China's Communist Party threatens members with punishment if they don't abandon their faith

China's ruling Communist Party has threatened its estimated 85 million members with punishment if they refuse to abandon their religious beliefs for Marxist atheism.

"Party members should not have religious beliefs, which is a red line for all members. ... Party members should be firm Marxist atheists, obey Party rules and stick to the Party's faith ... they are not allowed to seek value and belief in religion," Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, wrote in an article published in the Qiushi Journal on Saturday, as reported by China's Global Times.

Wang warned that officials who have religious faith will be persuaded to give it up, and those who resist will be punished by the Party.

He also noted that Party members are not allowed to support or get involved in religious affairs in the name of developing the economy or diversifying the culture.

"We should guide religious groups and individuals with socialist core values and excellent traditional Chinese culture and support religious groups to dig into their doctrines to find parts that are beneficial to social harmony and development," Wang stated.

"Some foreign forces have used religion to infiltrate China, and extremism and illegal religious activities are spreading in some places, which have threatened national security and social stability," he continued.

Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Chongqing Committee, said that the regulation banning Party members from having religious beliefs would be permanent, but implementing it would involve more work in some parts of the country, such as Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Gansu Province as well as Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Chinese government has stepped up its crackdown on Christianity and other religions in recent years, arresting hundreds of pastors and activists who protested against the forced demolition of churches.

The Communist Party has also reportedly targeted Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, and Falun Gong practitioners for their faith.

In May, the Party's Youth League released an 11-minute propaganda video that mocks Christian beliefs and argues that humans, not God, saved the world.

Due to the ongoing persecution of believers, China has been ranked 39th on Open Doors World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most persecution.

In March, Freedom House reported that an estimated 100 million people, including Protestant Christians, are facing "high" or "very high" levels of persecution at the hands of the atheistic government.