The Sinicization Process of Marxist Atheism (Part I)

Marxist atheism is an advanced form of scientific atheism. It inherits outstanding human achievements such as 17th- and 18th-century English and French materialism and 19th-century German Feuerbachian humanism, and is revealed through the discovery of the materialist conception of history and the theory of surplus value. Marx and Engels studied the social function of religion, pointing out that religion is a tool used by the ruling class to narcotize the working class. Scientific atheism, as the starting point and cornerstone of the Marxist worldview, entered the practice of the scientific socialist movement from the realm of ideology and culture. Chinese Communists, grounded in the actual conditions of Chinese society, have continuously added new connotations to the Sinicization of Marxist atheism in the process of advancing the integration of Marxism with China’s realities.

马克思主义无神论是科学无神论发展的高级形态。它继承了17－18世纪英国和法国唯物主义、19世纪德国费尔巴哈人本主义等人类优秀成果，通过唯物主义历史观和剩余价值论的发现而展示出来。马克思、恩格斯研究宗教的社会功能，指出宗教是统治阶级麻醉劳动阶级的工具。科学无神论作为马克思主义世界观的出发点和基石，由思想文化领域进入科学社会主义运动的实践。中国共产党人立足中国社会的现实基础，在推进马克思主义与中国实际相结合的过程中，不断为马克思主义无神论中国化增加新的内涵。

I. China’s National Conditions Determine the Characteristics of Chinese Belief Culture

一、中国国情决定中国信仰文化特色

China’s social foundation is utterly different from the European society in which Marx and Engels lived. Medieval European society implemented a system of unity of church and state, with Christianity once holding absolute dominance. In the early 19th century, Germany was still under the rule of the Prussian feudal dynasty. Christianity was the ideology of the German feudal lords at that time and a spiritual shackle hindering social development. The theoretical research of the young Marx and Engels began with the critique of religion using scientific atheism. Their exploration of the essence, roots, and social function of religion became an important growth point in the formation of historical materialism.

中国的社会基础与马克思、恩格斯所处的欧洲社会，迥然不同。中世纪的欧洲社会实施政教合一的体制，基督教曾占据绝对的统治地位。19世纪初，德国仍然处于普鲁士封建王朝的统治下。基督教是当时德国封建诸侯的意识形态，是阻碍社会发展的精神桎梏。青年马克思、恩格斯的理论研究是从运用科学无神论批判宗教开始的。他们对宗教的本质、根源和社会功能的探索，成为历史唯物主义形成过程的重要生长点。

However, over the course of several thousand years of history, the Chinese nation has formed a unique cultural tradition. Regarding China’s religious belief culture, I believe its main characteristics can be summarized in the following three factors.

而在长达数千年的历史长河中，中华民族形成独特的文化传统。就中国宗教信仰文化而言，我认为，主要特征可以概括为以下三个因素。

First, the culture of the Chinese nation has consistently exhibited a style of pluralistic compatibility, namely: rich humanist ideas and supernatural mysticism, polytheism and atheism coexisting. Regarding the long-dominant Confucian culture, I agree with the thesis that it possesses a “practical spirit of active engagement in the world” and a humanistic orientation of “keeping the gods at a distance and drawing close to humanity.” (Tang Yijie: “Confucius and Confucian Thought — A Precious Heritage of Chinese Culture,” edited by the International Confucian Association: *Confucianism and Contemporary Civilization*, Vol. 1, Beijing: Jiuzhou Press, 2005, p. 13.) The “teaching through the way of the spirits” advocated by Confucianism is a relatively special religious thought. Confucianism holds that the way of the spirits means taking the Way of Heaven as a model to implement social education. Successive Chinese rulers all believed in the “divine right of kings,” where this god is Heaven; the ruler’s power is mandated by Heaven, and they assume the position of the Son of Heaven. Secular monarchical power was superior to religious theocratic power. Therefore, feudal rulers historically adopted a policy of accommodating all religions, both utilizing various religions to “educate” society and maintaining a certain distance from them. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, as the mainstream of Chinese culture, coexisted and complemented each other in a tripod-like structure, peacefully coexisting with multiple subcultures. Humanism and atheist thought also had broad space for activity. Although Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism had frictions, they ultimately absorbed from and integrated with each other, never experiencing cruel religious wars like those in medieval Western Europe.

第一，中华民族的文化一直呈现出多元兼容风格，即：丰富的人文主义理念和超自然的神秘主义，多神主义与无神论思想并存。关于长期处于统治地位的儒家文化，我赞同这样的论点，它有“积极入世的实践精神”和“远神近人”的人本取向。（汤一介：《孔子儒家思想——中华文化的宝贵遗产》，国际儒学联合会编：《儒学与当代文明》第一卷，北京：九州出版社，2005年，第13页。）儒家倡导的“神道设教”是一种比较特殊的宗教思想。儒家认为，神道，是取法天道，实施社会教化。中国历代统治者都认为“君权神授”，这个神是天，君权受命于天，以天子之位自居。世俗君权高于宗教的神权。因此，封建统治者历来对各种宗教采取兼容并蓄的政策，既利用各种宗教“教化”社会，又与它们保持一定的距离。儒释道作为中华文化的主流，三教鼎立和互补，与多种亚文化和平共存。人文主义和无神论思想也有广阔的活动空间。儒释道虽有摩擦，但终能相互吸收、相互交融，从未发生像中世纪西欧那样残酷的宗教战争。

Second, political power has always dominated religious power. From ancient times to the present, the secular power of the central government has always been the only legitimate social and political power. In the vast Han-inhabited areas of the Central Plains (ethnic minority areas are more complex, such as Tibet, which long implemented a system of unity of church and state), various religions never formed a social force capable of contending with secular society. Religions could only submit to the rule of secular political power; theocracy was absolutely not permitted to stand as an equal to political power. In the social changes throughout Chinese history, religious organizations also did not constitute a powerful obstacle.

第二，政权始终支配教权。从古至今，中央政府的世俗权力始终是唯一合法的社会政治权力。在广大中原汉族地区（少数民族地区比较复杂，如西藏曾长期实行政教合一的制度），各种宗教从来没有形成与世俗社会相抗衡的社会势力。宗教只能服从世俗政权的统治，绝不容许神权与政权分庭抗礼。在中国历史上的社会变迁中，宗教组织也没有构成强大的阻力。

Third, the belief culture of the Chinese nation possesses a strong secularity and utilitarianism. “Revering Heaven and honoring ancestors” is its core concept, with the creation of gods and the abolition of gods proceeding in parallel, constituting a characteristic of Chinese religion. The tradition of worshiping the God of Heaven and ancestor worship has continued for thousands of years, becoming a value recognized by the entire society. People pray to the God of Heaven and ancestors for protection, blessings, and the warding off of evil. This strong secularity and utilitarianism, on the one hand, weakens theological belief and avoids religious fanaticism; on the other hand, it gives shamanistic culture deep roots, and various complex shamanistic cultural influences persist to this day. China’s historical and cultural background is the starting point for the Sinicization of Marxist atheism. Accordingly, Sinicized Marxist atheism has formed two basic principles: First, the principle of separation of church and state and freedom of religious belief. At the socio-political and economic levels, religion must adapt to the overall interests of the Chinese people and to the historical process of social development; it is not permitted to use religion to threaten national security and ethnic unity, nor to use religion to subvert the socialist system. Complete freedom of belief for religion at the level of faith is guaranteed; thereby, issues of belief are strictly distinguished from political issues. Second, ideological education must be like “spring breeze and rain,” while ideological construction must be “tit for tat.” The concept of religious theism is erroneous and opposed to science and materialism, but it belongs to the realm of thought; it cannot be resolved by administrative means, only by methods of persuasion and education, and primarily through actual social change, with believers deciding for themselves. As for cultural theology, which serves as a means of proselytization, crossing the private belief space of believers to contend with mainstream secular society for ideological and cultural positions and for the younger generation, it is necessary to distinguish right from wrong through theoretical critique, that is, the so-called “study religion, critique theology.” (Gong Yuzhi, Pang Xianzhi, Shi Zhongquan: *Mao Zedong’s Reading Life*, Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company, 1986, p. 4.)

第三，中华民族的信仰文化具有强烈的世俗性与功利性。“敬天祭祖”是它的核心理念，造神与废神并行，构成中国宗教的特色。天神崇拜和祖先崇拜的传统绵延数千年，成为全社会认同的价值观。人们祈求天神和祖先护佑，降恩赐福，驱魔避邪。这种强烈的世俗性与功利性，一方面，弱化神学信仰，避免宗教狂热；另一方面，使巫术文化根基深厚，各种繁杂的巫术文化影响至今。中国社会的历史文化背景是马克思主义无神论中国化的出发点。据此，中国化的马克思主义无神论形成两条基本原则：首先，政教分离和宗教信仰自由的原则。在社会政治和经济层面，宗教必须适应中国人民的总体利益，适应社会发展的历史进程，不允许利用宗教威胁国家安全与民族团结不允许利用宗教颠覆社会主义制度。保障宗教在信仰层面完全自由；从而把信仰问题与政治问题严格区分开来。其次，思想教育要“春风化雨”，意识形态建设要“针锋相对”。宗教有神论的观念是错误的，是与科学和唯物论相对立的，但它属于思想问题，不能动用行政手段解决，只能采取说服教育的方法，而且主要通过社会的实际变革，由信仰者自觉决定。作为布道手段的文化神学，跨越信徒的私人信仰空间，与主流的世俗社会争夺思想文化阵地，争夺青少年一代，就需要分辨是非理论批判，即所谓“研究宗教，批判神学”。（龚育之、逄先知、石仲泉：《毛泽东的读书生活》，北京：三联书店，1986年，第4页。）

II. The Period of the New Democratic Revolution: Initiating the Sinicization Practice of Marxist Atheism

二、新民主主义革命时期：开启马克思主义无神论的中国化实践

The spirit of “science and democracy” advocated by the May Fourth Movement included opposing superstition and ghosts and gods, and promoting atheism. The May Fourth spirit, including scientific atheism, became one of the ideological markers of China’s entry into modern society. In modern Chinese academia, the first to use the concept of atheism was the renowned scholar Zhang Taiyan, whose critique was directly aimed at monotheism such as Christianity. Against the historical backdrop of modern China’s struggle for national salvation and cultural enlightenment, important thinkers of the May Fourth period, such as Chen Duxiu and Hu Shi, used Western atheist thought to criticize spiritualism, break down feudal superstitious shackles, and critique monotheistic theism such as Christianity, launching the “anti-Christian movement” to resist imperialist cultural aggression.

五四运动倡导的“科学与民主”精神，包括反对迷信鬼神，宣传无神论。五四精神包括科学无神论，成为中国进入近现代社会思想标志之一。在近代中国的学术界，首先使用无神论概念的是著名学者章太炎，其锋芒直指基督教等一神论在近代中国救亡图存、文化启蒙的历史背景下，五四运动时期的陈独秀、胡适等重要思想家，用西方无神论的思想批判灵学，破除封建迷信等思想枷锁；批判基督教等一神论的有神论，开展抵制帝国主义文化侵略的“非基督教运动”。

The spread of scientific atheism in China was an important ideological prerequisite for the birth of the Chinese Communist Party. Early leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, such as Li Dazhao, while spreading Marxism, also made spreading scientific atheism an important mission. Li Dazhao pointed out: “Religion cannot seek truth” and is “a great obstacle to human progress.” ( *Collected Works of Li Dazhao* (Vol. 2), Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1984, pp. 555-556.) Only by criticizing religious views of ghosts and gods can a scientific Marxist worldview be established.

科学无神论在中国的传播，是中国共产党诞生的重要思想前提。早期的中国共产党领袖李大钊等人，在传播马克思主义的同时，也将传播科学无神论作为自己重要的使命。李大钊指出：“宗教不能探求真理”，“是人类进步的巨大障碍。” （《李大钊文集》（下），北京：人民出版社，1984年，第555-556页。）只有批判宗教鬼神观，才能树立科学的马克思主义世界观。

Among Chinese Communists, the practitioner who initiated the path of adapting Marxist atheism to the Chinese context began with Mao Zedong. During the First Revolutionary Civil War, while leading the Hunan peasant movement, he insisted on using class analysis to understand and handle religious issues, incorporating the opposition to theocracy into the anti-feudal political and economic struggle. Mao Zedong pointed out that the four thick ropes — theocratic authority, political authority, clan authority, and the authority of the husband — represented the feudal patriarchal ideology and system in rural China. The main direction of the peasant movement was to overthrow political authority and carry out economic struggle. Because practice had proven: “Once the political authority of the landlords is overthrown, the authority of the clan, the theocratic authority, and the authority of the husband all begin to totter.” [1]1 The May Fourth Movement (1919) was an anti-imperialist, anti-feudal cultural and political movement led by intellectuals that is considered a key turning point in modern Chinese history. As for the issue of the religious beliefs of the masses, one must be very cautious. He said very vividly: “The idols were set up by the peasants, and when the time comes they will cast the idols aside with their own hands; there is no need for anyone else to do it for them prematurely. The Communist Party’s propaganda policy with regard to these things should be: ‘Draw the bow without shooting, as if poised to release.’ The peasants should cast aside the idols themselves; the temples to chaste widows and the arches to faithful women should be torn down by the peasants themselves; it is wrong for others to do it for them.” (Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Vol. 1, Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1991, pp. 31, 33.) During the Second Revolutionary Civil War, the War of Resistance Against Japan, and the War of Liberation, while reaffirming respect for the freedom of religious belief of the people, Mao Zedong proposed that Communists should establish a political united front with religious circles. In On New Democracy, he pointed out: “Communists may form an anti-imperialist and anti-feudal united front in political action with certain idealists and even religious believers, but they can never approve of their idealism or religious doctrines.” (Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Vol. 2, Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1991, p. 707.)

在中国共产党人中，开启马克思主义无神论中国化道路的实践者，始于毛泽东。在第一次国内革命战争时期，他在领导湖南农民运动中，坚持用阶级分析观点认识处理宗教问题，将反对神权纳入反封建的政治经济斗争中。毛泽东指出，神权、政权、族权、夫权，这四大绳索代表着中国农村封建宗法思想和制度。农民运动的主要方向是推翻政权，进行经济斗争。因为实践证明：“地主政权既被打翻，族权、神权、夫权便一概跟着动摇起来。”而对待人民群众的宗教信仰问题，要十分慎重。他十分生动地说：“菩萨是农民立起来的，到了一定时期农民会用他们自己的双手丢开这些菩萨，无须旁人过早地代庖丢菩萨。共产党对于这些东西的宣传政策应当是：‘引而不发，跃如也’。菩萨要农民自己去丢，烈女祠、节孝坊要农民自己去摧毁，别人代庖是不对的。”（《毛泽东选集》第1卷，北京：人民出版社，1991年，第31、33页。）在第二次国内革命战争、抗日战争和解放战争中，毛泽东在重申尊重民众宗教信仰自由的同时，提出共产党人要与宗教界建立政治上的统一战线。他在《新民主主义论》中指出：“共产党员可以和某些唯心论者甚至宗教徒建立在政治行动上的反帝反封建的统一战线，但是决不能赞同他们的唯心论或宗教教义。”（《毛泽东选集》第2卷，北京：人民出版社，1991年，第707页。）

The practical direction of Marxist atheism among Chinese Communists was concretely reflected in the laws, regulations, and policies of the new political power. The “Constitutional Outline of the Chinese Soviet Republic,” promulgated in November 1931, opened an independent chapter, establishing for the first time basic principles such as the separation of religion and state, freedom of religious belief, and the propagation of atheism. (Selected Documents of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Vol. 7, Beijing: Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC Press, 1991, p. 775.)

中国共产党人的马克思主义无神论的实践方向，具体反映在新政权的法规政策中。1931年11月公布的《中华苏维埃共和国宪法大纲》开辟独立章节，首次确立了实行政教分离、宗教信仰自由、宣传无神论等基本原则。（《中共中央文件选集》第7册，北京：中共中央党校出版社，1991年，第775页。）

During the turbulent years of war and revolution, the Communists inherited the spirit of “science and democracy” from the May Fourth Movement, further proposed building a “national, scientific, and popular new culture,” and continuously advanced the practice of adapting Marxist atheism to the Chinese context.

在波澜壮阔的战争与革命年代，共产党人继承五四运动“科学与民主”的精神，进一步提出建设“民族的科学的大众的新文化”，不断推进马克思主义无神论的中国化实践。

III. Early Period of Socialist Construction: Continuing the Practice of Adapting Marxist Atheism to the Chinese Context

三、社会主义建设前期：继续马克思主义无神论的中国化实践

In 1949, the establishment of the People’s Republic of China brought profound changes to the social structure of old China. For Communists, whose worldview is scientific atheism, formulating religious policies suited to China’s actual conditions became an important practical issue.

1949年，中华人民共和国的建立，使旧中国的社会结构发生深刻变革。以科学无神论为世界观的共产党人，制定符合中国实际的宗教政策，成为重要的现实课题。

Guided by Marxist historical materialism, Chinese Communists analyzed the current state of religion in China, proposed the mass character, ethnic character, long-term nature, international character, and complexity of Chinese religion, and formulated a series of policies. They launched an anti-imperialist and patriotic movement and promoted the democratic reform of religious systems, gradually adapting them to socialist society.

中国共产党人以马克思主义唯物史观为指导，分析中国宗教现状，提出中国宗教的群众性、民族性、长期性、国际性和复杂性，并制定了一系列政策，开展反帝爱国运动，推动宗教制度的民主改革，使其逐步适应社会主义社会。

In the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, two situations within religious circles were more complex: first, Christianity and Catholicism, which had a cultural background of Western powers; second, Islam, Tibetan Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhism in ethnic minority regions. In guiding the reform movements within religious circles, the Communists actively explored the practical path of adapting Marxist atheism to the Chinese context.

新中国成立初期的宗教界，有两种情况更为复杂：一是有西方列强文化背景的基督教和天主教；一是少数民族地区的伊斯兰教、藏传佛教和南传佛教。共产党人在指导宗教界开展改革运动中，积极探索马克思主义无神论中国化的实践道路。

Regarding the anti-imperialist and patriotic movement carried out in Christianity and Catholicism. In modern China, Christianity and Catholicism were controlled by imperialist powers, “riding on cannonballs” to spread the gospel, shrouding their missionary work in the shadow of being “tools of spiritual aggression by Western powers.” On August 19, 1950, the Central Committee of the CPC issued the “Directive on Issues Concerning Catholicism and Christianity,” a representative document. The directive stated: “Marxists are thoroughgoing atheists and believe that religion is harmful to the people’s consciousness. However, Marxists have always treated the issue of mass religion as a social issue and a mass issue with historical inevitability, and have always opposed handling religious issues through simple and hasty administrative orders. … To transform the church, which served as a tool of imperialist aggression, into a religious undertaking run by the Chinese people themselves, a series of arduous and complex tasks are needed. Our current task is not to launch a mass anti-religion movement, but to lead the people in resolutely implementing the Common Program, realizing land reform, striving for a fundamental improvement in finance and the economy, and widely propagating materialism and scientific knowledge to gradually shrink the market for religion. At the same time, within Christianity and Catholicism, we should use various opportunities and, through patriotic believers, conduct patriotic propaganda among the masses of believers, expose the plots of imperialist cultural aggression and espionage, lead and support the patriots among them, unite the vast majority of devout believers, oppose the handful of reactionary elements still colluding with imperialism, and step by step free the church from imperialist influence and its economic relations, transforming the church into a religious undertaking that is self-governing, self-propagating, and self-supporting by the Chinese people.” (Text available at: http://news.xinhuanet.com//ziliao/2004-12/13/content_2328881.htm.)

关于基督教和天主教开展的反帝爱国运动。在近代中国，基督教和天主教受帝国主义强权的控制，“骑着炮弹”传播福音，使其传教事业笼罩在“西方列强精神侵略的工具”阴影中。1950年8月19日，中共中央发布的《关于天主教、基督教问题的指示》是一个具有代表性的文件。该文件指出：“马克思主义者是彻底的无神论者，认为宗教有害于人民的觉悟，但是马克思主义者对待群众性的宗教问题，从来是当作一种有历史必然性的社会问题和群众问题来处理的，从来是反对单纯地依靠行政命令简单急躁的办法来处理宗教问题的。……为了把作为帝国主义侵略工具的教会，变为中国人自己办的宗教事业，需要进行一系列艰苦的复杂的工作。我们现在的任务，不是进行群众的反宗教运动，而是领导人民大众，坚决实现共同纲领，实现土地改革，争取财政经济的根本好转，广泛进行唯物主义与科学知识的宣传，来逐渐缩小宗教的市场；同时，在基督教、天主教内部，利用各种机会和经过有爱国心的教徒，向教徒群众进行爱国主义的宣传，揭露帝国主义文化侵略与间谍活动的阴谋，领导和支持其中的爱国分子，团结虔信的教徒的大多数，反对仍与帝国主义勾结的少数反动分子，有步骤地使教会摆脱帝国主义的影响及其经济关系，把教会变为由中国人自治、自传、自养的宗教事业。”（文见：http:// news.xinhuanet.com// ziliao/ 2004-12/ 13/ content_2328881.htm。）

In order to transform the church, which served as a tool of imperialist aggression, into a religious undertaking run by the Chinese people themselves, the Party Central Committee instructed that our current task was not to launch an anti-religion movement, but to lead the people in resolutely implementing the Common Program. Within religious circles, we should support patriots, unite the vast majority, oppose the very few who colluded with imperialism, and gradually transform the church into a religious undertaking that is self-governing, self-propagating, and self-supporting by the Chinese people. From 1957 to 1958, figures in Chinese Catholic circles successively carried out “self-election and self-consecration of bishops,” taking a key step toward running the church independently and self-reliantly. Regarding the work of democratic reform of religion in ethnic minority regions. In May 1958, at the Second Session of the Eighth National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee decided to successively carry out religious reform work in ethnic minority regions. In order to abolish feudal privileges and feudal exploitative systems in Islam and Tibetan Buddhism and

为了将帝国主义侵略工具的教会，转变为中国人自己办的宗教事业，党中央指示，我们现在的任务，不是进行反宗教运动，而是领导人民大众，坚决实现共同纲领。在宗教界支持爱国者，团结大多数，反对勾结帝国主义的极少数，逐步将教会变为由中国人自治、自传、自养的宗教事业。1957年至1958年，中国天主教界人士相继进行“自选自圣主教”，迈出了独立自主自办教会的关键一步。关于少数民族地区的宗教民主改革工作。1958年5月，在中共八大二次全会上，党中央决定在少数民族地区陆续开展宗教改革工作。为了废除伊斯兰教和藏传佛教中的封建特权和封建剥削制度，真正实现宗教信仰自由，国家民族事务委员会副主任杨静仁在会议上发表报告，提出五个分开原则：“民族与宗教分开，逐步改变族教不分的状况；宗教信仰和宗教制度分开，宗教信仰是思想问题，而宗教制度，绝大部分是封建性的社会制度，应当并且可以逐步改变；宗教和行政分开，宗教不得违反和干涉国家的法律和司法；宗教和教育分开，宗教不得干涉学校教育，不得强迫儿童学经文；党内外分开，教育共产党员划清马克思主义同宗教信仰、无神论同有神论的界限。”（赤耐：《当代中国的宗教工作》（上），北京：当代中国出版社，1998年，第106页。）在这项社会变革中，首先在全体共产党员内部，开展科学无神论教育，帮助共产党员划清马克思主义同宗教信仰的界限，使共产党员能够成为改革事业的中坚力量。经过这场宗教民主改革，使广大信教群众从宗教封建特权和封建剥削制度下得到解放，大大地促进了生产力的发展。

This social reform movement was even more earth-shaking in the Tibet region. On March 10, 1959, with the support of the US Central Intelligence Agency, reactionary elements in Tibet launched an armed rebellion in Lhasa. In accordance with the central authorities’ policy of “suppressing the rebellion while carrying out reform,” the Preparatory Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region government implemented social reform, abolishing the system of theocracy under the rule of the Dalai

这场社会改革运动，在西藏地区更为惊天动地。1959年3月10日，在美国中央情报局的支持下，西藏反动分子在拉萨发动武装叛乱。根据中央“边平叛、边改革”的方针，西藏自治区政府筹委会实行社会改革，废除达赖喇嘛统治下的政教合一制度，废除封建农奴社会制度，实行民族区域自治制度。废除寺庙的剥削压迫和各种封建特权，实行政教分离的政策。通过这场开天辟地的社会改革运动，百万翻身农奴当家作了主人，获得土地和牛羊，开始真正享有宗教信仰自由的权力。在指导宗教界民主改革运动的同时，毛泽东提出，人民群众的宗教信仰问题应当用“说服教育的方法去解决”。1957年2月，他在最高国务会议上发表《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》的讲话。他指出，宗教领域也要“正确处理两类不同性质的矛盾”。他说：“我们不能用行政命令去消灭宗教，不能强制人们不信教。不能强制人们放弃唯心主义，也不能强制人们相信马克思主义。凡属于思想性质的问题，凡属于人民内部的争论问题，只能用民主的方法去解决，只能用讨论的方法、批评的方法、说服教育的方法去解决，而不能用强制的、压服的方法去解决。”（《建国以来毛泽东文稿》第6册，北京：中央文献出版社，1992年，第322页。）

In the realm of ideology and culture, Mao Zedong advocated studying religious culture under the guidance of Marxism. On December 30, 1963, he wrote an instruction on a document, pointing out: “There are also very few articles written from the standpoint of historical materialism. For example, the several articles on Buddhism published by Ren Jiyu are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, while articles on Christianity and Islam have never been seen. Without criticizing theology, it is impossible to write a good history of philosophy, nor a good history of literature or world history.” (Gong Yuzhi, Pang Xianzhi, Shi Zhongquan: *Mao Zedong’s Reading Life*, Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company, 1986, p. 4.)

在思想文化领域，毛泽东倡导以马克思主义为指导研究宗教文化。1963年12月30日，他在一份文件上批示指出：“用历史唯物主义的观点写的文章也很少，例如任继愈发表的几篇谈佛教的文章，已如凤毛麟角，谈耶稣教、回教的没有见过。不批判神学就不能写好哲学史，也不能写好文学史或世界史。”（龚育之、逄先知、石仲泉：《毛泽东的读书生活》，北京：三联书店，1986年，第4页。）

In accordance with Mao Zedong’s instruction, Ren Jiyu established the Institute of World Religions at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, becoming the founder of Marxist religious studies in contemporary China. During the cause of socialist construction, Chinese Communists incorporated the research and propaganda-education work of scientific atheism into the overall strategy of ideological and cultural construction.

根据毛泽东的批示，任继愈组建中国科学院世界宗教研究所，成为当代中国马克思主义宗教学的奠基人。中国共产党人在社会主义建设事业中，将科学无神论研究和宣传教育工作，纳入思想文化建设的整体战略中。

IV. Launching Reform and Opening Up: Marxist Atheism and Building a Modernized Socialist Power

四、启动改革开放：马克思主义无神论与建设现代化的社会主义强国

At the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, Deng Xiaoping raised the banner of reform and opening up. In the 1980s, the most resounding slogan of the era was building a modernized socialist power. Reforming certain links in the relations of production and the superstructure that fettered the productive forces, and accelerating the development of socialist productive forces, became the theme of the times. To this end, liberating the primary factor in the productive forces — “people” — became an important task in the early period of reform and opening up. Redressing unjust, false and erroneous cases, and liberating cadres, intellectuals and other important groups for building a modernized power, naturally included religious figures and religious believers who had been subjected to impact. Marxist atheism gained new vitality in the practice of reform and opening up. On March 31, 1982, the notice “Basic Views and Basic Policy on the Religious Question during the Socialist Period in Our Country” issued by the Central Committee of the CPC marked the achievement of bringing order out of chaos in the Party’s guiding ideology for religious work.

在党的十一届三中全会上，邓小平举起了改革开放的大旗。20世纪80年代，最响亮的时代口号是建设现代化的社会主义强国。改革束缚生产力的生产关系和上层建筑的某些环节，推动社会主义生产力的加速发展，成为时代的主题。为此，解放生产力中的首要因素——“人”，成为改革开放初期的重要任务。平反冤假错案，解放干部、知识分子等建设现代化强国的重要群体，当然也包括受到过冲击的宗教界人士和信教群众。马克思主义无神论在改革开放的实践中，获得新的生命力。1982年3月31日，中共中央印发的《关于我国社会主义时期宗教问题的基本观点和基本政策》的通知，标志着党的宗教工作指导思想实现了拨乱反正。

First, freedom of religious belief is the Party’s basic policy on the religious question, and its theoretical foundation is the materialist conception of history. Historical materialism holds that religion is a historical phenomenon at a certain stage of development in human society. Due to various complex factors in socialist society, religion will exist for a long time and will have a considerable number of religious believers. The document points out: “Under socialist conditions, the only correct and fundamental way to solve the religious question can only be, on the premise of guaranteeing freedom of religious belief, through the gradual development of the socialist economy, culture, science and technology, through the gradual development of socialist material progress and cultural-ethical progress, to gradually eliminate the social roots and cognitive roots for the existence of religion.” (Chi Nai: *Contemporary China’s Religious Work* (Vol. 2), Beijing: Contemporary China Publishing House, 1998, p. 429.) Atheism is linked to communism. In Marx’s words: “Communism begins from the outset with atheism; but atheism is at first far from being communism.” (*Complete Works of Marx and Engels*, Vol. 42, Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1979, p. 121.) Such a great cause must go through a rather long historical period. Communists must unite the broad masses of the people, including both non-believers and religious believers, to concentrate their efforts on the common struggle to build such a fine society. This is the fundamental starting point and ultimate goal for our implementation of the policy of freedom of religious belief and for handling the religious question. The principle of freedom of religious belief was put forward during the modern Enlightenment movement. It was the bourgeoisie’s struggle against the ideological tyranny of medieval Christianity. The principle of separation of church and state established by modern states made religion withdraw from politics, from the judiciary, and from education, and relegated belief to the private affairs of individual citizens. In contemporary society, the principle of freedom of religious belief contains the positive orientation of freedom not to believe. In terms of worldview, Marxism is opposed to any theism; but in terms of political action, Marxists and patriotic religious believers can fully form a united front to strive together for socialist modernization. Implementing the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, consolidating and expanding the patriotic political alliance with religious figures of all ethnic groups, and working together to build a modernized socialist power are in the fundamental interests of the people.

第一，宗教信仰自由是党对宗教问题的基本政策，其理论基础是唯物主义历史观。历史唯物主义认为，宗教是人类社会发展一定阶段的历史现象。由于社会主义社会种种复杂的因素，宗教将会长期存在，并拥有相当数量的信教群众。文件指出：“在社会主义条件下，解决宗教问题的唯一正确的根本途径，只能在保障宗教信仰自由的前提下，通过社会主义经济、文化和科学技术事业的逐步发展，通过社会主义物质文明和精神文明的逐步发展，逐步地消灭宗教得以存在的社会根源和认识根源。”（赤耐：《当代中国的宗教工作》（下），北京：当代中国出版社，1998年，第429页。）无神论是与共产主义相连的，按照马克思的话说：“共产主义一开始就是无神论，而无神论最初还远不是共产主义。”（《马克思恩格斯全集》第42卷，北京：人民出版社，1979年，第121页。）这样一个伟大事业，要经历相当长的历史时期，共产党人要团结广大人民群众，包括不信教和信教的群众，集中精力为建设这样美好的社会共同奋斗。这就是我们贯彻执行宗教信仰自由政策，处理宗教问题的根本出发点和落脚点。宗教信仰自由的原则是在近代思想启蒙运动中提出的。它是资产阶级对中世纪基督教思想专制的抗争。近代国家确立的政教分离的原则，使宗教退出政治、退出司法、退出教育，将信仰归属于公民个人的私事。在当代社会，宗教信仰自由的原则包含着不信仰自由的积极取向。在世界观上，马克思主义同任何有神论都是对立的；但是在政治行动上，马克思主义者和爱国的宗教信徒，完全可以结成为社会主义现代化建设共同奋斗的统一战线。贯彻执行党的宗教信仰自由的政策，巩固和扩大各民族宗教界的爱国政治联盟，为建设现代化的社会主义强国而共同奋斗，是符合人民群众的根本利益的。

Second, Communists must establish a scientific atheist worldview and must not believe in religion. The document points out: “The Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief applies to our country’s citizens and is not applicable to Communist Party members. A Communist Party member, unlike an ordinary citizen, is a member of a Marxist political party and should undoubtedly be an atheist, not a theist. Our Party has repeatedly made clear stipulations: Communist Party members must not believe in religion and must not participate in religious activities. For the entire Party, these stipulations should still be resolutely implemented in the future.” (Chi Nai: *Contemporary China’s Religious Work* (Vol. 2), Beijing: Contemporary China Publishing House, 1998, p. 424.) The document also points out that among ethnic minorities where the entire population is basically religious, the implementation of this stipulation requires appropriate steps based on actual conditions and should not be handled simplistically.

第二，共产党人要树立科学无神论的世界观，不得信仰宗教。文件指出：“党的宗教信仰自由的政策，是对我国公民来说的，并不适用于共产党员。一个共产党员，不同于一般公民，而是马克思主义政党的成员，毫无疑问地应当是无神论者，而不应当是有神论者。我们党曾多次作出明确规定：共产党员不得信仰宗教，不得参加宗教活动，就全党来说，今后仍然应当坚决贯彻执行。”（赤耐：《当代中国的宗教工作》（下），北京：当代中国出版社，1998年，第424页。）文件同时指出，在基本上是全民信教的少数民族当中，这项规定的执行，需要按照实际情况，采取适当步骤，不宜简单从事。

Third, using Marxist atheism to study religious questions, and propagating materialism and atheism, as well as scientific and cultural knowledge, is one of the important tasks on the Party’s ideological front. The document points out: “Using the Marxist stand, viewpoint, and method to conduct scientific research on religion is an important component of the Party’s theoretical work. Using Marxist philosophy to criticize idealism (including theism), conducting education in the scientific worldview of dialectical materialism and historical materialism (including atheism) among the masses, especially the broad masses of young people, and strengthening the propaganda of scientific and cultural knowledge concerning natural phenomena, social evolution, and human life, aging, illness, death, good fortune, and misfortune, are among the important tasks on the Party’s propaganda front.” (Chi Nai: *Contemporary China’s Religious Work* (Vol. 2), Beijing: Contemporary China Publishing House, 1998, p. 428.)

第三，用马克思主义无神论研究宗教问题，宣传唯物论和无神论，宣传科学文化知识，是党的思想战线上的重要任务之一。文件指出：“用马克思主义立场、观点、方法对宗教问题进行科学研究，是党的理论工作的一个重要组成部分。用马克思主义哲学批判唯心论（包括有神论），向人民群众特别是广大青少年进行辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的科学世界观（包括无神论）的教育，加强有关自然现象、社会进化和人的生老病死、吉凶祸福的科学文化知识的宣传，是党在宣传战线上的重要任务之一。”（赤耐：《当代中国的宗教工作》（下），北京：当代中国出版社，1998年，第428页。）

Fourth, the propaganda and educational work of Marxist atheism should be gentle and mild, and must be subordinated to the overall strategic objectives of the Party’s cause at the current stage. The document points out: “We Communists are atheists and should unremittingly propagate atheism, but we should also understand that dealing with people’s ideological issues, with issues of the spiritual world, including religious belief issues, by simple and coercive methods will not only be ineffective but also very harmful. We should also understand that the difference in ideological belief between religious believers and non-believers is a relatively minor difference. If this difference is one-sidedly emphasized, even elevated to a primary position, discriminating against and attacking religious believers, while neglecting and obliterating the fundamental identity of political and economic interests between religious believers and non-believers, forgetting that the Party’s basic task is to unite all the people (including the broad masses of religious believers and non-believers) to strive together for building a modernized powerful socialist country, and stimulating and intensifying religious fanaticism, it will bring serious evil consequences to the socialist cause.” (Chi Nai, *Contemporary China’s Religious Work* (Volume 2), Beijing: Contemporary China Publishing House, 1998, pp. 417-418.)

第四，马克思主义无神论的宣传教育工作，应当和风细雨，要服从现阶段党的事业的整体战略目标。文件指出：“我们共产党人是无神论者，应当坚持不懈地宣传无神论，但是我们同时应当懂得，对待人们的思想问题，对待精神世界的问题，包括宗教信仰问题，用简单的强制的方法去处理，不但不会收效，而且非常有害。还应当懂得，信教群众与不信教群众在思想信仰上的这种差异，是比较次要的差异，如果片面强调这种差异，甚至把它提到首要地位，歧视和打击信教群众，而忽视和抹杀信教群众与不信教群众在政治上、经济上根本利益的一致，忘掉了党的基本任务是团结全体人民（包括广大信教群众与不信教群众）为建设现代化的社会主义强国而共同奋斗，并且刺激和加剧宗教狂热，给社会主义事业带来严重的恶果。”（赤耐：《当代中国的宗教工作》（下），北京：当代中国出版社，1998年，第417-418页。）

(To be continued)

（未完待续）

Online editor: Jia Fei

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