Attacks on religion (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Notes

Attacks on religion in Mao's China, 1949-76

Introduction to religious persecution

While Article 88 of the Chinese constitution of 1954 officially stated that people in China could follow any religion or none at all, the reality was very different. In practice, the Communist government viewed all religions as dangerous threats to their power and systematically persecuted religious leaders and believers across the country.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) saw religions as obstacles to building their socialist society and feared they could be used to organise resistance against communist rule.

The assault on Buddhism

Buddhism faced particularly severe persecution, especially after the CCP's invasion of Tibet in 1950. The communist government specifically targeted Tibetan Buddhism because they wanted to prevent any resistance from the Tibetan people.

Early persecution (1950-1953)

The CCP launched aggressive campaigns against Buddhist monks throughout China, treating them as people who contributed nothing useful to society. During the Korean War period (1950-53), persecution of Buddhists became even more intense, with Buddhism being seen as important in South Korea, which China was fighting against.

The 'Four olds' campaign

During Mao's famous 'Four olds' campaign, which aimed to destroy old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas, Buddhist temples were systematically destroyed. Many Buddhist monks were either killed outright or sent to harsh Laogai labour camps. This represented a devastating attack on what had been "a major religion in China, and a key part of Tibetan culture, in 1949."

The attack on Confucianism

The CCP specifically targeted Confucianism because it supported traditional social structures that the communists wanted to destroy. From the very beginning of the People's Republic of China, Confucianism was attacked as the enemy of progress.

Opposition to traditional values

Confucian philosophy emphasised respect for authority, traditional family roles, and the oppression of both peasants and women. Since the CCP wanted to transform Chinese society completely, they saw these ancient teachings as major obstacles to their revolutionary goals.

Destruction and criticism

Confucian temples and shrines were destroyed during the 'Four olds' campaign. Even after the death of Lin Biao, one of Mao's key supporters, he was criticised for being too influenced by Confucian ideas, showing how deeply the party opposed this "ancient Chinese set of morals and philosophy" that had been "very widespread in Chinese culture in 1949."

The persecution of Christianity

The CCP was particularly suspicious of Christianity because they saw it as "a way for Westerners to control the Chinese people." This led to systematic attacks on all forms of Christian worship and organisation.

Expulsion of foreign missions

The CCP's Religious Affairs Department ordered all Christian missionaries to leave China. By 1953, almost all foreign Christian missionaries had been forced to leave the country. The government then took control of hospitals, schools, and universities that had previously been run by Christian organisations.

Forced church unity and underground worship

Christians were pressured to join the government-controlled Patriotic Three-Self Church, which was set up and managed by the CCP. Many Protestant Christians refused to join this official church and instead formed secret house-churches, which led to severe persecution.

Catholic persecution

House-church leaders faced arrest and imprisonment. For example, Pastor Samuel Lamb (Lin Xiangao) was sent to a labour camp for 20 years. The CCP ran propaganda campaigns accusing Catholics of murdering children. When the Pope refused to allow Roman Catholics to join the government-controlled church and threatened to excommunicate any clerics appointed by the CCP, all remaining Catholic churches were shut down during the Cultural Revolution.

The suppression of Islam

Most of China's Muslim population lived in the northwest region, and the CCP worried that these areas might try to join with neighbouring Muslim countries for support and independence.

Educational and cultural restrictions

Muslim schools were forcibly closed, with children being sent to state schools that taught nothing positive about Islamic faith and culture. This was designed to break the connection between young Muslims and their religious heritage.

Cultural Revolution brutality

During the Cultural Revolution, the persecution became even more extreme. Pigs were deliberately slaughtered in mosques (deeply offensive to Muslims), and Islamic religious leaders (imams) were forced to breed pigs and eat pork, which violated fundamental Islamic dietary laws. All Islamic practices were strictly prohibited, as the CCP recognised that "Islamic values were a challenge to the CCP."

The campaign against ancestor worship

The CCP attacked ancestor worship because they saw it as an outdated way of thinking that created obstacles to building their socialist society. Traditional Chinese culture placed great importance on honouring deceased family members, but the communists wanted to break these connections to the past.

Breaking family traditions

Campaigns were launched to encourage people to abandon what the government called superstitious practices, such as making offerings to deceased relatives. The introduction of communal living arrangements deliberately weakened the bonds between people and their family traditions, making it harder to maintain ancestral worship practices.

Survival after Mao

Interestingly, the document notes that after Mao's death in 1976, many traditional practices surrounding honouring the dead were revived, suggesting that these deep cultural traditions had survived underground despite years of persecution.

Timeline of key events

• 1950: CCP invades Tibet and bans Tibetan Buddhism
• 1950-53: Intensified persecution during Korean War period
• 1953: Almost all Christian missionaries forced to leave China
• 1954: Article 88 of constitution promises religious freedom (not practised)
• Cultural Revolution period: All remaining Catholic churches closed, Islamic practices completely prohibited, Buddhist temples destroyed in 'Four olds' campaign
• After 1976: Some traditional practices revived following Mao's death