Devotion, Ideology, and Evil Cults: Persecution of the Falun Gong by the Chinese Government

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The Communist Party of China (CCP), in power since 1950, is not famous for its tolerance of those who do not agree with its ideology and opinion. People must adhere to the Party’s legislation, and face consequences (the severity of which is debated) if they resist or rebel. One way the CCP controls members is through religion. Although the government encourages almost cult-like devotion to the Party, it allows its constituents to participate in certain major international religions. One religion that is illegal to participate in under Chinese law is the spiritual practice of Falun Gong. A new movement, the Falun Gong grew quickly in China and globally, and was officially banned in 1999. The CCP claims the Falun Gong is evil, and should be destroyed humanely to save China. However, the Falun Gong is peaceful, and the Chinese government is the institution that tortures, jails, and abuses its citizens if they are practitioners of the religion. The international response calls for the halting of these immoral actions, but China still claims that it is destroying an evil institution. The simple fact China denies its members freedom of religion violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which China has signed, but the violence against its people if they adhere to Falun Gong beliefs is a gross abuse of its power. Although China bans many religions, there is special emphasis on the Falun Gong, and many wonder why. One highly possible reason is that the growth, international reach, and popularity of the Falun Gong threatens the universal power the CCP holds in China, weakening the government, and therefore leading to the destruction of the threat: the Falun Gong.
The Falun Gong, despite what the CCP may say, is not an evil insti...

... middle of paper ...

... Tiananmen incident, Falun Gong, and the Beijing Olympics. Criminal Justice Studies, 23(2), 163- 176. doi: 10.1080/1478601X.2010.485482.
Minghui correspondents from China. (22 July 2013). Statistical report: Persecution of Falun
Gong in first six months of 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2013/7/22/141176.html.

Peerenboom, R. (2005). Human rights, China, and cross-cultural inquiry: Philosophy, history, and power politics. Philosophy East and West, 55(2), 283-321. doi:
10.1353/pew.2005.0010.
Shuning, Y. (2000). Falun Gong: An evil cult. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/ppflg/t36582.htm. Zhu, G. (2010). Prosecuting “evil cults”: A critical examination of law regarding freedom of religious belief in mainland China. Human Rights Quarterly, 32(3), 471-501. doi:
10.1353/hrq.2010.0004.

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