Zhu Xiaoming: A Study on General Secretary Xi Jinping's Original Achievements Regarding Marxist Atheism
On June 30, 2023, during the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The Project to Study and Build Marxist Theory must continuously deepen theoretical research and interpretation. It must focus on researching and interpreting the original theoretical achievements found within the new concepts and new assertions proposed by our Party, grasp their internal connections, and educate and guide the entire Party and nation to better study and master the theoretical system of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era."
General Secretary Xi Jinping has provided comprehensive and profound expositions on upholding and propagating Marxist atheism in his important speeches at the 2016 and 2021 National Conferences on Religious Work, as well as at national conferences on organizational and propaganda work. He proposed that "Communist Party members must, of course, uphold atheism; if one does not uphold atheism, one is not a Marxist, nor a thorough materialist." He further stated, "Communist Party members must be firm Marxist atheists and must never seek their values or beliefs in religion." Important discourses include: Communist Party members must be steadfast atheists and strictly abide by the political discipline [1] that prohibits Party members from believing in religion; Marxist atheism is a "great principle" [da yuanze]; we must not only uphold Marxist atheism but also actively propagate it; we must always maintain Marxist atheism as the mainstream ideology and ensure it occupies the dominant position in the minds of the masses; we must properly handle the relationship between freedom of religious belief and ideological struggle; and we must strengthen targeted propagation of Marxist atheism to ensure it takes deep root in the hearts of the people.
In studying General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on upholding and propagating Marxist atheism, we must focus on researching and interpreting the original and important assertions therein and grasp their internal connections. These important assertions were not spoken by the "Old Ancestors" [2], nor were they articulated by previous leaders of our Party. They are both a continuous inheritance and a manifestation of new concepts and achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, advancing with the times.
I. Upholding Marxist Atheism is a "Great Principle"
In the history of the Communist Party of China, and indeed in the history of the entire international communist movement, General Secretary Xi Jinping was the first to propose the important assertion that "upholding Marxist atheism is a great principle."
Why do we say that upholding Marxist atheism is a great principle? I believe there are four reasons.
First, it is because the dialectical materialism and historical materialism worldviews of the Communist Party of China are, in essence, thorough and scientific atheism. Engels once said: "The great advantage of our party is that it has a new scientific worldview as its theoretical foundation." Marx pointed out: "Communism begins from the outset with atheism." The starting point and foundation of dialectical materialism and historical materialism is atheism. It holds that the world is material and devoid of ghosts or gods; that the material world moves and develops on its own without divine impetus; that the material world is infinite, without heaven or hell; that history is created by the masses themselves, not by a divine master; and that truth is tested and developed through practice, not through divine revelation.
The core requirement of our atheism education is not merely to have people memorize knowledge points, but to ensure that Party members—especially leading cadres—achieve the following: first, recognize the truth-character of atheism, understanding that atheism is a correct and true understanding of the world; second, recognize the people-centered character [renminxing] of atheism, understanding that upholding and propagating atheism serves the holistic interests of the broad masses; third, recognize the practice-oriented character of atheism, placing the fate of the individual, family, team, and career in one's own hands and the hands of the people, rather than entrusting it to illusory deities and religion.
Second, the "great principle" [da yuanze] is so named in comparison to other principles. Upholding Marxist atheism and implementing freedom of religious belief are both fundamental principles of the Party’s relevant work, but their respective scopes of application differ. Freedom of religious belief is a basic principle and policy of religious work. Upholding Marxist atheism, however, is not only a principle related to religious work; it transcends that scope, permeating and radiating through the five major fields—economic, political, social, cultural, and ecological [3]—as well as the three major systems—legislative, judicial, and administrative. It is a "great principle" that covers and applies to all aspects. Leading Party cadres and experts in the fields of Marxist religious studies and atheism must follow this great principle and must not violate it, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Third, the profound lessons from former socialist countries in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. These countries did not fail to propose or propagate "Marxist-Leninist atheism," but after their collapse and drastic changes, the atheism that once occupied the mainstream ideological position vanished without a trace. Religion once again occupied the ideological and spiritual realm of the masses. In some places, serious problems emerged where independence and separatism were sought using ethnic and religious factors, and armed groups appeared under ethnic and religious banners. In international relations, ethnic and religious factors that were masked by the US-Soviet hegemony during the Cold War flared up again, even leading to conflict and war. The famous Chinese diplomat Qian Qichen once said: "From a historical perspective, in international relations, when the global situation undergoes major changes, ethnic and religious contradictions often cause previously controlled, handled, or resolved problems to erupt anew; ethnic and religious issues can suddenly become important and sensitive." He added, "Furthermore, some countries use slogans like religious freedom and human rights to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, further intensifying these contradictions."
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Marxist principles regarding the materiality of the world and its laws of development, human society and its laws of development, and the nature of cognition and its laws of development provide us with the fundamental worldview and methodology for researching and mastering various disciplines in the philosophy and social sciences." The phrase "concerning the materiality of the world and its laws of development" is precisely the philosophical expression of Marxist atheism. The fate and historical trajectory of Marxist atheism rise and fall with the overall momentum of socialism and Marxism. In the process of history's spiral advancement, its indelible value and inexhaustible vitality are increasingly manifest.
Fourth, as China’s economy and society enter a new stage of development, the new epochal value of atheism is increasingly evident. In an era of material scarcity, people's primary need was to solve basic material conditions such as food and clothing. After the comprehensive realization of a moderately prosperous society [4], economic construction and material civilization remain the center and foundation, but people's spiritual needs have become greater and more sophisticated. Currently, the purpose of some citizens' religious belief is shifting from utilitarianism and pragmatism toward spiritual pursuit and sustenance. This brings new problems and challenges to our Party's ideological work, political and ideological education, and propagation of Socialist Core Values. If theism is allowed to spread throughout our country and the number of believers grows, it will eventually exert a negative influence on the Party's guiding ideology and its foundation for governance.
An American scholar once noted that amid widening wealth gaps, "people in prosperous and poor countries alike are flocking to various forms of traditional religion, whose primary appeal lies in alleviating the individual responsibility of thinking for oneself and rationally directing one's life." The rich believe in religion to achieve psychological balance; the poor believe to find spiritual sustenance. The attraction of religion reduces the responsibility that people ought to bear themselves.
Against the background of achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation and the "changes unseen in a century" [5], our Party has timely proposed that "upholding Marxist atheism is a great principle." this is of extremely significant importance for safeguarding ideological security and shouldering the responsibility of Communists.
II. Always Maintaining Marxist Atheism as the Mainstream Ideology in the Dominant Position of the People’s Minds
The 2016 National Conference on Religious Work proposed always maintaining Marxist atheism as the mainstream ideology in the dominant position of the people’s minds. To study this original and important assertion, one must grasp four key points.
First, upholding the "mainstream and dominant" status. This assertion clearly emphasizes the mainstream and dominant status in the minds of the masses of Marxist atheism, which is an important foundation and component of Marxism.
To always maintain this status, we must correctly understand the relationship between "dominance" [zhudaoxing] and "inclusivity" [baorongxing]. The two basic principles—upholding Marxist atheism and implementing freedom of religious belief—are not absolutely opposed or severed politically. Freedom of religious belief itself includes the freedom of citizens to believe in religion, as well as the freedom not to believe and to propagate atheism. While atheism and theism differ in their worldviews, at the political level we must still unite and guide religion. On a political basis and within the scope of the law, atheism is inclusive toward religious believers.
However, inclusivity cannot weaken, replace, or lose dominance. Without the mainstream dominance of Marxist ideology, including atheism, it is impossible to create and maintain a social order and atmosphere that respects differences and embraces diversity. The view that denies the mainstream dominant status of Marxist atheism regards this "great principle" as small, narrow, shallow, or even skewed.
Second, facing the broad masses. The propagation and education of Marxist atheism must not bind its own hands; it must face society and the broad masses. If it is to "occupy the dominant position in the minds of the masses," this "occupying" must be proactive. We must restengthen and consolidate the ideological positions that have been eroded or weakened by theism, maintaining mainstream dominance.
In strengthening atheism education, the key targets are leading Party cadres and the youth. The former concerns how governing power and resources are used; the latter concerns the future spiritual landscape of the Chinese people. At the same time, the Party has clearly announced that it will not specifically conduct atheism propagation toward religious figures and believers, nor will it conduct such propagation within religious sites. But this does not mean atheism education is limited strictly to within the Communist Party. Outside of religious venues, there is a vast public space; outside of Party organizations, there are the broad masses of non-religious citizens. We cannot abandon the conduct of rational, powerful, and effective atheism education in mass media and social education simply because we do not target religious figures and believers. Moreover, when religious figures and believers understand the basic principles of Marxist education directed toward society, it helps them properly position the relationship between religious belief and activity and national law, government management, national education, and the common interests of society.
Third, emphasizing "always maintaining." Marxist atheism is not a temporary or localized theoretical weapon in the work of the Party and state; it is a long-term, fundamental, and global ideological weapon. Vertically, it runs through the entire practical process of the Party's revolution, construction, reform and opening up, and the New Era; horizontally, it must permeate and radiate through all aspects of the "three major systems" and "five major fields."
In the 70-plus years since the founding of the PRC, our Party has ideologically and in principle consistently upheld Marxist atheism. However, in certain regions and during certain periods, the prominent problem has been a lack of consciousness, consistency, and practical effort in upholding and propagating Marxist atheism. Furthermore, there has been a pattern of fluctuating intensity—striding forward one step only to retreat one or even two steps. Recovering from such retreats often presents more problems than starting from scratch. Often, it is only after incidents like the "Falun Gong" [6] cult gatherings or the "Three Forces" [7] causing riots and terrorist incidents that people wake up and become more clear-cut and confident in upholding and propagating Marxist atheism. Yet, during periods of social stability, people often "forget the pain once the wound has healed" and fail to see the deep currents beneath the still water. Conventional theism is characterized by strong inertia and a tendency to rebound; once vigilance is relaxed, it is easy to revert to old ways. Everyone says that the religious issue is "long-term", but some comrades in practical work often focus only on the present, caring only that no major incidents occur during their tenure, revealing a certain short-sightedness. This tendency of one inclination periodicially masking another not only tends to cancel out the good social effects once achieved by atheism education but also discourages primary-level cadres who have struggled against cults and religious extremism under great pressure. Atheism education is not a campaign to be "accomplished in a single stroke" [8]. We must both fight the immediate battles under specific conditions and stay the course, persisting with unremitting effort to achieve lasting results.
Fourth, we must carry out critical, positive, and foundational work. In the process of moving from the achievement of a moderately prosperous society in all respects [9] toward the comprehensive buildup of a modern socialist country, spiritual civilization [10] must keep pace with the improvement and enrichment of material conditions of production and life. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Material power and spiritual power each have their own roles, and to a large extent, they are not mutually replaceable. Material problems must be solved by strengthening material power, and spiritual problems must be solved by strengthening spiritual power. Economic development and the improvement of people's living standards do not automatically bring about an improvement in their level of ideological understanding." "One key opens one lock. While we continue to make good use of the key of development, we must make even better use of the key of ideological education." At the spiritual level, we must, on the one hand, satisfy the people's growing spiritual needs with a healthy and uplifting spiritual and cultural life, warming and uniting hearts through meticulous ideological and mass line work; on the other hand, we must adhere to and propagate Marxist atheism—the theoretical weapon for pursuing human ideological and spiritual liberation and achieving well-rounded human development. We must promote the Sinicization, modernization, and popularization of Marxist atheism, and enhance its persuasiveness, appeal, and attraction.
Maintaining the mainstream and dominant position of Marxist atheism in the minds of the masses is the ideological basis and fundamental solution (zhìběn zhī cè) [11] for preventing and resolving major risks and hidden dangers in the religious field; it is the "principal aspect of the contradiction." If Marxist atheism cannot be established and occupy the mainstream dominant position, the work of preventing and resolving risks in the religious field will fall into a state of "treating the head when the head aches and the feet when the feet ache" [12]—a passive response. When Marxist atheism is established, "righteous qi resides within, and evil cannot interfere" [13]; this facilitates seizing the initiative and playing the opening move effectively within the overall strategic situation.
We Communists are Marxist atheists, and at the same time, we implement the policy of freedom of religious belief. It is precisely because Communists do not profess any particular religion that they can treat different religions equally and unite the vast numbers of religious believers and the even vaster numbers of non-believers around the Party and the government, working together to build a shared, realistic, and earthly happy home for all Chinese people.
III. Grasping the "Relationship Between Freedom of Religious Belief and Ideological Struggle"
The "relationship between freedom of religious belief and ideological struggle" is one of the "five relationships" (namely: current and long-term, treating symptoms and treating root causes, antagonistic and non-antagonistic, resisting penetration and foreign exchange, and the relationship between freedom of religious belief and ideological struggle) proposed at the 2021 National Conference on Religious Work that must be properly managed.
Religion is both an ideology and a social entity. Since the founding of New China, during periods when religious work has had a clear orientation and vigorous progress, we have consistently recognized the difference between idealism and materialism, and between theism and atheism in terms of worldview, actively promoting and helping religion adapt to New China and the new society. Simultaneously, we have recognized that religion is a social force that cannot be ignored, affecting the broad masses of religious believers. We must implement the policy of freedom of religious belief, unite religious figures and believers around the Party and the government, and concentrate their will and strength on striving for common political and economic interests and goals. Practice tells us that failing to comprehensively grasp the two attributes of religion—seeing only the ideological attribute while ignoring the social attribute, or seeing only the social attribute while ignoring the ideological attribute—will lead to deviations and damage in policy orientation and social effects.
In the New Era of comprehensively building a modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics, we must attach importance to the social attributes of religion, emphasizing the management of religious affairs according to law and actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society and the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. At the same time, we must recognize the ideological attributes of religion, grasp and handle the "relationship between freedom of religious belief and ideological struggle," strengthen and innovate the propagation and education of Marxist atheism, and leverage the foundational role of ideological and propaganda work in improving the scientific and cultural quality of the entire nation and in cultivating and practicing socialist core values.
The "relationship between freedom of religious belief and ideological struggle" covers a wide and complex range of fields, including two different aspects: first, the contest between theism and atheism; second, the contest between patriotic and progressive religious thought or the thought of religious Sinicization in the New Era, and conservative, backward religious thought or religious extremist thought. The targets, content, and requirements of these two aspects differ. Regarding the first aspect, the adherence to and propagation of Marxist atheism is not targeted at the religious community but at society as a whole, with the focus on Party members, cadres, and young people. The second aspect involves ideological education within the religious community, which the Party and government have always supported and guided the religious community to carry out actively and voluntarily.
To properly grasp the relationship between "freedom of religious belief and ideological struggle," we must distinguish between the different targets of these two aspects, assign different content, and adopt different methods. Carrying out ideological struggle must not violate the policy of freedom of religious belief; implementing the policy of freedom of religious belief must not result in the abandonment or weakening of ideological struggle. This can be summarized in two sentences: first, in the ideological sphere, consistly adhere to and propagate Marxist atheism while supporting, guiding, and promoting the Sinicization of religion and its adaptation to socialist society and the New Era; second, in the sphere of political life, unite and guide religious figures and believers to serve the common goal of building a modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics.
IV. Strengthening Targeted Propaganda of Marxist Atheism to Ensure it Strikes a Deep Chord in the People's Hearts
The 2021 National Conference on Religious Work proposed: We must strengthen the construction of ideological fronts; we must strengthen Marxist propaganda in a targeted manner; atheism education should enter textbooks and classrooms with confidence and righteousness to help young people firmly establish a scientific worldview, outlook on life, and values, and to let atheism strike a deep chord in the people's hearts. To achieve targeted strengthening of Marxist atheist propaganda, two points must be fulfilled.
First, enhance the target-orientation of propaganda content. Marxism has always emphasized propagating atheism to the masses. Lenin pointed out in his article "On the Significance of Militant Materialism": "It would be the biggest and most grievous mistake a Marxist could make to think that the millions of the people (especially the peasants and artisans), who have been condemned by all modern society to darkness, ignorance and superstition, can only extricate themselves from this darkness by the straight line of a purely Marxist education. These masses should be supplied with the most varied atheist propaganda material, they should be made acquainted with the facts from the most diverse spheres of life, they should be approached in every possible way, so as to interest them, rouse them from their religious torpor, stir them from the most varied angles and by the most varied methods, and so forth." In New Era China, we should also provide the masses with various targeted atheist propaganda materials, especially by skillfully using examples occurring around them—such as the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the opposition to the "three forces" [14], the achievement of comprehensive poverty alleviation, and the development of the economy, technology, and culture to meet the people's growing material and cultural needs. We must tell the masses the facts and logic of all aspects of real life, conducting vivid and effective propaganda and education through facts and comparisons.
In the New Era, the research and propagation of Marxist atheism will encounter new problems and challenges. New scientific discoveries and developments—such as high-tech developments in artificial intelligence and life sciences—have sparked interest in the "two darks, one black, and three origins" [15] (referring to dark matter, dark energy, black holes, the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and the origin of consciousness). In areas where science cannot yet provide answers, religious consciousness and influence often arise. Is the end of science theology? In reality, the end or boundary of science is the unknown world, not theology. Some ask: if science must continuously pursue and explore this unknown world, once science understands and resolves it, will it expel all kinds of theism from this field? As Engels pointed out: "The history of science is the history of the gradual clearing away of this ignorance." We must inherit and strengthen the alliance between social scientists and natural scientists to resolve doubts and clarify confusion in a targeted, rational, and evidence-based manner.
Second, enhance the target-orientation of the audience. There are four main areas and targets for atheist propaganda and education: cadre education, school education, social propaganda, and academic research. We must distinguish between different targets and determine different focuses and requirements for atheist propaganda and education.
Currently, we need to seize two key priorities. First, atheist education must enter Party schools. Learning and mastering the basic viewpoints and laws of Marxist atheism is an important ideological and theoretical weapon for preventing and resolving major risks in the religious field. Party leading cadres at all levels, especially those in United Front and religious work departments, must take Marxist atheism as a compulsory course. With this ideological and theoretical foundation, they will be able to handle any manifestation of theism.
Comrade Chen Yun [16] famously said: "Studying Marxist philosophy is foundational ideological construction." Borrowing this phrase, we can say that studying Marxist atheism is also an important part of foundational ideological construction. In regions where ethnic and religious work tasks are relatively heavy, this is an important piece of foundational ideological construction that is closely linked to reality, "grounded" (jiè dìqì), and effective.
Second, atheist education must enter universities, primary schools, and secondary schools. Human religious concepts are not innate; they are the result of various postnatal factors. Atheist propaganda and education must not only be carried out but must be persisted in for generations. This is because every new generation of young people has not experienced the previous process of the development of social consciousness. "If they are not given 'foundational' education, they will become ignorant and benighted on 'foundational' issues, passively or actively remaining at the bottom level of social consciousness in areas that education fails to reach." The Party and government have a responsibility to help the masses who do not originally believe in religion, especially young people, to avoid becoming lost in the fog of religious theism. Marxist colleges in universities across the country, especially in regions with heavy ethnic and religious work tasks, should offer Marxist atheism courses at different levels according to the actual ideological state of undergraduates and postgraduates. The scientific spirit of atheism should also be integrated into and reflected in other related courses. We must combine teaching practice, textbook compilation, and teacher training to form targeted academic growth points with local advantages. Primary and secondary education should also appropriately increase atheist content, telling stories subtly and explaining logic through patient guidance.
"Letting atheism strike a deep chord in the people's hearts" defines the overall purpose and requirement for adhering to and propagating Marxist atheism in the New Era. Striking a deep chord means that through targeted and effective propaganda and educational forms and content, atheism should be internalized as a scientific worldview, outlook on life, and values for the people, especially the vast number of young people. Striking a deep chord means popularizing science and advanced culture, making atheism like a "gentle rain and spring breeze" [17], becoming a social fashion and lifestyle for the masses in their pursuit of civilization and progress. Striking a deep chord means helping and guiding people to draw a clear line between materialism and idealism, atheism and theism, science and superstition, and civilization and ignorance. This ensures that atheism, like a drawn sword, resists superstition and decadent, backward culture, and prevents the penetration of religious extremist thought and illegal religious forces.
These four original and important results are closely interconnected. The first, "Adhering to Marxist atheism is a major principle," emphasizes that adhering to Marxist atheism is an overall important principle in the work of the Party and the state. The second, "Consistently maintaining Marxist atheism as the mainstream ideology and its dominant position in the minds of the masses," highlights the mainstream and dominant position of Marxist atheism in the ideological field. The third, "Grasping the 'relationship between freedom of religious belief and ideological struggle,'" proposes a pair of important relationships to be grasped and handled in the ideological field. The fourth, "Strengthening targeted propaganda of Marxist atheism to ensure it strikes a deep chord in the people's hearts," clarifies the practical path, purpose, and requirements for adhering to and propagating Marxist atheism. These four original and important judgments—from political principle to mainstream dominance, from important relationships to practical requirements—range from macro to micro, and from principle and status to policy and measures. They are visionary (gāowū jiànlǐng), combine the abstract and the concrete, echo each other, and advance step by step. Together, they constitute the core essence and theoretical framework of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on adhering to and propagating Marxist atheism, providing theoretical guidance and spiritual motivation for us to develop the cause of Marxist atheist research, propaganda, and education in the New Era.
Author: Zhu Xiaoming Web Editor: Caihong Source: "Science and Atheism," No. 1, 2024