Su Bin and Zuo Peng: Scientific Atheism and Religious Issues Under the New Situation
From December 5 to 6, 2015, the 2015 Academic Annual Conference of the Chinese Atheism Society was held in Beijing. The conference was jointly hosted by the Chinese Atheism Society, the Center for Scientific Atheism Research at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and the University of Science and Technology Beijing. The theme of the conference was "Scientific Atheism and Religious Issues under the New Situation." Over 70 experts and scholars from more than 30 universities, research institutes, and academic groups across 12 provinces and municipalities attended. Participants engaged in extensive and in-depth discussions on topics such as the spirit of the 2015 Central United Front Work Conference [1], basic theoretical issues regarding atheism, Marxism and scientific atheism, scientific atheism publicity and education, and the relationship between the natural sciences and atheism.
I. The "Four Musts" and Religious Work under the New Situation
The Central United Front Work Conference held in May 2015 proposed that religious work is essentially "mass work" [2]. To actively guide religions to adapt to socialist society, we must persist in the direction of Sinicization, must improve the level of the rule of law in religious work, must view the social role of religion dialectically, and must attach importance to the role of personages in religious circles. These "Four Musts" constitute the latest discourse of the Central Committee regarding religious issues and religious work in the New Era and became a hot topic of discussion among participants.
Jia Runguo, Deputy Director of the Research Center of the State Administration for Religious Affairs and Vice President of the Chinese Atheism Society, pointed out in his keynote report titled "Guiding Religious Work with the 'Four Musts'" that the "Four Musts" represent a new development of the Party’s basic policy on religious work by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary, in accordance with the Four Comprehensives strategic layout. They serve as a compass for religious work in the New Era. He argued that we must earnestly study and grasp their rich theoretical and policy connotations and implement them comprehensively. Specifically: "must persist in the direction of Sinicization" clarifies the fundamental purpose, direction, method, and specific goals for guiding religion; we must strengthen our guidance, resolutely guard against the penetration of Western ideology, and consciously resist the influence of religious extremist trends. "Must improve the level of the rule of law in religious work" clarifies the fundamental path, basic principles, and methods for strengthening religious work; we must improve religious work and properly solve prominent problems in the religious field through legal thinking and legal means. "Must view the social role of religion dialectically" diagnoses the crux of the problem and prescribes the correct remedy; we must strengthen education on the Marxist view of religion, unify the thinking of the whole Party, and raise awareness of the importance of religious work. "Must attach importance to the role of personages in religious circles" identifies the key leverage point and direction for strengthening religious work; we must strive to cultivate more representative figures in the religious community and increase efforts to guide religion toward adaptation with socialist society.
Duan Dezhi, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Department of Religious Studies, Wuhan University, gave a keynote report detailing the origins, main content, and basic logic of the book Research on Overseas Religious Penetration and the Drastic Changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. As a significant milestone of the Ministry of Education’s Major Philosophy and Social Science Research Project, "Research on Overseas Religious Penetration and China's Ideological Security Strategy," this book uses historical materialism to interpret the collapse of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe from the perspective of both overseas religious penetration and domestic failures in religious work through the lens of the "theory of historical resultant forces" [3]. On one hand, using detailed and factual materials, it demonstrates that overseas religious penetration—primarily the "Holy Alliance" of the United States and the Vatican—was a major cause of the collapse. Thus, preventing and resisting overseas religious penetration is of extreme importance for maintaining the ideological and national security of socialist states. On the other hand, based on historical facts, it shows that whether a socialist country adopts a "Rightist" political line or a "Leftist" political line [4] on religious issues, both are detrimental to guiding religion toward adaptation with socialist society and to maintaining ideological security. Only by adhering to the Marxist view of religion and the Party’s basic policy can we effectively thwart overseas religious penetration.
Dr. Gao Yong from the School of Marxism at Zhejiang University analyzed the resistance encountered during the "Three Reforms and One Demolition" [5] work in Zhejiang Province, distinguishing between the concepts of "freedom of religious belief" and "religious freedom." He argued that "freedom of religious belief" refers to the aspect of faith; it guarantees the freedom of individual citizens to psychologically choose and believe in a legal religion. It does NOT mean that all religious matters and activities—including religious buildings and organizations—enjoy the freedom to exist outside of legal regulation. "Religious freedom," meanwhile, has a specific connotation: historically and currently, it has been used as a slogan and tool by Western countries to implement "peaceful evolution" [6] against socialist states. It played a significant role in the collapse of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and today it has become a weapon used by hostile forces at home and abroad to resist the Chinese government’s lawful management of religious affairs.
Zhang Xiaochen, a doctoral student at the School of Marxism, University of Science and Technology Beijing, summarized the CPC's laws and regulations regarding the separation of education and religion since the Reform and Opening-up, dividing their evolution into three stages: (1) In the 1980s, centered on the Basic Viewpoints and Policies on Religious Issues During China's Socialist Period [7], the policy of separating education and religion was reaffirmed and enriched, with a focus on religious issues among ethnic minorities and the planned cultivation of religious professionals. (2) In the 1990s, centered on the Notice of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Further Improving Religious Work, the legislative construction of this separation was advanced, while adhering to Marxist guidance in religious work and maintaining high vigilance against overseas penetration via religion. (3) Entering the new century, centered on the Decision of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Strengthening Religious Work, the specific requirements for separating education and religion were refined, legal construction was further strengthened, and efforts to resist overseas penetration were intensified.
Dr. Wang Dongli from the School of Marxism at Minzu University of China analyzed religious issues in the implementation of the "Belt and Road" strategy. She argued that religion is an unavoidable issue in this strategy. To understand it dialectically, one must: first, recognize the history of religious exchange along the Belt and Road, through which Buddhism and Islam entered China; second, recognize the reality of religious pluralism, as the Silk Road spans the Islamic, Orthodox, and Catholic civilization zones, and regions like Xinjiang and Quanzhou (known as the "World Religions Museum") possess diverse traditions; third, recognize the extreme challenge posed by religious extremism to the strategy, which threatens regional security and challenges government authority; fourth, be vigilant against religion "looking Westward," specifically the "Arabization" of Islam and the "Westernization" of Christianity; fifth, prevent religious conflicts along "civilizational fault lines"; and sixth, dialectically recognize the phenomenon of religion "hitchhiking" on the strategy [8].
II. Research on Basic Theoretical Issues of Scientific Atheism
The basic theoretical issues of atheism remained a focus of intense discussion. Du Jiwen, Honorary Member of the CASS and former Director of the Institute of World Religions, pointed out in his speech titled "Humanism is the Feature and Advantage of Traditional Chinese Culture" that the hallmark of Chinese culture is humanism, which originates in labor and love rather than religion. Labor sustains life, and love sustains the continuation of the species; both center on "valuing life" (重生, zhòngshēng). This is manifested in two ways: in the relationship between Heaven and Man, it advocates for "putting people first" (以人为本, yǐ rén wéi běn). The Chinese "Heaven" (Tian) differs from the Western personal God; it refers to our ancestors. In the relationship between the ruler and the people, it advocates that "the people are the most precious" (民为贵, mín wéi guì). While the West emphasizes divinity, China emphasizes humanity. The spirit of "shamans" (wu) and ancestor worship formed China’s religious tradition, which was robust enough to absorb Buddhism. Buddhism succeeded in China because it was humanistic and "atheistic" (in the sense of lacking a creator God). In the modern era, foreign Christianity launched the "Movement to Occupy China," making gains in culture, education, and medicine. However, after the founding of New China in 1949, this issue was resolved; religion withdrew from politics, education, and the public sphere into the private realm of belief. Today, the religious situation in China is no longer the "syncretism of the three teachings" [9], but can be summarized by trends toward "cult-ification," violent terrorism, and intensified religious penetration. This is caused by the exclusive nature of monotheism; thus, the promotion of atheism remains an arduous task.
Xi Wuyi, Director of the Center for Scientific Atheism Research at CASS, reported on the research frontiers of scientific atheism in 2014. She highlighted works such as the ten-volume Collected Works of Ren Jiyu, Du Jiwen’s Collected Works on Science and Atheism, and Richard Dawkins’ The Blind Watchmaker. She categorized research into six themes: theoretical research on scientific atheism; scientific atheism and religious studies; resisting religious penetration and extremist thought; destructive cults; science and religion; and publicity and education work. She concluded that scientific atheism is a philosophical foundation of the Socialist Core Value System, a happy lifestyle, and a way to build a harmonious society. Strengthening this research is a consistent policy of the CPC and will play a unique role in safeguarding national ideological and cultural security.
Professor Li Shen from Shanghai Normal University pointed out that distinguishing between theism and atheism is a prerequisite for our work. He addressed misconceptions such as "Buddha was a man, not a god" or "Confucius was a man, not a god," noting that China has both an excellent atheistic tradition and a more powerful theistic tradition. Criticizing the historical theistic tradition is as important as inheriting the atheistic one.
Professor Li Shiju of Hebei Normal University argued that scientific atheism reached its highest form in Marxism. By using historical materialism to analyze the laws governing the emergence, development, and disappearance of religion, it provides the ideological weapon for correctly handling religious issues.
III. Research on Marxist Atheism
As a high-level form of the development of scientific atheism, Marxist atheism has always been a hot topic in atheism research. Professor Tian Xinming, former director of the Ministry of Education's Higher Education Social Science Development Research Center and Vice Chairman of the China Association for Scientific Atheism, provided a systematic analysis of Lenin's religious thought through a study of three of Lenin's articles on religion. He argued that in Socialism and Religion, Lenin, based on an analysis of the social role of religion, proposed the task of propagating atheism and dispersing the "religious mists," expounded on the relationship between religion and the state, pointed out that the church must be separated from the state, and emphasized that solving religious problems cannot be divorced from political and economic struggle. In The Attitude of the Workers' Party to Religion, Lenin criticized "Left" errors in handling religious issues, criticized the erroneous view that distorts the declaration of religion as a private matter to mean that religion is also a private matter for the workers' party, and expounded the party's political line regarding religious issues. In On the Significance of Militant Materialism, Lenin proposed adhering to militant materialism and militant atheism, forming an alliance with modern natural scientists, and translating and widely disseminating 18th-century militant atheist literature among the people.
Zeng Chuanhui, a researcher from the Institute of World Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), used Marx’s writings from his student days as a blueprint to analyze the atheist thought embodied within them. He argued that from The Union of Believers with Christ according to John 15:1-14, Showing its Basis and Essence, its Absolute Necessity, and its Effects, it can be seen that although Marx was baptized in infancy and underwent confirmation at age 16, he never became a true Christian. In the essay Reflections of a Young Man on the Choice of a Profession, Marx advocated for "choosing the profession that can best work for the welfare of humanity," which is a typical form of humanism. In Does the Principate of Augustus Deserve to be Numbered Among the Happier Periods of the Roman Empire?, Marx expressed a form of deism, i.e., a "weak atheist" perspective. During his first year at university, Marx expressed skeptical views to his father, causing the latter concern. In two letters to his father in 1837, he already displayed atheist viewpoints. As for the deist views expressed in the main text of his doctoral dissertation, this may have been because weak atheism was more likely to pass the dissertation review. In the appendix, Marx wrote: "In a word, I hate all gods." This sentence clearly demonstrates his atheist stance.
Associate Professor Yao Hongyue from the School of Marxism at Beijing Business and Technology University specifically analyzed what the deities of China are and how to respond to them within the Sinicization of Marxist atheism, how Chinese deities arise and how to respond, and the functioning of Chinese deities and how to respond. On this basis, he proposed that to realize the Sinicization of Marxist atheism, one must first focus on analyzing the nihilistic essence of Chinese deities and the characteristics of various factors as dependencies on and reactions to matter, thereby fundamentally analyzing and explaining the concept of deities in the minds of the Chinese people. Second, one must dialectically analyze the relationship between Marxist dialectical materialism and Chinese deity culture, especially the relationship between matter and spirit, nature, society, and the human heart as conceived in ideas such as "the monism of mind and matter" and "the unity of heaven and humanity" [10]. Finally, one must attach full importance to the specific paths and characteristics of communication between Chinese people and gods, as well as the complex influence these have on the demonstration methods, functional pathways, and effects of Marxist atheism, so as to maximize the analysis of the mechanisms behind various so-called "resonance" (感应) phenomena.
Han Qi, an assistant researcher at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, summarized the scientific atheist thought in Engels’ Anti-Dühring. She argued that Anti-Dühring itself is built upon the foundation of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, reflecting standard atheist thought. In the introduction, Engels stated clearly from the outset the difference between the dialectical and metaphysical modes of thinking, arguing that the metaphysical mode of thinking can be applied within a daily scope but cannot be extended to broader fields of research. Next, Engels criticized a series of Dühring’s erroneous views, proposing that there is no final, ultimate truth in human society. Therefore, looking at Dühring’s theory of ultimate truth in isolation makes it easy to be deceived; only by deeply analyzing its ideological foundation can one see where the problem lies. Learning Engels’ method of analyzing problems can make us more rational when facing various complex religious phenomena.
IV. Scientific Atheism and Religious Studies
The core of religion is theism, which is an ideological system opposed to atheism. The study of scientific atheism most frequently involves religious issues.
Professor Li Chunqiu from the School of Philosophy at Beijing Normal University introduced several reflections derived from the origin and characteristics of religious morality. He argued that religious morality is an ignorant reflection of natural phenomena, a distorted reflection of human social life, and a theoretical generalization by religious theologians. Regarding the relationship between humans and God, it constrains itself through obedience to religious commandments; regarding the relationship between the individual and the self, it emphasizes disciplined "repentance" to constrain behavior; regarding the relationship between people, it uses the commandment of "benevolence" as a criterion for adjusting interpersonal social interactions; and regarding the relationship between humans and nature, it advocates for harmonious coexistence. A scientific and rational attitude must be adopted to objectively evaluate the social role of religious morality.
Yang Junfeng, an assistant researcher at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, also conducted a philosophical reflection on the relationship between religion and morality. He argued that religion and morality are two different forms of social consciousness. The core of religion is belief in deities, dealing with the relationship between humans and gods, while morality manifests as a system of standards regulating human behavior, dealing with the relationship between people. From the perspective of origins, religion is the product of human society and human thinking reaching a certain level of development, whereas morality arises from the practical needs of human social groups to maintain their existence and development. In essence, religious morality is secular morality; there is no religious morality that exists independently of secular morality. After morality is incorporated into a religious system, because it is subordinated to belief in deities, alienation [11] inevitably occurs. Religious morality places itself above and transcends secular morality, yet it may unscrupulously violate and undermine secular morality. Therefore, religious morality based on belief in deities is often a low-level "heteronomous" morality and is not an idealized state of morality worthy of promotion. Only moral construction based on atheism is solid and reliable, and can truly benefit our current socialist modernization.
Associate Professor Li Chaoying from the School of Management at the China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing) started from a short article published on a certain WeChat public account to criticize the phenomenon of distorting the thinking of kind-hearted people to accept absurd viewpoints for the sake of maintaining the authority of God, arguing that this leads to a dual decline in human intellectual and moral levels.
Associate Professor Fang Yong from the Department of Religious Studies at Wuhan University introduced the development trends of modern Western Protestant theology and their influence on Christian studies in China. He argued that from the early 20th century to the present, liberalism, neo-orthodoxy, neo-liberalism, and neo-evangelicalism have successively held the dominant position in Western Christian theological research. Currently, the most important themes in Western theology are political theology and ecological theology, a trend that has also profoundly influenced Christian studies in China. This is manifested in five ways: first, creating the concept of "Cultural Christians" [12] to encompass domestic scholars who study or intend to understand Christianity; second, supporting "ideal targets" to help them enter domestic universities or research institutions, occupy high academic positions, and obtain more academic resources and control over the discipline; third, using academic research as a pretext to question the legitimacy of non-Christians researching Christianity; fourth, due to generous funding from the West, a large amount of interpretive or even proselytizing research has been produced, while critical research is increasingly scarce; fifth, some researchers intentionally or unintentionally spread Western political thought, covertly criticizing Marxism.
Professor Zhang Chengan from the School of Literature and Law at Changsha University of Science and Technology, under the title "The Realistic Mirror of Religious Belief in the Church 2.0 Era," analyzed the characteristics and changing trends of religious belief in the Internet age. He argued that chanting sutras and performing worship services online represent a breakthrough in traditional religious lifestyles. The characteristics of religious belief in the "Church 2.0 Era" are the global nature of dissemination, the openness of behavior, the equality of subject participation, and the interactivity of believers. Its development is characterized by the coexistence of randomness and choice, the presence of both concealment and openness, the symbiosis of tolerance and exclusion, the parallel of localization and globalization, and the adaptation of secularization to sanctification. The trends include the expansion of the number of believers, the complexity of believer structures, the diversification of activity types, the facilitation of belief methods, and the blurring of attitudes toward faith.
Director Li Shengxian, a chief physician at Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, gave a speech titled "Examining the Jungle Mentality: On the Conformity and Regression of Religion in Response to Trends." He argued that human evolution is primarily the evolution of cognitive ability and is a stage-based evolution. The "law of the jungle" (weak being prey to the strong) is not the way for human survival; people should allow both themselves and others to live well. A natural flaw of religion is its "jungle mentality," of which U.S. religious cultural hegemony is an example. The "9/11" incident was an asymmetric religious cultural war launched by Al-Qaeda, which was in an inferior position of religious cultural hegemony, against the United States, which was in a dominant position of religious cultural hegemony. The recently emerged IS [ISIL/ISIS] does not have the capital to implement religious cultural hegemony like the United States, so it can only choose the method of slaughter; this is a manifestation of the arrogance of religious cultural hegemony after the overexpansion of the jungle mentality. Japan's Yasukuni Shrine enshrines executioners who invaded other countries; the continuous visits by Japanese political figures in recent years are religious rituals to "summon the soul" of militarism at the level of the Japanese state power. In short, religion is a "dense fog" on the path of human cognitive evolution, and it will take a certain amount of time to break through this fog.
V. Science and Religious Studies
The relationship between science and religion is an ever-green topic in atheism research. Professor Yu Qiming from the School of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Minzu University of China conducted a historical review and practical analysis of the "dialogue" between natural science and religion. He argued that in the contemporary context, to grasp the initiative in the "dialogue" between natural science and religion, one must first recognize the complexity of their relationship; second, one must deeply understand that the relationship between natural science and religion is one between a system of scientific knowledge and a religious social consciousness—both originate from the practice of labor and life and are co-existent in origin but essentially opposite; third, one must view the relationship between natural science and religion dialectically, attaching importance to the role of religious figures in promoting science, while also popularizing scientific knowledge among them and actively guiding religion to adapt to the development of modern natural science and to the reform currents of "invigorating the country through science and education" and technological innovation.
Zheng Nian, a researcher at the China Research Institute for Science Popularization, put forward his views on the construction of scientific culture and the de-radicalization of religion. He argued that science popularization should be easy to understand, adhere to "positive energy," and build a scientific culture. One cannot ignore the important mission of science popularization by simply reducing it to the dissemination of science. Based on investigations in parts of Zhejiang and Xinjiang, he proposed that the construction of scientific culture essentially addresses four problems: first, how to attract retired elderly and school-age youth to scientific and cultural venues; second, how to combine school education with family and community education; third, how to carry out the construction of symbolic signs for scientific culture; and fourth, how to maintain a balance between scientific culture and religious culture in a self-media environment.
Professor Li Zhiying from the School of History at Beijing Normal University expounded on the "spiritual concerns" of Chinese scientific and technological intellectuals during the decade of socialist construction (1956–1966). She argued that after the founding of New China, although some intellectuals encountered unjust treatment, it did not affect their enthusiasm for work or their spirit of research. They possessed the traditional Chinese scholar's spiritual concern of "taking the world as one's responsibility" and the noble ideal of changing the fate of the nation and the people through their own efforts. Such a spiritual pursuit shows that humans indeed have "transcendental" needs that exceed self-interest, but these needs do not necessarily have to be realized in religious belief; they can be discovered in secular ideals and goals, and one can struggle and dedicate oneself for them.
Comrade Sun Qian from the China Association for Science and Technology introduced that in August 2015...
She discussed the academic exchanges conducted during a mid-2015 visit to the headquarters of the Center for Inquiry (CFI) in the United States and its branch in Canada. She argued that finding effective paths for atheist propaganda and education is a vital method for promoting atheism within society. Critical thinking is a mode of thought that can make one feel as if sitting on pins and needles [13], yet it is also refreshing and joyful; it is a method of debate that "unravels the silk from the cocoon" [14] to reach greater depths; it is a rigorous, truth-seeking scientific attitude; and, more importantly, it is a behavioral manifestation of non-dogmatism and respect for others. This mode of thinking can help devout believers recognize their own internal contradictions, thereby obtaining rational inspiration and guidance. It is highly worthy of in-depth study, expansion, and application.
VI. Scientific Atheist Propaganda and Education
Scientific atheist propaganda and education are of great significance for consolidating the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere and for improving the ideological, moral, scientific, and cultural qualities of the entire nation.
Dr. Wang Qichang of the School of Humanities at the Inner Mongolia University of Technology analyzed the relationship between publicizing atheism and actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society. He argued that as China is a socialist country, publicizing atheism is a matter of course. Although propaganda for atheism is not the core content of religion-related work when compared to the task of "actively guiding religion," this does not mean that atheist propaganda should be weakened or abandoned for the sake of such guidance. We must perform the work of theoretical persuasion well and strive to unify understanding within the Party on this matter. We should publicize atheism with perfect assurance [15] while actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society, thereby laying a solid foundation for promoting social harmony, ethnic unity, and national unification.
Xu Guowang, a master’s student at the School of Philosophy of Beijing Normal University, presented his views on the challenges and path innovations for scientific atheist education within the context of university ideological construction under the "New Media" era. He argued that the promotion and application of new media technologies have brought both opportunities and challenges to ideological construction in universities, particularly regarding scientific atheist education. To this end, it is necessary to fully utilize the diversity, openness, equality, interactivity, real-time nature, and virtuality of new media to build digital platforms for scientific atheist education in universities. This will enhance the initiative of university students in learning scientific atheism and improve the effectiveness of such education.
Huang Yongkang, Executive President of the Zhuhai Philosophical Society and Director of the Southern Research Center of the China Association for Atheism, clarified the self-positioning of the Southern Research Center and introduced their preliminary ideas and practices for conducting research work. Finally, he proposed that when popularizing scientific atheist education among middle school and university students, one must first note that they lack a deep understanding of Marxism and scientific atheism and often possess an innate psychological resistance or rejection. Therefore, efforts should be made toward the "popularization" and "intellectualization" of scientific atheism. Rather than seeking grand, temporary spectacles, one should pursue the approach of "a small stream flowing long" and "dripping water wearing through stone" [16].
VII. Research on Scientific Atheism and the Containment of Religious Extremist Ideology
Containing the growth and spread of religious extremist ideology requires treating the research, propaganda, and education of scientific atheism as foundational work. Huang Yanhong, an Associate Researcher at the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, summarized the achievements made in Xinjiang in responding to the infiltration of overseas religious extremist ideology and analyzed several areas requiring improvement: first, overemphasizing the crackdown on violent terrorist activities while neglecting ideological propaganda; second, overemphasizing short-term control while neglecting long-term planning; third, overemphasizing behavioral constraints while neglecting ideological infiltration; fourth, insufficient promotion of reform within Islam; fifth, improper handling of the ethnic and religious characteristics of Xinjiang and the issue of corruption; and sixth, a lack of comprehensive and systematic investigative research into the content, organizations, and infiltration channels of religious extremist ideology in Xinjiang.
Associate Professor Peng Wuqing of the School of Politics and Public Administration at Xinjiang Normal University analyzed problems existing in the management of religious affairs in Xinjiang under the new situation. These include the generally low quality of religious management personnel and religious figures, and a lack of effectiveness and foresight in religious affairs management systems and measures. To solve these problems, first, various institutional measures for religious management must be perfected—for example, adhering to policy principles, maintaining the initiative, achieving a "coordinated chessboard" [17] across the entire autonomous region, ensuring management according to the law is implemented, and paying attention to work methods. Second, efforts must be made to cultivate "Five-Good Religious Figures"—those who are good at preaching and interpreting scripture, good at ethnic unity, good at maintaining stability, good at promoting civilized customs, and good at playing a positive role. Their role should be leveraged, and a qualification entry system for religious personnel should be explored and implemented.
Associate Professor Zhang Quanfeng of the Party School of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps analyzed the current characteristics of religious culture in Xinjiang and proposed strategies for guiding religion to adapt to socialist society in the region. He argued that the prominent problems affecting the situation in Xinjiang are "religious extremist heat" and religious radicalization. The strengthening of religious culture in some areas has already formed a "religious cultural hegemony," where the freedom to not believe in religion is not fully guaranteed. Some leaders engaged in ethnic separatist activities also hold religious positions, and instances of religious law interfering in marriage and obstructing the judiciary occur frequently. To guide religion to adapt to socialist society in Xinjiang, first, conditions must be created to dilute the religious cultural atmosphere and vigorously improve the material and cultural living standards of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, especially in the southern Xinjiang region. Second, management must be strengthened, and the two different types of contradictions [18] in the religious sphere must be clearly identified. Third, efforts must be directed toward guiding religion to adapt to the socialist core values, the spirit of the Chinese nation, and socialist legal consciousness.
In addition, participating scholars held extensive discussions on issues such as the nature of belief, critiques of cults, religious belief among university students, and education on the Marxist view of religion within university ideological and political theory courses.
Compared with previous annual conferences, the number of participants this year further increased, the quality of papers significantly improved, and the social influence continued to expand. Participating scholars noted that at the conference, the older generation of scholars demonstrated profound scholarship and a resilient spirit that "grows stronger through setbacks," while the new generation of scholars showed sharp thinking. A group of young and middle-aged individuals with ideal convictions, academic depth, a "down-to-earth" approach, and keen insights has emerged. This underscores the vitality and bright future of the cause of scientific atheism under the background of the Central Committee's vigorous strengthening of ideological work. Of course, some participating scholars also put forward many constructive suggestions, such as hoping for more exchange opportunities during the conference and suggesting that the Association establish award and commendation systems to attract young scholars and create conditions for their growth.