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Religion, rights, and civil society - East Asian transitions - China's crucible

6 important questions on Religion, rights, and civil society - East Asian transitions - China's crucible

How did the Chinese imperial government go about religions?

The Chinese imperial government had always claimed the right to control religious establishments, and on more than a few occasions had taken military action to suppress religious expression.

On what grounds did radical republicans attack religions in 1911?

After the collapse of the imperial order in 1911, radical republicans attacked a number of Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples on the grounds that traditional religion had contributed to China's weakness in the face of Western imperialism.

How did Mao Zedong go about religions?

After the triumph of Mao Zedong's Red Army in 1949, the first constitution of the People's Republic of China acknowledged religious freedom, and in 1954 a Religious Affairs Bureau was established to serve as the government's agent in dealing with religious groups.

What religion was formed under Marx?

In place of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, the Marxists erected a new form of civil religion, complete with conversion experiences for the true believer, a body of ideas that gave unity and comprehension to an otherwise chaotic world, a personality cult in the person of the Party leader, a myth of inevitable progress signaled by the creation of a communal and equalitarian society, and a call for orthodoxy and total commitment.

What was the Cultural Revolution about? How did it end?

Beginning with the Cultural Revolution in 1966, a brutal assault on traditional religions was launched under Mao's direction.
Antireligious zealots from the Red Guard fanned out across the countryside in order to extinguish all remnants of "feudalism."
The systematic persecution continued until Mao's death in 1976, when the government finally put a stop to the excesses. At the Eleventh Party Congress in 1978, freedom of religious belief was restored, and public religious services at temples, churches, and mosques were resumed the following year.

What did the new constitution adopt in 1982?

A new constitution adopted in 1982 included an article on religious freedom that provided protection for Buddhists, Taoists, Muslims, and Protestant and Catholic Christians.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

A Concise History of the World Since 1945 | 9781352010206 | W M Spellman

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