Scientific Atheism as the Theoretical Cornerstone of Practicing the Socialist Core Value System: A Summary of the 2014 Annual Conference of the Chinese Atheism Society
From December 13 to 14, 2014, the "2014 Annual Academic Conference of the Chinese Association of Atheism" was held at the International Exchange Center of Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai Campus. The conference was co-sponsored by the Chinese Association of Atheism, the Science and Atheism journal, the Center for Scientific Atheism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and the Zhuhai Philosophical Society. The theme of the conference was "Basic Theories and Current Tasks of Scientific Atheism." More than 50 experts and scholars from the fields of philosophy, social sciences, and natural sciences, representing over 20 research institutions, universities, and academic groups across 10 provinces and municipalities, attended the meeting.
Zhou Hua, full-time Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Federation of Social Science Circles [1], delivered an address. Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, sent a congratulatory letter to the conference.
At the request of the Zhuhai Philosophical Society, the establishment of the "Southern Research Center of the Chinese Association of Atheism" was announced at the meeting. Huang Yongkang, Executive President of the Zhuhai Philosophical Society, was appointed director of the center; President Zhu Xiaoming and Wang Xiaoqin, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the Zhuhai Municipal Party Committee, unveiled the plaque for the center.
December 13 marked the first National Memorial Day [2]. At 10:01 AM, all participants stood to observe a minute of silence for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.
During the annual conference, experts and scholars delivered lectures characterized by theoretical depth, empirical evidence, and unique insights, and engaged in valuable academic exchanges on topics including: scientific atheism and the socialist core value system; scientific atheism and religious studies; the history, development, theory, and disciplinary construction of atheism; and the research, publicizing [3], and education of scientific atheism.
I. Scientific Atheism and the Socialist Core Value System
Zhu Xiaoming, President of the Chinese Association of Atheism and former Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the China Tibetology Research Center, delivered a keynote report titled "Cultivating and Practicing Socialist Core Values to Expand the New Situation in Scientific Atheism Research, Publicity, and Education." He pointed out that the 18th National Congress of the CPC proposed the "three advocacies" [4] of socialist core values, consisting of 24 characters, setting value-level requirements for the state, society, and individuals. The proposal of socialist core values is a contemporary manifestation of Chinese civilization’s transition from tradition and the crystallization of civilizational exploration within the process of Chinese modernization; it is also the result of civilizational exploration by the Chinese nation on the path of socialism. Scientific atheism is rooted in human labor and practice; it is a product of human civilization and reflection, and it is an inherent element of socialist core values.
He elaborated on the intrinsic and necessary link between scientific atheism and the socialist core value system, noting that: only by upholding scientific atheism can socialist core values be comprehensively practiced; only by upholding scientific atheism can genuine freedom of religious belief be realized; only by upholding scientific atheism can the unique advantages of traditional Chinese culture be manifested; and only by upholding scientific atheism can a historical transcendence of socialist culture be achieved. He argued that to strengthen the research, publicity, and education of scientific atheism, ideological barriers must be broken. This involves both eliminating erroneous and one-sided understandings of the "freedom of religious belief" policy and dispelling the intentional devaluation of the theoretical worth of scientific atheism. For Party members and cadres, implementing the policy of freedom of religious belief must be linked to the goals and values pursued by Communists regarding the religious question. Cadres in the Party and government working in the United Front [5] and religious affairs must be clear on two points: first, religious work must be conducted from the standpoint of Marxism and scientific atheism, rather than from a religious standpoint, and certainly not from the standpoint of any specific religion; second, religious work must be conducted from the perspective of the national interest and the overall situation—including non-believers—rather than focusing solely on religious personages and believers. This ensures the unity of both believers and non-believers in the common struggle to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and to realize the "Chinese Dream" of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Zhao Zongbao, Deputy Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Committee at Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, pointed out in his paper "Current Status and Countermeasures for Cultivating and Practicing Socialist Core Values in Local Universities" that in recent years, ideological and political work in higher education has faced many dilemmas and challenges given the reality of religious infiltration and the expansion of religious dissemination and influence. Marxism is being diluted, religious influence is warming up, and education in scientific atheism is being marginalized. In this situation, cultivating and practicing socialist core values—and making them the conscious aspiration and action of students—is an important and urgent task for ideological and political education in universities. Using survey data from his own institution as an example, he sought to grasp the actual situation of university students in cultivating and practicing socialist core values to explore corresponding work approaches. The survey statistically analyzed 1,607 questionnaires. Data showed that 96.39% of students agreed that "a society should have core values," and 84.49% believed the socialist core value system is the best guiding ideology for social harmony and stability. Regarding the central government's advocacy for cultivating and practicing socialist core values, 70.56% chose "possesses important realistic significance and profound historical significance." However, 19.80% of students held a pessimistic attitude, viewing it as a helpless measure under the impact of Western value systems; 2.11% even believed the value system of contemporary Chinese people has collapsed, and another 7.54% were unclear. In other words, at least nearly 30% of students lack a correct understanding of this issue. The reasons mainly lie in the influence of international and domestic situations, the drawbacks of university management systems, students becoming more pragmatic under pressure, the unsatisfactory effectiveness of ideological and political theory courses, and the weak atheistic foundation of some Party members and cadres. Solving these problems requires leveraging the roles of ideological-political courses, professional courses, and the "hidden curriculum"; solidly carrying out atheism education and strengthening religious work among university students; advocating for a culture of clean governance [6] to create a healthy and honest educational atmosphere; and mobilizing the subjective initiative of students to promote self-education and improvement.
II. Scientific Atheism and Religious Studies
The paper "What is 'Freedom of Religious Belief'?—Reflections on Studying the Decision on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Advancing the Law-Based Governance of the Country from the Fourth Plenum and Rereading the Constitution" by Du Jiwen—Honorary Member of CASS, former Director of the Institute of World Religions, and Academic Advisor to the Chinese Association of Atheism—argues that the principle of "treating religion as a purely private matter regarding the state" was an excellent legacy left by the bourgeois revolution for working-class parties and socialist states. From the founders of Marxism-Leninism to our Party’s Document No. 19 [7], this principle has been accepted, emphasized, and demanded. Why? Engels believed it was the "necessary basis for the free activity of the working class"; Lenin said it was a "necessary component of political freedom" for Russian citizens—that is, liberating politics from religious dominance and liberating the human independent spirit or human consciousness from the shackles of theological dogma. In our Republic’s Constitution, this is embodied in "all citizens of the People's Republic of China are equal before the law," which means equality regardless of differences in "nationality, race, sex, occupation, family background, religious belief," etc. Consequently, whether as a national of a unified state, a citizen of the overall society, or a member of the "people" in a general sense, individuals hold multiple identities: one as a believer or non-believer, and another as a citizen, national, or member of the people. Believing or not believing is a distinction, and the Constitution uses freedom of religious belief to ensure their respective rights to believe or not; in other respects, there is no difference. As citizens, they are equal before the law; as nationals, they all identify with their motherland; as the people, they are the objects of the ruling party’s reliance and service, treated without discrimination. Thus, as a private matter of individual free choice, religious belief may not be used to engage in any social, political, or cultural-educational activities in the name of religion. Meanwhile, all social, political, economic, and cultural activities can be participated in equally in the capacity of a citizen, national, or member of the people. This allows for the full and free exercise of individual talents while enabling the most effective assumption of responsibility for the society, state, and nation, fulfilling the role of "masters of the country."
Wang Zhen, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Association of Atheism and Associate Professor at the Central Institute of Socialism, discussed the inheritance and development of Marxist religious theory by the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics in her paper "The Inheritance and Development of Marxist Religious Theory by the Religious Theory of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics." She addressed four aspects: the origin of the world, the evolution of all things, the relationship between man and the world, and human redemption. She argued that: regarding worldview—the question of the world's origin—the theory upholds materialism against creationism; on the evolution of things, it upholds a dialectical view against a static view; on the relationship between man and the world, it upholds a practical view, refusing to stop at mere interpretation; and on value pursuit—how humans gain freedom and salvation from shackles—it upholds human-oriented values, refusing salvation through God. The religious theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics does not merely inherit Marxism and its religious theory; it "develops" it from ideological theory to collective practice, from Western to Chinese society, and from social revolution to social construction. Simultaneously, it enriches it while solving challenges and problems, formulating basic policies for religious work—such as freedom of religious belief, managing religious affairs according to law, adhering to the principle of independence and self-management, and guiding religions to adapt to socialist society—thereby "developing" the religious theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Chen Weihua, a doctoral student at the CASS Graduate School, presented on "Moving Toward the World of Daily Life—Inspirations from Reading Don Cupitt’s New Methods in Religious Studies." He introduced Don Cupitt, a representative figure of postmodern philosophy of religion and former Dean of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, who attempted to transform Christianity with new ways of thinking. He pointed out that the "ultimate reality" advocated by traditional religion is the core of its theoretical system, which requires that church Christianity itself treat its own tradition and religious life in a non-realist way. However, this is impossible to achieve. In Cupitt's view, this core has no objective reality. God is merely a collection of human ideas or the personification of human ideas. Cupitt's critique of church Christianity and traditional religious dogmas possesses an anti-traditional, postmodern revolutionary significance; he has even been called an atheist. Cupitt’s discourse, which returns to life itself and focuses on specific perspectives, provides a new perspective for studying atheism that warrants our attention.
Ceng Chuanhui, a researcher at the CASS Institute of World Religions, argued in his paper that the unique function of religion in human society should be spiritual and tranquil—specifically, satisfying the pursuit of the supernatural and the infinite for a portion of the population. To put it bluntly, it satisfies their spiritual need for a "life-after-death" state. Only by doing its own job well can religion better exert "positive energy" for the state and society. "Making religion truly a private matter for citizens" is the noble goal of a Marxist party in handling the religious question. Those who study religion and conduct religious work must first clarify the essence of religion and find the laws of its development and change, adhering to a "truth-seeking and pragmatic" academic orientation to provide intellectual support for the Party and state in formulating religious policies and to provide knowledge-based guidance for the public's correct understanding of religion. Religious studies is not a mouthpiece for religious belief, nor is it proselytism in disguise, nor should it hurt religious feelings. The political, academic, and religious circles should coordinate their efforts and divide labor to truly turn religion into a private matter of the individual, setting a new benchmark for the ideal of human freedom of religious belief.
The relationship between religion and morality is a long-debated issue. Since the "Cultural Revolution," [8] claims have persisted that China is experiencing a social moral crisis and that the Chinese people lack "belief" (xìnyǎng). Consequently, voices have emerged among some scholars calling for the establishment of a "Believing China," with an ever-increasing demand to leverage the socio-moral functions of religion. Within this discourse, the assertion that "theists possess morality while atheists lack it" has become an uncontested consensus among the bewildered ranks of those decrying the "moral crisis."
Xie Xinlei, a doctoral student at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, presented a paper titled "Reflections on the Issue of the 'Relationship between Religion and Morality'." Through an analysis of the "sanctification of the origins of morality," the "sanctification of secular morality," and the "sanctification of moral functions," Xie provided a comprehensive and profound analysis of the objective behind the theologization and sanctification of morality. He argued that this objective is to support the deduction that "the existence of a social moral crisis in China is due to the Chinese people's lack of belief; therefore, it is necessary to utilize the socio-moral role of religion and establish a society with religious belief." The author contends that not only are the logical premises of these views erroneous, but the logical reasoning derived from them is also untenable. The error lies in the belief that "morality originates from religion," treating "divine revelation" as the source of all morality while denying the existence of secular morality. Once theologians sanctify secular morality, all "morality" is attributed to religion. The falsehood and absurdity of this view are self-evident, as religious theology cannot prove the existence of God; without God, there can be no divine revelation of morality, which fundamentally negates the rationality of this perspective. Marxism maintains that morality is a form of human social consciousness, arising from the foundation of social production. This is the fundamental viewpoint for discussing the "relationship between religion and morality." Deviating from the basic tenets of Marxist materialism inevitably leads to falling into the quagmire of theism.
Huang Yanhong, an associate researcher at the CASS center for the Study of Science and Atheism, presented a paper titled "A Further Discussion on Christianity and the Origins of Modern Science," targeting the current efforts by some social scholars to promote the idea that "Christianity played an important or even decisive role in the rise of modern science" and that "without Christianity, there would be no modern science." Through an evidence-based analysis, Dr. Huang examined the "socio-cultural background of the Scientific Revolution," the "intellectual sources of modern science," and "what role Christianity actually played in the process of the Scientific Revolution." The value of this paper lies in the author's historical approach to the development of modern natural science, discussing its intellectual sources while simultaneously analyzing the historical record of Christianity’s denigration and persecution of science at its birth, its hostility toward rationalism, the ethical and moral responsibility for the mass execution of "witches," and actions that contravened Christian tenets themselves. The author analyzed that the narrative of "no religion, no science" exists because: (1) it abstracts Christianity into a set of principles and concepts to be compared with certain ideas and spirits of modern science, completely ignoring the actual process of the Scientific Revolution; (2) it mistakes correlation and chronological sequence for causality; and (3) it ignores all social conditions and other intellectual and cultural backgrounds. These analyses powerfully expose the attempts of these viewpoints to praise and beautify Christianity—namely, to allow Christianity not only to occupy the ideological stage but also to secure a place for itself in the domain of scientific origins.
III. Atheist Theory and Disciplinary Construction
This theme was the most discussed and most animated segment of the conference, with more than ten scholars providing papers on the subject. This situation also reflects the effective performance of the new leadership of the Society. President Zhu Xiaoming reported to the assembly on the progress of the "Fundamental Theoretical Issues of Scientific Atheism," a project commissioned by the National Social Science Fund of China (NSSFC). [9] This project, undertaken by the China Association of Atheism in November 2013, marks the first time since the Society's founding that it has been commissioned for an NSSFC project—an achievement made possible through the substantial and solid work of the new leadership. The final output of the project is titled Principles of Scientific Atheism, with President Zhu Xiaoming as the head and Dr. Li Shen, Vice-President of the Society and Professor at Shanghai Normal University, as the lead author. Faculty members included Dr. Wang Zhen, Deputy Secretary-General of the Society and Associate Professor at the Central Institute of Socialism; Dr. Huang Kui, Associate Researcher at the CASS Institute of World Religions; and Dr. Dai Jicheng, Associate Professor at the School of Criminology of the People's Public Security University of China.
President Zhu introduced the drafting process of the manuscript in detail. Over nearly a year, Professor Li Shen completed an initial draft of over 200,000 characters for discussion at the annual meeting. At the meeting, Professor Li Shen discussed "Several Issues Regarding the Principles of Atheism" concerning the book's purpose: 1. What is atheism? What is scientific atheism? What is Marxist atheism? 2. Why must we discuss "what a god (including ghosts) is"? 3. What is a god? 4. Gods do not exist; 5. Breaking free from the concept of deities is a process of dispelling ignorance. Following this, the meeting engaged in a heated discussion. After listening to the feedback, Professor Li Shen remarked: "The final session specifically discussed the Draft Principles of Scientific Atheism. Comrade Xu Lin's paper ('The Heights of Vision, the Seeking of Truth, and the Courage of Responsibility—Reflections on Reading the Draft Principles of Scientific Atheism') said many kind things. As the primary author, I will not comment on those. I only wish to say that Comrade Xu Lin has read the book carefully, and his description basically aligns with the original intent. As for the criticisms and suggestions raised by other comrades, I will consider them all seriously and remember their names."
Xi Wuyi, Vice-President of the China Association of Atheism and Director of the CASS Center for the Study of Science and Atheism, delivered a speech titled "Research Report on the Disciplinary Construction of Scientific Atheism 2013–2014." Her speech reflected the fruitful results achieved by the new Board of Directors and the Research Center in the fields of atheist theory and disciplinary construction. This research report, covering the period from July 2013 to June 2014, is the fourth report since the "Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project" (Ma-Gong-Cheng) [10] began funding the disciplinary construction of scientific atheism. The report is divided into three parts: (1) General Overview of Disciplinary Development—reviewing progress in the research of scientific atheism; (2) Research Progress on Major Issues—analyzing the theoretical and practical challenges faced; and (3) Reflections and Recommendations. The full text is approximately 27,000 characters. The report will be officially published; interested scholars can look forward to it, and I will not elaborate further here.
Professor Zuo Peng of the University of Science and Technology Beijing, also a Vice-President of the Society, has conducted extensive investigative research in recent years on the religious beliefs of university students. He possesses a deep understanding of the current state and disciplinary construction of atheism and has repeatedly voiced concerns regarding problems in the curriculum of ideological and political courses and political-ideological education in higher education. At this annual meeting, he again spoke out against the "chilling" and marginalization of scientific atheism’s status as a discipline in universities. He called for the strengthening of talent cultivation, the enhancement of theoretical research, and the establishment of influential academic journals to secure an independent disciplinary status for atheism. Simultaneously, he appealed to national disciplinary and degree management departments to grant atheism independent disciplinary status when formulating the "National Standard for Classification and Codes of Disciplines," given its vital role in Marxist theory and the socialist core value system. He pointed out that, essentially, "Marxist Religious Studies is inherently a form of scientific atheism" and that atheist research, as the foundation of religious studies, should have a broad field within the development of the discipline.
However, under the influence of increasing religious penetration in various forms, a "fairly widespread phenomenon" has emerged in the current field of religious studies: "on one hand, claiming to follow the Marxist view of religion, while on the other, opposing the research, dissemination, and education of atheism." Even some scholars who claim to uphold the Marxist view of religion have actually abandoned the principled stance of "studying religion and criticizing theology." Not only do they remain absolutely silent regarding atheism, but they also criticize atheist research and education as hindering the freedom of religious belief and undermining religious harmony. Furthermore, in the Catalogue of Disciplines for the Conferment of Degrees and Personnel Training, there is "Religious Studies" but no "Atheism." To correct these biases in disciplinary development and talent cultivation, the truly independent disciplinary status of atheism must be established as soon as possible.
Huang Kui, an associate researcher at the CASS Institute of World Religions, provided a comprehensive analysis in his paper of three major issues related to religion and atheism: "religion as a cultural issue," "the issue of religious penetration," and "the issue of Party members holding religious beliefs," addressing popular current narratives and theories alongside his own insights. He suggested that "Religious Studies" in the disciplinary titles of the National Social Science Fund should be changed to "Research on Religious Issues." The significance of this change would be: helping to break the current pattern of collusion between the political, religious, and academic circles; rectifying the political and scientific research orientation; and ensuring, from the top-level design of national research planning, that "research on religious issues" provides valuable intellectual and theoretical support for the Party and state's religious and ideological work. "Research on Religious Issues" could accommodate more content, such as atheist research, Marxist theory of religion, religious policy research, and research on resisting religious penetration.
Several other papers discussed the importance of research, dissemination, and education of the atheist discipline from various levels and perspectives. These included: "Innovation in Atheist Theory: A Prerequisite for the Return of Atheist Value" by Professor Li Shiju of Hebei Normal University; "Why We Must Adhere to Atheism" by Professors Wang Weijun and Zhang Qiang of the Nanjing Political Institute; "Scientific Atheist Education and Cultural Soft Power" by Associate Professor Huang Chao of Wuhan University; "Atheist Tendencies in Traditional Culture: A Historical Investigation" by Dr. Yang Junfeng of the CASS Center for the Study of Science and Atheism; and "Revisiting the Strengthening of National Studies [11] Education to Construct a Scientific Worldview" by Zeng Kang, a senior teacher at Hongya Primary School in Shenzhen.
IV. Research, Dissemination, and Education of Scientific Atheism
In his remarks, Huang Yongkang, Executive President of the Zhuhai Philosophical Association and Vice-President of the Guangdong Association of Senior Professors, offered insightful reflections and proposals on the "popularization of scientific atheism education for youth." The Zhuhai Philosophical Association has united a group of veteran scholars who have focused their attention on atheist education for the youth, based on the worrying state of understanding and popularization of scientific atheism among cadres, the masses, and especially young people in China today. Professor Huang pointed out that this is related to the relaxation, or even abandonment, of the leading and dominant position of Marxist theory and scientific atheism in the ideological sphere. We must treat the systematic popularization of scientific atheism as a foundational project for the ideological and moral education of minors. This project's vision includes two aspects:
In terms of natural science, one can start with: fundamentals and achievements of astronomy and cosmology, which help us understand that the Earth is not the center of the universe—not even close; the latest research in evolutionary biology from Darwin to the present, which helps us understand that the origins of life and humanity do not require "creation" by God; evolutionary psychology, which tells us from an evolutionary perspective that morality, human nature, and love are all products of evolution; and neurobiology, which helps us see that religious belief is, at the very least, not an indicator of intellectual progress or moral superiority.
In the humanities, there is even more content and factual information to introduce and explain. This includes basic theories of Marxist philosophy; the core content of the socialist core value system; basic Marxist theories on religion; the history, traditions, connotations, and theoretical value of atheism; and ensuring youth are aware of the country's basic policies and principles regarding religion. This work requires mobilizing and involving all sectors of society. We must also reform and improve the content of scientific atheist popularization to ensure it is scientific and complete, focusing on diverse and effective methods of guidance that are appealing and welcomed by young people. Professor Huang concluded by stating that upholding and promoting scientific atheism is a social responsibility of the Zhuhai Philosophical Association, which will actively coordinate with healthy forces in all relevant fields to shoulder the responsibility of spreading scientific atheism under its banner.
Dr. Han Qi of the CASS Center for Scientific Atheism Research presented a paper titled "Enlightenment from the Development of Western Atheist Thought." From a comparative study of Eastern and Western atheist thought, she provided a highly significant approach for researching and propagating atheism and promoting atheist education. Specifically, she argued that atheist research must consider both its own Western traditions and the unique characteristics of atheist thought within Chinese culture; only then can research and effective communication be conducted that truly meets the needs of this era. In her paper, she elaborated on aspects such as the concept of atheism, the historical development and insights of Western atheist thought, and the differences between Chinese and Western atheist thought. She contended that only a comprehensive understanding of the traditions and connotations of both Eastern and Western atheist thought can allow us to find our own "discourse power" [12] at a theoretical level, amidst the reality of religious revival and the overflowing of various "spiritual" trends in our country. In the current era, merely focusing on the historical origins of Western atheism is no longer sufficient; the "New Atheism" movement is currently unfolding in full swing. Phenomena echoing this Western trend have already appeared among the Chinese public. All of this requires that atheist research grasp the fundamental tradition of naturalism and use a broad perspective to examine various rich phenomena of non-belief, thereby providing the public with concepts and theories of atheism that can explain the characteristics of this era.
Finally, Li Shen, Vice President of the Chinese Atheism Society and Professor at Shanghai Normal University, provided a brilliant commentary on the papers presented at the annual meeting during the concluding session. He pointed out:
— Comrade Li Linzhou’s report expressed the hope that scientific atheism and religion can coexist in peace. As an old comrade who has worked for a long time in the Religious Affairs Bureau, his aspiration is very kind and beautiful. I merely suggest adding the word "believers." That is, "atheists" and "theists" should coexist in peace; this is our religious policy [13], and it is the current reality and practice in our country. As for atheism and theism themselves, I fear it is difficult for them to coexist in peace in terms of worldview. Comrade Li Chaoying used the case of Jehovah's Witnesses refusing blood transfusions to elaborate on the relationship between the judiciary and religious belief, which was very profound.
— Several papers mentioned the issue of traditional culture. For instance, some believe traditional culture is "humanology" (renxue), which reminds me that some also believe Marxist philosophy is "humanology." What is the difference? This needs clarification. A few years ago, some summarized tradition as "anxiety consciousness" (youhuan yishi), and later as the single word "harmony" (he). For Chinese traditional culture, which has thousands of years of history and billions of characters of extant literature, such summaries can hardly achieve any accuracy. The result is often the "blind men feeling the elephant" [14], each grasping only one part. As for whether Confucianism is "Confucian Religion" (rujiao), I hope we do not hold such discussions at our meeting, as we have more urgent and important matters to attend to. Regarding this issue, one can publish articles in other venues or offer direct criticism. I only hope that when making such criticisms, one maintains academic rigor and clarifies the object of study. Do not be like Dühring, whom Engels criticized, by throwing figures with fundamentally different ideological tendencies into the same pot and considering them all "one reactionary gang."
— If some comrades are interested in researching the issue of the "Confucian Religion," I suggest first studying the Standards for the Retention or Abolition of Shrines [15] issued by the Republic of China, which was mentioned several times in Professor Li Zhiying's report. Research the origins and classification of those deities that were either retained or abolished. This is the ideological legacy left to the Republic of China by two thousand years of feudal society; it can help us reflect on the issue of religion in ancient China. I will provide a simple criterion for everyone: shrines called tan (altar) or miao (temple) are generally Confucian; si or yuan (monastery) are Buddhist; gong or guan (palace/abbey) are Daoist. Professor Li Zhiying's paper also contained a suggestion: that in our future research on the history of thought, we should not stop at merely quoting a few sentences from individual after individual, but rather emphasize the entire social trend of the time. As a historian, she has hit upon the weakness of our research in the history of thought, which deserves serious attention.
— Research into traditional culture, like all research work, first requires clarifying the facts and correctly understanding the original texts. Several questions were mentioned at this meeting, such as the meaning of "The Way of Heaven is distant, while the Way of Man is near" [16]; it is best to check the annotations of the ancients. There is also Xunzi's "Regulate the Mandate of Heaven and utilize it." According to Tang dynasty annotations, "regulate" (zhi) means "to tailor" (cai). That is, on the premise of acknowledging the existence of the Mandate of Heaven, one tailors and utilizes it according to one’s needs. And acknowledging the existence of the Mandate of Heaven, as Comrade Han Qi said in her report, is precisely the characteristic of ancient Chinese religion. Furthermore, the material I provide to you is that Xunzi was the first to explicitly define sacrifice: "Sacrifice is to serve its spirit with reverence." He was the first to propose sacrificing to "Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, and Teacher," which became the basic objects of worship for later generations of Confucians.
— On the issues of so-called "moral decline" or "moral crisis," I offer two facts for comrades to consider. The first is that shortly after Kang Youwei's reforms, Western concepts were continuously introduced. At that time, what Confucians found most intolerable was "equality." They believed that speaking of "equality" was the height of failing to follow the ways of the ancients [17] and the collapse of morality. The second is the "May Fourth" period, which opposed feudal ritual codes and advocated for free love. From the perspective of traditional morality, this was also the most intolerable moral degradation. These two major moral shifts in modern Chinese history have important theoretical significance.
— These issues all raise an important question for us, namely the "discourse power" issue we have discussed. This includes: how should we treat those popular concepts and propositions? A few years ago, we cautioned about the issue of "ultimate concern"; in the last two years, it hasn't been used much in our circles. In these two years, we have discussed "faith" (xinyang) and "belief" (xinnian) more. At the Scientific Atheism Forum a month ago, Comrade Jia Runguo provided a very good textual criticism. At this meeting, Comrade Li Shengxian provided another very deep analysis. I hope their theoretical work can help us distinguish right from wrong. As for us, I still suggest that when discussing atheist issues, it is appropriate to limit the term "faith" (xinyang) to religion.
— Related to faith is "awe" (jingwei). When mentioning "awe," I must mention Comrade Ren Shiping's speech. Using poetic language, she spoke about the scientific spirit. She spoke well. Finally, she spoke about the feeling of suddenly seeing Van Gogh’s Sunflowers after visiting religious paintings, which left a deep impression. Religious art is solemn and grave; it is meant to make people feel awe. The appearance of Sunflowers makes one feel as if they have moved from darkness into the light. Although we should respect many, many things, respect does not necessitate awe. It was only from her report that I began to understand a bit of the meaning of Van Gogh's paintings.
— Additionally, there is "National Studies" (guoxue)—I won't say much, but I hope everyone uses the term with caution. There is also "humanistic spirit" (renwen jingshen). I want to remind you that science can be said to have a unified "spirit," such as "seeking truth" and "seeking truth from facts." Is there a unified "humanistic spirit"? This is worth considering. In recent years, religionists have seized the so-called "humanistic spirit" for themselves, dressing themselves up as practitioners of the humanistic spirit, while the scientific spirit is portrayed as cold and seemingly indifferent to people. This is even more worthy of deep reflection. I advocate that we do not use the term "humanistic spirit" at all, but instead vigorously explain the "great, unspoken love" (da’ai wuyan) of the scientific spirit.
The annual meeting concluded successfully on the afternoon of December 14.