China's religions, as an important part of the social forces,
may play an active role in helping build a harmonious society in
the country if they are properly guided, a top official who is in
charge of the country's religious affairs said Friday.
Ye Xiaowen, director of the State Administration of Religious
Affairs, made the open remarks in an exclusive interview with
Xinhua, the first ever in a decade since Ye took office in a
country with more than 100 million faith followers.
"Religions are one of the social forces that are worth much
attention in the country's social and economic construction," he
said. "They can play an active yet unique role in many
aspects."
Ye said the Chinese government will work to help the religions
restrain their negative elements and promote their positive ones
through enhancing management according to the law and adhering to
the established practice of running religious affairs in an
independent and self-support way.
"This is the fundamental basis on which that Chinese religions
may exercise their roles," he said.
According to Ye, China's religion departments at various levels
will work to help the religions to that end.
"Such work will also offer possibility to the government to
undertake the religious work in a more creative manner, thus
scoring more achievements," he said.
Ye said all religions, including Buddhism, Taoism, Islam,
Catholicism and Protestantism, can tap the positive elements in
their tenets and teachings and combine them with China's current
circumstances.
"But their concrete manners may vary accordingly," Ye said. "So
that the real situation of different religions can be adequately
taken into consideration."
He said one of the key tasks of the religion departments in the
country's ongoing construction of harmonious society is to actively
help the religions get adapted to the mainstream of the socialist
society.
To this end, Ye said, the government may suggest realistic
directions for the religions from a friendly and constructive
viewpoint and channel them to take part in the country's
construction.
"What is important is that the work should be done on a legal
basis," he said.
First of all, Ye said, the government will guide the religions
to try to explain their tenets in ways that are in line with the
requirements of the development of the society.
Since most of the faith followers' understanding of the tenets
root in teaching and explanation by the priests, Ye said, the
followers will act towards the helpful direction if they teach and
explain to that effect.
"If the priests teach and explain from a harmful direction, the
followers would act in the opposite direction or even extreme way,
" he said.
He gave the example that some Islam classics are misinterpreted
by some people, saying that Islam itself pursues peace.
He said that] it is unfair that "Jehad", meaning conquering
selfish desires of humans at the beginning, was explained by some
as inconsiderate violence and confrontation.
According to the latest tenet explanation by the China Islamic
Association, "Jehad" means the fight for justice or against
invasion.
Other religions are also facing the need of fresh explanation of
their tenets to keep pace with the social development, he said.
In China, he said, the construction of Protestant theology, the
democratic running of Catholic affairs and the human-centered new
Buddhism all need to be rendered with new explanation that are in
accordance with the development of the society and the progress of
the time.
"Such explanation will convey positive and beneficial contents
to worshippers and direct them to practice faiths rightly," he
said.
Besides, the government will guide the religions to take part in
causes for public good such as supporting the aged, medical care,
disaster relief and poverty reduction, Ye said.
In his view, sound and helpful contents with religious tenets,
ethics and culture can be extracted to offer powerful support for
the development of the advanced culture of the Chinese nation.
"There are a great deal of useful concepts, like peace,
non-violence, harmony and balanced development, in Chinese
religions, especially traditional ones, which can help advocate
environmental protection and promote peace," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2006)