Ding Yu: On the Atheistic Characteristics of the Spiritual Lineage of Chinese Communists
In his speech at the ceremony marking the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping pointed out: “Over the past hundred years, all the struggles, sacrifices, and creations of the Communist Party of China in uniting and leading the Chinese people can be summarized into one theme: the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” To achieve this theme, the CPC united and led the Chinese people, writing the most magnificent epic in the thousands of years of the Chinese nation’s history with the undaunted spirit of “reaching for the stars with bold resolve and daring to make the sun and moon shine in new skies.” [1] It has formed a lineage of spirit for Chinese Communists with the Great Founding Spirit of the Party as its source and tempered a distinct political character.
Marxist atheism, as the starting point and cornerstone of Marxist theory, is an indispensable spiritual background for Chinese Communists. Marxist atheism is a thoroughgoing materialist atheism that is integrated into the entire theoretical system of Marxism and the practice of scientific socialism, consistently implemented through the spirit of science. Throughout the Party's century-long journey of struggle, Chinese Communists have always adhered to their original aspiration and founding mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. They have persisted in promoting the scientific spirit, opposing feudal patriarchal ideologies and systems—including theocracy—and eradicating long-standing abuses and backward customs. They have led the masses to rely on their own wisdom and hands, practicing self-reliance, striving for strength, and upholding the fundamentals and break new ground. In the process of promoting the Sinicization of Marxist atheism, they have propelled the success of the revolutionary cause. A deep understanding of the atheistic characteristics of the spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists is of great theoretical and practical significance for maintaining the dominant position of Marxist atheism as the mainstream ideology in the minds of the masses and for consolidating the positions of mainstream ideology.
I. The Party’s spiritual lineage has always adhered to the ideals and convictions of Communists, originating from a thoroughly "godless" materialist worldview.
The Communist Party of China is a political party armed with Marxism, and Marxism is the soul of the ideals and convictions of Chinese Communists. The reason the CPC has been able to forge ahead and dare to win through a century of hardship is precisely because it has always adhered to the scientific truths of Marxism and remained committed to the lofty ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Adhering to truth and staying committed to ideals profoundly reveals the distinct characteristics of the CPC’s advanced thinking and firm belief, demonstrating the Party's powerful intellectual advantage. Fundamentally speaking, this distinct feature and unique advantage are determined by the dialectical materialist worldview of Marxism and are based on and premised upon atheism.
Xi Jinping pointed out: "Why is the Communist Party of China 'capable,' and why is socialism with Chinese characteristics 'good'? Ultimately, it is because Marxism 'works'!" Marxism works because it is a scientific theory that embodies the laws of development and the forward direction of human society. The ideals and convictions of Chinese Communists are built on the foundation of Marxist scientific truth and on the laws of human social development revealed by Marxism. As a thoroughgoing materialist worldview, Marxism reveals the essence and developmental laws of the material world and human society through a complete and rigorous theoretical system, elucidating the historical necessity of socialism replacing capitalism and eventually moving toward communism. This is the irreversible general trend of social and historical development. The faith of Communists in Marxism is based on the practice of millions of people and is established on a foundation of scientific understanding. Generations of Communists have taken communism as their goal and firm conviction because they firmly believe that Marxism is a scientific and advanced theory, and they believe that capitalism will inevitably perish while socialism will inevitably triumph. Ideals and convictions supported by scientific theory have become the soul of the spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists.
Adhering to Marxist atheism is an inherent spiritual pillar of the Communist. If one does not adhere to Marxist atheism, one is not a thoroughgoing materialist, not a true Marxist, and cannot have firm ideals and convictions. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Some people believe that communism is out of reach, or even that it is something they cannot even see or envision—that it is illusory. That involves a question of worldview: whether it is the materialist conception of history or the idealist conception of history. The fundamental reason why some of our comrades have vague ideals and wavering faith is that their grasp of historical materialism is not firm." If one does not adhere to Marxist atheism, one will waver in their Marxist faith and socialist conviction, lose the Marxist standpoint, fail to distinguish between true and false or right and wrong, and lose the necessary political discernment and sensitivity, becoming a prisoner of erroneous ideas such as idealism and theism. To this end, the Party has consistently emphasized: "We Chinese Communists are atheists and do not believe in any religion." "Communist Party members must be firm Marxist atheists, strictly abide by the provisions of the Party Constitution, strengthen their ideals and convictions, keep in mind the Party's purpose, and must never seek their own values or beliefs in religion."
II. The Party’s spiritual lineage has always adhered to the value pursuit of putting the people first and centered, embodying a distinct atheistic pro-people stance.
The "people's standpoint" is the fundamental political standpoint of the CPC and a prominent sign distinguishing a Marxist party from other political parties. Adhering to the people's standpoint is premised on adhering to atheism. Adhering to being "people-centered" is incompatible with any theism that is "god-centered," views a deity as the master of humanity, and requires humans to obey the commands of a god. As The Internationale states: "There has never been any savior, nor do we rely on gods or emperors. To create human happiness, we must rely entirely on ourselves."
The people are the creators of history and the true heroes. The historical mission of Chinese Communists, as practical atheists, is to lead the masses to give play to their historical initiative and liberate them from the fog of praying for divine protection, pursuing illusory heavens and afterlives, and looking to divine revelations or subjective fantasies. They lead the masses to rely on their own strength to overcome various difficulties on the road ahead and achieve great progress in Chinese society. Our Party comes from the people, and serving the people wholeheartedly is the Party's fundamental purpose. Seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation is the original aspiration and founding mission of Chinese Communists. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Our Party's hundred-year history is a history of practicing the Party's original aspiration and mission; it is a history of the Party being heart-to-heart with the people, breathing the same air, and sharing a common destiny." From the day of its founding, our Party consciously assumed the original aspiration and mission. This is not only the fundamental driving force inspiring Chinese Communists to move forward but also infuses our Party with unique political advantages. The fundamental reason the CPC has been able to grow from small to large and from weak to strong over a century of struggle—rising from setbacks and achieving a great transformation from suffering to glory—is that it has always placed the people in the highest position in its heart, relied on the people to continuously achieve victories, and realized the people's status as masters of the country, with the Chinese people truly becoming the masters of their nation, society, and destiny. All of this is inseparable from the intellectual foundation of adhering to atheism.
"Loyalty to the Party, loyalty to the people, and selfless dedication are excellent qualities of Communists. The cause of the Party and the cause of the people are continuously forged through the loyal dedication of millions of Party members." The core element and prominent feature of the spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists is the spirit of dedication—struggling and sacrificing for the people. Anything that can become a "spirit" embodies the word "dedication," but the object of that dedication differs. Theism involves the dedication of the individual to a god or various deities, whereas Communists dedicate themselves to the people. While both are forms of dedication, the good deeds promoted by religion are for the "cause of God," while the dedication of Communists arises from the sense of mission to "serve the people." Generation after generation of Chinese Communists have fought tenaciously and struggled unremittingly for the cause of the Party and the people. A large number of revolutionary martyrs who looked death in the face, heroic figures who fought tenaciously, and advanced models who gave of themselves selflessly have emerged, interpreting with practical actions the infinite loyalty of Communists to the Party and their infinite love for the people. "The Communist Party of China has always represented the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people; it shares weal and woe and a common fate with the people. It has no special interests of its own and never represents the interests of any interest group, power group, or privileged class." Xi Jinping mentioned "interests" four consecutive times in this passage. Communists never talk about ideals in a vacuum, nor do they shy away from discussing interests, but the key lies in whose interests they recognize and pursue. Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "For a party like ours that has been in power for a long time, there is no greater danger than forgetting the original aspiration and mission and becoming detached from the masses." "Practicing the original aspiration and assuming the mission," as embodied in the Great Founding Spirit of the Party, is a concentrated expression of the historical responsibility and mission of Chinese Communists. It profoundly reveals the distinct quality of the CPC in never changing its original intention or its true colors, demonstrating the Party's powerful political advantage. On the new journey, to rely closely on the people to create history, adhere to the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, stand firm on the people's standpoint, implement the Party's mass line, respect the people's pioneering spirit, and practice the people-centered philosophy of development, one must adhere to the Marxist materialist conception of history and implement the fundamental premise of atheism.
III. The Party’s spiritual lineage has always adhered to a scientific attitude of seeking truth from facts and being pragmatic, reflecting the thinking characteristics of atheism.
"Atheism is not simply denying God or not believing in God; rather, it is about learning and teaching people correct methods of thinking, a correct outlook on life, and values, and connecting them with the overall progress of science and society." Since its founding, the CPC has always struggled against backward and decadent cultures. Starting from the purpose of safeguarding the interests of the broadest masses of the people, it has profoundly exposed and criticized feudal superstitions and the backward culture of feudal restorationism that harmed the people's livelihood. When the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army first went to the Jinggang Mountains [2], whenever they reached a place, "the first step was to conduct education to break down 'fatalism,' helping the people eliminate superstitious ideas such as 'resigning oneself to fate,' 'preordained destiny,' or having 'bad fortune according to the Eight Characters,' making them understand that they could only rely on themselves, not others. After superstitious ideas were eliminated, the second step was to help them recognize their own strength, believe in their own power, and help them establish confidence in the victory of the struggle, so they would understand that the power of the poor is the greatest, and we poor people are capable of conquering the world, liberating ourselves, and ruling the world." During the Yan'an period [3], the Party established research groups and institutions focused on natural sciences, such as the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Natural Science Research Association, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Chinese Medicine Research Association, leading the masses in the border region to develop production and overcome superstition. In the magnificent era of revolutionary war, Chinese Communists adhered to "science and democracy," attached great importance to the promotion and education of atheism, and broke through the spiritual shackles of theism—such as feudal superstition—by building a new culture. This fundamentally shook and destroyed the intellectual foundation upon which the old culture relied. While achieving national independence and liberation, it also created the historical prerequisites for the liberation of human thought and spirit.
Marxist atheism is based on a materialist worldview; it respects science and adheres to the scientific spirit, scientific attitude, scientific methods, and rationalism. It advocates using an attitude of seeking truth from facts to guide practice, promotes the consistency of theory and practice, opposes idol worship and blind superstition, and advocates for "seeking truth from facts." To promote the Sinicization of Marxism, one must first break away from the mindset of blind superstition. It was precisely through the process of breaking superstitions such as "the primacy of superiors," "the primacy of the Comintern," and "the primacy of books" [4] that the Chinese Communists, represented by Mao Zedong, combined Marxism with the specific practice of the Chinese revolution. They creatively explored and opened up a revolutionary path with Chinese characteristics, proposed the ideological line of seeking truth from facts and proceeding from reality in everything, and initially formed the theory of Sinicized Marxism. They created a "scientific" New Democratic culture that "opposes all feudal and superstitious ideas, advocates seeking truth from facts, advocates objective truth, and advocates the unity of theory and practice." Seeking truth from facts is not only the most basic prerequisite of the scientific spirit but also the ideological line of the Communist Party of China. Mao Zedong pointed out that the Communist Party "relies on the truth of Marxism-Leninism for sustenance, relies on seeking truth from facts for sustenance, and relies on science for sustenance."
To persist in seeking truth from facts, one must adhere to the fundamental standpoint of materialism and oppose idealism; one must persist in explaining the world through the objective world itself and oppose seeking causes outside of the world; one must persist in respecting facts, respecting laws, and proceeding from reality, while opposing subjective fabrications that ignore objective existence and proceed from mere desires; one must persist in the principle that practice is the sole criterion for testing the correctness of knowledge and maintain a rational, critical attitude, opposing all superstition, arbitrariness, and blind obedience—which means persisting in Marxist atheism. Xi Jinping has pointed out: "We must persist in using the historical materialist perspective to understand history, and persist in the ideological line of seeking truth from facts." For a century, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has consistently adhered to the basic principles of Marxism, persisted in seeking truth from facts, proceeded from China's reality, gained insight into the general trends of the times, grasped historical initiative, conducted arduous explorations, and continuously advanced the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism to guide the Chinese people in steadily advancing the great social revolution. Any departure from the principles of Marxist atheism is a departure from seeking truth from facts, making it impossible to achieve the brilliant successes of revolution, construction, and reform.
IV. The Spiritual Pedigree of the Party Consistently Adheres to the Heroic Spirit of Daring to Struggle and Aspiring to Victory, Manifesting the Spiritual Qualities of Atheism
Our Party was born during a time of internal strife and foreign aggression, a moment of national peril, and from its birth, it was imprinted with the mark of struggle. At the Mobilization Conference for Party History Learning and Education, Xi Jinping pointed out: "Over the past hundred years, in responding to various difficulties and challenges, our Party has tempered a character and quality that does not fear powerful enemies, does not fear risks, dares to struggle, and aspires to victory. This is the most distinct trait and characteristic of our Party." "The reason our Party has remained in its prime after a century and survived through countless tribulations and hardships is precisely due to that powerful spirit of 'revolution plus life-risking' [5]." The spiritual pedigree of the Party embodies the fighting perseverance of Chinese Communists who do not fear hardships and dangers and strive tenaciously, as well as their persistent character of daring to struggle and aspiring to victory.
As a broad understanding, atheism has manifested itself throughout the Party’s century of struggle as a spiritual character of not fearing ghosts and not being intimidated by evil forces [6], daring to struggle against powerful enemies, and daring to strive for victory. This is reflected in the lofty moral strength of the Party's spiritual pedigree, highlighting the value choices and moral practices of Communists. In the early 1960s, facing suppression from the Soviet Union and encirclement by the United States, alongside a sharp deterioration in the peripheral security situation, Mao Zedong personally proposed the compilation of Stories of Not Fearing Ghosts. He emphasized: "There are no such ghosts in the world as described in the stories of the past, but there truly exist many things similar to ghosts in the world. On a large scale, there is international imperialism and its running dogs in various countries... on a small level, there are difficulties and setbacks in general work; all can be said to be things similar to ghosts." One must not fear these "ghosts," but can only struggle against them. "'What should we not fear? Do not fear heaven, do not fear ghosts, do not fear the dead, do not fear bureaucrats, do not fear warlords, and do not fear capitalists.' ... All Marxists and all revolutionary people who take the transformation of the world as their personal responsibility should possess this lofty style and revolutionary spirit, thoroughly breaking down superstition, liberating the mind, being a 'tough guy' [7] who fears neither heaven nor earth, and being a person of both wisdom and courage who possesses both soaring drive and a spirit of scientific analysis!" This dauntless spirit of struggle holds significant enlightening meaning for the present. Xi Jinping has pointed out: "On the road ahead, the risks and tests we face will only become increasingly complex; we will even encounter unimaginable 'tempestuous waves' [8]. The various struggles we face are not short-term but long-term." "When faced with severe situations and struggle tasks, we must have a 'hard bone,' dare to strike, and be capable of fighting and winning." This, naturally, includes carrying forward the dauntless spirit of struggle inherent in atheism.
To highlight the spirit of struggle in atheism, one must clarify the purpose of the struggle. "A distinct feature and a secret to the success of the Communist Party of China is precisely the high degree of consistency between its political program and its worldview; the Party’s entire body of theory, thought, and action is built upon the foundation of the Marxist dialectical materialist worldview." The Party’s Marxist worldview requires us to persist in thorough atheism, which means adhering to what Lenin called "militant materialism." On May 2, 1950, during a conversation with personages from Christian circles, Zhou Enlai said: "Religious thought is idealism. Idealism and materialism are different; where they differ, they differ, and there is no need to hide it." We must always maintain the fighting edge of Marxist atheism. Party members must resolutely implement the regulation prohibiting belief in religion, draw a clear ideological line against religious belief, and must never seek their values or convictions within religion.
To highlight the spirit of struggle in atheism, one must strengthen the power of the struggle. The spearhead of our struggle is directed at national separatist forces, religious extremist forces, and violent terrorist forces. "Just because we Communists are atheists, and just because religious extremist forces—especially overseas hostile forces—use religion for penetration, we cannot relegate personages in religious circles or the religious masses to a separate category [9]. The more hostile forces try to make an issue out of ethnic and religious problems, the more we must ensure that the masses of all ethnic groups hold together tightly like pomegranate seeds, and that we unite the religious masses closely around the Party." In handling the relationship between struggle and unity, the core lies in using a Marxist scientific attitude to treat religion correctly. While "steadily broadening legal channels for the religious masses to correctly master common religious knowledge," we must carry out active atheist propaganda, popularize scientific and cultural knowledge, and help guide people to draw clear lines between materialism and idealism, atheism and theism, science and superstition, and civilization and ignorance. This will gradually eliminate the ideological and social foundations for the generation and spread of religion, ensuring that Marxist atheism consistently maintains its dominant position as the mainstream ideology in the minds of the people.
To highlight the spirit of struggle in atheism, one must also innovate the methods of struggle. Facing profound changes in the international and domestic landscape, atheism must be able to provide scientific, timely, and persuasive answers to the endless stream of new problems. "When talking about China’s affairs—be it freedom and human rights, ethnic and religious issues, or Tibet and Xinjiang—we are not in the wrong; there is no reason we cannot out-argue foreigners. The key lies in discarding illusions and not fearing confrontation, while being fully prepared with rational arguments. Ethnic and religious issues will remain key areas for certain international forces to 'pick a fight' with China for a long time to come. It is necessary for us to continue mastering and upgrading our ability to disseminate China's voice to the international community, including the ability to debate face-to-face." Through proactive struggle, we must resolutely prevent Western ideological penetration, consciously resist the influence of extremist ideological trends, and grasp the initiative, dominance, and discourse power in the ideological sphere, expanding the territory of atheism within that sphere. Meanwhile, as atheist education faces the challenge of being marginalized, it must conduct more effective explorations in content, method, form, and means to meet social and spiritual needs, thereby winning over the public and the next generation.
Online Editor: Tong Xin
Source: Science and Atheism, Issue 6, 2021