beijing china top newspaper warn communist party officials thursday pray god worship buddha communism atheism superstition root many corrupt officials fall grace china officially guarantee freedom religion major belief systems like christianity buddhism islam party members mean atheists especially ban participate china call superstitious practice like visit soothsayers party official people daily say commentary uncommon past years see officials take corruption also participate feudalistic superstitious activities fact officials often go monasteries pray god worship buddha say officials obsess rub shoulder master fraternize brothers become lackeys money-trees chinese people especially country leaders long tradition put faith soothsaying geomancy look answer time doubt need chaos practice grow risky amid sweep crackdown deep-seated corruption launch president xi jinping upon assume power late 2012 dozens senior officials imprison people daily point example li chuncheng former deputy party chief sichuan jail 13 years 2015 bribery abuse power say enthusiastic user traditional chinese geomancy practice fengshui another much junior official southern province jiangxi wear charm ward bad luck say official spend time fixate crook ways sooner late come grief say founder modern china mao zedong ban fortune tell superstition puritan communist china 1949 revolution occult make comeback since still officially atheist country embrace economic reform begin open late 1970s one famous recent case china powerful former security chief zhou yongkang jail life part due accusations leak undisclosed state secrets fortune teller healer call cao yongzheng know xinjiang sage far western region grow people daily say officials must remember marx guide word communism begin outset atheism superstition think pollution spiritual anesthesia underestimate must thoroughly purge say china 's top paper warn party officials 'spiritual anesthesia