Propagate Scientific Atheism with Full Confidence

Dear Editor: In recent years, negative cultures such as sorcery, superstition, and pseudoscience have resurfaced. Yet for various reasons, the propagation and research of scientific atheism have shown signs of weakening. Some harbor concerns about propagating atheism, others set propagating atheism in opposition to respecting freedom of religious belief, and in some places the situation has even arisen where "theism has its advocates, while atheism has none." Comrade Hu Jintao recently proposed taking "pride in upholding science and ignorance in being ignorant and unenlightened," which is highly targeted and instructive. Could we invite an expert to discuss, in light of the current weakening of atheist propaganda, why the propagation of scientific atheism should be strengthened? Thank you!

编辑您好：近年来，一些巫术、迷信和伪科学等消极文化，沉渣泛起。而由于种种原因，我们对科学无神论的宣传和研究，却有弱化之势，有的对宣传无神论心存顾虑，也有的把宣传无神论与尊重宗教信仰自由对立起来，甚至有的地方出现“有神论有人讲，无神论无人讲”的状况。胡锦涛同志最近提出以“崇尚科学为荣、以愚昧无知为耻”很有针对性和指导性。能否请专家结合当前无神论宣传有所弱化的现状，谈谈为什么要加强科学无神论宣传。谢谢！

Shen Zhang, Haidian District, Beijing

北京海淀区 沈漳

Our journal invites Ren Jiyu, Honorary Director of the National Library of China and Chair of the Chinese Atheism Society, to respond.

本刊邀请国家图书馆名誉馆长、中国无神论学会理事长任继愈作答

● What is the difference between naive atheism and scientific atheism?

●朴素无神论与科学无神论的区别是什么？

● What is the Marxist view of religion?

●马克思主义宗教观是什么？

● Does propagating atheism contradict the Party's religious policy?

●宣传无神论与党的宗教政策相矛盾吗？

● On what does the rationality of the nature of social ideology depend?

●社会意识形态的性质是否具有合理性，取决于什么？

● What is the relationship between politically respecting freedom of religious belief and ideologically upholding scientific atheism?

●政治上尊重宗教信仰自由与思想上坚持科学无神论，这两者的关系是什么？

Now "theism has its advocates, while atheism has none." This is deeply worrying.

现在是“有神论有人讲，无神论无人讲”。这是很让人忧虑的

Scientific atheism is one of the greatest intellectual achievements produced by humanity on the basis of modern scientific development, and it is also an important component of advanced culture. It is a prerequisite for the formation of the Marxist worldview and an ideological condition that Communists must possess. Engels once recommended that the works of eighteenth-century French materialists be widely disseminated among the working masses, and Lenin, after the October Revolution, emphasized vigorously propagating scientific atheism. Our Party, during the periods of revolution and construction, has always attached great importance to the propagation of scientific atheism. It can be said that scientific atheist thought is an important ideological guarantee for our Party's victory in revolution and achievements in construction. However, in recent years, for various reasons, the propagation and research of scientific atheism have shown a weakening trend, to the point where some have said that now "theism has its advocates, while atheism has none." This is deeply worrying.

科学无神论是人类在近代科学发展基础上产生的最伟大的思想成果之一，也是先进文化的重要的组成部分；是马克思主义世界观形成的前提，也是共产党人必须具备的思想条件。恩格斯曾经建议把18世纪法国唯物主义者的著作广泛向工人群众传播，列宁在十月革命以后强调大力宣传科学无神论。我们党在革命和建设年代，一直十分重视科学无神论的宣传。可以说，科学无神论思想，是我们党取得革命胜利和建设成就的一个重要思想保障。但是，近年来由于种种原因，科学无神论的宣传和研究，却有弱化的趋势，以至有人提出，现在是“有神论有人讲，无神论无人讲”。这是很让人忧虑的。

Science is the natural ally of atheism. Marxism inherited this fine tradition and developed scientific atheism to an entirely new height.

科学是无神论的天然盟友。马克思主义继承了这一优秀传统，并将科学无神论发展到了一个全新的高度

Atheism is an ideological system opposed to theism. In the Western cultural sphere, atheism has always referred to the denial of the reality of "God." Since the Renaissance, it has marched alongside movements of ideological emancipation. In modern and contemporary times, it has many variants, such as pantheism, deism, skepticism, and humanism, with the militant atheism of the eighteenth century being the most resolute. Nietzsche declared "God is dead," and Einstein called for expelling the personal God from religion, reflecting the general trend of Western humanities and natural sciences. Broadly speaking, atheism can be divided into two types: pre-scientific-revolution atheist thought was fragmentary and naive, only able to expose the flaws and self-contradictions of the concept of ghosts and gods on specific issues, but unable to fundamentally deny their existence. We call this period's atheism "naive atheism." The scientific revolution beginning with Copernicus provided a solid intellectual foundation for atheism. During this period, atheist thinkers not only fundamentally denied the existence of ghosts and gods but also correctly explained the reasons for the emergence of the concept of ghosts and gods. This atheism, built on the foundation of modern natural science development, we call "scientific atheism." From another perspective, modern and contemporary atheism is built on the foundation of science, advances together with science, and clears the way for scientific development. Therefore, science is the natural ally of atheism. Marxism inherited this fine tradition and developed scientific atheism to an entirely new height.

无神论是和有神论相对立的思想体系。在西方文化领域里，无神论始终是指对“上帝”真实性的否定。自文艺复兴以来，它一直与思想解放运动同行。在近现代，它有许多变种，所谓泛神论、自然神论、怀疑论以及人本主义都是，而以18世纪的战斗无神论最为坚定；尼采宣布“上帝死了”，爱因斯坦呼吁把人格神从宗教中驱逐出去，反映了西方人文科学和自然科学的大趋向。概括地说，无神论可以分为两种：科学革命以前的无神论思想零散而质朴，只能从某些具体问题上揭露鬼神观念的缺陷和自相矛盾，还不能从根本上否认鬼神的存在。这一时期的无神论，我们称之为“朴素无神论”。从哥白尼开始的科学革命，给无神论提供了坚实的思想基础。在这一时期，无神论思想家不仅根本否认鬼神的存在，还对鬼神观念产生的原因进行了正确的说明。这种建立在近代自然科学发展基础上的无神论，我们称之为“科学无神论”。从另一个角度说，近现代的无神论，是建立在科学的基础上的，与科学共进，为科学发展开路。因此，科学是无神论的天然盟友。马克思主义继承了这一优秀传统，并将科学无神论发展到了一个全新的高度。

Marxist atheism is closely linked to its philosophical worldview, closely linked to its view of religion, and closely linked to its socialist practice. Marxist philosophy has a basic viewpoint: social being determines social consciousness, and social consciousness reacts upon social being. Theism is the core of the religious worldview; in essence it is illusory and inverted, yet it is the soul of religious organizations. Once a religious organization loses its soul, it loses the spiritual pillar for its survival. Therefore, religious theology constantly changes its forms of argumentation in step with the progress of science and society. Religious organizations are the main carriers of theism, and also the subjects that create theology, manufacture and propagate the concept of ghosts and gods. They bind believers together, forming material forces that can constrain believers and influence society. The social functions of religion are mainly manifested through its organizational forms; religious theism mainly resides at the spiritual level. The variability of organizational forms is extremely great, while internal concepts are relatively stable. Therefore, the same religious faith, under different religious organizations and different social conditions, can have completely different political stances and play extremely opposite roles in society. At the spiritual level, the concept of ghosts and gods has greater inertia and traditional continuity. Therefore, religious organizations and religious concepts must not be conflated.

马克思主义的无神论与它的哲学世界观紧密相连，与它的宗教观紧密相连，与它的社会主义实践紧密相连。马克思主义哲学有一个基本观点：社会存在决定社会意识，社会意识反作用于社会存在。有神论是宗教世界观的核心，本质是虚幻的，颠倒的，但却是宗教组织的灵魂；宗教组织一旦失去灵魂，就失去了存活的精神支柱，所以宗教神学总是随着科学和社会的进步，不断地变换自己的论辩形式。宗教组织则是有神论的主要载体，也是创建神学，制造和推广鬼神观念的主体；它们把信仰者联结在一起，形成一个个能够约束信徒和作用社会的物质力量。宗教的社会功能，主要通过它的组织形式表现出来；宗教有神论则主要潜存于精神层面。组织形式的可变性极大，内在的观念相对稳定。因此，同一种宗教信仰，在不同的宗教组织，不同的社会条件下，可以有完全不同的政治立场，对社会起着极其相反的作用；而精神层面鬼神观念，更具惰性和传统的连续性。因此，对待宗教组织和对待宗教观念，不可混同。

Marxism holds that the emergence, development, and extinction of religion have their historical objective inevitability. "Man" is the sum of social relations; religion is an inverted worldview, an illusory reflection of inverted social relations. Therefore, the essence of religion must be sought in the social conditions that produce it, and solving religious problems must start from transforming social relations. In this regard, Marxist political parties list solving religious problems as a component of their revolution and construction, oppose replacing actual social transformation with mere ideological education, and even more oppose isolating the "struggle against religion" from the Party's general line. That is to say, religion has its own social roots. The task of Marxism is to unite religious believers to remove the social roots of religion, and cannot stop at ideological struggle.

马克思主义认为，宗教的产生、发展和消亡，有其历史的客观必然性；“人”是社会关系的总和，宗教是颠倒的世界观，是颠倒的社会关系的虚幻反映。因此，宗教的本质必须从产生它的社会条件中寻找，解决宗教问题，必须从变革社会关系上着手。就此而言，马克思主义政党把解决宗教问题列为自己革命和建设的组成部分，反对用单纯的思想教育替代实际的社会变革，更反对脱离党的总路线孤立地“与宗教斗争”。就是说，宗教有自己的社会根源，马克思主义的任务，是团结信教群众一起，去除宗教的社会根源，而不能停留在思想斗争上。

Propagating scientific atheism does not contradict the Party's religious policy.

宣传科学无神论与党的宗教政策并不矛盾

In a socialist country guided by Marxism, propagating scientific atheism is an unshirkable responsibility. Vigorously strengthening the propagation and education of scientific atheism is necessary to consolidate the ideological foundation of Marxism and also to improve the ideological quality of the entire nation. Not only should Communist Party members establish a scientific atheist worldview, but the general masses should also receive education in scientific atheism. Theory and facts both show that no one is born an atheist, nor is anyone born a theist. Becoming an atheist is the result of acquired education; establishing a scientific atheist worldview requires education and propaganda.

在以马克思主义为指导思想的社会主义国家，宣传科学无神论是义不容辞的责任。大力加强科学无神论的宣传和教育，是巩固马克思主义思想基础的需要，也是提高全民族思想素质的需要。不仅共产党员应该树立科学无神论的世界观，一般群众也应该接受科学无神论的教育。理论和事实都说明，任何人都不是天生的无神论者，也不是天生的有神论者。成为无神论者，是后天教育的结果；树立科学无神论的世界观，必须进行教育和宣传。

Propagating atheism does not contradict the citizens' right to freedom of religious belief stipulated in the Constitution, nor the Party's policy of freedom of religious belief. Chinese Communists propagate scientific atheism mainly to educate their own basic masses, not to target religious believers, and even less to demand that everyone become an atheist. In this regard, Engels' teaching will always be our motto. Engels said: To rigidly demand that everyone become an atheist is to do service for God. On this issue, past mistakes should not be repeated, lessons from the past must be learned, and ultra-leftist practices must be corrected. That is to say, propagating scientific atheism is consistent with respecting and safeguarding citizens' freedom of religious belief; they go hand in hand without conflict. This was the case in the past, and it is the case now. On this issue, we should be fully confident and forthright, without any doubt or wavering. In fact, in Western countries, there are not so many taboos as we have. There, atheists and skeptics still persist in their critique of religious theology. Citizens' freedom of thought and freedom of speech are equal before the law. Some American leaders claim to found the state on religion, but the voices of non-religious and humanist public opinion are rising day by day.

宣传无神论，与《宪法》中规定的公民的宗教信仰自由权，与党的宗教信仰自由政策并不矛盾。中国共产党人宣传科学无神论，主要是教育自己的基本群众，不是针对宗教信仰者，更不是要求人人都成为无神论者。在这一方面，恩格斯的教导永远是我们的座右铭。恩格斯说：如果要硬性地要求每一个人都成为无神论者，就是替神效劳。在这个问题上，过去的错误不应重犯，以往的教训必须吸取，极“左”的做法必须纠正。也就是说，宣传科学无神论与尊重和维护公民的宗教信仰自由是一致的，是并行不悖的。过去是如此，现在也是如此。在这个问题上，我们应该理直气壮，不应有任何的怀疑和动摇。其实，在西方国家还没有我们那么多的禁忌。在那里，无神论者和怀疑论者至今仍坚持对宗教神学的批判。公民的思想自由、言论自由在法律上是平等的。美国的某些领导人自称以宗教立国，但舆论界非宗教和人文主义的呼声却在日益高涨。

To go further, Marxism accepts the principle of freedom of religious belief, but it must be pointed out that its meaning can never be interpreted as only the freedom to believe in religion. It also advocates that religion should be separated from politics and from education, but it emphasizes even more that, for the state alone, religious belief should become a private matter for the individual—whether to believe or not to believe, to believe in this religion or that religion, the individual possesses complete freedom of choice, and no external force may interfere. For a Marxist political party, however, religious belief is not a private matter. The world outlook of our Party is dialectical materialism and historical materialism, which are opposed to theism and irreconcilable with it; the Party’s organization is unified, and it does not permit infiltration by other organizations or the existence of non-organizational activities. The Party must safeguard citizens’ right to freedom of religious belief, while in terms of world outlook it must maintain its own independence.

进一步讲，马克思主义接受宗教信仰自由的原则，但必须指出，它的含义绝不能解释为只有信仰宗教的自由。它也主张，宗教应该与政治分离，与教育分离，但更强调，只是对国家来说，宗教信仰应该成为个人的私事，信教或不信教，信这种教或那种教，个人拥有完全自由的选择权，任何外力不得干涉；而对于马克思主义政党来说，宗教信仰不是个人的私事。我们党的世界观是辩证唯物论和唯物史观，与有神论是对立的，不容调和的；党的组织是统一的，不允许有其它组织的渗入和非组织活动的存在。党必须维护公民宗教信仰自由的权利，在世界观上则必须保持自己的独立性。

Politically upholding and respecting citizens’ right to freedom of religious belief, while ideologically adhering to and propagating scientific atheism, constitutes a unity of opposites, not a metaphysical contradiction.

在政治上维护和尊重宗教信仰自由的公民权利，与思想上坚持和宣传科学无神论，是对立的统一，而不是形而上学的矛盾

Politically upholding and respecting citizens’ right to freedom of religious belief, while ideologically adhering to and propagating scientific atheism, constitutes a unity of opposites, not a metaphysical contradiction: if there is only the freedom to believe in religion and theism, but no freedom to propagate scientific atheism, then freedom is deficient and citizens lose the most important option; conversely, if, in the name of atheism, one launches political or personal attacks against religious believers, that infringes upon citizens’ sacred rights, undermines the unity of the people, and disrupts the implementation of the Party’s general line and general tasks.

在政治上维护和尊重宗教信仰自由的公民权利，与思想上坚持和宣传科学无神论，是对立的统一，而不是形而上学的矛盾：如果只有信仰宗教有神论的自由，而没有宣传科学无神论的自由，那是自由的缺失，公民就失掉了最重要的选项；相反，如果以无神论名义，向信教民众发动政治上或人格上的攻击，那就是侵犯公民的神圣权利，就会破坏人民的团结，干扰党的总路线和总任务的实施。

Whether the nature of a social ideology possesses rationality depends on the social system and the historical process of social development, and is not determined solely by some belief or dogma. Cultural diversity, differences in ideological understanding, and the coexistence and contention of beliefs, convictions, and values are normal phenomena in a healthy society. Atheism and theism, religion and non-religion, this religion and that religion, coexisting within the same social community, can not only enrich and enliven people’s spiritual life but also facilitate mutual communication and comparison. This helps interpersonal exchange, the elevation of understanding, the perfection of morality, and contributes to the overall progress of society.

社会意识形态的性质是否具有合理性，取决于社会制度和社会发展的历史进程，不单是由某种信仰或教条决定的。文化的多元性，思想认识的差别性，以及信仰、信念和价值观上的共存和争鸣，是一个健康社会的正常现象，无神论和有神论，宗教和非宗教，此教与彼教，同生于一个社会共同体中，不但可以丰富和活跃着人们的精神生活，而且可以互相沟通、互相比较，这有助于人际的交流，认识的提高，道德的完善，有助于推动社会的整体进步。

Online editor: Jia Fei

网络编辑：嘉扉