The Fourth Congress and 2013 Annual Academic Conference of the Chinese Atheism Society Convened in Beijing

The Fourth Membership Representative Assembly of the Chinese Atheism Society and its 2013 Annual Academic Conference were held in Beijing from August 18 to 19. Zhu Weiqun, Director of the National Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) ^[1], attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Deng Chundong, President and Party Secretary of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), delivered an address on behalf of the governing body. Relevant officials from the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the United Front Work Department, the Ministry of Education, and the State Administration for Religious Affairs also attended the opening ceremony. Zhang Xinying, Vice President of the Society, presided over the meeting, and Xi Wuyi, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Society and researcher at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, presented the work report of the Third Council to the assembly. The meeting elected the Fourth Council of the Chinese Atheism Society, with researcher Zhu Xiaoming, former Party Secretary of the China Tibetology Research Center, elected as President.

Jointly hosted by the Chinese Atheism Society and the CASS Research Center for Science and Atheism, the theme of this conference was "The Historical Mission of Upholding the Fundamentals and Breaking New Ground ^[2] in the Cause of Scientific Atheism." More than 80 experts and scholars from higher education institutions, scientific research units, and Party and government departments conducted earnest and lively discussions. Their deliberations centered on several key topics: the cause of scientific atheism and the realization of the "Chinese Dream" ^[3]; the construction of the scientific atheism system and its academic discipline; atheism education and the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere; the significance of an atheistic worldview for maintaining the Party's excellence and purity ^[4]; methods and pathways for the research, publicity, and education of atheism; the impact of natural science achievements on the development of the scientific spirit and atheistic thought; current trends and outlooks for religions both domestically and abroad; and ideas and suggestions for resisting the use of religion for infiltration.