Xi Wuyi: 2014 Frontier Report on Scientific Atheism Research

The positioning of the Chinese Atheism Society is that of an academic collective. As a home for scholars, promoting academic research is our primary responsibility. Academic research must strive for innovation and avoid "reheating old rice" ^[1]. I will now briefly report to you on the current general state of development in the discipline of scientific atheism to provide information for everyone's research work.

Tracking the frontal dynamics of disciplinary research is a foundational task in discipline building. Today, our frontier report on scientific atheism is based on the content of the "Scientific Atheism" chapter in the 2015 Yearbook of Marxist Studies (马年鉴), summarizing the research achievements of the entire year of 2014. The scholars involved in drafting this chapter include Professor Xi Wuyi, Dr. Huang Yanhong, and Dr. Han Qi. This chapter consists of approximately 30,000 characters; it is currently undergoing keyword indexing and will be formally published at the end of the year.

Disciplinary research reports in the Yearbook of Marxist Studies usually include: academic activities, scientific research projects, introductions to monographs, abstracts of papers, and so on. Due to time constraints, I can only briefly introduce important academic monographs and papers.

I. Academic Monographs

1. The Collected Works of Ren Jiyu (任继愈文集): The ten-volume Collected Works of Ren Jiyu (Full Ten Volumes) was published by the National Library of China Publishing House in December 2014. The entire work comprises 10 volumes totaling nearly 4 million characters. Due to its inherent academic value and significance as historical source material, the book received funding from the National Publication Foundation in 2014.

Mr. Ren Jiyu can be called a generational grandmaster of academia; he was a famous 20th-century Chinese philosopher, scholar of religion, and historian, and was the pioneer and founder of Chinese Marxist Religious Studies. Mr. Ren Jiyu served as the Curator of the National Library for nearly twenty years and was a banner of the Chinese library community. He organized and led the largest-scale efforts to compile and publish traditional cultural materials in China, personally presiding over major national cultural projects such as the Chinese Buddhist Canon (中华大藏经), the Zhonghua Da Dian ^[2], the punctuated and collated editions of the Twenty-Four Histories and the Draft History of Qing, the Chinese Resuscitating Rare Books project, and the Dunhuang Manuscripts in the Collection of the National Library. Mr. Ren Jiyu dedicated his life's blood to inheriting and promoting the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation, achieving brilliant results and continuing to write tirelessly even into his later years.

The compilation of the Collected Works of Ren Jiyu began in 2010, with a team of scholars led by Professor Li Shen undertaking the primary editorial work. The collection includes approximately 600 articles divided into eight sections: the first is Religious Studies and Scientific Atheism, including two parts on religious studies and scientific atheism respectively; the second is research on the History of Chinese Philosophy; the third is Buddhist Studies; the fourth is Confucian Studies; the fifth is Taoist Studies; the sixth is on the collation of ancient texts; the seventh is Historical Research; and the eighth consists of miscellaneous writings. The "Publication Reflections" written by Professor Du Jiwen is an exceptionally brilliant academic essay, which I recommend to everyone.

The publication of this collection not only organizes and summarizes Mr. Ren Jiyu’s lifelong academic thought and research results, providing systematic reference material for future generations to study his thought, but also ensures that Mr. Ren Jiyu’s diligent and rigorous scholarly spirit and his patriotic and professional spirit of dedication will be passed down through the generations.

2. Collected Papers on Science and Atheism (科学与无神论文集): As one of the special monographs for the Academic Division Members of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), this was published by the China Social Sciences Press in May 2014. The author, Professor Du Jiwen, has long served as the editor-in-chief of the magazine Science and Atheism. This book is a compilation of 42 papers and essays selected by the author. The main contents include: the exposure of cults and criticism of "somatic paranormal abilities," promoting the scientific spirit; an examination of "cultural proselytization" and concerns regarding "religious penetration" ^[3], along with related legal and regulatory issues; and discussions on Marxist religious theory and religious problems centered on scientific atheism and freedom of religious belief.

The author points out: "Constructing and shaping atheism as an independent discipline is a special need of our current country and era, and a social responsibility that must be undertaken." (Du Jiwen, "Preface," Collected Papers on Science and Atheism, China Social Sciences Press, May 2014 edition, p. 3). Atheism is a product of labor and the awakening of human nature; it is a result of human civilization and reflection. China's humanistic tradition and atheist spirit have a long history. In socio-cultural life, the human rather than the divine is the foundation; in socio-political life, the ruler is light while the people are precious ^[4]. China’s humanistic concepts have become the internal driving force for the continuous growth of the Chinese nation. Scientific atheism is not only a worldview and a way of thinking, but also an attitude toward life and a lifestyle. Scientific atheism is the cornerstone and starting point of Marxist religious theory and is closely related to the movement of scientific socialism. Adhering to scientific atheism necessitates the analysis and criticism of theism; this is an inherent part of adhering to Marxism.

The history of modern world development shows that "religious belief has continuously retreated from being a socio-political existence into the realm of private free choice." Certain authoritative figures in the current field of religious studies have proposed constructing a "Believing China" (信仰中国) in contemporary China and "making religion a political force," which moves against the direction of historical development. "Prosperity" holds the first place in the Socialist Core Values; it carries the spiritual pursuit of the Chinese nation. "When science and technology flourish, the nation flourishes; when science and technology are strong, the country is strong." This is the major trend of human socio-historical development.

3. Series on the History of Chinese Atheism (first collection): This was published by Jiangsu People's Publishing House in March 2014. Edited by Wang Yousan and Xu Xiaoyue, the series includes six works that explore the concepts, categories, and propositions of Chinese atheist thought, the objects and tasks of the history of Chinese atheism, the centers of struggle between atheism and theism, and the laws of its development and fluctuations. The authors believe that "only by confirming and clarifying that Chinese atheist thought is a representation of the essence of the entire traditional Chinese culture can Chinese atheism highlight its own meaning and value. The value orientation of 'clarifying the mind and nature' ^[5] and the way of thinking that advocates 'the unity of Heaven and Man' in traditional Chinese culture both take 'no god' as their essential characteristic." (Wang Yousan, Xu Xiaoyue: "No God: An Important Characteristic of Traditional Chinese Culture," Preface to the Series on the History of Chinese Atheism, p. 38, Jiangsu People's Publishing House, 2014 edition).

The many spirits manifested by Chinese atheism are also the excellent spirits of traditional Chinese culture. "No god" is a way of life that conforms to human nature and leads to happiness; this is the spirit that traditional Chinese culture, Marxism, and socialism with Chinese characteristics all seek to manifest together. The ultimate goal of atheism is "Truth, Goodness, and Beauty." Objectively speaking, the concept championed by the authors—namely, that "the essence of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, which constitute the main body of traditional Chinese culture, is oriented toward 'no god'"—is quite controversial. However, in the face of current trends such as "religion fever" and "national studies [Guoxue] fever," the fact that the authors of this series have written a set of monographs on Chinese atheism is worthy of recommendation.

4. The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins (translated by Wang Ta-huan): Published by CITIC Press in 2014. This is the most classic work of this contemporary Western atheist scholar following his famous The Selfish Gene. Through a large number of biological examples, the author fully reveals the accurate connotation of Darwinian evolution and clarifies various misunderstandings and distortions of evolutionary theory. He points out that biological evolution is by no means an entirely random "single-step" selection, but rather a "cumulative" non-random selection. The author powerfully refutes various criticisms from Lamarckian theory, neutral theory, mutationism, and especially creationism. As an authentic introductory book on evolution, this book provides a good starting point for accurately understanding the connotation and significance of evolutionary theory. Against the background of certain domestic scholars vigorously recommending "Intelligent Design," the publication of the Chinese translation of this book has practical significance.

II. Important Academic Papers

Since the 18th Party Congress ^[6], the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary has made strategic deployments for strengthening ideological work and maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity. From the height of whether ideals and beliefs are firm and whether one is politically reliable, Comrade Xi Jinping has offered sharp criticism of those cadres who "do not believe in Marx and Lenin but believe in ghosts and gods," who seek spiritual sustenance in feudal superstitions, who are keen on fortune-telling and physiognomy, who burn incense and worship Buddha, and who "consult the gods" when encountering problems. He has required the strengthening and implementation of leadership responsibility for ideological work to ensure that mainstream ideas and public opinion occupy the ideological positions.

With the continuous strengthening of the construction of the socialist ideological field, the voice of scientific atheism has gradually risen in society, and the discourse of scientific atheism has gradually increased in the field of academic research. Looking back at the past, from 2010 to 2013, nearly 70% of the papers in the disciplinary research reviews came from a single publication, Science and Atheism, which is the only professional academic journal in this discipline. In this year's disciplinary review, papers from sources other than Science and Atheism account for about 60%. It is evident that in the field of academic research, the voice of scientific atheism is becoming increasingly heard. In 2014, the research results of the discipline of scientific atheism can be summarized into six topics: theoretical research on scientific atheism; scientific atheism and religious research; resisting religious penetration and curbing religious extremist thought; research on science and religion; research on destructive cults; and the publicity and education work of scientific atheism.

(i) Theoretical Research on Scientific Atheism

1. Research on Marxist Atheism: Marxist atheism is the advanced form of scientific atheism. Strengthening research on Marxist atheism is a foundational task in building a theoretical system of scientific atheism with Chinese characteristics.

Researcher Tian Xinming, former director of the Social Science Research Center of the Ministry of Education, pointed out that the Marxist view of religion is a thoroughly atheist one; adhering to atheism is an inherent part of adhering to the Marxist view of religion. In religious research, truth and value are highly unified. To uphold truth in religious research, one must uphold atheism. Communists respect the freedom of religious followers to have their beliefs, yet they also stand firm in the ideological position of atheism and promote atheism to the vast numbers of non-believing masses. This is precisely using the scientific attitude of seeking truth from facts to safeguard the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the Chinese people. (Tian Xinming, "Marxist Religious Research Must Adhere to an Atheist Standpoint—Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Mao Zedong’s Instruction on Strengthening the Study of Religious Issues," Marxist Studies, No. 3, 2014).

2. The Contemporary Value of Scientific Atheism...

Professor Du Jiwen, former Director of the Institute of World Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), points out that there are several popular characterizations of China’s current religious situation. These include the "crisis of faith" or "faith desert" theories; those who hold such views often have Christian backgrounds, though they have recently been followed by New Confucian ^[7] types. There is also the theory of "religious integration," which suggests that Chinese traditional culture needs the introduction of Christianity for fundamental transformation. Another is the "Faith China" theory, which advocates for excavating China’s rich religious resources to organize a great religious power, thereby consolidating all religious forces of various global nations and ethnicities into one body. Furthermore, there are theories of "religious rebound," "cult suppression," "advancing with the times," and so on. All these arguments fail to specify the concrete connotation and extension of "religion"; they peddle these concepts in a hazy and obscure manner while fearing to speak plainly. This is a trend we must be particularly vigilant against.

Besides the problems brought about by China’s social transformation that contribute to the apparent flourishing of religion, there is an important external factor: the multi-dimensional religious infiltration carried out against us by the West. In this, Christian infiltration is at the forefront; the religious outlook it carries, laden with Western values and political orientations, is even more deceptive. However, the Party Central Committee has always been clear in its direction of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and has consistently supported research, publicity, and education regarding atheism. The reason such confused understandings arise is that the state Constitution has not been strictly followed, and the Party’s "Document No. 19" ^[8] has been allowed to fade from its guiding position. This leads to demands for religion to transcend its focus on faith and play a public social role, revealing a tendency toward the politicization of religion. Therefore, for the state, religion is not entirely a private matter; the state must improve its ability to maintain dominance over and manage religious activities. Only when religion returns to its focus on faith, and when all citizens—both believers and non-believers—achieve national identity, constitutional identity, and legal equality, can we mobilize all forces to develop productive forces, promote ethnic unity, and create conditions for realizing the "Chinese Dream" ^[9] of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. (Du Jiwen, "The Strategic Significance of Mao Zedong’s 'Strengthening Research on Religious Issues'," Science and Atheism, No. 2, 2014).

Professor Xi Wuyi, Director of the Center for Science and Atheism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, points out that Mao Zedong's important instruction on "Strengthening Research on Religious Issues" raised the importance of studying religious issues from the perspective of international strategy. Ren Jiyu ^[10] summarized the spirit of Chairman Mao’s instruction as "studying religion and critiquing theology," thereby becoming the founder of contemporary Chinese Marxist religious studies. Adhering to this academic paradigm has strategic guiding significance for our current development of Marxist religious studies: that is, religious research must be held in the hands of Marxists, must adhere to historical materialism as a guide for studying religion, and must critique religious theology. However, in recent years, the "academic theology" paradigm proposed in the field of religious studies has formed a sharp challenge to the "critique of theology" paradigm. Certain scholars who claim to study the Marxist view of religion never even mention scientific atheism. This is a dangerous tendency. Scientific atheism is the foundational cornerstone of the theoretical edifice of Marxism, and its materialistic worldview and proactive outlook on life occupy an important position in the core socialist value system. Strengthening the discipline of scientific atheism is an essential component of resisting foreign religious infiltration and preventing proselytizing on campuses. As an important part of Marxist religious theory and socialist ideology, the role of scientific atheism cannot be ignored. (Xi Wuyi, "The Contemporary Value of Mao Zedong’s 'Strengthening Research on Religious Issues'," Science and Atheism, No. 6, 2014).

3. Research on International Atheist Thought

The study of Western atheist thought is an important field in the disciplinary construction of scientific atheism. Currently, domestic academic circles have begun to invest energy into translating and introducing the works of important Western atheist scholars, paying attention to atheist trends in international society and the developmental trends of atheists.

Dr. Han Qi of the CASS Center for Science and Atheism points out that atheism can be divided into positive atheism and negative atheism. The naturalistic philosophical tradition of the classical era is the "living source water" ^[11] of atheist thought. Atheist thought has different expressions in different eras and is rich in content. We should clarify the relationship between atheism and deism, pantheism, and agnosticism, and link various rich phenomena of non-belief for research. Atheist thought in Chinese history primarily consisted of opposing "Heaven’s mandate" (tianming), denying ghosts and gods, and opposing secular superstitions; it differs significantly from Western atheist thought in both connotation and extension. In our pursuit of scientific atheist research, we must consider both Western traditions and the characteristics of atheist thought within Chinese culture. (Han Qi, "Inspirations from the Development of Western Atheist Thought," Science and Atheism, No. 6, 2014).

Associate Professor Wang Zhen of the Central Institute of Socialism introduced the atheist thought in The Ego and Its Own by Max Stirner, a major representative of the 19th-century German Young Hegelians. Stirner’s primary work is The Ego and Its Own. He not only critiqued Hegel’s speculative philosophy and Christianity but also targeted Feuerbach and Bruno Bauer—themselves critics of speculative philosophy—proposing a unique philosophical and social intellectual system. He argued that the liberation Feuerbach sought to achieve remained a theological liberation; however, before man, God had sunk. (Wang Zhen, "Max Stirner’s The Ego and Its Own," Science and Atheism, No. 6, 2014).

Dr. Yang Junfeng of the CASS Center for Science and Atheism introduced the atheist thought of Gavin Hyman. Hyman discusses the emergence and development of atheism in modern history and thought, analyzing the concept of God that modern atheism targets, as well as the relationship between modern atheism and forms of theism. Modern atheism is naturally related to and shares a common destiny with modernity. Modernity seems destined to reach its peak in atheism. Thus, today, when the "end of modernity" is widely proclaimed, atheism will not remain unaffected. (Gavin Hyman, translated by Yang Junfeng, "Atheism in Modern History," Science and Atheism, No. 1, 2014).

Ms. Sun Qian of the China Association for Science and Technology introduced the essay collection Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? edited by Paul Kurtz. This collection is selected from Skeptical Inquirer, the magazine of the Center for Inquiry. In the preface, Kurtz points out that a conflict exists in the relationship between science and religion, and that religious claims should be subject to scientific exploration and questioning. The issues discussed in the book include: the relationship between the universe and God, "Intelligent Design," the conflicting relationship between science and religion, science and morality, scientific investigation of supernatural phenomena, and why people believe in religion. Cosmologists deny that modern cosmology provides evidence for the existence of God. The mainstream of the American scientific community also holds a negative view of "Intelligent Design," considering it not science but a religious belief. Regarding science and morality, conflict theorists believe that moral concepts do not belong exclusively to the religious realm; the basis of moral judgment should be factual truth rather than reliance on religious dogma or commandments. Science reveals truth and can therefore provide a reliable basis for moral judgment. Several typical "supernatural" phenomena popular today, such as "afterlife communication," "near-death experiences," "efficacy of prayer," the "Shroud of Turin," and the "existence of the soul," not only deviate from the naturalism that serves as the foundation of science but also violate basic scientific methods and knowledge. Science is fully capable of testing matters in the spiritual or religious realms. The return of "spiritualism" shows that the promotion of scientific rationality still has a long way to go. Regarding why people do or do not believe in religion, the book utilizes natural and social science knowledge—from the perspectives of epistemology, socio-cultural evolution, socio-biology, psychology, neurology, and other disciplines—to analyze and explain the origins, various manifestations, and roles of religious belief. This demonstrates that science should and can examine religious belief issues, thereby cautioning people to adopt a scientifically rational attitude toward religious belief rather than following it blindly. (Sun Qian, "What Should Become the Foundation and Guiding Force of Modern Civilization: A Review of Science and Religion: Are They Compatible?", serialized in Science and Atheism, 2013-2014).

(II) Scientific Atheism and Religious Research

1. Research on Marxist Religious Studies

In an interview with Marxist Studies, Professor Du Jiwen pointed out that "studying religion" urgently requires "rectifying errors and restoring order" (zhuanluan fanzheng), and that "critiquing theology" must undergo "remedial lessons" (buke). Subsequently, the views in this interview were criticized in an article by another scholar. In response, Du wrote an article pointing out that, overall, regarding Mao Zedong’s instruction to "study religion," the mainstream of the research field has succeeded, while an undercurrent has changed "research" into "propaganda." Therefore, we must "rectify errors and restore order" to restore the original face of religious research. Regarding Mao's instruction to "critique theology," basically nothing has been done; on the contrary, the "construction of theology" is flourishing. Thus, "remedial lessons must be carried out" to maintain the dominance of scientific rationality. We cannot interpret freedom of religious belief as religious anarchism. We must not allow the guidance of the "Marxist view of religion" to replace the guidance of Marxism itself; such a substitution is dangerous, as it not only severs the integrity of Marxism but also tends to shift the direction in practice, interfering with or even obstructing the overall strategy of the Party and the state. "Religious studies research" should apply the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method to conduct scientific research on religious issues, rather than completely adopting the methods of Western "religious studies." Regarding Chairman Mao’s "critique of theology," some understand it as synonymous with "studying theology," which is completely different. Regarding "academic theology," first, there is fundamentally no such thing as "atheist" theology; second, "Sino-Christian theology" or "academic theology" avoids discussing "whether God exists" and refuses to identify the "truth or falsehood" of faith in God, which is very strange. The reasons given for the necessity of constructing "academic theology" in contemporary China are untenable, and the "extra-ecclesial" nature of academic theology is suspicious. In the past 20 years, a rather powerful hegemonic force has emerged in the field of "religious studies" in China, and atheism has been comprehensively besieged. One cannot hold differing opinions against the "authorities" and "experts" therein; otherwise, it becomes a matter of irreconcilable enmity, and the means of retaliation are diverse and terrifying. (Du Jiwen, "What Sort of 'Religious View' and 'Religious Studies'? Also on 'Academic Theology'—A Reply to Scientifically Researching the Marxist View of Religion to Develop Chinese Religious Studies", Marxist Studies, No. 3, 2014).

Professor Jin Yijiu of the CASS Institute of World Religions, through a re-reading of Engels’ May 1853 letter to Marx, combined with the current Islamic revival, proposed a new understanding of Islam. Looking at the entire process of Muhammad’s founding of the religion, he openly condemned wealthy merchants and aristocrats for betraying ancient customs. He followed the practice of nomads raiding caravans to obtain spoils, opposed idolatry, and called for a return to the monotheistic faith of the ancestors—methods of "invoking antiquity to reform the present" (tuogu gaizhi). "Muhammad’s religious revolution" and the "Islamic revolution" were social transformations completed through the use of relevant scriptures during the process of founding the religion; the religious revolution and social transformation were two sides of the same coin, proceeding in tandem. The author affirms the correctness of Engels' scientific judgment that the Islamic revolution was merely an "apparent reaction" and a "false restoration and return to simplicity." The current Islamic revival is merely a re-emergence of the appeal for "restoration and return to simplicity"; the appeal of "invoking antiquity to reform the present" remains the basic method of the Islamic revival. The development of the Islamic revival inevitably leads to the politicization of Islam—that is, interpreting religious issues from a political angle. The concept of the unity of church and state still dominates the thoughts and actions of some people today. (Jin Yijiu, "Notes on Re-reading the Correspondence of Engels to Marx," Science and Atheism, No. 3, 2014).

Professor Li Shen of Shanghai师范大学 (Shanghai Normal University) conducted research on the contributions of Ren Jiyu, the pioneer and founder of the Chinese Marxist study of religion. He noted that from the publication of Collected Essays on Buddhist Thought in the Han and Tang Dynasties to the advancement of the proposition that "we must not only escape poverty, but also escape ignorance," Mr. Ren Jiyu opened a new Marxist direction for religious studies in China and laid a solid and rich academic foundation. The works on religion edited or guided by him have become foundational texts for the Chinese Marxist study of religion, making significant contributions in several ways. Specifically: first, Ren Jiyu consciously applied the basic principles of the Marxist study of religion to his research, providing models for using Marxism to guide the study of religious issues through his own works; second, he established Chinese Marxist religious research institutions and planned their implementation programs, providing specific guidance for the field; third, he carried out preparatory work regarding materials and theory; fourth, he correctly understood the nature of traditional Chinese culture and proposed the theory that "Confucianism is a religion" ^[13]; fifth, he maintained a scientific atheist stance, regarding the "critique of theology" as one of the important tasks of the Marxist study of religion; he advanced the proposition that "we must not only escape poverty, but also escape ignorance," persisting in the objectives of the Marxist study of religion. (Source: Li Shen, "Ren Jiyu—The Pioneer and Founder of the Chinese Marxist Study of Religion," Journal of Shanghai Normal University (Philosophy & Social Sciences Edition), No. 1, 2014).

Associate Professor Bai Hong pointed out that during the process of the Soviet Union's disintegration, religious factors played a highly destructive role. The author argues that it is necessary not only to profoundly understand the basic attributes of religion and comprehensively grasp the relationship between religion and socialist society, but also to strive to raise the level and standard of atheist education and correctly handle religious issues entangled with political and ethnic problems. The painful lesson of the Soviet collapse tells us that failing to strike hard against "religious infiltration" activities carried out by overseas hostile forces will indeed endanger the security of our socialist ideology and even the stability of the socialist state power. (Source: Bai Hong, "Historical Inspirations from the Former Soviet Union’s Handling of Religious Issues in Socialist Society—From the Perspective of Religious Factors in the Disintegration of the Soviet Union," Journal of Jinan University (Philosophy & Social Sciences Edition), No. 8, 2014).

2. Atheism, Religion, and Morality

Zhu Weiqun, Director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee of the CPPCC National Committee ^[14], emphasized once again that the principle that Party members cannot believe in religion must not be shaken. He pointed out that a widespread misconception suggests that the lack of religious belief has led to the current moral decline in Chinese society, and that so many Party members and cadres falling before money, beauty, and power is due to a lack of religious moral constraints. To blame the decline of social moral standards on atheism is a rather ancient fallacy. China's history and reality show that the claim that the immoral behavior of Chinese people is caused by an insufficient number of religious believers is completely untenable. Regarding the corrupt elements produced within our Party, while some are indeed non-believers, there is no shortage of religious zealots among them as well. He clearly stated that our Party's task is to lead the religious community to play a positive role in the construction of social morality, rather than helping them turn more people in society—or even Communist Party members—into religious believers. (Source: Zhu Weiqun, "The Principle that 'Party Members Cannot Believe in Religion' is Unshakeable," Global Times, November 14, 2014).

Regarding the issue of morality and religion, the Global Times published a series of articles. Some scholars pointed out that what China needs is secular morality, not religion. Currently, many people are being led by the nose by popular opinion, believing that the phenomenon of moral sliding in Chinese society occurs because China lacks religion. This judgment, conforming to the current trend, is truly short-sighted. In fact, the reason Western society was able to become so advanced and powerful today is absolutely inseparable from the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. The core of this movement for ideological liberation was to put people first and to break free from the shackles of religion—particularly the shackles of religious morality and decrees on people's thoughts and behavior. Only after the Enlightenment, as Europe and America entered modern society, did secular morality gradually become established. Over the past century, the trend of fawning over the West has caused China to discard its own traditions. Now, as social morality slides, people have been deluded into trying to pick up Western trash as an antidote. To realize the "Chinese Dream," we must first re-recognize the value of our excellent traditional culture, and on this basis, "discard the dross and select the essential, eliminate the false and retain the true" ^[15], developing a moral value system truly suited to modern China. This is the correct path, rather than using Western prescriptions that have long since expired to govern China. (Source: Liu Yang, "What China Needs is Secular Morality, Not Religion," Global Times, January 3, 2014).

Professor Shen Guiping of the Central Institute of Socialism pointed out that religion cannot support modern social values. In contemporary Chinese society, negative phenomena such as the manufacturing and sale of counterfeit goods, corruption, and social apathy are frequent, and various ethnic and religious disputes, separatist activities, and violent terrorist incidents appear from time to time. While all of this impacts healthy economic development, social harmony and stability, and even national security, it also causes psychological confusion, moral crises, and even a loss of faith among the people. Some people hope to use religious belief and religious awe to resolve social problems, even seeking value support from religion to promote cultural enlightenment, political harmony, and long-term national stability. However, throughout history, religion can be a positive force for social stability and harmony, but it can also be a negative force that divides ethnic groups, keeps the people in ignorance, and hinders innovation. Especially in a society undergoing profound change and rapid transformation, this double-edged sword effect of religion is particularly prominent. In the past, we were lost for a long time in a simplistic negation of religion; today, we must not fall into a new misreading that over-revering religion. Contemporary society recognizes the special role of religious values as a guide for some citizens, but this does not mean treating religion as the pillar of human civilization or the core value of national and social development to be promoted. In the current complex environment, the governing party's grasp of the social role of religion must be clear-headed, firm in will, and powerful in action. (Source: Shen Guiping, "Religion Cannot Support Modern Social Values," Global Times, January 23, 2014).

3. Religious Studies and Religious Work

Zhu Xiaoming, President of the Chinese Atheism Society and a research fellow, pointed out that Socialist Core Values are the ideological foundation for trans-ethnic political identity in our country. From historical experience, the Marxist class perspective and method of class analysis once served as the ideological basis for trans-ethnic political identity. However, the method of class analysis has its scope of application; for the whole of society, there is a need for common values that can transcend ethnic and religious differences and unite the hearts of the people. The characteristic of international politics in the "post-Cold War era" is "fragmentation," which has formed an ideological vacuum, allowing ideologies like populism and religious extremism to emerge in a pose of anti-hegemonism. This has a major impact on China. At this juncture, the proposal of Socialist Core Values provides a new opportunity for reconstructing the ideological foundation of political identity. In our ethnic and religious work, we must seize prominent problems, expand social identity while respecting differences, and form an ideological consensus while tolerating diversity. Under current circumstances, opposing religious extremism is an urgent task and a long-term struggle. Serious violent terrorist incidents and self-immolation incidents have already violated the law; their nature is no longer an ethnic or religious issue. Therefore, we must politically and legally distinguish religious extremism from specific ethnic groups and religions, so as to unite the patriotic forces of all ethnic groups and religions to the greatest extent possible and form the broadest patriotic united front against religious extremism. (Source: Zhu Xiaoming, "Socialist Core Values are the Ideological Foundation for Trans-ethnic Political Identity," Science and Atheism, No. 5, 2014).

Research fellow Tian Xinming pointed out that to persist in seeking truth from facts in religious research, one must proceed from the basic contradictory fact that religious theism exists in social life while God does not exist in the world. To look at religious phenomena apart from the basic fact that there is no God in the world, or to refuse to comment on the truth or falsehood of religious theism, is to depart from the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method, and fails to achieve an objective study of religious historical facts. Religious research should seek out the inherent laws of religion rather than inventing laws. That religion must adapt to society is an objective law derived from historical reality; actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society is the conscious application of this law. The idea that "if society is good, religion will be good" is a subjectively fabricated connection that deviates from the scientific spirit of seeking truth from facts. (Source: Tian Xinming, "How Religious Research Can Achieve Seeking Truth from Facts," Ideological and Theoretical Education Guide, No. 11, 2014).

Jia Runguo, research fellow and Deputy Director of the Religious Research Center of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, pointed out that religion is both a social entity and an ideology. Therefore, religious work is both important management and service work and important ideological work. To do a good job in religious work under the new conditions, we must strengthen both the management of religious affairs and the promotion and education of scientific atheism. He suggested that the Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Education set up specialized agencies to plan and guide the propaganda and education system in carrying out the work of "studying religion and critiquing theology." We must use scientific and persistent atheist education to curb the trend of excessively rapid religious development and the continuous expansion of religious influence, and give play to the role of scientific thought and advanced culture as foundational work in resisting overseas infiltration utilizing religion. (Source: Jia Runguo, "Improving the Pattern of Religious Work and Fully Doing a Good Job in Religious Work," Science and Atheism, No. 5, 2014).

The task force of the Center for China Rural Governance at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, in its project report "The Current State of the Spread of Western Religions in Rural China," argued that Western religions centered on Christianity (including religions based on the Bible: Catholicism, Protestantism, and Christian heretical organizations, namely indigenous cult organizations such as "Eastern Lightning" and "Three Redeems Christ") have, after nearly 30 years of development, completely replaced traditional religions and forms of folk belief to become the dominant religions in our countryside. This process is still accelerating. In the last 30 years, rural society has undergone tremendous social change and structural transformation, leading to many individual, family, and social problems. Protestantism happened to "meet" the needs of rural society just after the religious opening policy of the early 1980s and provided a timely response, thereby rapidly occupying the space of belief in the countryside. Among these Western religions, Protestantism plays a dominant role. Among the five major religions recognized by our country, over 95% of Protestant believers are in the countryside; underground Protestantism (house churches and cults) has developed at a shocking speed in recent years, accounting for about 70% of Protestantism. Regionally, traditional forms of belief in Northern rural areas are nearing exhaustion, while various forms of Western religion are flowering, bearing fruit, and spreading rapidly everywhere; here, Protestant believers already account for 10% to 15% of the total population, with a rapid growth trend. In Southern rural areas, the belief system centered on ancestor worship remains relatively intact, constituting an antibody against Western religions that prevents their smooth entry; however, surveys show that the Southern belief system is also moving toward disintegration. Relatively speaking, Northern rural areas have a deeper understanding of Protestantism, where ordinary believers and the masses can clearly distinguish between "government-permitted" Protestantism and "heretical" Protestantism. In Southern rural areas, because regular Protestantism has developed slowly, what is often actively spread are Christian cults; people have no concept of "orthodox vs. evil" and cannot distinguish between them. Furthermore, the subtle relationship between the Protestant "Three-Self" Patriotic Movement churches, house churches, and Christian cults cannot be ignored. Exchanges between "Three-Self" churches and house churches are very frequent; in particular, the new generation of clergy and church managers has almost no identity distinction between the two, and they hold nearly identical views on modern Chinese history, overseas churches, and foundations. "Three-Self" churches even raise large amounts of funds from overseas through house churches. Meanwhile, indigenous Christian cult organizations emerge directly from house churches. The spread of Protestantism in our countryside is characterized by extreme intolerance. In summary, the spread of Protestantism in rural China is not a matter of the level of economic development, but fundamentally a question of the strength or weakness of the rural areas' own traditional culture and value subjectivity. (Source: Dong Leiming and Yang Hua, "The Current State of the Spread of Western Religions in Rural China—Research Report of the Xiuyuan Foundation," Cultural Vertical and Horizontal (Wenhua Zongheng), June 5, 2014).

Researcher Yang Hua points out that in recent years, illegal religion has developed rapidly in the countryside, leading to dire political and social consequences. "Illegal religion" refers to Western religions that have not registered with the government or do not recognize government leadership, primarily including Christian house churches. According to investigations conducted in rural areas across many parts of the country, illegal religion spreads using the family as a vehicle. It requires followers to withdraw from their original interpersonal networks and abandon the village’s moral and value judgments, leading to conflict, disputes, and even fragmentation among family members. As illegal religion spreads and grows in the countryside, its internal elements have begun to interpret modern and contemporary Chinese history through a Christian historical lens, distorting it into a history of Christianity resisting oppression by "pagans" and the political regime to gradually achieve free development. Rural illegal religion denies Chinese civilization, rejects traditional rural beliefs, and dismembers the subjectivity ^[16] of traditional rural culture and values. In many areas, it intervenes in village political and social affairs, participates in elections for Villagers' Committees and deputies to the People's Congress, instigates village factional struggles, and contends with the Party and government for leadership in the countryside. These issues are inextricably linked to a series of problems that have emerged in rural areas over more than 30 years, such as governance dilemmas, ethical crises, the loss of values, and spiritual emptiness. Therefore, to govern illegal religion in the countryside, one must first strengthen the Party’s organizational building in rural areas and enhance the Party's capacity to lead the countryside. Investment in and construction of rural infrastructure, public services, and public welfare undertakings should be increased to provide farmers with a convenient, comfortable social and natural environment in which they can live and work in peace and contentment. Supervision of house churches must be strengthened, even to the point of banning them. Cult organizations ^[17] that have broken away from house churches should be struck down "with great fanfare" throughout the country; only in this way can potential cult criminals be deterred and the majority of ordinary farmers be educated. (Yang Hua: "Injecting ‘Antibodies’ into the Countryside to Resist Illegal Religion," Global Times, June 16, 2014.)

Zhejiang Province launched the "Three Modifications and One Demolition" ^[18] campaign, but encountered difficulties when demolishing illegal religious buildings. An editorial in the Zhejiang Daily pointed out that those engaging in illegal construction under the banner of religion exploit the public’s lack of information and misunderstanding of the Party’s religious policy to bewitch public opinion, turn black into white, and smear the campaign by claiming it obstructs the freedom of religious belief. However, even in the United States, which flaunts the "greatest freedom" of religion, its religious affairs management regulations implement the principle of "absolute freedom of belief, limited freedom of practice," restraining and regulating religious activities through a large number of judicial precedents. A modern state under the rule of law does not allow any individual or organization to stand above the law, and religion and religious figures are no exception. Some people with ulterior motives deliberately confuse the two completely different concepts of "religious belief" and "religious affairs," conflating the demolition of illegal religious buildings with the restriction of freedom of religious belief to mislead the public. They further attempt to use "freedom of religious belief" as a cloak to cover their private interests in illegal construction and the encroachment on public interests, thereby hijacking public opinion and even attempting to "file complaints with foreigners" ^[19] and use foreign influence to challenge the government to achieve their unspeakable ends. We must hold the bottom line of justice and fairness, using legality versus illegality as the sole yardstick. We must recognize the essence of illegal religious buildings, see through the tactics of those donning a religious cloak, and maintain a clear head, speak with conviction, show courage in assuming responsibility, and dare to tackle the toughest issues during the "Three Modifications and One Demolition" involving religious matters. (Staff Commentator: "Does 'Three Modifications and One Demolition' Obstruct Freedom of Religious Belief?", Zhejiang Daily, June 30, 2014.)

(3) Resisting Religious Infiltration and Curbing Religious Extremist Ideology

1. Resisting religious infiltration and upholding the separation of education and religion

Researcher Xi Wuyi points out that the global expansion strategy of Christian neoconservatism has become a tool of US hegemonism. The US Congress passed the "International Religious Freedom Act of 1998," which constitutes the expansion of a global Christian strategy through state power. China has become a key region for international religious right-wing forces to spread the Christian gospel. Foreign religious infiltration has become one of the most important factors threatening our national security; its strategic intent is to change China’s ideology and political system. We should attach importance to the "legal infiltration" by overseas Christian right-wing forces. The promotion of the spread of Christianity in China by overseas right-wing forces is, in essence, a form of cultural colonialism and ideological infiltration. Western religious right-wing forces are particularly adept at using legal channels to penetrate our cultural, educational, and academic research fronts to cultivate their strength and propagate their worldview, values, and political outlook, setting themselves in opposition to our country's mainstream ideology. To provide theoretical weapons for resisting the infiltration of foreign religious theology from an ideological and cultural perspective, we should vigorously strengthen the academic discipline of scientific atheism. (Xi Wuyi: "Scientific Atheism is the Ideological Weapon to Resist Foreign Religious Infiltration," Science and Atheism, 2014, No. 3.)

Some scholars point out that since the Reform and Opening-up, and especially since the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, universities have become the main battlefield for ideological infiltration by foreign hostile forces, with the situation of religious infiltration being particularly severe. The intensified infiltration of Chinese universities by foreign forces using religion is a major reason for the growth in the number of religious university students in recent years. The specific channels for religious infiltration include: proselytizing in person by full-time personnel; proselytizing to students through the distribution of religious literature; proselytizing via the internet; using "cultural exchanges" and "academic research" activities in universities to proselytize; and using radio and television for "aerial proselytization." This religious infiltration poses a serious impact and challenge to the dissemination of mainstream values in universities, and its fundamental purpose is not to spread religion, but to implant values. We must understand the resistance to foreign religious infiltration in universities at the level of the national ideological security strategy; carry out education on the Marxist view of religion; strictly manage campus religious activities in accordance with regulations on the management of religious activities; build a joint mechanism to resist foreign religious infiltration; and especially strengthen network supervision to build a technical platform for network information security. (Mo Yueyun and Li Na: "The Infiltration of Foreign Religions into Our Universities is Pervasive," Huxiang Forum, 2014, No. 2.)

Some scholars point out that the development of the internet has ignited a transformation in contemporary religious development. The network has not only changed the ways religion is disseminated, further dissolving the dominant position of traditional religious authority and giving individuals more choices, but has also exacerbated the chaos of religious information, creating difficulties for actual supervision. Foreign hostile forces are increasingly using the internet to carry out religious infiltration in our universities. The reusable nature, shareability, immediacy of information transmission, and lack of geographical restrictions of network resources have significantly reduced the costs of money, time, and manpower for foreign religious infiltration, allowing for a greater expansion of infiltration activities. The network has consolidated the core of religious forces and increased the difficulty of our anti-infiltration work; network infiltration is concealed, making supervision more difficult; network infiltration has even opened the era of "private customization" for religious infiltration in universities; and religious violent-terrorist ideology may also use the network to infiltrate universities. (Wang Xiaohua and Lun Yumin: "Research on Building a Long-term Mechanism for Universities to Resist Network Infiltration by Religious Forces," Science and Atheism, 2014, No. 5.)

2. Curbing religious extremist ideology and opposing violent terrorism

On May 22, 2014, a violent terrorist incident occurred in Urumqi, Xinjiang, causing a large number of innocent civilian casualties. This was one of the bloodiest incidents created by violent terrorists in China in recent years.

Zhu Weiqun, Director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the CPPCC, pointed out that religious extremism is an illegal, criminal, and socially harmful ideology and behavior wrapped in a religious cloak; to oppose religious extremism, a single-approach will not work; we must proceed from reality, mobilize all forces, and implement comprehensive measures. At present, the focus of the crackdown is on religious extremism that aims to split the country and uses violent terrorism as a means. Religious extremism of various stripes came to China from abroad alongside the plots of imperialism to split China. For example, "East Turkestan" ideology did not originate in Xinjiang, but came from Pan-Turkism among Russian Tatar intellectuals and Pan-Islamism from the declining Ottoman Empire at the end of the 19th century. These "Two Pans" ^[20] influenced China's Xinjiang along with imperialist aggression. Therefore, from the beginning, they served foreign forces in their attempt to divide and disintegrate China. The overflow of modern religious extremism in West Asia and Central Asia is related to the aggression and bullying of countries in these regions by the West, led by the United States. Western hegemonist acts provoked resistance from the local people, and religious extremism became the ideological weapon and means of resistance. In recent decades, religious extremist forces in some foreign countries have tried their best to infiltrate China, especially the western regions. In some places, a tendency toward the "pan-religionization" of social life and the "de-Sinicization" of religion has appeared, such as encouraging women to wear "black robes." Although we cannot equate the tendency of religious de-Sinicization with religious extremism, this tendency can indeed cause our believers to lose their power of discernment and their vigilance against foreign religious extremism. In addition, religious extremism is also related to the lack of economic development and the underdevelopment of cultural and educational undertakings in some areas, as well as relatively closed thinking. Only through openness and enlightenment can religious extremism be fundamentally eliminated. In short, the most direct, fastest, and most urgent task at present is to severely crack down on groups spreading religious extremist ideas, cut off communication channels, and transform "underground preaching points." At the same time, we must expand industrial fields, develop new quality productive forces, and place more economic support for Xinjiang into those industries that can increase employment. We must adhere to a secular orientation for social life as a whole, specifically improving the scientific and cultural levels of farmers and herdsmen in remote areas and increasing their ability to identify religious extremism. Opposing religious extremism requires the whole country to act as a single chessboard, with various regions and fields cooperating with each other; only then will it be possible to fundamentally rectify this scourge. (Zhu Weiqun: "Opposing Religious Extremism Requires Comprehensive Measures," China Ethnic News, May 27, 2014.)

Researcher Xi Wuyi points out that religious extremism is an extremist trend of thought under the banner of religion, and it is often the product of the degeneration of religious extremist sects. The "September 11" terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001 made Islamic extremism a focus of world attention. Religious extremism bred by various fundamentalist sects, combined with violent terrorism and ethnic separatism, poses a huge security threat to international order and regional stability. An important mission of international Islamic extremist forces is to establish an "East Turkestan Islamic State" in Xinjiang. Recently, the violent terrorist activities of "East Turkestan" have shown an escalating trend. From the "October 28" Jinshui Bridge terrorist attack at Tiananmen in 2013, to the "March 1" violent terrorist case at Kunming Railway Station in Yunnan in 2014, and the "May 22" Urumqi terrorist attack, violent terrorist incidents have spread from the frontiers to the interior, their frequency has accelerated, and their purpose has evolved from "ethnic separatism" to "religious state-building," seriously trampling on human rights and threatening national security. Religious extremism is the spiritual pillar of violent terrorist activities. It takes two forms: a violent terrorist form and a non-violent form, i.e., extremist ideological concepts and lifestyles. Religious bigotry and intolerance toward others are important characteristics of religious extremism. After "September 11," "Wahhabism," represented by bin Laden's "jihadist decree," spread rapidly across the globe. With the spread of Wahhabism in Xinjiang and other places in China, the deep Sufi traditions among Muslim groups in Kashi (Kashgar), Shadian, Yiwu, and elsewhere were gradually replaced. Foreign religious forces use religious extremist ideas to incite some inexperienced young people to follow blindly, even setting them on the path of no return to engage in violent terrorist activities, making them victims of their political plots; they bewilder and entice religious believers to launch "jihad" through suicide attacks and other brutal methods, advocate theocratic political theory, instigate religious believers to resist government management, advocate "infidel" theory to isolate non-believers, Party members, cadres, and patriotic religious figures, and advocate the supremacy of religion to reject long-standing ethnic customs and traditional culture, forcing young men to grow long beards and women to wear face-covering veils and robes. Since the main objects of religious extremist preaching and proselytizing are the followers of the original religion, patriotic religious figures bear a particularly important mission in the work of resisting foreign religious extremism. (Xi Wuyi: "Religious Extremism Challenges the Bottom Line of Human Civilization"; this article is the author's speech at the seminar "Resisting Religious Extremism and Safeguarding Ethnic Unity" jointly organized by the Central Institute of Ethnic Cadres and China Ethnic News on May 22, 2014. China Ethnic News published an abstract of the article on May 27, 2014, and changed the title to "Patriotic Religious Figures Bear a Particularly Important Mission in Resisting Religious Extremism.")

(4) Research on Destructive Cultic Groups (Cults)

On May 28, 2014, an incident occurred in a McDonald's restaurant in Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province, where members of the "Church of Almighty God" ^[21] cult brutally murdered an innocent citizen, shocking the entire nation. "Almighty God," also known as "Eastern Lightning" or the "Real God," derives its doctrine from the citation and distortion of the Christian Bible, primarily engaging in illegal activities under the guise of "Christianity." It emerged in Henan in 1993; its core propaganda claim is that "God has become incarnate for the second time in the image of an Eastern female, descending upon China to save the world"—the so-called "Female Christ." The current decline of the countryside and its "spiritual impoverishment" have provided the social soil for the development of the "Almighty God" cult. (Zhang Qingning: "Rural Decay and Spiritual Impoverishment: The Social Soil of 'Almighty God,'" Economic Observer Online, June 1, 2014).

Researcher Liu Rui points out that the spread of cults is inextricably linked to the proliferation of underground churches. Although the latter are not entirely equivalent to cults, they often carry a "proto-cultist" (偏邪教) color, and their spread warrants vigilance from the whole of society. Underground churches possess three typical characteristics: secrecy, cult-like tendencies, and "feudal" ^[22] nature. These underground churches mostly gather in homes, making their meetings and proselytizing extremely secretive; their activities carry cult-like overtones, and while their content originates from the Bible—initially citing scriptures as authority—they later carry out "creations" in doctrine. Underground churches promote their benefits by claiming they can cure diseases and avert disasters, that believers can ascend to heaven, and that non-believers will face retribution. They often spread through daily life, kinship ties, and "religiosity" (i.e., doctrine, rituals, enclaves, and religious experiences). Compared to their organizational capacity, missionary skill, and expansionary drive, traditional cultural beliefs appear quite weak. At present, the construction of public culture in rural China occupies a position of mere "formalities" ^[23]; farmers require spiritual sustenance and a public cultural life, and underground churches are precisely exploiting the cracks in the structural and value transitions of the countryside to rapidly penetrate and spread. (Liu Rui: "The Proliferation of Rural Underground Churches Accompanied by 'Almighty God' Style Cults," Guancha.cn, May 31, 2014).

Some scholars point out that field research shows underground churches and cults are spreading extremely rapidly, especially in North and Central China, where the situation is severe. Their spread relies primarily on blood and kinship ties, giving them strong stability. Their dissemination strategies are extremely sophisticated, with Party members, cadres, the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled appearing as primary targets. This is because the religious belief of Party members and cadres has an extremely strong "demonstration effect" in "societies of acquaintances" ^[24], while the elderly and infirm are the most susceptible to conversion. Both underground churches and cults are committed to establishing rigorous grassroots organizational networks. Unregistered, non-"Three-Self" ^[25] churches exist widely in the countryside, and local religious departments generally do not forcefully eliminate them. This undoubtedly provides the soil for the spread of extremist religious thought and cults; groups like "Almighty God" mix among them, "passing off fish eyes for pearls" ^[26], making it difficult for ordinary people to identify them. In recent years, grassroots governance capacity has seriously degenerated. Therefore, the governance of faith should combine "blocking and venting" (疏堵结合): resolutely cracking down on cults while effectively guiding folk religions; resolutely striking the ringleaders while strengthening the education of ordinary followers. Simultaneously, rural cultural construction should be increased, especially the strengthening of grassroots governance capacity, to compress the survival space of underground churches and cults to the greatest extent possible. (Lü Dewen: "Party Members and Cadres are Key Targets of Cult Proselytizing," Global Times, June 3, 2014).

(5) Science and Religion

Professor Li Xingmin of the Journal of Dialectics of Nature at the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed scholars' views on the relationship between science and religion, categorizing them into four models: mutual conflict, mutual benefit, complete separation, and peaceful coexistence plus "dialogue and complementarity." Those holding the conflict view include not only philosophers like Russell and Whitehead, but also the sociologist of science Joseph Ben-David, the scientist Schrödinger, and religious leaders like Luther and Calvin. The reasons for conflict are as follows: the sharp opposition of basic concepts and essential attributes; the stubborn adherence of theologians and clergy to outdated doctrines and dogmas; the contradiction between the worship of authority and respect for facts; the crossing of boundaries by either science or religion; and the development of science impairing the interests of religion or the clergy in certain respects. The view that science and religion are mutually beneficial is also identified by many scientists and historians of science, though the "God" these scientists discuss is not a personal God. Many historians and sociologists of science, such as George Sarton and Robert Merton, hold the "complete separation" view. It was based on this principle that American scientists in 1972 rejected the demand to treat "Creationism" as equal to evolution in textbooks. Some are dissatisfied with the above three views and choose the "peaceful coexistence to dialogue and complementarity" perspective, which many theologians strive to prove.

Professor Yu Qiming of Minzu University of China examined three types of religious belief among scientists: pantheists, theists who are also deists, and religious believers who promote religious theology. The results show that the scientific research activities of natural scientists are unrelated to their religious beliefs. The author points out that the "intuition" and "inspiration" mentioned in scientific methodology are fundamentally different from "revelatory experience" in religion. It is certainly one-sided to believe that "scientific discovery is merely the reasoning of existing knowledge"; scientific discovery also requires the study of visual thinking, modeling methods, thought experiments, intuition, and inspiration, and it needs to expand traditional reasoning into complex forms including creative reasoning. All of these are entirely unrelated to "religion and its theology." (Yu Qiming: "How to View the Religious Beliefs of Natural Scientists," Science Popularization Research, Issue 2, 2014). Professor Li Xingmin analyzed the religious status of many scientists in history and reached the same conclusion: whether a scientist believes in a religion and which religion they believe in is entirely a private matter and is unrelated to their engagement in the scientific profession. (Li Xingmin: "On the Similarities and Differences between Science and Religion," Social Science Forum, Issue 3, 2014).

(6) Publicity and Education Work on Scientific Atheism

Researcher Zhu Xiaoming points out the need to strengthen publicity and education on scientific atheism for Party members and cadres. For a long time, certain ideological obstacles have existed in theoretical and practical work, causing the discourse of scientific atheism—which should occupy a dominant position in socialist ideology—to wither. We need to break through five ideological obstacles: First, we must comprehensively understand and implement the basic principles and policies of religious work. Second, we cannot replace atheism education with general Marxist education. Third, the view that atheist thought is simple or shallow is incorrect. Fourth, strengthening atheism publicity and education is not contradictory to implementing the policy of freedom of religious belief or uniting with religious figures and religious masses. Fifth, forming a patriotic united front with religious circles in political action does not equate to endorsing idealism. (Zhu Xiaoming: "Strengthen Publicity and Education on Scientific Atheism for Party Members and Cadres," Red Flag Manuscript, Issue 4, 2014).

Researcher Xi Wuyi points out that currently, religious proselytizing in institutions of higher education is shifting from the shadows to the open; in particular, the "Sino-Christian Theology" (汉语神学) movement has entered university lecture halls and national research institutions. The "latent" method of university Christian dissemination is to enter the field of teaching and carry out cultural missionizing. The infiltration of religious factors into teaching is manifested in religious tendencies in classroom teaching, the lecturing of theology, and even the publication of theological works. A significant indicator is the rising number of religious-related dissertations, many of which show a tendency to promote religion. Some university professors have even suggested to central governing departments that national key universities should be opened up to cooperate with seminaries to train clergy. The author explicitly states that there is no place for God or deities in public secular universities. Our opposition to the infiltration of religious belief into education is an implementation of the spirit of the "rule of law" and the national law on the "separation of education and religion"; it is not hostility toward religious believers. (Xi Wuyi: "Public Secular Universities Have No Place for God or Deities," Chinese Social Sciences Today, Dec 26, 2014, p. A07).

A scholar conducted an investigation into the religious status of students at Tarim University in Xinjiang, showing that 21.8% of university students hold religious beliefs. Among Han students, 5.5% have religious beliefs, while among ethnic minority students, the figure is 48.6%. The author proposes that we must guide and help students establish a correct view of religion by vigorously promoting scientific atheist thought and establishing a scientific model for ideological and political education. We must establish an early warning mechanism to resolutely resist religious infiltration, never allowing religious preachers or religious propaganda materials to enter campuses, and suppressing illegal religious gatherings. (Maimaiti Akemu: "Status, Causes, and Countermeasures of University Students' Religious Beliefs in Xinjiang: A Case Study of Tarim University," Business, Issue 21, 2014).

Scientific atheism is one of the philosophical foundations of the core socialist value system, a happy way of life, and an important path for building a harmonious society. Strengthening research, publicity, and education on scientific atheism is a consistent policy of the Chinese Communists. The "prospects are bright, but the road is tortuous." ^[27] We firmly believe that the construction of the discipline of scientific atheism will play a uniquely important role in strengthening the construction of the ideological sphere and maintaining national cultural security.

(The author is the Director of the Research Center for Science and Atheism at CASS, a Researcher at the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS, and concurrently serves as the Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the China Atheism Society.)