China has for decades feared the power of organized religion. But religious suppression has intensified in recent years under the rule of president Xi Jinpingalongside a broader crackdown on civil societyaccording to a report (pdf) by Freedom House released yesterday (Feb. 28). For example, Chinese authorities have systematically been destroying churches and taking down crosses, while persecution against Muslims in the western Xinjiang region has become very high.

Buddhism and Taoism, however, are different. As Asian religions, the party is able to harness Chinas religious and cultural traditions to shore up [the partys] legitimacy, says Freedom House, and at the same time use them to help contain the spread of Christianity and Islam. The latter two religions are viewed as so-called Western values by the party, according to Freedom House.

The preference for Taoism and Buddhism over other faiths fits with the larger crackdown by Xi against Western ideas in China. In education, the Chinese government is purging Western ideas like democracy and replacing them with Confucianism, which emphasizes obedience. Xi has also urged families to educate their children with imperatives like love the party while cracking down on international-style education. According to Freedom House, Buddhism and Taoism are in line with the partys signature campaigns, the China Dream and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Those two faiths are compatible with the governments Sinicization drive, says the NGO.

But religion has been gaining ground in China in spite of the governments efforts. China is undergoing one of the worlds great spiritual revivals, according to a recent book by long-time China journalist Ian Johnson. And an increasing number of Chinese view religion as a way to escape the iron grip of the Communist partyChristianity, for example, is seen by many higher-income Chinese people as a symbol of modernity and Western prosperity, says Freedom House.

Freedom House said it did not have data on the number of Taoists in the country.

And Beijings heavy-handedness has actually reinforced solidarity among religious groups, according to Freedom House. The relentless crackdown on Christianity has brought Catholic and Protestant groups closer together. Ties have also grown stronger between the official state-sanctioned Church and illicit underground churches. The cross-removal campaign has been especially pivotal as a unifying force for Chinas Christians, says the report.

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Officially, China's Communist Party believes in atheism, but it makes ... - Quartz