Summary of the "2010 Chinese Atheism Association Annual Conference and Symposium on the Theory and Practice of Scientific Atheism" | Marxism Research Network

On June 26–27, 2010, the "2010 Annual Meeting of the Chinese Atheism Society and Seminar on the Theory and Practice of Scientific Atheism," jointly sponsored by the Chinese Atheism Society, the Center for Scientific and Atheism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, and the School of Law and Economics of Xinjiang Normal University, was held in Urumqi. More than 60 experts and scholars from across the country, along with over 100 non-voting participants, attended the seminar. Centered on the theory and practice of scientific atheism, the seminar launched extensive and in-depth discussions on several topics, including scientific atheism and society, the theoretical system and disciplinary construction of scientific atheism, atheistic propaganda and education, and atheistic education among ethnic minorities.

Xi Wuyi, a researcher at the Institute of Marxism Studies of CASS, Director of the Center for Scientific and Atheism Studies, and Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese Atheism Society, reviewed the Society’s recent work on its behalf. She stated that the cause of scientific atheism in China is currently facing a new period of opportunity. Since the beginning of reform and opening up, there have been two important turning points in the development of China’s scientific atheism. The first occurred in the late 1990s, and the second between the winter of 2009 and the spring of 2010. At the end of 1978, just as the "Cultural Revolution" had concluded, Mr. Ren Jiyu founded the Chinese Atheism Society. Subsequently, for various reasons, the Society's work fell silent for a time. In the 1990s, the dregs of "neo-theism," flying the flag of "extraordinary powers" ^[1], rose to the surface and became a major issue affecting social stability. In 1996, at the advocacy of Mr. Ren Jiyu, the Chinese Atheism Society resumed its work. In 1999, under the direct deployment of the Party Central Committee, the journal Science and Atheism (Kexue yu wushenlun) was launched. This was the first important turning point in the development of the cause of atheism in contemporary China. Over the past 11 years, the Chinese Atheism Society and Science and Atheism have made significant contributions to propagating the spirit of science, conducting atheistic education, promoting socialist core values, and building a socialist harmonious society. From the winter of 2009 to the spring of 2010, the development of scientific atheism met its second important turning point. In September 2009, CASS released the "Implementation Plan for Strengthening Marxist Theoretical Construction and Theoretical Research (2009–2014)," which included the formation of the "Center for Scientific and Atheism Studies" at CASS within the Institute of Marxism Studies. This was a pivotal measure. On December 24, 2009, CASS approved the establishment of the "Marxist Atheism Research Office" within the Institute of Marxism Studies. On April 20, 2010, CASS approved the establishment of the "Center for Scientific and Atheism Studies." This is the first platform for "scientific and atheism research" in contemporary China.

Xi Wuyi stated that cultivating high-quality professional talent is the central link in the current development of scientific atheism. From August 19, 2003, when Comrade Hu Jintao issued an important instruction ^[2] on "strengthening the research, propaganda, and education of atheism," to April 20, 2010, when CASS approved the Center, the cause of scientific and atheistic research has undergone a qualitative leap. However, the overall situation remains far from optimistic. The problems faced in reality are exceptionally severe, and the tasks that ought to be undertaken are exceptionally heavy. It is necessary to take extraordinary measures and handle "special cases with special methods" to fundamentally reverse the passive situation of many years.

Compared to the propaganda and educational work of scientific atheism, the academic endeavor of atheism research remains in a weak position. According to statistics, there are only about a dozen relevant academic works and popular readers in total. It can be said that in contemporary Chinese academia, scientific atheism has not yet formed an independent disciplinary system. To respond to the current severe situation at home and abroad, the construction of the discipline of scientific atheism is imperative. Only by forming a systematic theoretical system of scientific atheism can a solid ideological and theoretical foundation be provided for strategic responses and specific policies. Currently, the main problems in China's scientific atheism research are a serious shortage of research force, an extreme lack of talent, a lack of necessary financial support, and a lack of an overall systematic research plan and development outline. Solving the extreme lack of talent is currently the most urgent core link. Recruiting and training high-level researchers is the key to realizing the strategic deployment of the Party Central Committee's leadership.

Regarding the relationship between atheism and society, Hou Huiqin, a researcher and Party Secretary of the Institute of Marxism Studies of CASS, stated that since its founding, the Chinese Atheism Society has ceaselessly strove for self-improvement and struggled through hardships, always maintaining a clear-cut banner and serving the Party's ideological propaganda. They do not conduct scholarship behind closed doors; rather, they go deep into practice, showing great concern for major ideological and theoretical trends. In every period, they have produced heavyweight investigation reports. Their research is highly significant for society.

Du Jiven, an Honorary Member of CASS, former Director of the Institute of World Religions, and Vice President of the Chinese Atheism Society, delivered a speech titled "Scientific Atheism and Its Social Responsibility." He argued that "religion is not a natural human need; theism is a burden and a shackle imposed upon humanity. The question is: is its basis truthful? Is its existence rational? How was this thing, which lacks an objective basis and is irrational, produced, and how was it imposed on people such that they accepted it voluntarily or by necessity? These questions require answers, and thus conscious atheism—that is, atheism directed against and in opposition to theism—was born. The mission of conscious atheism is to expose and critique the absurdity of theism, refute the fallacies of theology, explain the origins of religious belief in ghosts and gods, and chart the path to overcoming theism." He said: "Theism and atheism concern only the question of factual truth—which is closer to truth and which tends toward fallacy; they have no necessary connection with a person’s moral character or political orientation. Nowadays, some scholars speak loftily of the moral attributes of religion, believing that religious masses are all doers of good, even advocating for using religion to maintain social order and coordinate interpersonal relations. This conforms neither to historical nor present facts and is logically flawed. Similarly, to say that atheism is evil, lawless, or must manifest as political progress is equally inconsistent with the facts and logically flawed—because politics and morality belong to entirely different realms than religious belief. However, once theism becomes organized—including the construction of ideological systems and the establishment of church organizations—the situation undergoes a fundamental change. It is further endowed with ideological significance and acquires a social character. Simple theism belongs to religious concepts and is limited to the spiritual level; as organized religion, it acquires social pedagogical functions and forms social groups, transforming spiritual force into material force." He argued: "Regarding religious organizations and the countless sects that possess social character, religion is not 'permanent' but only 'historical'; it is not 'national' [in an essentialist sense] but only 'changeable.' There are numerous examples of this in history and reality." Du Jiwen stated: A wealth of historical facts proves that "religion truly has no essence of its own, nor a history of its own; its essence and history lie entirely in its sociality; its laws are governed by the laws of social-historical development. Understanding religion must delve deep into its social basis." He believed that some "doctrines of Christianity have exceeded the scope of theism and the original meaning of faith, adding a unique system of worldviews, life views, and values to theism—the object of faith—which reflects specific social relations and secular interests, and provides more space for the social attributes of Christianity to adapt." Certain instances in reality where people use religion to protect their own interests or engage in illegal and criminal activities "are all caused by the sociality of religion and are things added on top of faith." "In recent decades, religion has indeed shown varying degrees of resurgence in different regions, but even a slight analysis shows that this is not primarily the function of its theism, but rather its social performance being artificially elevated and strengthened—its theism is being used by certain countries and groups as a means to seek political power and economic interests, representing a civilizational and historical retreat." Such situations urgently require comprehensive evaluation and discussion. Another important social responsibility of atheism is that "one of the tasks of scientific atheism is to strip faith away from its additives and restore faith to a state of purity; the means to this is the freedom of religious belief." Professor Li Jiansheng of Xinjiang Normal University argued that fully recognizing the social responsibility of scientific atheism means fully recognizing the historical value of establishing the discipline of scientific atheism and clarifying its historical tasks. A discipline without social value or one with only negative value will not undergo great development; the social value of a discipline lies not in following trends but in conforming to the laws of historical development. Only such a discipline will flourish. Only by understanding the social responsibility and value of scientific atheism can one correctly understand a series of dialectical relationships in the Marxist view of religion and the Party’s religious policy. For example: why must we both respect the religious beliefs of the masses and strive to liberate faith from religious mist; why must we both protect the masses' right to freedom of religious belief and strengthen atheistic propaganda and education; why must we unite and cooperate politically but "be unable to agree with their religious doctrines" in terms of belief; and why must we both implement the policy of freedom of religious belief and manage religious affairs according to the law. Without the social responsibility of scientific atheism, this series of relationships cannot be rationally resolved.

Yang Mingwei, a researcher at the Party Documents Research Center of the CPC Central Committee, stated in his speech that since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the propaganda and education of scientific atheism have always been extremely important components of our ideological-theoretical and spiritual-civilizational construction, and are inherent requirements for upholding Marxism. However, since the reform and opening up, along with rapid economic and social development and the trend toward ideological and cultural diversification, serious problems have emerged for quite some time among a considerable number of people regarding their ideals, beliefs, and spiritual pursuits, influenced by various reasons. A prominent manifestation is a lack of belief in socialism and the Communist Party; even some Party members keep silent about Marxism and communist ideals and beliefs, instead believing in various religions, with religious superstitious activities running rampant. Facing this highly abnormal phenomenon, some experts and scholars, out of a sense of social responsibility, have expressed great concern. Researcher Yang Mingwei offered his own views on several issues currently needing clarification and resolution. He argued that atheism is the ideological foundation of Marxism, and propagating atheism does not contradict the implementation of the Party's policy of freedom of religious belief. Promoting atheism is an important foundation for social harmony; propagating atheism not only will not damage social harmony but, on the contrary, can correctly guide and properly handle social contradictions. The compensatory satisfaction provided by religion cannot solve the problems of moral cultivation and spiritual comfort in real life; only communist morality and traditional Chinese virtues can truly satisfy people's infinite spiritual needs and spiritual transcendence.

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Regarding the theoretical system and disciplinary construction of scientific atheism, many experts believed that this seminar's placement of the construction of a theoretical system and discipline for scientific atheism on the agenda is of great significance in the history of the development of atheism in China.

Professor Li Shiju of the School of Law and Politics at Hebei Normal University argued that the construction of a disciplinary system must have its own set of basic concepts, principles, and methods. The first problem to be solved in constructing a scientific atheism system is the definition of scientific atheism—that is, what is scientific atheism? "Currently, there are two understandings: one is the combination of science (primarily natural science) and atheism, called 'science and atheism'; the other refers to Marxist atheism in the realm of social history, regarding it as the highest form of atheistic development (ancient naive atheism, modern bourgeois atheism, and Marxist scientific atheism). Naturally, the two can also be combined: that is, any atheism that uses the scientific spirit and scientific methods to reveal the laws of the origin and development of religion is called scientific atheism. But in any case, there must be a scientific and authoritative definition."

Regarding the disciplinary construction of scientific atheism, Li Shiju argues that this endeavor requires not only the core theoretical system of scientific atheism but also a series of supporting systems. These include systems for training objectives and curricula, the application for and construction of degree-granting programs, and the cultivation of teaching and research echelons. Currently, whether scientific atheism can enter the university classroom remains an unresolved issue. Therefore, the disciplinary construction of scientific atheism can hardly be described as an easy task. As a discipline, it must research the following aspects: first, the study of religious phenomena and issues, specifically why religion has undergone such immense change and development in the 21st century, and particularly why it has met with unprecedented "prosperity" in socialist countries; second, the study of the history and laws of the development of atheism, understanding the characteristics, internal dynamics, and various historical manifestations of atheistic development both in China and abroad; third, the study of the current developmental state and social functions of scientific atheism itself; fourth, the study and clarification of content within Marxist scientific atheism that has been misunderstood or distorted; fifth, the study of the Party’s religious policy during the socialist period, the construction of the religious legal system, and the forecasting of religious trends; and sixth, the study and creation of conditions for the withering away of religion.

Professor Li Jiansheng believes that the theoretical system of scientific atheism should include an additional component: the "theory of scientific atheistic education." This would specifically study the laws, principles, content, and methods of scientific atheistic education, as well as concrete problems encountered therein. Jia Ruinguo, a researcher at the Religious Research Center of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, argues that scientific atheism and the study of the Marxist view of religion are essentially consistent. The essence of the Marxist view of religion is scientific atheism. One cannot simply summarize the Marxist view of religion through the so-called "five theories"—namely, the "opium" theory, the united front theory, the adaptation theory, the cultural theory, and the harmony theory. Doing so easily simplifies the rich content of the Marxist view of religion. For example, if the Sinicized Marxist view of religion is summarized merely as the "theory of adaptation," it raises the question of whether we still speak of guidance or the management of religious affairs. Similarly, in establishing the theoretical system of scientific atheism, one must prevent the simplification of its rich content. He argues that "the Marxist view of religion is the scientific atheistic view of religion based on dialectical materialism and historical materialism." To establish a Marxist view of religion, in addition to discussing the two fundamental philosophical pairings of materialism vs. idealism and dialectics vs. metaphysics, "one should also discuss the third pairing of fundamental philosophical questions: atheism vs. theism." He further notes, "The question of theism versus atheism was seen as an obsolete issue already resolved before the time of Marx. Engels did not dwell on it because it was no longer necessary in that historical context; in the early period of Reform and Opening-up, philosophy textbooks did not discuss it because the influence of theism was minimal then, and perhaps the significance of this pairing was small. But the situation is different now. Considering the restoration of capitalism since the Great Changes in Eastern Europe ^[3] and the Soviet collapse, the low ebb of world socialism, the recent prevalence of neoliberalism, social democracy, and historical nihilism, the overflow of idealism, metaphysics, and theism, and the grim reality of the shaking of Marxism's guiding status, it is highly necessary to discuss the pairing of theism and atheism as a fundamental philosophical issue."

Regarding the issue of scientific atheistic education, researcher Hou Huiqin pointed out in his conference address: if there is still debate in the inland provinces about researching and educating on scientific atheism, such debate vanishes upon arriving in Xinjiang. Without the study and promotion of scientific atheism, Xinjiang will not be stable. The central government’s symposium on work in Xinjiang proposed that development is the "hard truth" and the primary task, while stability is the "hard mission" and the primary responsibility. Ideological stability is the absolute priority within overall stability. To ensure ideological stability, one crucial measure is to strengthen the disciplinary construction of scientific atheism and enhance its promotion and education. Xu Lin, a researcher at the Hebei Academy of Social Sciences, reviewed the trajectory of atheistic promotion and education since the Reform and Opening-up, arguing it can be divided into three stages: (1) After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, alongside the "setting things right" ^[4] regarding guiding ideology, the Party’s atheistic education broke free from its embarrassing position of once serving as a tool for class struggle on the ideological front, focusing instead on the basic national policy of "rejuvenating the country through science and education." (2) Starting in June 1999, as the struggle to outlaw the "Falun Gong" cult deepened, the Bureau of Promotion and Education of the CPC Central Committee’s Propaganda Department edited and published the collection Marxist Materialism and Atheism Education and Study. From June 21, the People’s Daily published a series of commentator articles themed "Upholding Science, Eradicating Superstition" and ran the "Series on Atheism," marking the prelude to the wide-scale dissemination of atheism in its guise as a scientific worldview. (3) On May 27, 2004, following instructions from General Secretary Hu Jintao, the Propaganda Department issued the Notice on Further Strengthening the Research, Promotion, and Education of Marxist Atheism.

Many scholars used extensive survey data to prove the importance and urgency of conducting scientific atheistic education among youth and university students. Zuo Peng, a professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Science and Technology Beijing, argued through primary data analysis: "In the religious infiltration of universities led by overseas hostile forces, cultural proselytization has become a latent form. Some religious groups and NGOs use the banner of 'academic exchange' to fund domestic scholars in constructing 'cultural theology' outside the church, translate and publish books for proselytizing purposes, and hold proselytizing seminars or 'intellectual' and 'academic' religious courses and lectures through 'bringing in' and 'going out' ^[5] methods. This type of cultural proselytization contravenes the principle of the separation of education and religion; it is a major measure by overseas hostile forces to compete with us for the souls of university students." Under these circumstances, strengthening Marxist religious views and scientific atheistic education is a vital measure to resist various forms of cultural proselytization. Su Yaling, an associate professor at Dongguan University of Technology, concluded from survey statistics: religious believers among university students account for 7.65% of those interviewed. "The primary reasons students first encounter religion are: inheritance of family tradition (37.5%), seeking spiritual solace (35.94%), and being influenced by believer groups (26.56%). The main reasons for visiting religious sites, from highest to lowest, are: (1) praying for blessings (51.73%); (2) sightseeing (49.34%); (3) accompanying others (44.68%); and (4) curiosity (32.38%). Regarding attitudes, 92% of religious students hold goodwill and understanding toward those with different beliefs, while 89% of non-religious students hold goodwill and understanding toward believers. Among non-religious students, 8.12% have thoughts of converting, and 10.51% cited time constraints as the reason they do not participate, meaning they are potential believers. Thus, it is necessary to strengthen education on communist faith and Marxist religious theory." Some Xinjiang scholars concluded that while the understanding of the Marxist view of religion among student Party members in Xinjiang universities is generally good and clear, "11.75% of student Party members believe in a religion." The absolute number remains significant and should be highly valued by relevant departments, with attention paid to strengthening education on the Marxist view of religion and scientific atheism.

Through investigations, scholars analyzed the current state and characteristics of university students' views on religion. Li Zhiying, a professor at Beijing Normal University, analyzed students who join house churches, noting three characteristics: "their faith in Christianity contains more elements of an 'ultimate pursuit' and they show high enthusiasm for church activities"; "pathways to joining are mostly the result of proselytization, and joining is linked to venting negative emotions"; and "their values are deeply influenced by Christianity, showing many negative tendencies." Wang Kang, a professor at Hangzhou Normal University, studied religious identity among Christian students from a psychological perspective, concluding: "The religious identity of Chinese Christian students generally supports Western theories of religious psychology; most obtain their basic identity from their families, while only a few acquire faith through conscious pursuit after research and deliberation." Hong Ye, from the University of Science and Technology Beijing, analyzed the psychological process of students' religious conversion: (1) emphasizing image to ensure students do not "reject" Christianity; (2) creating mystery to spark "curiosity"; (3) cultivating an atmosphere to give first-time attendees "good feelings"; (4) meeting needs to give regular attendees a "sense of belonging"; (5) seeking identification to create "resonance" with those seeking the way; (6) "waiting for the rabbit" ^[6] to make susceptible groups feel a "sense of dependence" on meetings; (7) focusing on ritual to fill students with a "sense of the sacred"; and (8) discipleship training to make students fully accept "theism" through instruction. Xinjiang scholars also noted that students' religious views in Xinjiang are characterized by a diversity dominated by Marxism, but also by instability, plasticity, and the fragility of their Marxist religious view.

Regarding the purpose of scientific atheistic education, Wan Xiaoqing, a professor at the Party School of the Shangrao Municipal Committee in Jiangxi, argued that fostering a scientific spirit is key. "While science and technology drive social development, they do not spontaneously implant a scientific spirit into the human mind. Without this cultivation, no matter how advanced technology becomes, ignorance will follow humanity into the future like a shadow." "Technically, science and technology are neutral. But ethically, they distinguish between good and evil. High-tech crimes show that a scientific spirit must include concepts of good and evil—specifically, whether technology benefits humanity or harms society. Scientific ethics requires serving humanity; otherwise, the scientific spirit is lost." Professor Li Jiansheng argued that we must correct the erroneous view that atheistic education aims to "eliminate religion" and reposition its goals: first, to cultivate a scientific spirit and provide a correct starting point for understanding and transforming the world—acting based on objective reality rather than God; second, to teach non-believers to treat religion correctly, understand and implement the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, and consciously unite with religious personages and believers to build socialism. Only then is our atheism truly scientific. Conducting this education in universities is to help students establish a scientific spirit and a scientific attitude toward religion, resisting the erosion and influence of theistic religion. This is not contradictory to the Party's policy on freedom of religious belief, but consistent with it.

As this annual conference was held in Urumqi, Xinjiang, the issue of atheist education in ethnic minority regions—particularly for ethnic minority students—became a central topic of discussion. Liu Zhongkang, a research fellow and Vice President of the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, and Professor Cai Hongsheng, Vice President of Xinjiang Normal University, both summarized and generalized the achievements made recently in conducting scientific atheist education in the Xinjiang region. At the same time, they pointed out that scientific atheist education in the Xinjiang region currently faces several problems, such as: "a lack of unified deployment and insufficient momentum in overall advancement; intermittent propaganda and education efforts that fail to persist over the long term; poor efficacy in atheist outreach, falling significantly short of expected goals; and a research and propaganda workforce for atheism that can be counted on one's fingers ^[7]."

Professor Qi Fujuan from the Department of Law and Politics at Kashgar Teachers College argued that since one of the objectives of the first World Muslim Congress was to "spread Islam throughout the world and resist Marxist atheism and Western secularizing tendencies," conducting scientific atheist education in regions with multiple ethnicities and religious beliefs takes on a special significance. Currently, conducting atheist education in such regions faces the following difficulties: "(1) Religious culture, as the foundation of various ethnic cultures, has shaped their basic cultural paradigms. The various ethnic minorities in Xinjiang are profoundly influenced by Islamic religious culture, where religious concepts and sentiments possess a strong horizontal-identity function. Islamic fundamentalism, which emphasizes Islamic identity, is a powerful competitor to Marxist atheist identity. (2) The infiltration and sabotage by religious extremist forces have increased the difficulty of carrying out atheist education in multi-ethnic and multi-religious regions. (3) There is a paucity of research results regarding the propaganda and education of atheist thought."

Uyghur scholar Yutiku'er Dawuti ^[8] contended that "the curriculumization of scientific atheist education for university students in ethnic minority regions holds an irreplaceable position and role within the regional higher education curriculum system. This is primarily manifested in several aspects: first, it can promote the refinement and characterization of the curriculum system in ethnic minority universities; second, it helps ethnic minority university students arm their minds with the theoretical system of scientific atheism within a relatively short period." Professor Wang Zhiqiang of the Party School of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps ^[9] argued that in the ethnic minority regions of Xinjiang, "as society develops, the state of belief among ethnic minorities has undergone significant changes. Some have joined the Communist Party of China, renouncing religious theistic beliefs in favor of Marxism and becoming atheists; some, while not joining the Party, no longer adhere to theism; and while some still practice religion, their theistic concepts have gradually faded. These shifts in the state of belief among ethnic minorities provide greater space for us to carry out atheist propaganda and education." He proposed that the path for atheist education in minority regions should include: "(1) Atheist education for ethnic minorities must be differentiated according to different target groups," and "(2) An effective mechanism should be established to encourage ethnic minority masses to persist in atheism."

In the process of conducting scientific atheist education, resolving the issue of some Party members holding religious beliefs is an important problem that cannot be ignored. Research fellow Xi Wuyi addressed a recent proposal by a project team from a national-level research institution which suggested adopting a "policy of 'openness and tolerance' toward Party members' religious beliefs." Based on investigations in the Tibet region and a summary of Tibet’s practical experience in resolving this problem, she argued that the issue of Party members holding religious beliefs is "a fundamental question of principle ^[10] concerning whether to hold high or lower the banner of communism." She stated that "Communist Party members must not believe in religion; this is not a new or excessively high requirement." Atheism is the crystallization of human social civilization and intellectual wisdom. In contrast to the "culturalism" that seeks to "simply overthrow religion," Communists must unite people of all social strata—including both atheists and theists—to work together toward eradicating the social roots of religion and creating an ideal communist society. During this considerably long historical stage, and according to different countries and degrees of social development, Communists must formulate corresponding programs and tactics to integrate the education and propaganda of scientific atheism into the overall cause of communism. Resolving the issue of Party members holding religious beliefs "requires an authoritative voice from the Central Committee to conduct 'deaf-awakening' ^[11] education within the Party."

Participating experts and scholars also engaged in discussions on various other topics, such as the issue of combating cults, the characteristics of ancient Chinese atheism, specific methods for conducting scientific atheist education, and memetic explanations of religious transmission.