Social and Cultural Changes - Religion Flashcards
(15 cards)
1
Q
What was the state of religion in 1949?
A
- Christianity spread across China from western missionaries
- 3 million Catholics and 1 million Protestants in China before 1949
- Islam popular in Xinjiang
- Ceremonies and festivals to honour Confucius
2
Q
How did the CCP initially approach religion?
A
- CCP denounced religious attitudes as feudal superstitions with no place in the new China
- Confucianism associated with old imperial system
- Christianity attacked as derived from ‘western imperialists’
- Islamic mullahs and Buddhist lamas seen as a rival to communist rule
3
Q
How did the CCP attack confucianism?
A
- CPC marked Confucian ideas as ‘old culture’
- all public ceremonies honouring Confucious were ended in 1949
- during cultural rev attack on Confucianism became violent
- association with Confucianism was politically dangerous, purging of Liu Shaoqi
4
Q
How was ancestor worship removed?
A
- for Mao represented old fashioned thoughts
- communists condemned traditions like Chinese new year where families returned to the ancestral home to honour their ancestors
- common people always made their sacrifices last, a symbol of feudal oppression
5
Q
What festival did the CCP replace?
A
- by 1966, Qingming festival had become national Memorial Day
- focused on celebrating those who died during liberation
6
Q
How aggressive was Mao’s early religious policy?
A
- initially less militant
- adopted a careful approach to major religions
- CCP initially tried to win over and control leaders of major religions
- party invited representatives to attend a conference, included Protestants, Buddhists and Muslims
- aimed to gain support and then convince them to support purging of non communists
7
Q
How did the CCP attempt to remove Christianity?
A
- church representative of western ideas
- Jan 1954, religious affairs department (RAD) expanded to become religious affairs bureau
- aimed to force out Christian missionaries, coerce Christian’s to cut ties with foreign countries and take over church run schools
8
Q
What was the patriotic church movement?
A
- leaders sought to convince congregations to be loyal to China and the communist party
- ‘Three-self’ principle: self ruling, selft supporting and self propagating, in reality meant full obedience to the government
- leaders told to drive out missionaries and refuse foreign aid
- April 1952, fewer than 100 protestant missionaries left
9
Q
How did the CCP deal with the Catholic church?
A
- Vatican refused to accept ‘Patriotic Church’
- party expelled Vatican representative
- propaganda campaign against Catholicism created, Catholic hospitals charged with using human guinea pigs to test new medicine
- Shanghai, exhibition created to demonstrate ‘Catholic espionage activities’
- Nov 1953, 364 missionaries left
10
Q
How did the CCP deal with Islam?
A
- Mosques converted into halls for struggle meetings
- schools converted into barns for livestock
- over a thousand killed in Gansu during armed rebellion
- Islamic association of China set up to promote cooperation
11
Q
How did the CCP aim to marginalise Muslim’s in Xinjiang?
A
- new regime compelled Muslim children to attend government schools
- Marxism put on the curriculum
- Imam’s authority removed and forced to attend ‘thought reform’
- Mosque land redistributed to the poor
- those who didn’t comply sent to laogai
- mass migration of Han Chinese
12
Q
What was the impact of the cultural revolution on religion in Xinjiang?
A
- attacks on mosques
- religious leaders tortured, forced to write self denunciations and swear loyalty to regime
- forced to raise and eat pigs
13
Q
How did the CCP deal with Buddhism?
A
- monks forced to work or sent to military academies
- some monks denounced as counter revolutionaries and killed at struggle meetings
- during ‘Resist America, Aid Korea’ campaign ancient temples converted into barracks, prisons, schools and hospitals
- Buddhist land redistributed by the 1950 agrarian reform law
14
Q
How did the CCP attack Buddhism in Tibet?
A
- PLA invaded Tibet during ‘reunification campaign’ 1950
- met with large resistance of 60,000 but overcame them
- Tibet targeted during anti rightist campaign of 1958
- great leap forward, monks turned into physical labourers and forced into communes
- Lamas forced to work worst quality land, many starved
- Dalai Lama smuggled to safety in India
15
Q
What was the impact of the cultural revolution on Buddhism?
A
- Buddhism denounced as one of ‘four olds’
- monasteries burned, religious relics destroyed
- monks sent to laogai
- lamas forced into labour
- entire generation of monks, nuns and Buddhist followers wiped out
