Why Communist Party Members Cannot Believe in Religion

Communist Party members should not believe in religion; this is a fundamental principle. Why must this principle be upheld? Because gods do not exist.

共产党员不应信仰宗教，这是一条基本原则。为什么要坚持这样的原则? 因为神是不存在的。

I

一

Historically, humanity has believed in various kinds of gods, hoping to use divine power to solve problems they wanted to solve but could not solve on their own. Yet after thousands or even tens of thousands of years of practice, humanity has finally discovered that such hopes have all come to nothing; to solve their own problems, they can only rely on themselves.

历史上，人类曾经信仰过各种各样的神，希望借助神的力量，解决那些想要解决但自己又解决不了的问题。然而数千、甚至数万年的实践，人类终于发现，类似的希望都落了空，要解决自己的问题，只能依靠自己。

The first gods humanity believed in were animals. What Chinese history calls the "qilin, phoenix, tortoise, and dragon, termed the four numinous beings" [1]1 A phrase from the ancient Chinese text *The Book of Rites* (*Liji*), referring to four mythical animals regarded as auspicious omens. were four animal gods. Even now, some ethnic groups still regard monkeys, cattle, and the like as gods. To regard them as gods means to believe they possess supernatural abilities, or what might be called "special powers," that is, abilities beyond their natural capacities. For example, the tortoise was thought to be able to foreknow events.

人类信仰的第一批神祇，是动物。中国历史上所谓“麟凤龟龙，谓之四灵”，就是四种动物神。直到现在，有些民族还把猴子、牛之类的动物当作神。所谓当作神，就是认为它们具有超自然的能力，或者称为“特异功能”，也就是超出它们本身自然能力的能力。比如认为龟能先知等等。

Yet later people discovered that these actual prototype animals did not possess supernatural abilities, so they imagined even more powerful animals. For instance, the dragon, phoenix, and qilin concentrated the advantages of several animals into a single divine creature. Later, they even combined animal and human organs, such as the sphinx or the horse-headed human. Thus appeared transformed animal gods or half-human, half-beast animal gods.

然而后来人们发现，这些现实的原型动物并不具有超自然的能力，于是人们又设想出更厉害的动物。比如龙、凤、麒麟，就是把数种动物的优点集中起来，成为一种神物。后来甚至把动物和人的器官合在一起，比如狮身人面，或者是马头人身。于是出现了变形的动物神或者半人半兽型的动物神。

But later people again discovered that what was truly powerful was humanity, not animals. Hence, humans—more precisely, human heroes—were worshipped as gods. Ancient shamans, kings, and mighty heroes were all once worshipped as gods. In ancient Chinese mythology, Gonggong [2]2 A Chinese mythological figure, a water god or giant, who in anger struck Mount Buzhou, a pillar holding up the sky, causing the heavens to tilt. struck Mount Buzhou with his head, and Nüwa [3]3 A Chinese goddess who repaired the sky after Gonggong damaged it, often depicted as a creator deity. mended the heavens as a result—both displays of human-divine power. The pharaohs of Egypt, the gods of Mount Olympus in ancient Greece, the kings of ancient Rome, and the emperors of China were such beings, both divine and human, both human and divine.

但是后来人们又发现，真正强大的，还是人，而不是动物。于是，人，确切地说，是人间的英雄，就被崇拜为神。古代的巫师、国王和力量强大的英雄，都曾被崇拜为神。中国上古神话中的共工氏头撞不周山，女娲因此而补天，都是人神力量的显示。埃及的法老，古希腊奥林匹斯山上的诸神，古罗马的国王，中国的皇帝，就是这样的亦神亦人、亦人亦神的存在。

After human gods appeared, they waged fierce struggles with animal gods or half-human, half-beast animal gods. The basic content of ancient mythology consists of such struggles. In the battles between human gods and animal gods, the human gods were always victorious. From then on, for an animal to become a god, it first had to become human.

人神出现以后，和动物神或者半人半兽型的动物神，曾经进行了激烈的斗争。古代神话的基本内容，就是这类斗争。在人神和动物神的争斗中，人神总是胜利者。从此以后，动物要想成为神，必须先要成为人。

Yet the deeds of those real people who existed in history or reality are all documented. It is extremely difficult to endow them with supernatural abilities. Hence new gods emerged. These new gods were said to be the souls of ancient human gods, or newly fabricated purely spiritual beings. People could not see them or touch them; in the unseen realm, they dominated the world and humanity. To obtain their own happiness, humans had to act according to their will and pray to them.

然而那些真实存在于历史或者现实中的人，其所作所为，都是有案可查的。人们要想赋予他们以超自然的能力，困难重重。于是新的神祇出现了。这新的神祇被说成是上古人神的灵魂，或者是新塑造出来的纯粹精神的存在。人们看不见它们，也摸不着它们，它们在冥冥之中，主宰着世界和人类。人类要取得自己的幸福，必须按它们的意志去做，向他们祈求。

Such gods are the basic form of deities after humanity entered the age of civilization. Thus, to this day, whenever people speak of gods, they regard them as purely spiritual beings. People, with kind hearts and devout attitudes, acted according to their will and prayed to them, yet they did not grant humanity happiness. The promised happiness existed only in fantasy, like the moon in water, like flowers in a mirror. Finally, one day, humanity thoroughly understood: no matter what form gods appear in, they do not exist. To create human happiness, one can only rely on oneself.

这样的神祇，是人类进入文明时代以后神祇的基本形态，所以迄今为止，人们一谈起神祇，就认为是一种纯粹精神的存在。人们以善良的心和虔诚的态度，按照它们的意志做了，向着它们祈求了，然而，它们并没有给予人类幸福。许诺的幸福仅仅存在于幻想之中，如水中月，如镜中花。终于有一天，人类彻底明白了，神祇不论它以什么形态出现，都是不存在的。要创造人类的幸福，只有依靠自己。

This thorough atheist trend of thought emerged in eighteenth-century Europe. From that point on, human society experienced an accelerated process of development. First, the capitalist system, characterized by democracy and freedom, was established; then the socialist system emerged and was built. In the production of material wealth, industrialization was first achieved, and now electronic informatization has been realized. Today, producing material wealth seems an easy task for humanity. The problem is not a shortage of material wealth but an excess, and the inequality and unevenness. To realize the common happiness of humanity is the task of socialists and communists.

这种彻底的无神论思潮产生于十八世纪的欧洲。从那时开始，人类社会经历了一个加速度的发展过程。先是建立了以民主自由为特征的资本主义制度，进而又产生并且建立了社会主义制度。物质财富的生产过程，先是实现了工业化，如今又实现了电子信息化。现在的人类，生产物质财富似乎是轻而易举的事情。不是苦于物质财富太少，而是苦于太多，苦于不平和不均。而要实现人类的共同幸福，是社会主义者和共产主义者的任务。

II

二

Historically, when a new kind of god was born, it was also the time when old gods were negated. In ancient Chinese mythology, the so-called fengxi (great boar) and long snake, and in Greek mythology, the lion king and the evil dragon being defeated and killed, are representative cases of the negation of animal gods. And those so-called demons, half-human and half-beast, were merely demonic gods defeated by human gods. Calling them demons rather than gods means that humanity no longer recognized them as gods. Similarly, after entering the age of civilization, human gods were also no longer recognized. Christianity's "Trinity," because it includes the real person Jesus, was often attacked by Islam, which held that Jesus should not be granted the status of God.

历史上，当一种新的神祇诞生的时候，同时也是旧的神祇被否定的时候。中国古老神话中的所谓封豨（大猪）、长蛇，希腊神话中的狮王、恶龙的战败被杀，就是动物神被否定的代表性案例。而那些半人半兽型的所谓妖魔，不过是被人神战败了的魔神。称它们为魔而不称为神，也就是说，人类已经不再承认它们为神了。同样，当进入文明时代以后，人神也不被承认了。基督教的“三位一体”由于包含着耶稣这个现实的人，所以常常遭到伊斯兰教的抨击，认为不该赋予耶稣以上帝的位格。

From one side of historical development, those statements that negated old gods were all atheist statements. Those people who negated old gods were all atheists. Socrates, because he did not believe in the gods of the state at the time, was called an atheist; Christianity, because it did not believe in the gods of the Roman Empire, was also once called atheist. So much so that the famous early apologist Justin Martyr had to write an essay declaring: we Christians are not atheists; we simply do not believe in your gods; we believe in our own god. This was like Socrates' defense in court. Socrates said he believed in his own god, and it was precisely on the basis of an oracle that he made philosophy his life's work.

从历史发展的一面说，那些否定旧神的言论，都是无神论的言论。那些否定旧神的人们，都是无神论者。苏格拉底由于不相信当时国家的神，所以被称为无神论者；基督教由于不相信罗马帝国的神，也曾被称为无神论者。以致著名的早期护教士游斯丁不得不著文声明：我们基督教徒不是无神论者，我们只是不相信你们的神，我们相信的是我们自己的神。就像苏格拉底在法庭上的辩护一样。苏格拉底说，他相信自己的神，并且正是根据一条神谕，把哲学当成了他毕生的事业。

It was not until eighteenth-century Europe that the advanced thinkers of the time first thoroughly negated the existence of gods. If, historically, the process of negating old gods and establishing new gods often took hundreds, thousands, or even longer periods, then the thorough negation of the existence of deities will take an even longer period. Yet once this process of negation begins, it will inevitably continue to develop forward. There may be twists and turns in development, but that it will develop even with twists and turns is beyond doubt. Since Europe entered modern society, human society has, first in the political sphere, then in the educational sphere and other spheres of social activity, one by one shaken off the interference of deities. The decline of Christianity in its native Europe is clear proof.

直到十八世纪的欧洲，才由当时先进的思想家们第一次彻底地否定了神的存在。如果说，历史上否定旧神、建立新神的过程，往往都经过了数百、数千甚至更长的时期，那么，彻底否定神祇的存在，将会经历更长的时期。然而，这个否定过程一经开始，就必然要向前不断发展。发展中可能有曲折，但有曲折也要发展，则是无可怀疑的。自欧洲进入近代社会以来，人类社会先是在政治领域，接着是教育领域和其他社会活动领域，一个一个地摆脱神祇的干预，基督教在其本土欧洲的衰落，就是明证。

Some say that theists cannot prove the existence of gods, and you atheists cannot prove the non-existence of gods either. This statement is doubly mistaken. First, the existence of gods is posited by theists. If theists cannot prove the existence of gods, then that can only indicate the non-existence of gods. This is the only logical conclusion. Second, the history of the development of the concept of deities is itself a history proving that deities do not exist. No matter what form deities are said to take, they do not exist. The problem is merely that existing religions can negate the existence of others' gods. For example, Christianity believes that apart from the god they themselves believe in, all other gods are idol worship and not gods. Yet when others want to negate their own god, they find it hard to tolerate. However, this period of negation has already arrived, and within Christianity itself, theologians constantly doubt or even negate the existence of their original god.

有人说，有神论者不能证明神祇的存在，你们无神论者也不能证明神祇的不存在。这话是双重的错误。第一，神的存在，是有神论者提出来的。如果有神论者不能证明神的存在，那就只能说明神的不存在。这才是合乎逻辑的结论。第二，神祇观念发展的历史，就是一部证明神祇并不存在的历史。无论神祇被说成什么形态，都是不存在的。问题仅仅在于，现存的宗教，他们可以否定别人神祇的存在，比如基督教，他们认为除了他们自己所信的神，其他的神祇就都是偶像崇拜，不是神。然而当别人要否定他们自己的神的时候，他们就难以容忍了。然而，这个否定时期已经到来，而且基督教自身，也不断有神学家怀疑甚至否定他们原有的神的存在。

In the history of Christianity, there were famous arguments for the existence of God. The first was by Anselm [4]4 Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109), a medieval Christian theologian and philosopher who formulated the ontological argument for God's existence., the second by Thomas Aquinas [5]5 Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), a medieval Christian theologian and philosopher who formulated the Five Ways, arguments for God's existence.. Why argue for the existence of God? Is it not precisely because some people doubted or even denied the existence of God? Yet if someone doubts, and you go and argue, does this not clearly tell people that God does not exist? In history, which minister ever argued for the existence of the king? And today, no one argues for the existence of the president, because the existence of the king or president is a matter that requires no argument. The modern Christian theologian Paul Tillich [6]6 Paul Tillich (1886–1965), a German-American Christian existentialist theologian. also said that arguing for the existence of God is itself a blasphemy against God.

基督教历史上，曾有过著名的关于神的存在的论证。第一次是安瑟伦，第二次是托玛斯·阿奎那。为什么要论证上帝存在? 不就是因为有人怀疑甚至否定上帝的存在吗? 然而有人怀疑就去论证，这不就是明白告诉人家，上帝是不存在的。历史上，有哪一位臣子去论证过国王的存在呢；现在，也不会有人去论证总统的存在，因为国王和总统的存在是个无须论证的问题。现代的基督教神学家蒂利希也说，论证上帝存在本身，就是对上帝的亵渎。

Gods do not exist. How can a Communist Party member, who wants to make revolution and seek happiness for humanity, go and appeal to that non-existent deity, and believe in that religion whose ideological foundation is the existence of gods?

神是不存在的。一个共产党员，要革命，要为人类谋幸福，又怎么能够去求助那个并不存在的神祇，去信仰那个以神的存在为思想基础的宗教呢!

III

三

All religious doctrines are said to be the will of gods. Yet gods do not exist; so where do these so-called wills of gods come from?

一切宗教教义，都被说成是神的意志。然而神是不存在的，那么，这些所谓神的意志，又是从哪里出来的呢？

There is only one answer: all divine wills are human wills. They are the wills of various theologians or clergy, from the shamans of primitive times to the present day. Due to the limitations of conditions, historically, the emergence of new ideas had to be described as the will of the gods. Therefore, when a new deity, and simultaneously a new religion, appears, it is also the moment when a new thought emerges. The thinkers who create new deities and new religions are also representatives of new, advanced ideas. Historically, those who founded new religions have always been heroes in human history.

答案只有一个，所有神的意志，都是人的意志。是从原始时代的巫师开始、到现在为止的各种各样的神学家或神职人员的意志。由于条件的局限，历史上，那些新思想的出现，都必须说成是神的意志。因此，当一种新的神祇、同时也是一种新的宗教出现的时候，也就是一种新思想出现的时候。创立新神祇、新宗教的思想家们，同时也是新的、先进思想的代表人物。历史上，那些创立新宗教的人物，也永远是人类历史上的英雄。

Like all new and advanced ideas, what was advanced at one time is not forever advanced. Yet the characteristic of religious concepts is to present their own ideas as eternal, unchanging absolute truth, because they are the will of the gods. In this way, like anything that exists in history, they too must change from advanced to unadvanced, even backward. History develops, and human consciousness gradually awakens. When humanity can recognize that all gods do not exist, that it is not the gods who created the world and humanity, but humanity that created the gods, the era dominated by religious concepts is called the "Dark Ages." The word "dark" signifies both the awakening of human consciousness and the effect of religious rule.

同一切新的、先进的思想一样，当时是先进的，并不永远是先进的。然而宗教观念的特点，就是把自己的观念说成是永恒不变的绝对真理，因为那是神的意志。这样，和任何存在于历史中的事物一样，也都要由先进的变为不先进的、甚至落后的。历史在发展，人类的意识也在逐步觉醒。当人类能够认识到所有的神都不存在，不是神创造了世界和人类，而是人创造了神的时候，宗教观念统治的时代，就被称为“黑暗的世纪”。“黑暗”二字，既是人类意识的觉醒，也是宗教统治的效果。

Yet today, some people advocate that believing in religion makes human morality noble, improves social customs, and even that religion is the driving force behind scientific development. Their reasoning is: did science not develop in Europe? Was Europe not originally Christian? And so on. Ultimately, they argue that Communist Party members should believe in religion, claiming that this would expand the Party's governing foundation. It seems as if, if Communist Party members do not believe in religion, religious believers will not accept the leadership of the CPC, as if the CPC can only manage affairs on Chinese soil with the help of religion.

然而今天却有人鼓吹说，信了宗教人类道德就高尚，社会风气就会变好，甚至宗教才是科学发展的动力。其理由是，科学不是在欧洲发展起来的吗，欧洲原来是信仰基督教的呀!如此等等。最后，就是鼓吹共产党员应该信仰宗教，并且说，这是使共产党扩大执政基础。似乎如果共产党员不信仰宗教，宗教信仰者就不会接受中国共产党的领导，似乎中国共产党只有借助宗教，才能管理好中国这片土地上的事务。

Currently, those in our country who advocate that Communist Party members should believe in religion are mainly not religious figures, but rather Communist Party members who are keen on "participating in religious activities, establishing close personal relationships with religious figures," and even "actually becoming religious believers"! Among these Communist Party members, some hold scholarly identities, and some are even senior leading cadres of the Party. This phenomenon deserves special attention from all relevant parties.

目前在我国鼓吹共产党员应该信仰宗教的，主要还不是宗教界人士，而是一些热衷于“参与宗教活动、与宗教界人士建立密切私人关系”，甚至“实际上成为宗教信徒”的共产党员!在这些共产党员中，有些还具有学者的身份，甚至是党的高级领导干部。这种现象，值得引起各个有关方面的特别注意。

If gods truly existed and were omniscient and omnipotent, and if believing in religion were truly effective, human society would not still have so many disputes, atheists would not have emerged, and there would be no Marxism or the revolutionary movement guided by this doctrine. The establishment of the Communist Party and its willingness to sacrifice and bleed for the happiness of humanity stems from the understanding that gods do not exist, and that to achieve human happiness, we can only rely on ourselves. Yet some people with Communist Party membership, some with scholarly identities, want Communist Party members to believe in religion and return to the process of praying to the gods for happiness. Such remarks, if not ill-intentioned, are muddled thinking. Whichever they are, we must resolutely resist and oppose them.

假如神果然存在并且全知全能，信仰宗教果然有效，人类社会就不会至今还有那么多的纷争，无神论者也不会出现，也就不会有马克思主义以及在这个主义指导下的革命运动。共产党的建立并且甘愿用自己的流血牺牲去争取人类的幸福，就是明白了神是不存在的，要争取人类的幸福，只能依靠我们自己。可是一些具有共产党员身份的，一些具有学者身份的，却要共产党员去信仰宗教，重新回到那个向神祈求幸福的过程中去，这样的言论，如果不是别有用心，就是糊涂思想。无论是哪一种，都是我们要坚决抵制和加以反对的。

Online editor: Keqing

网编：客卿