In a high profile article published on Qiushi, the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship publication, Zhu Weiqun, the CCP’s deputy chief of the Department of Organization, proclaimed that a Party member must not have religious beliefs.
Zhu said, “At present there is a noteworthy phenomenon: there is a rising trend among Communist Party members of participating in religious activities and establishing close personal relationships with religious leaders. Some Party members have become de facto religious followers.” “If a Party member believes in a religion, he is bound to become the spokesperson for a certain religious force. In some regions, religious believers may administer the Party’s religious work and may make use of government resources to foster religious fervor.”
He added, “While domestic and foreign hostile forces have tried to use religion to engage in separatist activities in some ethnic minority areas, allowing religious beliefs for Party members will greatly weaken the Party’s combat strength in the struggle against separatism.” “Allowing religious beliefs for Party members will debilitate the Party in ideology and organization, causing the Party to degenerate from a Marxist political party into a non-Marxist political party.”
He suggested that “If a Party member is actively involved in religious life and missionary work, even using the identity of Party member to protect and promote illegal religious activities, the Party organizations should take timely measures to remove him from the Party,.”
Source: Qiushi, December 15, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/dj/201112/t20111215_129931.htm