the freedom of individual citizens to choose, maintain and change their religious beliefs independently, and no organization or individual may interfere with coercion. Adhere to the separation of church and state, prohibit the use of administrative power to destroy or develop religion, prohibit the use of intimidation, deception and other means to spread religion, and prohibit the use of religion to disrupt social order, harm citizens' health, hinder the national education system, create ethnic contradictions and undermine national unity.
Managing religious affairs according to law means managing religious affairs involving national interests and social public interests according to law, making religion operate within the scope permitted by the Constitution, laws, regulations and policies, and improving service awareness and social management level. Adhering to independence means insisting that China's religion is not dominated by foreign forces, and that no foreign organization or individual is allowed to spread, develop and control religion in China. Foreigners' religious activities in China must abide by the laws and regulations of China, and the religious circles in China communicate with other countries and regions on the basis of mutual respect, equality and friendship. Actively guiding religions to adapt to the socialist society means encouraging and supporting religions to carry forward the fine traditions of patriotism, love for religion, unity and progress, and serving the society, supporting China's leadership and socialist system, abiding by national laws and regulations, actively carrying out new interpretations of doctrines and regulations, new norms of etiquette system and new explorations of social services, and consciously adapting to social progress and the requirements of the times.
Second, accurately grasp the duality law of religious social roles.
"The social function of religion in our country still has duality, both positive and negative, and it will also be influenced by class struggle in a certain range and some complicated factors in the world. We must keep a clear understanding of this basic reality. " Religion has the functions of psychological adjustment, which has certain positive significance for maintaining social order. At the same time, religion, as a cultural phenomenon and social ethics system, contains positive contents such as persuading people to be good. However, religion, as a theistic world view, will also bind people's thoughts and bring negative effects to society.
The duality of religious social function has different manifestations in different societies. In class society, the ruling class uses religion to control the people out of the need of maintaining rule, which makes the people pin their suffering of changing reality on the illusory world, and religion becomes a tool of exploiting class rule. Marx, Engels and Lenin made a lot of in-depth analysis on the social role of religion in class society from the perspective of whether religion can promote social development and whether it is conducive to the struggle of the proletariat for socialism. They believe that religion has been used by the exploiting class to maintain its exploitation system in history, which has played a negative role in poisoning the people's spirit. Religion can not only be used to maintain the existing social order, but also be a tool to destroy the original social order.
In socialist society, the social function of religion still has duality. If handled well, it can play a positive role in social development and stability. If it is not handled well, it will have a negative impact and even a huge destructive effect. The key is whether it can be effectively managed and guided. Socialist society has created favorable conditions for exerting the positive factors of religion and restraining the negative effects. Under socialist conditions, religious figures in China support the party's leadership and socialist system, abide by national laws and regulations, have a fine tradition of patriotism and love for religion, and are an important part of the patriotic United front; The broad masses of religious believers are an important building force for the socialist cause. Some contents in religious teachings have a positive effect on inheriting and carrying forward China's traditional culture and ethics; Religious organizations hold various public welfare undertakings, which is conducive to serving the society; Exchanges between religious groups and religious circles around the world are conducive to enhancing understanding and friendship among people of all countries and safeguarding world peace. At the same time, it is also necessary to prevent the disorderly construction of temples and churches, disorderly plastic outdoor religious statues, waste money, and affect the development of social production and the improvement of people's lives; Prevent religious fanaticism from adversely affecting social and economic development and progress; Prevent religion from being used by hostile forces at home and abroad and undermine national unity, national unity and social stability.
To fully and correctly understand the duality of religious social functions in socialist society, we can neither exaggerate the negative role nor the positive role of religion. It is necessary to create favorable conditions and environment for religions to exert positive factors and restrain negative factors, guide and support religious circles to carry forward positive factors and restrain negative factors, guide the situation, seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and constantly guide religions to adapt to socialist society.
Third, understand that religious work is essentially mass work.
Religious work is essentially mass work. Religious personages are the mass base of our Party's long-term governance, the positive force for building Socialism with Chinese characteristics, and play an important role and influence in China's economic, political, cultural and social construction. The work of religious believers is a part of the Party's mass work, and doing it well is the fundamental task of religious work, which should thoroughly implement the Party's mass line.
Religious people and non-religious people are consistent in political, economic and other fundamental interests and have equal rights and obligations in the social and political life of the country. We must always adhere to the people-oriented principle, treat religious believers as part of the people, let them share the fruits of economic and social development, and get sincere care and help in material, spiritual and cultural life. It is necessary to carry forward the tradition of coming from the masses and going among the masses, go deep into religious believers, deeply understand their basic situation, do a good job in unity education and service guidance according to their characteristics, educate them in patriotism, socialism, collectivism and scientific and technological knowledge, enhance their national awareness, civic awareness and legal awareness, and realize the unity of rights and obligations. It is necessary to help religious believers distinguish between normal religious activities and illegal and criminal activities carried out under the banner of religion, recognize the essence of hostile forces abroad using religion to split the motherland and endanger the people, and improve their consciousness and firmness in obeying the law and resisting overseas infiltration. It is necessary to support religious groups and patriotic religious figures to play the role of the party and the government as a bridge and link to unite religious believers, change their work style, keep close contact with religious believers, and take winning the support of religious believers as an important task. It is necessary to guide religious believers to correctly understand and treat the adjustment of interests in reform and development, reflect their interests, assist the party and the government to coordinate relations and resolve contradictions, and unite and lead religious believers to make better contributions to building a well-off society in an all-round way.
Fourth, adhere to the principles of protecting legality, stopping illegality, containing extremes, resisting infiltration and cracking down on crimes, and improve the level of legalization of religious work.
Legalization of religious work is the essential requirement of implementing the general plan of governing the country according to law and building a country, a government and a society ruled by law. It is an inevitable choice for religious work to adapt to the changes of the times and social development, and it is also the fundamental way to properly handle various complex contradictions in the religious field. At present, the state has promulgated 1 1 supporting laws and regulations, and more than 60 local laws and government regulations have been promulgated in various places. The government's level of managing religious affairs according to law has been continuously improved, normal religious activities and the legitimate rights and interests of religious groups and believers have been further effectively guaranteed, and the legalization of religious work has been steadily promoted.
It is necessary to further improve and perfect the laws and regulations related to religion, and strive to realize that all kinds of religious affairs and their standardized management have laws to follow. Improve and perfect the provisions and judicial interpretation of civil and commercial law, administrative law, economic law, social law and other relevant laws and regulations. The contents that should be related to religion can be added when the law is amended, but now there are some unclear or inconsistent with the actual situation. There should also be relevant contents in supporting regulations and judicial interpretation. According to the working practice since the implementation of the Regulations on Religious Affairs 10, combined with the actual needs, the Regulations on Religious Affairs were revised, and various supporting laws and regulations were further improved.
The religious affairs department, as the main body of law enforcement in the management of religious affairs by the government, should strictly administer according to law, strengthen the guidance and supervision of religious groups, venues and teaching staff according to law, effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of religious circles, and provide necessary public services for religious circles to carry out various work. It is necessary to further clarify the boundary between government management and self-management of religious groups and give full play to the independent role of religious circles. Strengthen the publicity and education of party and government cadres, religious personnel and religious believers, and effectively improve the awareness and ability of the concept of rule of law, rule of law thinking and handling affairs according to law.
Five, strengthen the construction of patriotic religious representatives, consolidate and develop the United front of the party and religious circles.
Representatives of religious circles refer to religious personnel and religious believers who have great influence and prestige among religious believers, can closely unite and cooperate with the party and the government, have good comprehensive quality and play an active role. After long-term efforts, religious groups at all levels in China have basically completed the alternation between the old and the new, and young and middle-aged representatives have successively taken up leadership positions. The team structure of religious representatives has gradually become reasonable and their quality has been continuously improved. Representatives of religious circles have a wide influence among religious believers. Their understanding of religious teachings and their attitude towards the real society have a profound influence on the existence and development of believers and religions. It is of great significance to further strengthen the construction of religious representatives and continuously improve the ability and level of correctly leading religious people for consolidating the patriotic United front of the party and religious circles and safeguarding national security and social stability.
Thoroughly implement the spirit of "the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China's Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Non-Party Representatives under the New Situation" and "Opinions of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee on Strengthening the Construction of Religious Representatives under the New Situation". According to the characteristics and laws of the growth of religious representatives, we should broaden our horizons, strengthen education and training, increase the intensity of selection and appointment, and strive to form a team of religious representatives who are politically reliable, religiously accomplished, morally convincing and play a key role. In terms of scale, it can meet the needs of major religious believers and adapt to the management and operation needs of religious groups and venues; An echelon is formed in age, and the old, middle-aged and young people are reasonably matched; Structurally, religions and sects maintain a reasonable proportion and are widely representative; In terms of self-quality, political literacy, religious knowledge and moral cultivation are constantly improving, and they can always keep up with the times and social development. We should pay attention to combining in-depth and meticulous education guidance with solving practical problems, and help religious representatives to continuously improve their political consciousness so that they can better play their role in supporting the party and the government in uniting and educating religious believers. Under the banner of patriotism and socialism, adhere to political unity and cooperation, respect each other's beliefs, and unite religious figures and the broad masses of religious believers around the party to the maximum extent.
6. Understand that actively guiding religions to adapt to socialist society must adhere to the direction of China.
The demise of religion is a long historical process, which may be longer than the demise of classes and political parties. At the same time, religion must adapt to the society in which it has lived and developed for a long time.
Buddhism was introduced into China from India in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and spread and developed in China for nearly two thousand years. Since the Tang Dynasty, Islam has spread and developed in China for more than 1000 years. Taoism is a native religion in China. In the long process of China, some religious doctrines, ideas and arts have become an integral part of China's traditional culture. After the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the Innovation Movement in the early days of the founding of New China, all religions in China have embarked on the road of adapting to the socialist society. Since the founding of New China more than 60 years ago, religious figures and believers have unswervingly supported China and the socialist system, actively participated in various undertakings of socialist construction, and achieved fruitful results in adapting religion to socialist society. To guide religion to adapt to socialist society, we must always adhere to the direction of China. Guided by socialist core values, we should infiltrate various religions in China with Chinese culture. Encourage religious circles to actively interpret religious thoughts and doctrines that meet the requirements of the times and the reality of China, closely integrate with social reality, respond to the needs of society and religious believers, and consciously adapt to socialist society ideologically; Take the initiative to learn and carry forward China's excellent traditional culture and draw nutrition from it. We should always adhere to the principle of independence, resolutely resist the infiltration, interference and influence of various foreign forces, and curb the tendency of "de-China" and "anti-localization".
Seven, give play to the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting economic and social development.
Giving full play to the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting economic and social development is not only a concrete embodiment of guiding religion to adapt to socialist society, but also an important goal. We should actively create conditions, strengthen guidance, and give full play to the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting economic and social development. Support religious figures to give play to their own characteristics and advantages, enhance their consciousness and initiative, and make positive contributions to promoting social harmony, safeguarding national unity, realizing the reunification of the motherland and friendly exchanges with foreign countries. Actively create policy conditions, help religious groups and venues for religious activities to explore the establishment of standardized social welfare and service institutions within the scope permitted by policies and laws, encourage them to actively carry out charitable undertakings, participate in social services, and play an active role in disaster relief, helping the elderly and children, and helping the poor. Give full play to the positive role of religion in socialist cultural construction, moral construction and personal psychological adjustment, and make due contributions to the realization of Socialism with Chinese characteristics's common ideal.
Eight, accurate understanding of * * * members should unite with religious people, but not religious.
The mass work of religious believers is also the mass work of the party. To do a good job of religious believers, we should fully implement the Party's mass line, unite the broad masses of religious believers and work together for the cause of Socialism with Chinese characteristics. * * * Committee members unite religious people, which is not only the requirement of the party's mass line, but also the need of practical work.
* * * members are different from the general public, and * * * members are not allowed to believe in religion. China has been guided by Marxism since the founding of the Party, insisting on dialectical materialism, insisting that the origin of the world is material, and material determines consciousness. All the theories, thoughts and actions of the Party are based on the dialectical materialist world outlook. Only on this basis can we talk about mastering the higher-level theory in the Marxist theoretical system and guiding the practice of revolution, construction and reform with Marxism. As a result, party member could not identify with idealism and believe in religion, which became a basic thought and organizing principle of China. This principle has been clearly stated in the important documents and speeches of the Party in different historical periods. Insisting that * * * members are not religious is an important ideological and organizational guarantee for our party * * people to win the revolution, construction and reform.
* * * party member must strictly abide by the provisions of party constitution, strengthen the communist ideals and beliefs, keep in mind the party's purpose, and must not believe in religion, let alone spread and develop religion, and must not borrow money from teaching. Party member, who believes in religion, should strengthen ideological education. If there is still no change in education with the help of the party organization, it shall be properly organized and handled in accordance with relevant regulations and procedures. Those who insist on not changing should be advised to quit the party, and in serious cases, they should be expelled from the party. In some ethnic minority areas where religious believers are the majority, it should be distinguished from party member's religious beliefs to allow party member cadres to respect and conform to some traditional activities with religious overtones without violating their basic positions.
Nine. Strengthen grass-roots religious work
Grass-roots religion has a heavy workload and heavy tasks, which is the top priority of religious work. It is of great significance to strengthen religious work at the grass-roots level and lay a solid foundation for religious work.
The first is to raise awareness of the importance of religious work at the grassroots level. Party committees and governments at all levels should fully understand the importance of religious work and strengthening religious work at the grassroots level. We should pay attention to the construction of grass-roots religious work departments and teams, and increase support in terms of institutional setup, staffing, cadre training, and funding guarantee. Grass-roots religious work should be included in the evaluation system of leading bodies, and the implementation of the principles and policies of religious work and the proper handling of various religious issues should be taken as the important contents of evaluating party and government leading bodies and cadres in charge. It is necessary to strengthen supervision and inspection of grassroots religious work, establish and improve the supervision and inspection, feedback and accountability mechanisms for major issues and major issues, and promote the handling and implementation of major issues. Strengthen the training of grassroots party and government cadres, improve their religious theory and policy level and their ability to deal with religious issues.
The second is to establish and improve the system and mechanism of grassroots religious work. Party committees and governments at or above the county level should establish leading groups for religious work, improve coordination mechanisms such as joint meetings on religious work, improve regional coordination mechanisms, and explore the establishment of new working mechanisms and platforms according to work needs. Give full play to the role of grass-roots party and government organizations and social groups, and bring religious work into the comprehensive management system of social management. Further establish and improve the county (city, district, banner), township (street) and village (community) three-level religious work network and township (street) and village (community) two-level religious work responsibility system, and clarify the territorial management and accountability system. Explore the establishment of grid management of grass-roots religious work.
The third is to effectively strengthen the power of grassroots religious work. The United front departments at the city (prefecture) and county (city, district and banner) levels should strengthen the strength of religious work and ensure that the religious work institutions at the county level have the qualification of administrative law enforcement and can effectively perform their duties. Villages and towns (streets) set up religious work assistants, villages (communities) set up religious work coordinators, and religious activity places are equipped with religious work information officers, giving necessary work subsidies, forming a network mechanism with counties as the main body, extending to towns and villages, implementing them in villages and standardizing work.