Liu Fujun: Atheistic Thought in "Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan" and Its Enlightenment
Between 1924 and 1927, an anti-imperialist and anti-feudal National Revolution took place in China, based on the cooperation between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CPC). During the latter stage of this revolution, faced with the increasingly overt anti-communist activities of Chiang Kai-shek and the impending fracture of the revolutionary camp, the CPC Central Committee failed to promptly resolve the issue of the revolution’s primary ally. Simultaneously, Mao Zedong published works such as Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society, pointing out that the peasant issue was the central problem of the National Revolution. He emphasized the extreme importance of the Party leading the peasant struggle and criticized the tendency within the Party to neglect the peasant movement. At that time, Hunan had become the center of the national peasant movement. From January 4 to February 5, 1927, Mao Zedong—then Secretary of the CPC Central Committee’s Peasant Movement Committee—conducted a field investigation of the peasant movement in the five Hunan counties of Xiangtan, Xiangxiang, Hengshan, Liling, and Changsha, spanning 32 days and covering 700 kilometers. Shortly thereafter, Mao Zedong’s Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan (hereinafter referred to as the Report) was officially published. In March of the same year, the weekly journal The Warrior (Zhàshì), the organ of the Hunan Regional CPC Committee, first published several chapters of the Report; it was subsequently carried by the CPC Central Committee’s organ The Guide (Xiàngdǎo) weekly, the Hankou Republic Daily (Mínguó Rìbào), and other publications. In April, the Hankou Yangtze River Bookstore published a standalone volume under the title The Peasant Revolution in Hunan (I), for which Qu Qiubai, then in charge of the Party's propaganda work, wrote the preface. From May to June of the same year, The Communist International, the organ of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, published various translations of the Report in Russian and English. While the Report elucidated the basic theories and policies of the peasant movement, it also answered the major question of how to understand and deal with religious authority [1], containing important atheist ideas.
I. The "Three Becomings": The Background to the Formation of Atheist Thought in the Report
The atheist thought in the Report was formed on the basis of Mao Zedong’s long-term exploration and specifically his practice in conducting in-depth investigations into the issue of religious authority within the peasant movement. This can be understood through three developments: religious authority becoming a massive cord binding the Chinese people and obstructing the democratic revolution; Marxist atheism becoming the Party’s scientific theory for understanding the problem of theism; and Mao Zedong becoming a staunch Marxist atheist. These "three becomings" constitute the practical basis, the theoretical foundation, and the subjective conditions for the formation of the atheist thought in the Report.
First, religious authority became a massive cord binding the Chinese people and obstructing the democratic revolution. Throughout the long history of feudal society, and especially after the Opium War, "generally speaking, various religions in our country were controlled and utilized by the ruling classes and played a major negative role. The domestic feudal landlord class, the lordly class, reactionary warlords, and the bureaucratic bourgeoisie mainly controlled the leadership of Buddhism, Taoism, and Islam; later, foreign colonialist and imperialist forces mainly controlled the Catholic and Protestant churches." The Xinhai Revolution [2] overthrew the system of feudal monarchy, promoted social transformation and the ideological liberation of the people, opened the floodgates for ideological progress, and advocated for religious freedom and the eradication of superstition regarding ghosts and gods. However, because the Xinhai Revolution was incomplete—and particularly due to the regressive actions of the Northern Warlords [3]—feudal patriarchal [4] ideology and institutions, including religious authority, remained deeply rooted in Chinese society. In 1915, the New Culture Movement arose; China’s advanced elements launched a fierce assault on old feudal ideas, morality, and culture using science and democracy, bursting through the dam of ideological suppression. After the May Fourth Movement, Marxism began to spread widely in China. In July 1919, Mao Zedong published an article in the inaugural issue of the Xiangjiang Review attacking the superstitious state of the intellectual world at the time: "Among China’s four hundred million people, nearly three hundred and ninety million are believers in superstition. They believe in ghosts and gods, in physical omens, in fate, and in raw power. They completely fail to recognize the individual, the self, or the truth. This is the result of underdeveloped scientific thought. China is called a republic, but in reality, it is a despotism," thereby revealing the despotic essence of the Northern Warlords’ rule. In January 1926, Peng Pai pointed out in his article The Peasant Movement in Haifeng that regarding economic hardships and various forms of suffering and oppression, the peasants "mostly say: 'This is the mandate of heaven' (tiānmìng shǐrán) [5], or 'we did not receive good feng shui'." This suffices to show that at that time, theism still occupied a considerable position in the peasants' ideology. The Report noted that the National Revolution required a major upheaval in the countryside, where "the main targets of attack by the peasants are the local tyrants, evil gentry, and lawless landlords, but in passing they also hit at all kinds of patriarchal ideas and institutions, at the corrupt officials in the cities and the bad customs in the rural areas." Here, the various "patriarchal ideas and institutions" opposed by the peasant movement included religious authority.
Second, Marxist atheism became the scientific theory for the Communist Party of China to understand the problem of theism. Marxist atheism is the most scientific form of atheism regarding the complete denial of the existence of all supernatural and supra-social forces. it reveals the essence of theism and the laws of its disappearance, and it establishes theoretical viewpoints and guiding policies for dealing scientifically with religious theism. From the moment of its birth, the CPC established its pursuit of liberation, development, and earthly happiness for the Chinese people, and it accepted Marxist theory with its complete scientific worldview and methodology. In August 1922, Zhou Enlai pointed out in his article Religious Spirit and Communism: "What is the difference between superstition and belief? The difference lies in whether the theories and methods one believes in can be 'experimented' upon in 'reality'; put another way, whether they conform to the scientific spirit." He noted that "whatever one 'believes,' it should not exceed the scope of reason; to do so is 'superstition,'" thereby revealing the fundamental distinction between communism and religious belief. In November 1923, the "Resolution on Issues of Education and Propaganda" formulated by the First Plenary Session of the Third Central Executive Committee of the CPC pointed out that special attention must be paid to the propaganda of "common knowledge of natural and social sciences," "opposition to the old doctrines of patriarchal society," and "a healthy materialistic outlook on the universe and society and a 'collectivist' outlook on life." In June 1926, Yun Daiying pointed out in his article Opposing the Cultural Aggression of Imperialism that cultural aggression was a policy used by imperialists to soften and domesticate small and weak nations. The content of this policy included "propagating superstitions of God, Jesus, heaven, and hell, so that weak nations do not pay attention to the acute suffering they face at present, but instead hope to cultivate themselves and follow the 'Way' to seek future happiness in the ethereal and illusory," as well as touting the civilization of imperialist countries and propagating one-sided doctrines of peace and universal love. He also pointed out that opposing religious cultural aggression was not equivalent to opposing ordinary religious believers. It can be seen that early Chinese Communists had begun to apply Marxist stances, viewpoints, and methods to understand and handle the relationships between man and "god," atheism and theism, and atheists and theists, as well as the relationship between atheist propaganda and religious issues.
Third, Mao Zedong became a staunch Marxist atheist. In his youth, influenced by his mother, Mao also believed in Buddhism; "at the age of nine, he seriously discussed with his mother how to make his father believe in Buddha as well," and at fifteen, he "made a special trip to Mount Heng in Nanyue [6] to burn incense and make a vow" for his sick mother. Mao eventually remarked: "My reading began to influence me: I became more and more skeptical of gods and Buddhas." After the May Fourth Movement, following repeated comparison and discernment, he finally chose Marxism and became a staunch atheist. In September 1919, Mao Zedong pointed out in the "Statutes of the Problem Study Society" he drafted that among the many problems to be studied were "religious reform and the question of whether religion should be abolished," emphasizing that "the study of problems—where field investigation is required—must involve field investigation." In July of the same year, in his article If One Does Not Believe in Science, One Will Die published in the third issue of Xiangjiang Review, he criticized the superstitious notion that lightning striking people was "five hundred bolts of savage thunder, a punishment sent from heaven" (wǔbǎi mánléi, shàngtiān jiàngfá), a view born of ignorance of scientific knowledge. In November of the same year, he published articles in the Hunan Dagongbao titled Smashing the Matchmaker System and The Problem of Superstition in Marriage, criticizing the strange phenomenon of matchmakers using "'gods' and 'eight characters' [7] as amulets" and the greatest superstition of marriage, namely the "theory of predestined marriage." In January 1921, in a letter to Cai Hesen, Mao Zedong proposed that "the materialist conception of history is the philosophical basis of our Party." In June 1926, while teaching at the Guangzhou Peasant Movement Training Institute, Mao pointed out that there are two schools of thought in the world, the idealist and the materialist: "Regarding matters in the countryside today such as praying for rain or séances, scientists could provide answers; however, as science is not yet developed in China, one must not try to eradicate superstition all at once, lest it provoke backlash." The Report mentions that in the 14th year of the Republic (1925), he lived in the countryside for half a year, and at that time he "was a Communist and possessed the Marxist viewpoint." In the practice of atheist propaganda and education, Mao Zedong was already able to use Marxist stances, viewpoints, and methods to deal with the problem of theism, which was an important condition for the formation of the atheist thought in the Report.
II. The "Three Abouts": The Main Content of Atheist Thought in the Report
The main content of the atheist thought in the Report is concentrated on the question of how to correctly understand and handle religious authority. In summary, it includes three "abouts" (points of view): about "what is religious authority," about "why religious authority must be overthrown," and about "how to overthrow religious authority."
First, the viewpoint regarding "what is religious authority." The Report points out that the political authority [8], clan authority, religious authority, and masculine authority [9] widely present in Chinese society represented the entirety of feudal patriarchal ideology and institutions. Among these, religious authority consisted of "the system of the nether world ranging from the King of Hell to the city gods and local deities, and the system of immortals ranging from the Jade Emperor to various gods and spirits—collectively referred to as the system of ghosts and gods." Mao Zedong’s explanation of the connotation of religious authority includes two layers of meaning: first, religious authority is subordinate to political authority, with political authority being the backbone; only by overthrowing the political authority of the landlords can religious authority be overthrown. Second, religious authority is an important component of feudal patriarchal ideology and institutions, covering various spirits and ghosts in both the nether-world and immortal systems. In May 1930, in his Report from Xunwu, he further elaborated on the relationship between religious authority and land, proposing the concept of the "theological landlord" from an economic level. He pointed out that "theological landlords" belonged to the category of public landlords in the old land relations, consisting of "six types: spirits (shén), altars (tán), shrines (shè), temples (miào), monasteries (sì), and abbeys (guàn)." Among these, the she (local shrine) was the most basic and was needed by the peasants; the tan (altar) was more advanced and was needed by the landlords; the miao (temple) was the most advanced and was needed by both landlords and peasants; the si (Buddhist monastery) belonged to monks, and the guan (Taoist abbey) belonged to Taoists and lay practitioners. He also distinguished between folk beliefs (she, shen, tan, miao) and religion (si, guan), enriching the connotation of religious authority. Clearly, "theological landlords" were the important carriers of religious authority and an important social basis for the exploitation of the peasantry.
Second, the viewpoint regarding "why religious authority must be overthrown." The Report points out that religious authority is a massive cord binding the Chinese people, especially the peasants; it is a vital shackle maintaining the old feudal order and plays a negative role in the spiritual oppression and economic exploitation of the people, and thus must be overthrown. The Report also mentions that cattle are the "treasures" of the peasants; when the peasants lacked power, they could only use religious concepts to oppose the slaughter of cattle, as they lacked the strength to prohibit it—"‘those who kill cattle will become cattle in the next life’ became practically a religion." Before the peasants were organized by the Party-led peasant associations, theistic concepts were indeed a massive cord binding them and had to be broken to bring about a great liberation of the peasants' spiritual world. In the Report from Xunwu, Mao Zedong further pointed out that the si (Buddhist monastery) was the "nest" of the monks and "a place of severe exploitation. The monastery properties were all 'donated' by big landlords... Buddhism is a religion utilized by the big landlord class... Wufuan, Huilongsi, Zhengjuesi, Guanyinge, Dongbishan, Dabeige, Ehu’an, Xizhushan, Tiantaishan, Shiziyan, Sanjiaodong, Jiaogongyan, Fahua’an, Xihuashan, Nanyangshan, Fanhuisi, Ganlusi, and Jiulongshan are all Buddhist monasteries in the vicinity of the town area. Those of Taoists and lay practitioners are called guan, such as Yugaidong, Dashanli, Chuantangkeng, and so on. The source of the fields and the state of exploitation in the guan are no different from those in the si." It is evident that religious authority and the "theological landlords" like monasteries and abbeys upon which it relied were highly exploitative and were important targets of the New Democratic Revolution. This also provided a basis for the formulation of the Party's religious policy.
Third, the ideological perspective on "how to overthrow theocratic authority." Regarding this, the Report actually puts forward four points. First, overthrowing the landlord political power and establishing revolutionary political power is the political prerequisite for overthrowing theocratic authority. In September 1926, Mao Zedong pointed out in his article The National Revolution and the Peasant Movement that the peasant issue includes the problem of man-made oppression and the problem of natural oppression, and "to solve the latter problem, national revolutionary political power and scientific methods are required." The Report notes that by overthrowing the landlord political power and causing the power of the peasants to increase, "clan authority, theocratic authority, and marital authority will all be shaken accordingly," and "all feudal and patriarchal ideologies and systems will be shaken as the power of the peasants rises." Second, leading the peasants in economic struggle and improving their standard of living is the key to overthrowing theocratic authority. The Report points out that the destruction of theocratic authority and superstitious concepts "is the natural result of victory in the political and economic struggles." Mao Zedong also used popularized language to promote this to the peasants, pointing out: "If you don't have a peasant association, but only Lord Guan [10] or the Goddess of Mercy, can you strike down the local tyrants and evil gentry? Those Lords and Goddesses are also pitiable; you have worshipped them for hundreds of years, yet they haven't struck down a single local tyrant or evil gentry for you! Now you want to reduce rents; I ask you, what method do you have? Believing in the gods, or believing in the peasant association?" Third, developing education and culture and raising the scientific and cultural level of the peasants is an important foundation for overthrowing theocratic authority. The existence of theism in the peasants' ideology has complex and diverse roots. Among them, the fundamental root is the exploitation and oppression of the peasantry by the successive ruling classes. "In China, it has always been only the landlords who have culture, while the peasants have none. But the culture of the landlords is created by the peasants, for what constitutes the landlord culture is nothing other than the blood and sweat wrung from the peasants." This is also the class root of the existence of theocratic authority. Fourth, persisting in the propaganda of atheism and breaking superstitious concepts is an important path for overthrowing theocratic authority. In the Report, Mao Zedong proposed, "In the countryside, I also carried out propaganda among the peasants to break superstition." He used comparative methods and popularized language to propagate ideas, "speaking until the peasants all burst out laughing," achieving effectiveness in breaking superstition.
III. The "Three Significances": The Historical Position of the Atheist Thought in the Report
The historical position of the atheist thought in the Report is centrally reflected in its important theoretical, practical, and historical significance. These three significances can be summarized as: opening the path for the Sinicization of Marxist atheism, elucidating the important principles and strategies of atheist propaganda and education, and achieving important successes in overthrowing theocratic authority and breaking superstition.
First, it opened the path for the Sinicization of Marxist atheism, which is of great theoretical significance. After the founding of the Party, Chinese Communists consciously persisted in using Marxist atheism to understand and analyze the problem of theism in China. When Mao Zedong expounded on the problem of theocratic authority in the Report, the organizational forms of theism he discussed already covered religion, folk beliefs, secular superstition, as well as secret folk societies such as "Mountains, Halls, Incense, and Water" [11] that operated under the banner of religious superstition. He also preliminarily expounded the attitudes and policies for dealing with religion, folk beliefs, secular superstition, and secret folk societies. In revolutionary practice, Mao Zedong combined the basic principles of Marxist atheism with the national conditions of a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. He creatively proposed a series of Sinicized atheist perspectives, scientifically answering major theoretical and practical questions in the revolution—such as what theocratic authority is, why it must be overthrown, and how to overthrow it—within a major Eastern power where the economy and culture were very backward and peasants made up the vast majority of the population. This powerfully guided the Party's practice in handling the relationships between humans and "gods," atheism and theism, and atheists and theists during the Democratic Revolution. It upheld and developed Marxist-Leninist atheism, opened the path for the Sinicization of Marxist atheism, and served as the primary sign of the initial formation of Mao Zedong’s atheist thought.
Second, it elucidated the important principles and strategies of atheist propaganda and education, which is of great practical significance. On the one hand, one must follow the basic laws governing the disappearance of theism; one cannot use coercive means to eliminate theism. This is an important principle of atheist propaganda and education. The Report points out: "The idols [Bodhisattvas] were set up by the peasants, and when the time comes, the peasants will cast them aside with their own hands; there is no need for others to do it prematurely for them." Theocratic authority and superstition must be broken by the peasants themselves; "it is wrong for others to do it for them." In June 1927, the Central Notice on Agriculture No. 7—Correcting Unorganized Actions of Peasants, passed by the Fifth National Congress of the Party, pointed out: "Oppose the old rites, ancestral worship, and all evil customs such as the belief in Bodhisattvas that bind the peasants... these are all cultural movements and can only be conducted through propaganda, not through agitation, and even less through coercive methods... Regarding religion, the principle of freedom of belief must be maintained." The Party should provide patient explanations and propaganda: "Temple property may be confiscated, but the forced destruction of statues or ancestral tablets is not allowed. In villages where patriarchal superstition remains deep, even the opposition to these decayed things must be handled with caution [12]." On the other hand, one must be skilled at educating and inspiring the people, and must combine this with solving the practical problems of the masses; this is an important strategy of atheist propaganda and education. The Report points out that overthrowing theocratic authority and breaking superstition must consider the peasants' ideological consciousness and practical problems, and must be combined with "the expectation of fundamentally solving the land and other economic problems of the poor peasants." The Party's propaganda policy is to "draw the bow but not release the arrow, poised as if ready to leap" [13]. "If excessive force is used to crudely and forcibly engage in the destruction of these things, it will surely be used as a pretext by the local tyrants and evil gentry to raise counter-revolutionary propaganda such as 'the peasant association is unfilial to ancestors' or 'the peasant association insults the gods and destroys the Way' to sabotage the revolution." Mao Zedong also pointed out in the Xingguo Survey: "The reason superstition was swept away so quickly: the local tyrants were struck down, and the land was divided."
Third, it achieved important successes in overthrowing theocratic authority and breaking superstition, which is of great historical significance. In August 1926, Qu Qiubai [14] delivered a speech in Guangzhou titled The Peasant Problem in the National Revolution, pointing out that among the many reasons why Chinese peasant revolutions had failed to achieve ultimate success in history was their utilization of superstition. In his preface to the Report, he pointed out: "They have struck down the theocratic authority of the Jade Emperor, the Primordial Heavenly Revered One, the City God of the Realm, the City God, the God of the Land, the Five Holy Gods, and the Great Fox Immortal." In April 1927, Li Weihan pointed out in the article The Way Out for the Hunan Revolution: "They have shaken clan authority, theocratic authority, and marital authority." The important achievements in overthrowing theocratic authority and breaking superstition mentioned in the Report mainly include three aspects. First, regarding the overthrow of theocratic authority: the Report points out that "the shaking of theocratic authority has become widespread following the development of the peasant movement," and "the overthrow of theocratic authority and the breaking of superstition is underway everywhere." It was manifested in: peasant associations occupying temples as meeting halls and using temple property to establish peasant schools; prohibiting the "scent procession" [15] of family deities; and in some places, the worship of gods, Daoist rituals, and the sending of "Great King lanterns" [16] had become rare. In places where peasant power had become dominant, young and middle-aged peasants no longer believed in gods, and so on. Second, regarding the peasants' various prohibitions: the Report points out that there were many local minor prohibitions, such as Liling banning the Nuo deity incense processions, banning the purchase of southern goods and vegetarian offerings as gifts, and banning the burning of paper clothes during the Ghost Festival, thereby breaking harmful social habits. Third, regarding the clearing of bandits: the Report points out that some "secret societies [operating under the banner of religion and superstition] joined the peasant associations, acting heroically and venting their grievances openly and legally in the associations; the secret organizations of 'Mountains, Halls, Incense, and Water' no longer have a reason to exist."
IV. The "Three Musts": Contemporary Inspirations from the Atheist Thought in the Report
The contemporary inspirations of the atheist thought in the Report can be summarized as the "three musts": namely, we must fully recognize the long-term nature of the roots of theism during the socialist period; we must continuously promote the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist atheism; and we must unswervingly perform the work of Marxist atheist propaganda and education in the New Era, centering closely on the Party's central tasks.
First, we must fully recognize the long-term nature of the roots of theism during the socialist period. The long-term nature of the existence of theism lies in the long-term nature of its roots. Having entered socialist society, the class roots of theism in our country have basically disappeared, but the natural roots, epistemological roots, and psychological roots of theism will still exist for a long time. Mao Zedong pointed out in the Changkang Township Survey: "Some old ladies, although they dare not worship gods openly, still believe in them in their hearts." Because it is difficult to completely eliminate superstitious thoughts inherited from the old society in a short period; because it is not yet possible to completely escape the various hardships brought by certain severe natural and man-made disasters; because great increases in productive forces and the high development of education, science, and culture require a long-term struggle; and because class struggle within a certain scope and the exploitation by external forces still exist—therefore, in the primary stage of socialism, "among the total population of our country, especially among the Han nationality who make up the vast majority of the national population, there are not a few people who believe in ghosts and gods." Mao Zedong also pointed out that along with the high development of productive forces and science, "humanity will gradually be liberated from the dual oppression of nature and society." Entering the New Era, the Party has written into the Implementation Outline for Enhancing Civic Morality in the New Era the need to "advocate the scientific spirit, popularize scientific knowledge, resist superstition and decayed, backward culture, and guard against the penetration of extremist religious ideas and illegal religious forces," and has written into the Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Ideological and Political Work in the New Era the need to "strengthen education in Marxist materialism and atheism." This fully reflects the high level of importance the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, attaches to atheist propaganda and education.
Second, we must continuously promote the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist atheism. In the long practice of revolution, construction, and reform, Chinese Communists have combined the basic principles of Marxist atheism with China's concrete reality and with the excellent traditional atheist thought of China, proposing a series of Sinicized Marxist atheist viewpoints and opening new horizons for the development of Marxist atheism. Entering the New Era, based on the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world's unprecedented changes in a century, we must fully implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on upholding and propagating Marxist atheism. We must focus on resolutely preventing and resisting the penetration of various theistic ideologies, strengthening targeted Marxist atheist propaganda and education, and ensuring that Marxist atheism, as the mainstream ideology, maintains its dominant position in the minds of the masses. Meanwhile, we must also focus on continuously increasing the unity between atheists and theists, vigorously developing productive forces, and promoting the comprehensive development of the person. Through the practice of handling these issues, we will continuously promote the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist atheism and construct a theoretical system of Sinicized Marxist atheism.
Third, we must unswervingly perform the work of atheist propaganda and education in the New Era, centering closely on the Party's central tasks. Lenin pointed out that the struggle against religious theism should not be limited to abstract ideological propaganda, "but should be linked with the concrete practice of the class movement aimed at eliminating the social roots that produce religion," and "the propaganda of atheism must be subordinate to the basic tasks of the Social Democratic Party." The atheist propaganda strategy reflected in the Report runs through this viewpoint of Lenin and embodies the style of seeking truth from facts and scientific investigation. In October 1930, Mao Zedong further pointed out in the Xingguo Survey that vagrants, including fortune-tellers, diviners, Daoist priests, and Buddhist monks, also received land during the Land Revolution, which mobilized their enthusiasm for production; some fortune-tellers and Daoist priests even participated in the revolution. This shows that atheist propaganda must proceed from reality and must unite and lead the religious masses and those with superstitious beliefs to struggle together for the Party's central tasks. In February 2018, during General Secretary Xi Jinping's research trip to Liangshan, Sichuan, a villager of the Yi ethnic group told him that "previously when she was sick, she always thought she was possessed by a ghost." General Secretary Xi Jinping said: "In the past, there indeed were 'ghosts'; ignorance, backwardness, and poverty were the 'ghosts.' Once these problems are solved, through education, hygiene, and living a good life, the 'ghosts' will naturally be driven away." At the same time, atheist propaganda must fully implement the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief and respect the religious beliefs of the masses. "We cannot relegate religious figures and religious believers to a separate category simply because we Communists are atheists, or because there are religious extremist forces—especially hostile external forces—using religion for penetration."
In summary, the atheistic thought within the Report [17] creatively answered the major theoretical and practical questions of how the Party should understand and treat theocratic power [18] during the Democratic Revolution. It opened the path for the Sinicization of Marxist atheism and elucidated the important principles and strategies for the propaganda and education of atheism. Furthermore, it achieved significant success in overthrowing theocratic power and eradicating superstition. This legacy holds important practical enlightenment for the comprehensive implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on adhering to and promoting Marxist atheism, the thorough execution of the CPC Central Committee’s policies and deployments regarding Marxist atheism propaganda and education, and the comprehensive advancement of Marxist atheist research, propaganda, and education in the New Era.
Web Editor: Caihong Source: Science and Atheism