Why We Must Uphold Atheism

In recent years, a widespread phenomenon in our society has been the neglect and ridicule of the ruling Party’s dialectical materialist worldview, as if it were no longer fashionable and had become a byword for obsolescence, stubbornness, and conservatism, with the discipline of atheism nearly becoming an endangered field. Marx once advised the materialists of his day to flaunt the banner of atheism less and to propagate the content of philosophy more to the people. Yet the situation we face today is whether, amid the “flaunting” of theism, we can still uphold the voice of atheism.

近年来我们的社会一个带有普遍性现象，就是执政党的辩证唯物主义世界观受到冷落、嘲讽，似乎已经不再时髦，成为过时、固执、保守的代名词，无神论学科几成濒危学科。马克思曾劝当时的唯物主义者，少炫耀无神论的招牌，多向人民宣传哲学的内容。而我们今天面临的局面是能不能在有神论的“炫耀”中，还能坚持无神论的声音。

Why must we uphold atheism?

我们为什么要坚持无神论？

First, because our Party’s worldview is dialectical materialism and historical materialism, which is written into our Party Constitution and has never changed, and atheism is the starting point and cornerstone of this worldview. It is precisely because of the atheist worldview that our Party can lead the people, through their own long-term and arduous exploration and struggle, to change China step by step, achieving the liberation and initial prosperity of the Chinese people, rather than leading the people to place their hopes in divine protection and pursue an illusory heaven and afterlife; it is also precisely because of the atheist worldview that we can arm the entire Party’s mind with scientific theory, continuously deepening our understanding of the objective laws of China’s revolution and construction through more than ninety years of practice, rather than begging for divine revelation or subjectivist fantasies. Remove this brick of atheism, and the Party’s theoretical edifice will collapse, and the Party’s nature will change.

第一，因为我们党的世界观是辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义，这写在我们党章上的，从来没有改变过，而无神论则是这一世界观的起点和基石。正是由于无神论的世界观，我们党才能领导人民以自己长期、艰苦的探索和奋斗，一步一步改变中国，实现中国人民的解放和初步富裕，而不是引领人民寄希望于神灵护佑，去追求虚幻的天国和来世；也正是由于无神论的世界观，我们才能用科学理论武装全党的头脑，在九十多年的实践中不断深化对中国革命和建设的客观规律的认识，而不是乞灵于神的启示和主观主义的臆想。抽掉无神论这块砖，党的理论大厦就要坍塌，党的性质就要改变。

Second, because Chinese culture possesses a profound and highly distinctive tradition of atheism, which needs to be excavated, upheld, and promoted, serving the construction of the Chinese people’s spiritual world under new historical conditions. The coexistence and confrontation between theism and atheism run through the entire history of Chinese thought. Generation after generation of atheist pioneers, at the intellectual heights their times could reach and with their unique discursive systems, led the Chinese people of their day to engage in rational reflection on the fundamental questions of philosophy. Our discursive system today is heavily influenced by foreign countries; I am not saying this is bad—for instance, the theoretical system of Marxism, we have accepted it and applied it quite well. What I mean is that when we study the intellectual lineage of Chinese atheism, besides paying attention to its commonalities with Western atheist thought, we must also attend to the Chinese spirit and Chinese characteristics that permeate it. The efforts of China’s atheist sages have created a situation in which, although many different religions have been active throughout Chinese history, China has never been a religious state but rather a secular state; although Chinese culture contains rich religious content, it is overall not a religious culture but a secular culture; and Chinese religion itself thereby possesses a strong realistic character, with less mysticism, less fanaticism and extremism, and never a large-scale religious war. Some in Western countries calculate that among the world’s 6.1 billion people, 4.8 billion are religious believers, and 1.3 billion are non-believers, of whom 1.2 billion are in China. This calculation uses monotheism as its standard; to be honest, not all of these 1.2 billion people are necessarily atheists—many of them have some notions of ghosts and gods to varying degrees—but they have not formed systematic religious beliefs. Through education and guidance in a scientific worldview, they can relatively easily become conscious atheists or a supporting force for atheism. This reflects a characteristic of the Chinese people’s worldview that distinguishes it from some other countries in the world. This characteristic should not be underestimated; it is an important reason why our Party, as an atheist party, could so naturally grow out of the people, gain their long-term support, achieve victory, and govern for a long time. Currently, some people at home and abroad are vigorously fabricating various myths, such as that only theism possesses faith, culture, and morality, while atheism leads to a society awash in material desires; that the so-called “decline in moral standards” in China today is because the Chinese do not believe in religion, especially Christianity; that China’s most urgent task is to “make up for” religious belief among the Chinese people—and even some leading cadres within the Party say such things. Whether the overall moral level of the Chinese people has risen or fallen since reform and opening up is a separate question, but what we see in real life is that what some call “the decline of public morals” has occurred simultaneously with the excessively rapid growth in the number of religious believers and the overheating of religious activities in recent years; moral crises within religious groups worldwide appear frequently, no less than in secular society; violent and bloody conflicts linked to religious issues in the world all occur among groups with different religious backgrounds; they have nothing to do with atheism. The elevation of a society’s morality results from the interplay of multiple factors, including the moral constraining role of religion under certain conditions, but if one thinks that the stronger religion—especially Christianity—becomes, the higher the level of social morality, then Europe under the rule of medieval Vatican would have been the golden age of human morality, and the Renaissance would have been superfluous. At this juncture, we must even more clearly point out: the atheist tradition is not only an important cornerstone of ancient Chinese civilization but also a major advantage of today’s Chinese modernization, including moral improvement. The more profoundly people understand the objective laws of nature and social development, the better they can conform to these laws and consciously use moral and legal means to constrain their own behavior. We must of course learn from all outstanding achievements of human civilization, including the civilizational achievements contained in religious culture, but we must never, because of deliberate distortions by some people with ulterior motives or the ignorant and frivolous bamboozlement of others, belittle ourselves and negate or abandon the traditions and advantages of Chinese culture itself.

第二，因为中国文化有着深厚而又极富特色的无神论传统，需要加以挖掘、坚持和弘扬，服务于新的历史条件下中国人精神世界的构建。有神论与无神论的并存与交锋，贯穿于整个中国思想史。一代又一代无神论先驱者以他们那个时代所能达到的思想高度，以他们特有的话语体系，引领当时的中国人对哲学的根本问题进行理性的思考。我们今天的话语体系受到外国很大影响，我不是说这个不好，比如马克思主义这套理论，我们就接受了而且运用得很不错。我是说我们在研究中国的无神论思想脉络时，除了要关注其与西方无神论思想的共同点，还要关注充满其中的中国精神、中国特色。中国无神论先哲的努力造就这样一个局面：中国历史上虽然活跃着多种不同宗教，但从来不是一个宗教国家，而是一个世俗国家；中华文化虽然包含着丰富的宗教内容，但总体上不是一种宗教文化，而是一种世俗文化；中国宗教本身也由此具有强烈的现实品格，较少神秘主义，较少狂热和极端，更未发生过全局性的宗教战争。西方国家有人计算，全世界61亿人中，宗教信仰者48亿人，不信宗教的13亿人，其中12亿在中国。这种算法是以一神教为标准的，实在地说，这12亿人未必都是无神论者，其中不少人多多少少有一些鬼神观念，但是他们没有形成系统的宗教信仰，经过科学世界观的教育和引导，可以比较容易成为自觉的无神论者或无神论的支持力量。这反映出中国人世界观区别于世界有些国家的一个特点。这一特点不可小视，它是我们党作为一个无神论的党而能如此自然地从人民中生长起来，得到人民长期支持，取得胜利并长期执政的重要原因。当前国内外一些人极力制造种种神话，诸如唯有神论才有信念、有文化、有道德，而无神论则导致社会物欲横流；今天中国所谓“道德水准下降”的原因是中国人不信宗教特别是不信基督教；中国当务之急是对中国人进行宗教信仰“补课”，甚至有些党内领导干部也讲这样的话。改革开放以来，中国人的总体道德水平是上升了还是下降了，这个问题另说，而我们在实际生活中看到的是，有些人所谓“世风日下”，与这些年社会信教人数过快增长、宗教活动过热同时发生；世界范围内宗教团体的道德危机频频出现，并不比世俗社会少；世界上与宗教问题相联系的暴力、流血冲突都是在不同宗教背景的人群之间发生；与无神论并无关系。一个社会道德的提升是多种因素起作用的结果，其中包括宗教在一定条件下的道德约束作用，但如果以为宗教特别是基督教越强大，社会道德水准越高，那么中世纪梵蒂冈统治下的欧洲就应当是人类道德的黄金时代了，文艺复兴也是多余的了。当此之时，我们更要旗帜鲜明地指出：无神论传统不仅是中国古老文明的重要基石，也是今天中国现代化建设包括道德提升的一大优势。人们愈是更深刻地认识自然和社会发展的客观规律，就愈能更好地顺应这种规律，自觉运用道德和法律手段约束自己的行为。我们当然要学习人类文明一切优秀成果，包括宗教文化所蕴涵的文明成果，但我们决不可因为一些人别有用心的歪曲或无知轻薄的忽悠而自我鄙薄，否定和放弃中国文化自己的传统和优势。

Third, because in the world today, various anti-scientific and anti-rational phenomena are intensifying, harming the people and society, and need to be cleared up at their source, that is, from the worldview. In recent years, we have seen too many such phenomena: some localities use administrative force to artificially fuel chaos in the religious sphere, building religious statues and sites, and enthusiastically engaging in large-scale religious activities, which the central government has repeatedly banned but cannot stop; some government agencies, when building office buildings or furnishing offices, invite feng shui masters to give advice, erect “luck-turning stones” or “backing stones,” even at the expense of urban planning and the environment; all kinds of “masters,” “miracle doctors,” and “semi-immortals” swarm like a shoal of minnows, one after another, stirring up waves of filth; evil cult organizations like Fal

第三，因为今日之域中，各色反科学反理性现象愈演愈烈，危害人民，危害社会，需要从源头上即从世界观上予以清理。这些年我们太多看到这些现象：一些地方用行政力量人为助长宗教领域的乱象，建宗教造像和场所，热衷于大规模宗教活动，中央屡禁而不能止；一些机关盖办公楼、装办公室要请风水先生指点，立“转运石”、“靠山石”，甚至不惜破坏城市规划和环境；形形色色的“大师”、“神医”、“半仙”多如过江之鲫，你方唱罢我登场，搅起阵阵污泥浊水；“法轮功”等打着各种旗号的邪教组织旋灭旋起，每隔几年就要闹一次“世界末日”，坑害群众，败坏国家形象…。一些共产党员不讲科学搞迷信，见了鬼神膝盖发软，带头崇拜各色怪力乱神，热衷于烧“第一柱香”、撞“第一声钟”，甚至像韩桂芝、丛福奎、刘志军之流一边拜神一边贪污，用贪污来的钱供神，从神的“庇佑”中获得贪污行为的精神支撑。这些已成为今天中国一道怪异的“风景线”。我们不能说有神论世界观（比如正常宗教和民间信仰）就一定导致这些现象发生，但这些现象的世界观根源一定出自对超自然力量的崇拜。我们的社会对这些乱象不是没有反对，但吃力且软弱，迄今斗争基本上限于戳穿一些具体骗局，很少触及其共同的世界观根源。只要我们没有从哲学的高度予以清算，没有使辩证唯物主义、无神论成为多数人至少是执政党成员认识世界、指导实践的思想指导，我们就不可能在中国建成一个科学昌明的现代社会。

Upholding atheism must first be a requirement for the ruling Party’s own building. The Party must recognize the seriousness and gravity of this issue, continuously educate Party members in dialectical materialism and historical materialism, require Party members to draw a clear line between materialism and idealism, between atheism and theism, resolutely resist the erosion and infiltration of the Party’s worldview by various forces, and put forward disciplinary requirements. This kind of education has often been absent for many years. One must not think that material erosion counts as erosion while spiritual erosion does not. The cases we know of Party cadres engaging in feudal superstition [1] have mostly been uncovered incidentally during investigations into their economic problems; very few cadres have been criticized or investigated for engaging in feudal superstition. In the Party’s various educational activities, content on atheist education should be included. Party members should be required not only to maintain purity in politics, organization, and work style, but also to maintain purity in worldview. This requirement seems simple, but practice shows it is not easy. If the Party cannot uphold its own worldview, it cannot uphold its own cause.

坚持无神论，首先应当是执政党对自身建设的要求。党要意识到这个问题的严肃性和严重性，不断对党员进行辩证唯物主义、历史唯物主义的教育，要求党员划清唯物主义与唯心主义、无神论与有神论的界限，坚决抵制各种势力对党的世界观的侵蚀、渗透，并提出纪律要求。这种教育，多年来常常是缺位的。不能以为物质上的侵蚀是侵蚀，精神上的侵蚀不算侵蚀。我们所知道的一些党员干部搞封建迷信案例，大都是在查处其经济问题时捎带出来的，很少有干部是因搞封建迷信而受到批评、查处的。在党的各项教育活动中，应当列入无神论教育内容，对党员不仅要有保持政治上、组织上、作风上纯洁性的要求，还应有保持世界观上纯洁性的要求。这项要求看似简单，而实践表明并不容易。党如果不能坚持住自己的世界观，就不可能坚持住自己的事业。

Upholding atheism requires skill in carrying out education and propaganda work among the masses. Our propaganda of atheism is not merely to uphold a philosophical doctrine we consider correct, but to enable the masses to master a scientific weapon of thought for understanding and transforming the world. Only when this doctrine is truly accepted by the majority of the masses and consciously applied in social practice does this upholding have full meaning. Article 24 of the Constitution stipulates that the state conducts “education in dialectical materialism and historical materialism” among the people. We should cast aside all kinds of attitudes and sentiments of inaction and consciously and proactively take up our constitutional responsibility. In accordance with the provision of the Education Law that “the state implements the separation of education from religion” and relevant central Party spirit, we must resolutely stop all forms of religious proselytizing activities on college campuses and resist the penetration of young students by religion, especially by Christianity from abroad. Atheist education should also start from youth, enter the classroom and teaching materials as early as possible, and occupy the minds of young people as early as possible.

坚持无神论，要善于做群众的教育和宣传工作。我们宣传无神论，不仅是为了坚持一种自认为是正确的哲学学说，更是为了使群众掌握一种认识和改造世界的科学思维的武器。只有这一学说真正为大多数群众接受并自觉运用于社会实践，这种坚持才有完全的意义。宪法第24条规定，国家在人民中“进行辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义教育”，我们应抛掉种种无所作为的观点和情绪，自觉主动地把宪法责任承担起来。根据《教育法》“国家实行教育与宗教相分离”的规定和中央有关精神，要坚决制止高校校园各种形式的传教活动，抵御利用宗教特别是境外利用基督教对青年学生的渗透。无神论的教育，也要从青少年抓起，及早进入课堂、进教材，及早占据青少年的头脑。

Upholding atheism requires continuously raising the level of the atheist contingent itself. As a discipline within the social sciences, atheism has rich historical and philosophical connotations; it is not a matter of simply saying “there are no deities in the world.” Atheism also needs to be continuously enriched, perfected, and developed with the latest achievements of science as society develops and transforms. It requires a realistic analysis of the respective development and shifting influence of atheism and theism worldwide today. For example, since the emergence of modern science, there has been a force attempting to blur the boundary between science and theism, creating “scientific theism” or “theistic science,” the conclusion of which is nothing more than that science ultimately only confirms what theism has already explained. Under new historical conditions, we should have new, more persuasive responses. To this end, atheist scholars must have richer knowledge of the natural sciences and the humanities, including religious studies, a broader global perspective, and, of course, the courage to uphold the truth.

坚持无神论，要不断提升无神论者队伍的自身水平。作为社会科学的一门学科，无神论有着丰富的历史和哲学内涵，不是一句“世界上没有任何神灵存在”就可以了事。无神论也需要随着社会的发展和变革，不断用科学的最新成果予以充实、完善、丰富，需要对今天世界范围内无神论与有神论各自发展与影响力消长作出符合实际的分析。比如，自现代科学出现以来，就有一派力量试图混淆科学与有神论的界限，创造“科学的有神论”或“有神论的科学”，结论无非是说，科学最终只是印证了有神论早已说明的东西。在新的历史条件下，我们应当有新的更具说服力的回应。为此，无神论学者更要有丰富的自然科学、人文科学知识，包括宗教学知识，有更为宽阔的世界眼光，当然还要有坚持真理的勇气。

Finally, upholding atheism must always be closely integrated with upholding the united front with religious circles. The history of China’s revolution and construction fully demonstrates that the consistency of fundamental interests between us and religious believers is primary, while the difference in worldview is secondary. Therefore, under the guidance of correct policies and principles, it is entirely possible to achieve “political unity and cooperation, mutual respect in belief,” and jointly work toward the great goal of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. A strict line must be drawn between religion and illegal activities that use religion to disrupt normal social order. Atheist education and propaganda are by no means about creating opposition between believers and non-believers, nor about making religious believers abandon their religious faith. Rather, they are about enabling more people to learn to correctly view religious phenomena, rationally choose their worldview, and also enabling religious believers to better balance their religious beliefs and religious activities with state law, government management, national education, and the common interests of society. On this basis, they can jointly uphold with us their right to freedom of religious belief and jointly oppose forces at home and abroad that use belief issues to carry out political subversion against us. Among the various social disorders mentioned above, many are carried out by some people in society under the guise of religion, harming society and also harming religious circles. Therefore, in our struggle against these social disorders, we can also form a united front with religious circles. A recent successful example is our joint opposition with Buddhist circles against the Dalai clique

最后，坚持无神论，始终要同坚持与宗教界的统一战线紧密结合。中国革命和建设的历史都充分表明，我们同信教群众在根本利益上的一致性是主要的，在世界观上的差异性是次要的，因此在正确方针政策指引下，是完全可以做到“政治上团结合作，信仰上互相尊重”，共同致力于中国特色社会主义建设的大目标的。要严格划清宗教与利用宗教破坏社会正常秩序的非法活动之间的界限。无神论教育、宣传绝不是制造信教与不信教群众的对立，绝不是要信教群众放弃自己的宗教信仰，而是要使更多的人学会正确看待宗教现象，理性选择自己的世界观，也使信教群众更好摆正宗教信仰、宗教活动与国家法律、与政府管理、与国民教育、与社会共同利益的关系，在此基础上与我们共同维护其宗教信仰自由权利，共同反对境内外一些势力利用信仰问题对我搞政治颠覆。前述种种社会乱象，其中很多是社会上一些人假宗教之名以行，对社会不利，对宗教界也不利，因此我们在反对这些社会乱象的斗争中同样也可以同宗教界结成统一战线。最近一个成功的例子，我们同佛教界共同反对达赖集团利用藏传佛教煽动、欺骗一些人自焚，取得了很好的效果。大体上从2011年3月到今年3月近两年时间内，达赖集团利用达赖的宗教地位和影响煽动自焚，企图迫使我们在政治上对其让步，其“道理”是：你自焚了，达赖将亲自为你祈祷，你不仅马上可以转世，而且可以转到富裕人家，可以转为菩萨。由于这些人多是一些生活贫困、思想愚昧的年轻人，其中不少从小就在寺庙里当喇嘛，只知道上师而不知其他，根本谈不上对世界的理性认识，为了“换个身子”，很随便就把自己点燃了。我们在反自焚斗争中除了对群众进行法制教育、反分裂斗争教育，很重要一条是请佛教界人士给信教群众讲佛教热爱生命、反对杀生的基本道理，告诉这他们自焚违反释迦牟尼根本教导，死后转世不得人身，甚至根本不能转世。这对解除达赖利用宗教对他们的诱惑、欺骗起到我们无法替代的作用。同样的道理，我们在高校、研究机构加强无神论学科建设，也不是说在教学研究中不可以讲宗教，而是要把辩证唯物主义的世界观和方法论贯穿到涉及宗教问题的各学科的建设中去，对人类宗教现象给予科学的、有说服力的解释。把原则的坚定性同政策尺度的准确把握紧密结合起来，我们就能说服更多的人赞成我们。

We believe that our choice of atheism is correct and beneficial to the country and the people, and we must unswervingly uphold it.

我们相信自己的无神论选择是正确的，是有利于国家和人民的，我们就要义无反顾地坚持下去。

(Note: Comrade Zhu Weiqun is the director of the Committee on Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. This article is a transcript of a recording of the author's speech at the Fourth Congress of the Chinese Atheism Society on August 18, 2013. The text has been personally revised by Comrade Zhu Weiqun and authorized for public release.)

（注：朱维群同志是全国政协民族和宗教委员会主任。此文是作者2013年8月18日在中国无神论学会第四次代表大会上的录音整理稿。文稿经朱维群同志亲自修订，并授权公开发表。）

Online editor: Jia Fei

网络编辑：嘉扉