Zhu Weiqun: Clearly Uphold and Promote Atheism
The theoretical origin and foundation of socialism with Chinese characteristics is Marxism, while the Marxist worldview is dialectical materialism and historical materialism, of which atheism is a foundational component. Therefore, our adherence to the theory and cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics naturally includes upholding and developing Marxist atheism. The National Conference on Religious Work held in April pointed out in no uncertain terms: it is a major principle that Party members must adhere to Marxist atheism. How to consistently ensure that Marxist atheism maintains its dominant position as the mainstream ideology in the minds of the masses is a major task we must face. Party cadres, especially leading cadres and those working in religious affairs, must reflect deeply on this.
Marxist Atheism Belongs to the Mainstream Ideology
Always maintaining the dominant position of Marxist atheism as the mainstream ideology in the minds of the masses is a result of our Party’s use of the religious theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics to conduct a scientific analysis of religious phenomena in our society. It is also an inevitable conclusion drawn from the great practice of the people’s revolution and socialist construction led by the Party. The ruling forces of old China utilized religious idealism to consolidate their dominance, but their own existence was very "material" indeed, and could never be shaken by the "psychological adjustment" or "moral edification" functions of religion. Furthermore, under those historical conditions, religion as a whole "adapted" to rather than resisted the colonial, semi-colonial, and semi-feudal society of the time. In his Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan, Mao Zedong listed divine authority [1] alongside political authority, clan authority, and masculine authority as the four thick ropes binding the Chinese people, especially the peasantry. Although some scholars later labeled this "oversimplification," it was a very real problem facing the cause of the Chinese people's liberation from the very beginning.
In China, Marxist atheism has from the start been not only a doctrine but also a powerful ideological weapon for the people to seek liberation in both material and spiritual dimensions. Supported by this theory, the Party did not guide the people to place their hopes and future in a heavenly kingdom or the afterlife, nor in the protection and revelation of deities, nor in persuasive appeals for kindness from the ruling class. Instead, it relied on the people’s own strength, on the long and arduous "criticism of weapons," and on the deepening of the understanding of the laws governing the Chinese revolution to seize final victory step by step. The Party's religious work has never been about seeking support from supernatural forces, but about uniting religious believers around the Party to struggle for the realization of the Party's political program. The impact of atheism on our cause is so direct and profound that our Party and army were often directly referred to as the "atheist Party" and the "atheist army."
Facing the long-term and arduous task of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, atheism remains the theoretical cornerstone and ideological weapon for the cause of the Party and the people. Unquestionably, religion will continue to exist in our country for a long time. The broad masses of religious believers are likewise an active force in building the nation and constitute an important foundation for our Party's governance. We cannot equate the opposition between theism and atheism with political opposition. However, as a socialist country led by the Communist Party, we cannot abandon atheism to seek a spiritual pillar in religion. This is true whether we proceed from the worldview of the governing party, from the ongoing practice of building a modernized country, from the need to resist overseas infiltration [2] via religion and ensure national security, or from the need to consolidate the Party’s broadest possible mass base. We cannot adopt a neutral or compromising stance between atheism and theism, nor can we allow theism to spread without limit and become the mainstream ideology. To this end, the Party must not only adhere to Marxist atheism itself but also propagate it to society with a clear-cut stand, popularize scientific and cultural knowledge, and help guide people to draw a clear line between materialism and idealism, atheism and theism, science and superstition, and civilization and ignorance. In particular, we must strengthen the publicity and education of a scientific worldview, including atheism, among young people, guiding them to believe in, study, and spread science.
Adherence to Marxist Atheism is a Prerequisite for Effective Religious Work
Adhering to the major principle of Marxist atheism is also a prerequisite for doing the Party's religious work well. As an ancient social phenomenon, religion has complex class, social, natural, and cognitive roots. These origins—as well as the emergence, development, and eventual disappearance of religion and its social functions—cannot be clearly explained by religious believers; in many cases, these topics are simply forbidden zones. It was only with the emergence of the dialectical materialist worldview, which "explains all historical events and ideas, all politics, philosophy, and religion, by the material, economic conditions of life of the given historical period" (Engels), that the mysterious veil of religion was lifted, and it became possible for people to understand religious phenomena and handle religious issues with a scientific attitude.
Given China’s national conditions—a long history of religion, a great variety of faiths, and a vast number of believers—the reason our Party’s religious work has generally been able to maximize the positive role of religion, neutralize its negative effects, unite believers around the Party and government, and lead religion toward gradual adaptation to socialist society is not because we abandoned atheism or made unprincipled compromises. Rather, it is because we adhered to Marxist atheism, provided a scientific theoretical explanation of religious phenomena, and formulated correct religious policies accordingly.
The Party's religious work consists of atheists doing work among theists, which raises the question of who leads whom and who influences whom within the United Front. In our view, it must naturally be the atheists who politically lead and influence theists, rather than the reverse. The leadership and influence mentioned here are not individual behaviors, nor attempts to change the other party's worldview; rather, they involve upholding Party leadership in the field of religious work and establishing harmonious religious relations and political consensus. The Party’s religious workers within the United Front must especially stand firm on the atheist position and actively play a role in political orientation and guidance. If they become confused in their worldview or even become followers of religion, the result can only be a loss of advantage, effectively acting as a "tail" [3] to religion, whether intentionally or not.
Since the beginning of the New Period [4], great changes have occurred in the religious field. We must not only study the trends of current religious phenomena but also consider what changes religious development might bring to our society in the future. Although various religions have been active throughout China's history, China has never been a religious state, but a secular one. While Chinese culture contains rich religious cultural elements, it is not overall a religious culture, but a secular one. The majority of the Chinese people do not believe in religion or hold a specific fixed religious belief. Immersed in Chinese culture, religious believers possess many distinct Chinese characteristics in their faith; foreign religions tend to undergo "Sinicization" more or less rapidly.
These factors constitute part of China’s national conditions. The fact that our Party, as a materialist and atheist party, was able to grow from among the people and receive their broad, long-term, and firm support—and that its governing status has been so consolidated since taking power—is inseparable from these national conditions. If we allow theism to expand rapidly in our ideological sphere or even become the mainstream ideology, or if we allow certain forces to pursue the "de-Sinicization" or "extremism" of religion, it will inevitably provoke reflection on the ultimate impact this will have on the Party’s guiding ideology and governing foundation. Upholding and propagating atheism has a significance and urgency that far exceeds the scope of religious work.
That Party Members May Not Believe in Religion is a Matter of Political Discipline
Consistently maintaining the dominant position of Marxist atheism as the mainstream ideology among the masses depends on the Party’s correct theoretical guidance and policy implementation, as well as the Party’s requirements regarding the worldview of its members. Since its founding, our Party has consistently upheld and publicly declared its atheist worldview, educated its members in atheism, and implemented the principle that Party members may not believe in religion. During the most difficult stage of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Comrade Mao Zedong publicly declared: "Communists may form an anti-imperialist and anti-feudal united front with some idealists and even religious people in political action, but they can never approve of their idealism or religious doctrines" (On New Democracy). This not only demonstrated the firmness of the Party's worldview but was also a declaration of the political independence and leadership that the Party must maintain within the United Front. For a period of time, some Party members thought that because the markets had opened, the principle that Party members cannot believe in religion could also be "liberalized," and some Party organizations lowered their requirements for the purity of members' worldviews, allowing religious influence to penetrate the minds of some members.
The various negative phenomena in the religious field in recent years are inseparable from the fact that some Party members, especially leading cadres, have bowed their heads to religion in their worldview, seeking their values and beliefs from religion to fill a "spiritual void." It must be specifically pointed out that some scholars use their status and influence to provide various justifications for why Party members should be allowed to believe in religion. Recently, someone even "cleverly" proposed the idea that "believers can join the Party" to bypass the principle repeatedly reaffirmed by the Central Committee that "Party members cannot believe in religion." The logic here is as strange as saying, "Smoking is not allowed indoors, but smokers may come inside." In conducting Marxist atheist education for society, the fields of religious research and teaching must not be exceptions; they should instead better shoulder the responsibility of researching, propagating, and popularizing atheism.
The high degree of consistency between our political program and our worldview—and the fact that Party members do not follow any religion—is a major characteristic and a major advantage that distinguishes our Party from most political parties at home and abroad. It ensures that the Party’s political program, organizational system, and way of thinking are uniformly built on the foundation of a dialectical materialist worldview, thereby gaining powerful cohesion and combat effectiveness. It enables the Party to understand religious phenomena from a scientific perspective, make scientific judgments and decisions, and implement correct political guidance. It also allows religious work cadres to avoid the partiality that inevitably comes with religious belief, truly implementing the principle that "all religions are equal, and the state does not use administrative power to support or suppress any particular religion." If the ban on Party members believing in religion were lifted, the foundation of the Party's unified worldview would be fundamentally disintegrated, the Party would become a loose organization filled with internal religious factions, and the Party's religious work would—at least in part—become a matter of believers working among believers. In the Party's ideological education work, the teaching of atheism and the political discipline requirement that Party members may not believe in religion must not only be ignored but should be treated as a "hard task."