He Husheng and Liu Fujun: Some Reflections on Teaching the Marxist View of Religion in Higher Education Institutions
Universities are vital bases for cultivating talent, and the university period is a critical stage in which an individual establishes their worldview, outlook on life, and values. Along with the rapid economic and social development of our country and the continuous strengthening of our comprehensive national strength, the strategic schemes of international hostile forces to implement "Westernization" and "differentiation" [1] against our country are also intensifying. The struggle to vie for the younger generation has become sharper and more complex, and its forms are constantly being renovated. Among these, targeting Chinese universities as key goals for religious infiltration, and the student population as the primary subject of such infiltration, constitutes a new method and means by which Western countries carry out "Westernization" and "differentiation" against us.
How to implement the principle of the separation of education and religion in universities, effectively resist the infiltration of hostile forces using religion, prevent proselytization on campus, and actively guide university students to correctly understand and treat religious issues—thereby clarifying vague understandings and erroneous views—has become a major and urgent strategic task for current Marxist religious education in Chinese universities. This matters for the "centenary plan" [2] of cultivating qualified builders of and reliable successors to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it matters for the future of the country and the fate of the nation.
I. Conducting education on the basic Marxist theories regarding religious issues to ensure students scientifically understand the essential characteristics, laws of development, and social functions of religion, establish a correct Marxist view of religion, and correctly understand and treat religious issues.
First, students must realize that the essence of religion is multifaceted, and idealism is a major aspect of its essential characteristics. The Marxist view of religion holds that the essence of religion is a theistic worldview; it is a complex mass belief and an important component of culture.
Religion is a theistic belief and an idealistic worldview. The Marxist view of religion holds that religion is the fantasy of and devout belief in deities, and the worship of and belief in supernatural forces. It is "nothing but the fantastic reflection in men’s minds of those external forces which control their daily life." 1 In essence, it belongs to the idealistic ideological system of theism, and is fundamentally opposed to the materialistic atheism of Communists in terms of worldview. Those points of view that blur the boundary between the Marxist materialistic worldview and the religious idealistic worldview, arguing that Party members may believe in religion, are erroneous and must be clarified. At the same time, we must persist in using Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods to correctly guide and educate students in understanding religious issues. We must comprehensively recognize the objective reality that religion will persist for a long time in our country, and fully recognize that the opposition between Marxism and religion in terms of worldview does not mean a total political opposition between Communists and religious believers. The Party’s consistent principle and policy in handling relations with religious figures are: political unity and cooperation, and mutual respect in matters of belief, while continuously consolidating and developing the patriotic united front between the Party and the religious circles.
Religion is a mass belief. As far as the religious masses are concerned, religious belief belongs to the spiritual realm; it is an "ideological issue among the people" and a "matter of the spiritual world." 2 It involves many emotions of the believers and "reflects, from one perspective, humanity’s yearning for a better world and the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty, and has long exerted a broad and profound influence among the masses." 3 Views and behaviors that simplistically equate religious issues with political issues or arbitrarily interfere with the masses’ freedom of religious belief are erroneous. It should also be pointed out that the emphasis on non-belief in religion is also an important right granted to citizens by the Constitution; thus, we should actively guide students to firmly establish a scientific worldview and solidify their ideals and convictions in socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Furthermore, religion is a component of culture. Religion is a socio-cultural system composed of multiple elements, including not only religious belief, thought, and morality as contents of social ideology, but also religious experience and emotion as psychological contents, as well as religious behavior, organizations, and institutions as social entities. Religion is a part of human culture and has had a significant impact on the formation and development of human society and civilization. The viewpoint that denies religion is a culture or considers religious culture to be dispensable is clearly incorrect. Students must be educated and guided to realize, amidst complex international competition, that the status and role of culture in the competition of comprehensive national strength have become more prominent. We must adhere to the principles of "taking the essence and discarding the dregs," "making the past serve the present," and "upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground" (守正创新) [3], critically inheriting and developing the excellent culture of humanity—including excellent religious culture. We should actively leverage the role of religious culture in building a socialist cultural power, "protecting the basic elements of national culture, so that excellent traditional culture becomes a spiritual force encouraging the people to forge ahead in the New Era." 4
Second, students must realize that religion follows the law of long-term development. The Marxist view of religion holds that religion is a historical phenomenon at a certain stage of human social development; it has a long process of emergence, development, and disappearance, and possesses its own roots of origin and existence.
Religion will continue to exist for a long time in socialist society. The Marxist view of religion holds that the emergence and existence of religion primarily have natural, social, epistemological, and psychological roots. "When society has not yet developed to the point where the conditions for the survival of religion have completely vanished, religion will exist." 5 As long as human subjective cognition is far from reaching the level of scientifically understanding religion and not believing in it, religion will not vanish. The viewpoint that uses administrative force to strike at or even abolish religion, or the belief that religion will quickly vanish in socialist society, is erroneous. Students must realize the long-term nature of religion's existence in socialist society. Simultaneously, with the establishment of our country’s socialist system, "the class roots of our country’s religious existence have basically vanished, and the natural, social, and epistemological roots of religious existence have also undergone great changes." 6 That is to say, religion in a socialist society is a religion that has undergone major changes; it is a new religion that, having passed through the democratic reform of the religious system, continuously adapts to socialist society and serves the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Religious issues must be understood from the perspective of guiding religion to adapt to socialist society.
Correctly understand and actively seek the path toward the disappearance of religion. Religion possesses long-term duration, a mass character, and a specific complexity. Not only did religion exist for a long time in the past, but it will also continue to exist for a long time in the future. It cannot be abolished by force; the disappearance of religion will be a long process. The viewpoint that ignores the objective laws of religious development and believes that religion will exist forever is incorrect. We must persist in using the viewpoints and methods of historical materialism to educate and guide students to comprehensively understand the basic laws and pathways of religious disappearance. When we speak of the long-term nature of religion, we do not mean that religion exists forever; rather, it is to overcome "short-sightedness" on religious issues, and to correctly recognize and actively seek the path toward religious disappearance. On this issue, students must realize that one cannot use administrative force to develop religion, nor can one use administrative force to abolish religion. Instead, one must respect the laws of religion’s own development, "stand on the long-term, focus on the present, and persist over the long term in doing religious work well," 6 reducing the influence of religious idealism on students by vigorously developing productive forces and strengthening scientific and cultural education.
Third, students must realize that religion has a dual social function. The Marxist view of religion holds that religion has both positive and negative effects on society; one must leverage the positive functions and avoid the negative factors. Religion has a dual social role. The Marxist view of religion holds that in a class society, religion is a spiritual tool for maintaining the fundamental interests of the ruling class and is the "opium of the masses" for numbing the ruled classes, primarily playing a negative role. Particularly in modern times, religion served as a tool for colonialists to carry out aggression and expansion; various religions in our country were once controlled and utilized by the ruling classes and played a major negative role. At the same time, religion also possesses certain positive roles and important cultural value, and it still needs to play its positive role in a socialist society. The viewpoint that denies the positive role of religion or believes that religion plays an entirely negative role in socialist society is erroneous. We must use the Marxist view of religion to educate and guide students to profoundly realize that religious regulations, doctrines, and ethics contain positive factors that serve the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Furthermore, the religious masses are a positive force in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and patriotic religious figures are an important force for uniting the religious masses and maintaining social stability. We must bring the positive roles of religion into play.
We must be adept at leveraging positive roles and avoiding negative factors. Since the 16th National Congress of the CPC, the Central Committee with Hu Jintao as General Secretary successively proposed important ideas and viewpoints, such as "actively promoting the positive contents in religious doctrines—such as advocating good and suppressing evil, equality and tolerance, and helping the poor and needy—that are close to the moral requirements of socialist society," "leveraging the positive role of religion in promoting social harmony," "leveraging the positive role of religious figures and the religious masses in promoting economic and social development," and "leveraging the positive role of religious figures and the religious masses in promoting the prosperity and development of culture." This is a significant affirmation of the positive role of religion and how to leverage it. Students must be guided to recognize this aspect. At the same time, students must also be made to realize that negative religious factors still exist in contemporary society. This is determined by the essential characteristic of religious theistic idealism and induced by external factors such as the exploitation by hostile forces. These must be avoided and guarded against.
II. Conducting education on the Party's basic principles and policies for religious work to ensure students understand the major policies of the Party and state for handling religious issues and enhance their ability to respond to various realistic religious problems.
The 2004 National Conference on Religious Work clearly defined the basic principles of the Party's religious work as: "fully implementing the Party's policy of freedom of religious belief, managing religious affairs according to law, adhering to the principle of independence and self-management, and actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society." These were later written into the political report of the 17th National Congress of the CPC and the newly revised Party Constitution. Universities must deeply implement the relevant spirit of the Central Committee and strengthen education for students regarding the Party's basic principles and policies for religious work.
First, students must realize that the full implementation and fulfillment of the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief is the Party’s consistent principle in handling religious issues. Freedom of religious belief means that "every citizen has the freedom to believe in religion and the freedom not to believe in religion; the freedom to believe in this religion and the freedom to believe in that religion; within the same religion, the freedom to believe in this sect and the freedom to believe in that sect; the freedom to not have believed in the past but to believe now, and the freedom to have believed in the past but not to believe now." 7 The viewpoint that state organs, social organizations, or individuals can force citizens to believe or not believe in religion, or even discriminate against citizens who believe or do not believe, is erroneous. Students must be educated and guided to realize that the exercise of the right to freedom of religious belief must comply with the provisions of the Constitution and relevant laws, regulations, and rules. It must safeguard national security, ethnic unity, and social harmony. No one may conduct atheist propaganda in places of religious activities, and no religious organization or believer may proselytize, preach, or distribute religious propaganda materials or illegal publications outside of religious activity sites—especially in institutions of higher education. For students and faculty members who believe in religion, universities must respect their religious beliefs, while relevant departments should also do a good job in their ideological and political education, teaching them to consciously abide by relevant laws, regulations, and religious policies.
Furthermore, it is necessary to make university students realize that managing religious affairs according to the law is an inevitable requirement of the Party’s commitment to law-based governance and the building of a socialist country under the rule of law. Religion is a complex system and social entity composed of various elements such as religious thought, systems, activities, and venues; it inevitably establishes connections with other social entities and exerts an influence on national and public interests. Therefore, religious affairs must be managed according to the law: "the government performs administrative management and supervision over the implementation of laws, regulations, and policies concerning religion." [11] (p. 216) The ideological viewpoints that deny the necessity of managing religious affairs according to the law—or argue that such management inevitably interferes with the internal affairs of religions—are erroneous. We must strengthen the legal education and legal consciousness of university students, guiding them to recognize that "religious activities are conducted within society and necessarily involve social public interests and national interests, and thus must be managed according to the law." [12] (p. 555) This is an inevitable requirement for our Party to exercise power according to the law, advance the law-based governance of the country, and build a socialist country under the rule of law. Its purpose is to "protect the legal, stop the illegal, resist infiltration, crack down on crime, and ensure that religious activities are conducted in a standardized and orderly manner," [12] (p. 574) bringing religious activities onto a track of legalization rather than interfering in the internal affairs of religious organizations. At present, it is particularly important to handle, according to the law, the illegal establishment of religious venues in and around universities, proselytization on or off campus, illegal activities involving religious factors, and attempts to use educational and teaching activities as opportunities for proselytization.
Additionally, we must enable university students to recognize that adhering to the principle of independence and self-management is an inevitable choice for Chinese religions, as well as a necessity for safeguarding China’s national and religious security. The principle of independence and self-management means that "China’s religious affairs are handled independently by Chinese religious believers, and Chinese religious organizations and affairs are not subject to the control of foreign powers." [13] (p. 15) This principle is based on the historical fact that our country suffered long-term imperialist aggression and plunder, and that some religions were controlled and utilized by imperialism; it is the autonomous choice of our country’s religious masses and an important guarantee that our religious organizations and affairs remain free from foreign dominance and control. It has now become an unshakeable and vital principle for all religions in China in handling their foreign relations. Some people believe that adhering to the principle of independence and self-management is equivalent to severing religious foreign exchanges. In reality, independence and self-management involves conducting friendly exchanges on the basis of maintaining independence, equality, friendship, and mutual respect. We must educate university students to recognize that as China’s reform and opening up continues to deepen, the intensity of infiltration by overseas hostile religious forces has also increased. We must, on one hand, actively conduct international friendly exchanges in the religious sphere, while on the other hand, resolutely resist the infiltration of all hostile forces within foreign religions, resolutely resist and reject the control and interference of foreign hostile religious forces in our country’s religions, and consciously safeguard national security.
Furthermore, we must make university students recognize that actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society is the effective path and fundamental direction for our country’s correct handling of religious issues. Religion possesses adaptability to social development, and it is an indisputable fact that religion will continue to exist for a long time in socialist society. Furthermore, the fundamental consistency of the political and economic interests of religious and non-religious masses makes them both active forces in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Moreover, Communists and patriotic religious believers can and must form a united front to strive together for socialist modernization in terms of political action. Therefore, the fundamental direction of the Party’s religious work is to actively guide religion to adapt to socialist society, "uniting all religious and non-religious masses and concentrating their will and strength on the common goal of building a modern socialist power." [11] (p. 60) We must educate university students to recognize that actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society is the correct historical direction for our country’s religions. This does not require religious masses to abandon their religious beliefs, nor does it force them to convert to Marxism; rather, it requires them to love the motherland, support the leadership of the Party and the socialist system, abide by national laws, regulations, and policies, and contribute more to national unity, social harmony, and the reunification of the motherland.
Beyond education on the Party’s basic principles of religious work, education on several other aspects of the Party’s basic policies on religious work is also particularly important. First, we must enable university students to recognize that adhering to the principle of the separation of church and state [5] is the basic norm for handling religious-secular relations in China. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the Education Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Regulations on Religious Affairs, among other laws and regulations, explicitly stipulate that the state implements the separation of education and religion. No one may use religion to conduct activities that obstruct the national educational system, and no organization or individual may conduct religious activities in universities. "The state respects the religious freedom of citizens and protects normal religious activities; religion operates within the scope permitted by national laws and policies and must not interfere with the implementation of state functions such as administration, justice, and education," [14] nor may it obstruct normal social, work, or living order. We must make students recognize that the separation of church and state is not the ultimate goal; the fundamental goal is to achieve harmony in religious-secular relations and construct socialist harmonious religious relations on the basis of this separation. The view that believers can proselytize in schools or other public places is erroneous; activities that hinder the implementation of the socialist educational line and policies are absolutely prohibited, constitute illegal acts, and must be stopped and abolished.
Second, university students must recognize that expanding the patriotic united front between the Party and the religious circles in the New Era is a necessity for uniting the religious community to jointly build socialism with Chinese characteristics. Seeking out, uniting, and educating personages of the religious circles [6], bringing into play the active role of religious figures and believers in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and consolidating and developing the patriotic united front between the Party and the religious circles are important contents and components of the Party's united front in the New Era. We must educate students to understand that religious work is an essential part of the Party’s united front. We must adhere to the principle of political unity and cooperation alongside mutual respect in matters of belief between the Party and the religious circles. We must maintain the political basis of cooperation in patriotism and socialism. Regarding the religious circles, we should help and guide them to enhance their capacity for self-support, manage themselves well according to the law and their own charters, reflect the aspirations of the religious masses, and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the religious community. We must actively leverage the role of religious organizations so that the broad masses of believers reach a consensus on major issues such as supporting the Party’s leadership and the socialist system, loving the motherland, maintaining national unity, and promoting harmony, thereby consolidating and developing the patriotic united front.
Third, university students must recognize that strengthening the Party’s leadership over religious work is the fundamental guarantee for doing religious work well and achieving religious harmony. Effectively performing religious work concerns the overall situation of the Party and the state’s work, social harmony and stability, the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and the development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The key to doing religious work well lies in strengthening the Party’s leadership. Party committees at all levels in China attach great importance to the leadership of religious work. Party committees in various universities also attach great importance to religious work; Party and Youth League organizations, along with the ideological and political education workforce, have fully exerted their roles in carrying out education on the Marxist view of religion, constructing a three-pronged work pattern of "education and guidance, blocking channels [7], and handling according to the law." We must guide students to recognize that Communist Party members are atheists and are not permitted to believe in religion; this is a consistent principle and position that our Party has never wavered on in the slightest. If Party members believe in religion or participate in religious activities, it will ideologically violate the nature of the Party, organizationally weaken the Party’s combat effectiveness, stylistically lower the Party’s prestige among the masses, and operationally hinder the correct implementation of the Party’s religious policies. Therefore, "not believing in religion is the minimum requirement for being a qualified Communist Party member." [10] (p. 395)
III. Strengthening Education in Marxist Scientific Atheism to Enable Students to Recognize the Essential Difference Between Marxist Materialism and Religious Idealism, Thereby Establishing a Scientific Worldview, Outlook on Life, and Values
The fundamental task of universities is to cultivate qualified builders and reliable successors for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Scientific atheism is one of the greatest ideological achievements of humanity based on the development of modern science; it is a prerequisite for the formation of the Marxist worldview and an important component of advanced socialist culture. Universities must not only vigorously promote Marxism among students but also vigorously strengthen education in scientific atheism. This is both an important part of Party building and ideological and political education in universities, and an essential content of education on the Marxist view of religion in universities.
First, we must reinforce education in dialectical materialism and historical materialism among university students to provide methodological guidance for their correct understanding of religious issues. Dialectical materialism and historical materialism scientifically reveal the universal laws of the development of nature, society, and thought. They correctly answer scientific principles such as the dialectical relationship between matter and consciousness, the dialectical relationship between practice and knowledge, the universal connection and development of things, the laws and roles of the movement of basic social contradictions, the general laws and forms of the transition between social formations, and the role of the masses in historical development. These constitute the philosophical foundation of the Marxist scientific worldview. We should strengthen education in dialectical materialism and historical materialism in classroom teaching, especially in ideological and political theory courses for university students. We must use dialectical materialism and historical materialism as sharp weapons to correctly understand and treat religious issues, profoundly recognizing the various roots of the emergence and existence of religion, the objective laws of its development and disappearance, and its dual social role. Dialectical materialism and historical materialism can provide university students with the ideological tools to correctly recognize and handle religious issues. According to the theories, viewpoints, and methods of Marxist materialism, religion is created by man; it is the alienation of human essence, a reflection in people's minds of the external forces that dominate their daily lives, and this reflection in turn enslaves and restricts human development. Therefore, the important mission of Communists is, through the long-term vigorous development of social economy, culture, and education, to gradually eliminate the roots of the emergence and existence of religion, thereby eliminating the master-slave relationship of religion over humans and ultimately achieving the free and comprehensive development of human beings. Consequently, we must enhance the consciousness and determination of university students to firmly believe in and adhere to the truths of Marxist materialism. "Using Marxist philosophy to criticize idealism (including theism) and conducting education in the scientific worldview of dialectical materialism and historical materialism (including atheism) among the masses, especially the youth, complemented by the promotion of scientific and cultural knowledge regarding natural phenomena, social evolution, and the human life cycle—birth, aging, sickness, death, and fortune—is one of the important tasks of the Party on the propaganda front." [11] (p. 72) Only by applying the basic principles and methods of Marxism can we scientifically reveal the essential characteristics, laws of development, and social roles of religion, and only then can university students correctly understand religious issues during the socialist period.
Secondly, we must persist in education that advocates science and opposes superstition among university students, cultivating their ability to correctly understand the objective world and religious issues. Generally speaking, science is a system of scientific knowledge and methods that reflects the objective laws governing the development of nature, society, and thought, primary comprising the natural and social sciences. Natural science mainly investigates nature and reveals the laws of the natural world, while social science mainly investigates human society and reveals the laws of its emergence, existence, and development. The essence of science lies in innovation, and its characteristic is the telling of truth and the revelation of reality. "Only on the basis of telling the truth and revealing reality can humanity obtain true freedom. The attainment of human freedom is by no means established upon fear, flattery, bribery, or the offering of wealth to ghosts and gods." 18 Consequently, we must persist in vigorously popularizing scientific knowledge among university students, emphasizing the importance of establishing a scientific worldview, outlook on life, and values while "strengthening efforts to popularize scientific education and strengthening propaganda against superstition." 14
To advocate science, one must oppose superstition [8]. Superstition is the erroneous understanding and behavior wherein people believe in the existence of supernatural things such as spirits, ghosts, and demons. Some individuals utilize certain low-level methods or even superstitious means like sorcery to harm society, which has brought great harm to the physical and mental health of university students. On this issue, our stance must be clear, our attitude resolute, and our measures powerful; feudal superstitious activities that harm society must be resolutely struck down, exposed, criticized, and banned. At the same time, care must be taken to educate and correctly guide university students to distinguish superstition from religion. Superstition generally lacks a complete doctrine, canon, or organization; it runs contrary to the general rules of society and plays a role in destroying social order, unsettling the public mind, and damaging the physical health of the masses. Religion, however, is a complete social entity and ideological system composed of systematic organizations, doctrines, canons, and institutions. Regarding normal religious beliefs and religious activities, so long as they are guided well, they are beneficial to social stability and national unity; religion and superstition are not the same thing.
Furthermore, care must be taken to distinguish between feudal superstition and folk beliefs [9]. One should not indiscriminately ban or strike down old folk customs and habits [10] such as worshipping the Kitchen God, ancestors, or the God of Wealth. Instead, we must, through strengthening education in Marxist scientific atheism, "extol the scientific spirit, popularize scientific knowledge, advocate for the modification of customs and habits (yīfēng-yìsú), and resist feudal superstition." 11 Only in this way can we educate and guide university students to stay away from superstition and establish the ability to correctly understand the objective world and religious issues.
Thirdly, we must reinforce education in local ideals and convictions among university students to establish a correct worldview, outlook on life, values, and concept of honor and disgrace [11], thereby correctly handling religious issues. Education in ideals and convictions primarily refers to strengthening education in the lofty ideal of communism, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the socialist core value system, so that university students will be firm in their conviction to follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and believe in the realization of communism. Education in ideals and convictions is the core of Party building and ideological and political education work in China's universities. It is an important component of Marxist scientific atheism education and a matter concerning the implementation of the Party's educational policy and the cultivation of qualified builders and reliable successors for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Therefore, under the new situation where extensive and profound changes and transformations are occurring in the contemporary world and in China—and under the grim situation where hostile forces are placing greater emphasis on using religious infiltration to implement "Westernization" and "differentiation" against us—China's universities must vigorously strengthen the construction of the socialist core value system. We must continuously expand the territory of excellent campus culture and the scientific spirit, strive to enhance the attraction and cohesion of socialist ideology, and consciously uphold the guiding position of Marxism in China's ideological field. We must resolutely resist and prevent religious infiltration by overseas hostile forces, educate and guide university students to establish a scientific worldview, outlook on life, values, and concept of honor and disgrace, further solidify scientific Marxist ideals and convictions, and diminish the influence of religious idealism among university students.