The Economist reports on how local officials are finding they can benefit from the presence of temples and other religious institutions in their jurisdictions:
Many local governments in rural China are mired in debt. Recent central government efforts to keep peasants happy by abolishing centuries-old taxes have not made life any easier for these bureaucracies. With their revenues cut, rural authorities have found it ever more difficult to scrape together money for health care and education. So they are only too happy to allow others to share the burden of providing these services”even the Black Dragon, whose 500-year-old temple was demolished by Maoist radicals during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. Now officials in Yulin, the prefecture to which Hongliutan belongs, give the temple their blessing.
The revival of the Black Dragon Temple’s fortunes is part of a resurgence of religious or quasi-religious activity across China that”notwithstanding occasional crackdowns”is transforming the social and political landscape of many parts of the countryside. Religion is also attracting many people in the cities, where the party’s atheist ideology has traditionally held stronger sway.
…Within the party, however, debate is growing about whether it should take a different approach to religion. This does not mean being more liberal towards what it regards as anti-government activities. But it could mean toning down the party’s atheist rhetoric and showing stronger support for faiths that have deep historical roots among the ethnic Han majority. The party is acutely aware that its own ideology holds little attraction for most ordinary people. Given that many are drawn to other beliefs, it might do better to try to win over public opinion by actively supporting these beliefs rather than grudgingly tolerating them or cracking down. [Full text]
