'No My God' is the diktat for Chinese communists

In a controversial move, China's ruling Communist Party has directed its nearly 90 million members to shun religion for maintaining party unity, warning that religious belief is a "redline" for the cadres, and those who resist would be punished

The direction is meant to maintain party unity. Representational Pic

In a controversial move, China's ruling Communist Party has directed its nearly 90 million members to shun religion for maintaining party unity, warning that religious belief is a "redline" for the cadres, and those who resist would be punished.

The head of China's top religious affairs regulator said that party members should not seek value and faith in religion and those who have religious beliefs should be persuaded to give them up. Experts said the direction is meant to maintain party unity, the official media reported yesterday.

"Party members should not have religious beliefs, which is a redline for all members... Party members should be firm Marxist atheists, obey party rules and stick to the party's faith... they are not allowed to seek value and belief in religion," Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs wrote in an article released in the Qiushi Journal on Saturday, the flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee. Those who resist would be punished by the party organisation, Wang wrote.

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