The Atheist Thought in the *Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan* and Its Implications

From 1924 to 1927, China launched a national revolution against imperialism and feudalism based on the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. In the later stages of the revolution, faced with Chiang Kai-shek’s increasingly open anti-communist activities and the imminent possibility of a split in the revolutionary camp, the Central Committee of the CPC failed to resolve in a timely manner the crucial issue of the main ally in the revolution. At the same time, Mao Zedong published works such as *Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society*, pointing out that the peasant question was the central issue of the national revolution, emphasizing the extreme importance of the Party leading the peasant struggle, and criticizing the tendency within the Party to neglect the peasant movement. At that time, Hunan had become the center of the national peasant movement. From January 4 to February 5, 1927, Mao Zedong, then Secretary of the Central Committee’s Peasant Movement Committee, conducted a field investigation of the peasant movement in five counties of Hunan—Xiangtan, Xiangxiang, Hengshan, Liling, and Changsha—lasting 32 days and covering 700 kilometers. Shortly thereafter, Mao Zedong’s *Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan* (hereinafter referred to as the *Report*) was formally published. In March of the same year, the weekly *Warrior*, the organ of the Hunan District Committee of the CPC, first published portions of the *Report*, and it was subsequently carried by the CPC Central Committee’s organ *The Guide* weekly, the Hankou *Republican Daily*, and other newspapers. In April of the same year, the Hankou Yangtze Bookstore published a separate edition under the title *The Hunan Peasant Revolution (I)*, with a preface by Qu Qiubai, who was then in charge of the Party’s propaganda work. From May to June of the same year, the journal *Communist International*, the organ of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, published the *Report* in Russian and English translations. While elucidating the basic theory and policy of the peasant movement, the *Report* also answered the major question of how to understand and treat divine authority, containing important atheist thought.

1924年至1927年，中国掀起了以国共合作为基础的反帝反封建的国民革命。革命后期，面对蒋介石反共活动日益公开化和革命阵营随时可能发生破裂的局面，中共中央未能及时解决好革命中的最主要的同盟军问题。同时，毛泽东发表《中国社会各阶级的分析》等著作，指出了农民问题是国民革命的中心问题，强调了党领导农民斗争的极端重要性，批评了党内忽视农民运动的思想。当时，湖南已成为全国农民运动的中心。1927年1月4日至2月5日，时任中共中央农民运动委员会书记的毛泽东对湖南湘潭、湘乡、衡山、醴陵、长沙五县的农民运动进行了实地调查，历时32天，行程700公里。不久，毛泽东撰写的《湖南农民运动考察报告》（以下简称《报告》）正式问世。同年3月，中共湖南区委机关报《战士》周刊首次刊登《报告》的部分章节，中共中央机关刊物《向导》周报、汉口《民国日报》等报刊也相继刊载。同年4月，汉口长江书店以《湖南农民革命（一）》为书名出版单行本，当时主管党的宣传工作的瞿秋白为其作序。同年5月至6月，共产国际执委会机关刊物《共产国际》先后以俄文、英文翻译发表《报告》。《报告》在阐明农民运动基本理论和政策的同时，也回答了怎样认识和对待神权这一重大问题，含有重要的无神论思想。

I. The “Three Becomings”: The Background for the Formation of Atheist Thought in the *Report*

一、“三个成为”：《报告》中的无神论思想的形成背景

The atheist thought in the *Report* was formed on the basis of Mao Zedong’s long-term exploration, especially his in-depth investigation of the issue of divine authority in the peasant movement. Divine authority becoming a great rope binding the Chinese people and hindering the democratic revolution, Marxist atheism becoming the Party’s scientific theory for understanding theism, and Mao Zedong becoming a firm Marxist atheist—these “three becomings” respectively constitute the practical basis, theoretical foundation, and subjective condition for the formation of the atheist thought in the *Report*.

《报告》中的无神论思想，是毛泽东在长期探索尤其是在深入调查农民运动中的神权问题的实践基础上形成的。神权成为束缚中国人民和妨碍民主革命的一条极大的绳索，马克思主义无神论成为党认识有神论问题的科学理论，毛泽东成为坚定的马克思主义无神论者，这“三个成为”分别构成了《报告》中的无神论思想形成的现实依据、理论基础、主体条件。

First, divine authority became a great rope binding the Chinese people and hindering the democratic revolution. In the long feudal society, especially after the Opium War, “generally speaking, all religions in our country were once controlled and utilized by the ruling classes, playing a significant negative role. The domestic feudal landlord class, the lord class, and the reactionary warlords and bureaucratic bourgeoisie mainly controlled the leadership of Buddhism, Taoism, and Islam; later, foreign colonialist and imperialist forces mainly controlled the churches of Catholicism and Protestantism.” [1]1 This is a quotation from the 1982 document “The Basic Viewpoint and Policy on the Religious Question during the Socialist Period of Our Country,” issued by the Central Committee of the CPC. The Xinhai Revolution overthrew the feudal autocratic monarchy, promoted social change and the ideological liberation of the people, opened the gate that had imprisoned ideological progress, and advocated the concept of freedom of religious belief and the elimination of superstitions about ghosts and gods. Due to the incompleteness of the Xinhai Revolution, especially the retrogressive actions of the Northern Warlords, [2]2 The Northern Warlords were the military cliques that controlled the government in Beijing from 1912 to 1928, after the fall of the Qing dynasty. feudal patriarchal ideology and institutions, including divine authority, remained deeply entrenched in Chinese society. In 1915, the New Culture Movement arose, and China’s advanced elements launched a fierce attack on the old feudal ideas, morality, and culture with science and democracy, breaking through the gate that had imprisoned people’s thinking. After the May Fourth Movement, Marxism began to spread widely in China. In July 1919, Mao Zedong published an article in the inaugural issue of the *Xiangjiang Review* attacking the superstitious state of the intellectual circles at the time: “Of China’s 400 million people, nearly 390 million are superstitious. They believe in ghosts and gods, believe in omens, believe in fate, believe in brute force. They completely do not recognize the individual, do not recognize themselves, do not recognize truth. This is the result of the underdevelopment of scientific thought. China is called a republic, but in reality it is autocratic,” revealing the autocratic nature of the rule of the Northern Warlords. In January 1926, Peng Pai, in his article “The Peasant Movement in Haifeng,” pointed out that peasants “regarding issues such as economic poverty and various painful oppressions, mostly say: ‘This is the mandate of heaven,’ and ‘we haven’t gotten good feng shui.’” [3]3 Peng Pai (1896–1929) was a pioneering leader of the peasant movement in Guangdong province and a member of the CPC. This shows that theism still occupied a considerable position in the peasants’ ideology at that time. The *Report* points out that the national revolution requires a great rural upheaval, and “the main targets of attack by the peasants are the local tyrants, the evil gentry, the lawless landlords, and in addition, various patriarchal ideologies and institutions, the corrupt officials in the cities, and the bad habits in the countryside.” Here, the various feudal patriarchal ideologies and institutions opposed by the peasant movement include divine authority.

第一，神权成为束缚中国人民和妨碍民主革命的一条极大的绳索。在长期封建社会尤其是鸦片战争以后，“总的说来，我国各种宗教都曾经被统治阶级控制和利用，起过重大的消极作用。国内封建地主阶级、领主阶级以及反动军阀和官僚资产阶级，主要是控制佛教、道教和伊斯兰教的领导权；后来的外国殖民主义、帝国主义势力，则主要是控制天主教和基督教的教会。”辛亥革命推翻了封建君主专制制度，推动了社会变革和人民的思想解放，打开了禁锢思想进步的闸门，倡导了宗教信仰自由与破除鬼神迷信的观念。由于辛亥革命的不彻底，特别是北洋军阀的倒行逆施，包括神权在内的封建宗法思想、制度在中国社会依然根深蒂固。1915年，新文化运动兴起，中国的先进分子以科学和民主向封建主义旧思想、旧道德、旧文化展开了猛烈抨击，冲决了禁锢人们思想的闸门。五四运动以后，马克思主义在中国开始广泛传播。1919年7月，毛泽东在《湘江评论》创刊号刊文抨击了当时思想界的迷信境况，“中国的四万万人，差不多有三万九千万是迷信家。迷信鬼神，迷信物象，迷信命运，迷信强权。全然不认有个人，不认有自己，不认有真理。这是科学思想不发达的结果。中国名为共和，实则专制”，揭示了北洋军阀的专制统治本质。1926年1月，澎湃在其发表的《海丰农民运动》一文中指出，农民“对于经济方面如关贫穷种种痛苦压迫的问题，他们大都说：‘这是天命使然’，并且‘没有得到好风水’。”足见当时有神论在农民的思想观念中仍占据着相当的地位。《报告》指出，国民革命需要一个大的农村变动，“农民的主要攻击目标是土豪劣绅，不法地主，旁及各种宗法的思想和制度，城里的贪官污吏，乡村的恶劣习惯”。在这里，农民运动反对的各种封建宗法的思想和制度，就包括神权。

Second, Marxist atheism became the scientific theory for the CPC to understand theism. Marxist atheism is the most scientific atheism that completely denies the existence of all supernatural and super-social forces, revealing the essence and laws of the decline of theism, and establishing theoretical viewpoints and policies for scientifically treating religious theism. From the moment of its birth, the CPC established the value pursuit of seeking liberation, development, and real happiness for the Chinese people, and accepted Marxist theory with its complete scientific worldview and methodology. In August 1922, Zhou Enlai, in his article “The Spirit of Religion and Communism,” pointed out, “What is the difference between superstition and faith? The difference lies in whether the theory and method one believes in can be ‘experimented’ in ‘practice’; in other words, whether it conforms to the scientific spirit,” and “Whatever one ‘believes’ should not go beyond the scope of reason; to go beyond this is ‘superstition,’” revealing the fundamental difference between communism and religious belief. In November 1923, the “Resolution on the Question of Education and Propaganda” formulated by the First Plenary Session of the Third Central Executive Committee of the CPC pointed out that special attention must be paid to the propaganda of “common knowledge of natural and social sciences,” “opposition to the old teachings of patriarchal society,” and “a sound materialist worldview and social outlook and a ‘collectivist’ outlook on life.” In June 1926, Yun Daiying, in his article “Opposing the Cultural Aggression of Imperialism,” pointed out that cultural aggression is a cultural policy of the imperialists to soften and tame weak and small nations, and the content of this policy includes “propagating the superstition of God, Jesus, heaven, and hell, so that weak and small nations do not pay attention to the immediate suffering they experience, but hope to cultivate virtue and practice the Way to seek future happiness in the illusory and vague,” as well as advocating the civilization of imperialist countries, propagating the doctrine of one-sided peace and fraternity, and so on. He also pointed out that opposing religious cultural aggression does not mean opposing ordinary believers. It can be seen that early Chinese Communists had already begun to use the Marxist stand, viewpoint, and method to understand and treat the relationships between humans and “gods,” between atheism and theism, between atheists and theists, and between atheist propaganda and religious issues in revolutionary practice.

第二，马克思主义无神论成为中国共产党认识有神论问题的科学理论。马克思主义无神论是关于彻底否定一切超自然超社会力量存在的最科学的无神论，揭示了有神论的本质和消亡规律，确立了科学对待宗教有神论的理论观点和方针政策。中国共产党一经诞生，就确立了为中国人民谋解放、谋发展、谋现实幸福的价值追求，就接受了具有完整的科学世界观和方法论的马克思主义理论。1922年8月，周恩来在《宗教精神与共产主义》一文中指出，“迷信与信仰何别？别在其所信的理论与方法，能否用在‘实际’上来‘实验’，换过来说，便是能否合乎科学精神”，“凡有所‘信’，都不应趋越于理智范围之外，出此便为‘迷信’”，揭示了共产主义与宗教信仰的根本区别。1923年11月，中国共产党第三届第一次中央执行委员会全体会议制定的《教育宣传问题议决案》指出，须特别注意对“自然及社会科学之常识”“反对宗法社会之旧教义”“健全的唯物主义的宇宙观及社会观及‘集体主义’的人生观”等内容的宣传。1926年6月，恽代英在其发表的《反对帝国主义的文化侵略》一文中指出，文化侵略是帝国主义者一种软化驯服弱小民族的文化政策，这种政策的内容包括“宣传上帝耶稣天堂地狱的迷信，使弱小民族不注意眼前所受切身的痛苦，而希冀修身行道，以求将来的幸福于虚无缥缈之中”，以及鼓吹帝国主义国家之文明、宣传片面的和平博爱的学说，等等。他还指出，反对宗教文化侵略并不等于反对普通信教徒。可以看出，早期中国共产党人已开始运用马克思主义立场观点方法认识和对待革命实践中的人与“神”、无神论与有神论、无神论者与有神论者的关系，以及无神论宣传与宗教问题的关系。

Third, Mao Zedong became a firm Marxist atheist. As a youth, influenced by his mother, Mao also believed in Buddhism; he “at the age of nine seriously discussed with his mother how to make his father believe in Buddhism as well,” and at fifteen he “made a special trip to Mount Heng in southern Hunan to burn incense and make a vow” for his ailing mother. Mao said: “My reading gradually began to influence me; I myself became more and more skeptical of gods and Buddhas.” After the May Fourth Movement, through repeated comparison and discernment, he ultimately chose Marxism and became a steadfast atheist. In September 1919, in his draft “Regulations of the Society for the Study of Problems,” Mao pointed out that among the many problems to be studied were “the reform of religion and the question of whether religion should be abolished,” emphasizing that “the study of problems that require on-the-spot investigation must be conducted through on-the-spot investigation.” In July of the same year, in an article titled “If You Don’t Believe in Science, You Will Die,” published in the third issue of the *Xiangjiang Review*, he criticized the superstitious notion that lightning striking people dead was “five hundred thunderbolts, a punishment from heaven,” which arose from a lack of scientific common sense. In November of the same year, in articles published in Hunan’s *Ta Kung Pao* titled “Break the Matchmaker System” and “Superstitious Problems in Marriage,” he criticized strange phenomena such as matchmakers using “gods and the ‘Eight Characters’ [4]4 The Eight Characters (八字) refer to the four pairs of characters representing the year, month, day, and hour of a person’s birth, used in traditional Chinese fortune-telling to determine fate, especially in marriage matching. as talismans” and the greatest superstition in marriage, namely “the doctrine that marriage is determined by fate.” In January 1921, in a letter to Cai Hesen, Mao proposed that “historical materialism is the philosophical basis of our Party.” In June 1926, while teaching at the Guangzhou Peasant Movement Training Institute, Mao pointed out that there were two schools of thought in the world, idealist and materialist, and that “matters such as lack of rain and processions to pray for rain in the countryside could be answered by science, but since science is not yet developed in China, one cannot immediately seek to eradicate superstition, lest it provoke resentment.” The *Report* states that in the fourteenth year of the Republic [1925], he lived in the countryside for half a year, and at that time he “was a Communist Party member, with a Marxist viewpoint.” In the practice of atheist propaganda and education, Mao had already been able to apply the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method to the problem of theism, which was an important condition for the formation of the atheist thought in the *Report*.

其三，毛泽东成为坚定的马克思主义无神论者。少年毛泽东由于受其母亲影响，也曾信佛，他“九岁时和母亲认真讨论过用什么办法让父亲也信佛的问题”，十五岁时他还为生病的母亲“专程到过南岳衡山进香许愿”。毛泽东说：“我的读书渐渐地对我发生影响：我自己愈来愈怀疑神佛了”。五四运动以后，经过反复比较和鉴别，他最终选择了马克思主义，成为一名坚定的无神论者。1919年9月，毛泽东在其草拟的《问题研究会章程》中指出，要研究的诸多问题中包括“宗教改良及宗教应否废弃问题”，强调“问题之研究，有须实地调查者，须实地调查之”。同年7月，他在《湘江评论》第3号刊印的《不信科学便死》一文中批判了因不懂科学常识而认为雷电触死人是“五百蛮雷，上天降罚”的迷信观念。同年11月，他在湖南《大公报》刊文《打破媒人制度》《婚姻上的迷信问题》，批判了媒人“以‘神’及‘八字’为护符”等怪现象和婚姻的最大迷信即“婚姻命定说”。1921年1月，毛泽东在给蔡和森的信中提出，“唯物史观是吾党哲学的根据”。1926年6月，毛泽东在广州农民运动讲习所授课时指出，世上主义有唯心、唯物两派，“现在乡间的无雨、坐道等事，科学者本可以答复的，不过中国现时科学尚未发达，不可一时即欲破除迷信，致引起反感”。《报告》提出，民国十四年他在乡下住了半年，这时他“是一个共产党员，有了马克思主义的观点”。在无神论宣传教育实践中，毛泽东已能运用马克思主义立场观点方法对待有神论问题，这是《报告》中的无神论思想形成的重要条件。

II. “Three Aspects”: The Main Content of Atheist Thought in the *Report*

二、“三个关于”：《报告》中的无神论思想的主要内容

The main content of atheist thought in the *Report* is concentrated on the question of how to correctly understand and treat theocracy. In summary, its main content includes the ideological viewpoints of “three aspects,” namely: the viewpoint on “what theocracy is,” the viewpoint on “why theocracy must be overthrown,” and the viewpoint on “how to overthrow theocracy.”

《报告》中的无神论思想的主要内容，集中体现在关于如何正确认识和对待神权的问题上。概而言之，其主要内容包括“三个关于”的思想观点，即关于“什么是神权”的思想观点，关于“为什么要推翻神权”的思想观点，关于“怎样推翻神权”的思想观点。

First, the viewpoint on “what theocracy is.” The *Report* points out that the widespread existence in Chinese society of political power, clan authority, theocratic authority, and the authority of the husband represents the entire system of feudal patriarchal ideology and institutions, among which theocratic authority is “the system of the nether world, from the King of Hell, the City God, to the local god of the land, and the system of immortals, from the Jade Emperor to all kinds of gods and monsters – collectively called the system of ghosts and gods.” Mao Zedong’s elaboration of the connotation of theocratic authority includes two layers of meaning: first, theocratic authority is subordinate to political power, with political power as its backbone; only by overthrowing the landlord political power can theocratic authority be overthrown; second, theocratic authority is an important component of feudal patriarchal ideology and institutions, encompassing various spirits, gods, and ghosts of the nether world and immortal systems. In May 1930, in his *Xunwu Investigation*, he further elaborated on the relationship between theocratic authority and land, proposing the concept of theocratic landlords from an economic perspective. He pointed out that theocratic landlords belonged to the category of public landlords within the old land relations, “theocratic landlords are of six types: gods, altars, community temples, ancestral temples, Buddhist monasteries, and Daoist abbeys.” Among them, community temples were the most basic and were needed by peasants; god altars were relatively advanced and were needed by landlords; ancestral temples were the highest level and were needed by both landlords and peasants; Buddhist monasteries were for monks, and Daoist abbeys were for Daoist priests and lay ascetics. He also distinguished between folk beliefs (community temples, god altars, ancestral temples) and religion (Buddhist monasteries, Daoist abbeys), enriching the connotation of theocratic authority. It can be seen that theocratic landlords were an important carrier of theocratic authority and an important social foundation for exploiting peasants.

第一，关于“什么是神权”的思想观点。《报告》指出，中国社会广泛存在的政权、族权、神权、夫权代表了全部封建宗法的思想和制度，其中神权是“由阎罗天子、城隍庙王以至土地菩萨的阴间系统以及由玉皇上帝以至各种神怪的神仙系统――总称之为鬼神系统”。毛泽东对神权内涵的阐述包括两层含义：一是神权从属于政权，政权是神权的基干，只有推翻地主政权才能推翻神权；二是神权是封建宗法的思想和制度的重要构成，涵盖了阴间系统、神仙系统的各种神灵鬼怪。1930年5月，他在《寻乌调查》中进一步阐述了神权与土地的关系，从经济层面提出了神道地主这一概念。他指出，神道地主属于旧有土地关系中公共地主的一类，“神道地主即神、坛、社、庙、寺、观六种”。其中，社是最初级的，是农民需要的；神坛是比较高级的，是地主需要的；庙是最高级的，是地主和农民都需要的；寺是和尚的，观是道士斋公的。他还区分了民间信仰（社、神、坛、庙）和宗教（寺、观），丰富了神权内涵。可见，神道地主是神权的重要载体，是剥削农民的重要社会基础。

Second, the viewpoint on “why theocracy must be overthrown.” The *Report* points out that theocratic authority was an extremely heavy rope binding the Chinese people, especially the peasants, and an important shackle maintaining the old feudal order, playing a negative role in spiritual oppression and economic exploitation of the people, and therefore must be overthrown. The *Report* also mentions that the ox is the peasant’s treasure; when peasants had no power, they could only use religious concepts to oppose killing oxen, lacking the strength to prohibit it, “‘Those who kill oxen will become oxen in the next life’ had almost become a religion.” Before the peasants were organized by the peasant associations led by the Party, theistic concepts were indeed an extremely heavy rope binding the peasants and had to be broken, so that the spiritual world of the peasants could undergo a great liberation. In the *Xunwu Investigation*, Mao further pointed out that Buddhist monasteries were the nests of monks, “places where exploitation was severe. The property of monasteries was all ‘donated’ by big landlords… Buddhism is a religion used by the big landlord class… Wufu Nunnery, Huilong Temple, Zhengjue Temple, Guanyin Pavilion, Dongbi Mountain, Dabei Nunnery, Ehu Nunnery, Xizhu Mountain, Tiantai Mountain, Shizi Rock, Sanjiao Dong, Jiaogong Rock, Fahua Nunnery, Xihua Mountain, Nanyang Mountain, Fanhui Temple, Ganlu Temple, Jiulong Mountain – all were Buddhist monasteries near the city. Those called ‘abbeys’ for Daoist priests and lay ascetics include Yungai Dong, Dashan Li, Chuantang Keng, and so on. The source of the land property of the abbeys and the conditions of exploitation were no different from those of the monasteries.” It can be seen that theocratic authority and its attached theocratic landlords such as monasteries and abbeys had a serious exploitative nature and were important targets of the new-democratic revolution, which also provided a basis for the formulation of the Party’s religious policy.

第二，关于“为什么要推翻神权”的思想观点。《报告》指出，神权是束缚中国人民特别是农民的一条极大的绳索，是维护封建旧秩序的重要枷锁，对人民起到了精神压迫和经济剥削的消极作用，必须要推翻。《报告》还提到，牛是农民的宝贝，农民没有权力时，只能用宗教观念反对杀牛，没有实力去禁止，“‘杀牛的来生变牛’，简直成了宗教”。当农民还没有被党领导的农民协会组织起来之前，有神论观念确实是束缚农民的一条极大的绳索，必须破除，使农民的精神世界来一次大解放。在《寻乌调查》中，毛泽东进一步指出，寺是和尚的巢穴，“是剥削厉害的地方。寺产都是大地主‘施’出的，……佛教是大地主阶级利用的宗教，……。五福庵、回龙寺、正觉寺、观音阁、东笔山、大悲阁、鹅湖庵、西竹山、天台山、狮子岩、三角岽、角公岩、法华庵、西华山、南阳山、梵慧寺、甘露寺、九龙山，都是城区附近的和尚寺。道士斋公的叫做‘观’，则有云盖岽、大山里、川塘坑等等。观的田产的来源和剥削的状况，与寺无二样”。可见，神权及其依附的寺、观等神道地主具有严重的剥削性，是新民主主义革命的重要对象，这也为党的宗教政策的制定提供了依据。

Third, the viewpoint on “how to overthrow theocracy.” On this, the *Report* actually puts forward four viewpoints. One is to overthrow the landlord political power and establish revolutionary political power, which is the political prerequisite for overthrowing theocracy. In September 1926, in his article “The National Revolution and the Peasant Movement,” Mao had already pointed out that the peasant problem includes the problem of man-made oppression and the problem of natural oppression, “to solve the latter problem, a nationwide revolutionary political power and scientific methods are needed.” The *Report* points out that overthrowing the landlord political power and raising the power of the peasants, “clan authority, theocratic authority, and the authority of the husband will all begin to totter,” and “all feudal patriarchal ideology and institutions will totter with the rise of peasant power.” Two is to lead the peasants in carrying out economic struggle and raising their living standards, which is the key to overthrowing theocracy. The *Report* points out that the eradication of theocratic authority and superstitious concepts “is the natural result after the victory of political and economic struggles.” Mao also used popular language to propagate to the peasants, pointing out, “If you don’t have a peasant association, but only Lord Guan and the Goddess of Mercy, can you overthrow the local tyrants and evil gentry? Those lords and goddesses are also pitiable; you have worshipped them for hundreds of years, and not one local tyrant or evil gentry has been overthrown for you! Now you want to reduce rent; let me ask you, what method do you have? Believe in the gods, or believe in the peasant association?” Three is to develop education and culture, raising the scientific and cultural level of the peasants, which is an important foundation for overthrowing theocracy. The existence of theism in the peasants’ ideology has complex and multiple roots. Among them, the fundamental root is the exploitation and oppression of the peasant class by the exploiting classes throughout history, “In China, only the landlords have culture; the peasants have none. But the culture of the landlords is created by the peasants, because what creates the landlords’ culture is nothing other than the blood and sweat extracted from the peasants.” This is also the class root of the existence of theocratic authority. Four is to persist in propagating atheism and eradicating superstitious concepts, which is an important pathway for overthrowing theocracy. In the *Report*, Mao states, “In the countryside, I also propagated the eradication of superstition to the peasants.” He also used comparative methods and popular language in his propaganda, “making the peasants all laugh,” achieving results in eradicating superstition.

第三，关于“怎样推翻神权”的思想观点。对此，《报告》实际上提出了四个观点。一是推翻地主政权，建立革命政权，这是推翻神权的政治前提。1926年9月，毛泽东在《国民革命与农民运动》一文中就指出，农民问题包括人为的压迫问题与自然的压迫问题，“要解决后一个问题，需要着全国的革命的政权与科学的方法”。《报告》指出，推翻地主政权，把农民权力长上来，“族权、神权、夫权便一概跟着动摇起来”，“所有一切封建的宗法的思想和制度，都随着农民权力的升涨而动摇”。二是领导农民开展经济斗争，提高农民生活水平，这是推翻神权的关键所在。《报告》指出，神权和迷信观念的破除，“乃是政治斗争和经济斗争胜利以后自然而然的结果”。毛泽东还通过大众化语言向农民宣传指出，“不要农民会，只要关圣帝君、观音大士，能够打倒土豪劣绅吗？那些帝君、大士们也可怜，敬了几百年，一个土豪劣绅不曾替你们打倒！现在你们想减租，我请问你们有什么法子，信神呀，还是信农民会？”三是发展教育和文化，提高农民的科学文化水平，这是推翻神权的重要基础。农民思想观念中有神论的存在，具有复杂的多种根源。其中，根本根源是历代剥削阶级对农民阶级的剥削和压迫，“中国历来只是地主有文化，农民没有文化。可是地主的文化是由农民造成的，因为造成地主文化的东西，不是别的，正是从农民身上掠取的血汗。”这也是神权存在的阶级根源。四是坚持宣传无神论，破除迷信观念，这是推翻神权的重要途径。毛泽东在《报告》中提出，“我在乡里也曾向农民宣传破除迷信”。他还用对比的方式和大众化的语言进行宣传，“说得农民都笑起来”，取得了破除迷信的成效。

III. “Three Significances”: The Historical Status of Atheist Thought in the *Report*

三、“三个意义”：《报告》中的无神论思想的历史地位

The historical status of atheist thought in the *Report* is concentrated in its important theoretical significance, practical significance, and historical significance. These three significances can be summarized respectively as: opening the path for the Sinicization of Marxist atheism, elucidating important principles and strategies for atheist propaganda and education work, and achieving important accomplishments in overthrowing theocracy and eradicating superstition.

《报告》中的无神论思想的历史地位，集中体现在其具有重要的理论意义、实践意义、历史意义三个方面。这三个意义可分别概括为：开辟了马克思主义无神论中国化道路，阐明了无神论宣传教育工作的重要原则和策略，取得了推翻神权和破除迷信的重要成就。

First, it opened the path for adapting Marxist atheism to the Chinese context, which has important theoretical significance. After the founding of the Party, Chinese Communists consciously adhered to Marxist atheism in understanding and analyzing China’s theistic issues. When Mao Zedong discussed the issue of theocratic authority in the *Report*, the organizational forms of theism he addressed covered religions, folk beliefs, secular superstitions, and secret folk societies such as “mountains, halls, incense, and water” [5]5 “Mountains, halls, incense, and water” (山、堂、香、水) refers to the internal organizational codes and territorial divisions used by secret societies such as the Tiandihui (Heaven and Earth Society) during the late Qing and Republican periods. that operated under the banner of religious superstition. He also initially elaborated on the attitudes and policies toward religions, folk beliefs, secular superstitions, and secret folk societies. In revolutionary practice, Mao Zedong integrated the basic principles of Marxist atheism with the national conditions of a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, creatively putting forward a series of sinicized atheist viewpoints. In a large Eastern country with a very backward economy and culture and a peasantry comprising the vast majority of the population, he scientifically answered major theoretical and practical questions in the revolution, such as what theocratic authority is, why it must be overthrown, and how to overthrow it. This effectively guided the Party’s practice in handling the relationships between humans and “gods,” atheism and theism, and atheists and theists during the democratic revolution. It upheld and developed Marxist-Leninist atheism, opened the path for adapting Marxist atheism to the Chinese context, and is the main marker of the initial formation of Mao Zedong’s atheist thought.

第一，开辟了马克思主义无神论中国化道路，具有重要理论意义。党成立后，中国共产党人就自觉地坚持以马克思主义无神论来认识和分析中国的有神论问题。毛泽东在《报告》中阐述神权问题时，论及的有神论组织形态已涵盖了宗教、民间信仰、世俗迷信，以及打着宗教迷信旗号的“山、堂、香、水”等民间秘密团体，并初步阐述了对待宗教、民间信仰、世俗迷信和民间秘密团体的态度和政策。毛泽东在革命实践中把马克思主义无神论基本原理同半殖民地半封建社会的国情相结合，创造性地提出了一系列中国化的无神论观点，在经济文化十分落后、农民占人口绝大多数的东方大国科学回答了什么是神权、为什么要推翻神权、怎样推翻神权等革命中的重大理论和实践问题，有力指导了党在民主革命中处理人与“神”、无神论与有神论、无神论者与有神论者的关系的实践，坚持和发展了马克思列宁主义无神论，开辟了马克思主义无神论中国化道路，是毛泽东无神论思想开始形成的主要标志。

Second, it elucidated important principles and strategies for atheist propaganda and education, which has important practical significance. On the one hand, the basic law of the disappearance of theism must be followed, and coercive means cannot be used to eliminate theism—this is an important principle of atheist propaganda and education. The *Report* states, “The idols were set up by the peasants, and in time the peasants will cast them aside with their own hands; there is no need for others to prematurely do the casting aside for them.” Theocratic authority and superstition must be broken by the peasants themselves; “it is wrong for others to do it for them.” In June 1927, the *Central Circular to Agriculture No. 7—Correcting the Unorganized Actions of the Peasants* adopted by the Fifth National Congress of the CPC pointed out: “Opposing old rites, ancestor worship, and all superstitious customs like idol worship that bind the peasants… these are all cultural movements, which can only be addressed through propaganda, not agitation, and even less through coercive methods. … As for religion, the principle of freedom of belief must be upheld,” and the Party should patiently explain and propagate. “Temple property can be confiscated, but idols and ancestral tablets must not be forcibly smashed. In villages where patriarchal superstition is still deep-rooted, even opposing these decadent things must be done with caution.” On the other hand, it is necessary to be adept at educating and enlightening the people, and this must be combined with solving the people’s practical problems—this is an important strategy for atheist propaganda and education. The *Report* points out that overthrowing theocratic authority and breaking superstition must take into account the peasants’ ideological consciousness and practical problems, and must be combined with “fundamentally solving the land and other economic problems of the poor peasants.” The Party’s propaganda policy is “to draw the bow without shooting, as if leaping into the air.” [6]6 “To draw the bow without shooting, as if leaping into the air” (引而不发，跃如也) is a classical allusion from *Mencius*, meaning to demonstrate the stance or principle without forcing action, allowing others to grasp it on their own. “If excessive force is used to rigidly and forcibly destroy these things, it will inevitably be seized upon by the local tyrants and evil gentry as a pretext, who will use counter-revolutionary propaganda such as ‘the peasant association is unfilial to ancestors’ and ‘the peasant association deceives the gods and destroys the Way’ to undermine the revolution.” In his *Report on an Investigation of Changgang Township*, Mao Zedong also pointed out, “The reason superstition was eliminated so quickly: the local tyrants were overthrown and the land was divided.”

第二，阐明了无神论宣传教育工作的重要原则和策略，具有重要实践意义。一方面，要遵循有神论消亡的基本规律，不能用强制手段消灭有神论，这是无神论宣传教育工作的重要原则。《报告》指出，“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”，神权和迷信要农民自己去破除，“别人代庖是不对的”。1927年6月，党的五大通过的《中央通告农字第七号——纠正农民无组织行动》指出：“反对旧礼教，拜祖教及一切迷信菩萨等束缚农民的恶俗，……这些都是文化运动，只能用宣传而不能用鼓动方法，更不能用强迫方法。……对于宗教尚且必须以信仰自由为原则”，并由党去耐心解释宣传，“可以没收庙产，而不可以强迫捣毁其神像祖宗牌等。至于宗法迷信尚深的农村中，甚至于反对这些陈腐东西，都必须以仅〔谨〕慎出之。”另一方面，要善于教育和启发人民，要同解决群众的实际问题相结合，这是无神论宣传教育工作的重要策略。《报告》指出，推翻神权和破除迷信要考虑农民的思想觉悟和实际问题，要与“期于根本解决贫农的土地及其他经济问题”结合起来。党的宣传政策是“引而不发，跃如也”，“若用过大的力量生硬地勉强地从事这些东西的破坏，那就必被土豪劣绅借为口实，提出‘农民协会不孝祖宗’、‘农民协会欺神灭道’”等反革命宣传KH来破坏革命。毛泽东在《长冈乡调查》中也指出，“迷信扫除得这样快的原因：打了土豪，分了田地”。

Third, it achieved important successes in overthrowing theocratic authority and breaking superstition, which has important historical significance. In August 1926, in a speech titled *The Peasant Question in the National Revolution* delivered in Guangzhou, Qu Qiubai pointed out that among the many reasons why Chinese peasant revolutions in history had not ultimately succeeded was their use of superstition. In his preface to the *Report*, he stated: “They overthrew the theocratic authority of the Jade Emperor, the Primordial Lord of Heaven, the City God of the World, the Town God, the Earth God, the Five Saints, and the Great Fox Spirit.” In April 1927, in his article *The Way Out for the Hunan Revolution*, Li Weihan also wrote, “They shook the authority of the clan, the gods, and the husband.” The important achievements in overthrowing theocratic authority and breaking superstition mentioned in the *Report* mainly include three aspects. First, in overthrowing theocratic authority. The *Report* states, “The shaking of theocratic authority has also become widespread with the development of the peasant movement,” and “the overthrow of theocratic authority and the breaking of superstition are being carried out everywhere.” This was manifested in: peasant associations occupying temple buildings for their offices and taking temple property to establish peasant schools; prohibiting the parading of household gods; in some places, fewer rituals such as worshipping gods, holding Taoist rites, and sending off the King of Lanterns; and in areas where peasant power held sway, young and middle-aged peasants no longer believed in gods, etc. Second, in peasant prohibitions. The *Report* states that there were many local prohibitions, such as in Liling, where they banned the parading of Nuo gods, the purchase of vegetarian goods for gifts, and the burning of paper clothes during the Ghost Festival, thereby breaking social bad habits. Third, in eliminating bandits. The *Report* states that some secret societies [7]7 “Secret societies” (会党) refers to traditional Chinese clandestine organizations, often with religious or superstitious elements, such as the Gelao Hui (Elder Brothers Society), which were active in the late Qing and early Republican periods. operating under the banner of religious superstition “joined the peasant associations, where they openly and legitimately showed their prowess and vented their grievances. The secret organizations of ‘mountains, halls, incense, and water’ no longer had any reason to exist.”

第三，取得了推翻神权和破除迷信的重要成就，具有重要历史意义。1926年8月，瞿秋白在广州做的题为《国民革命中之农民问题》的演讲中指出，历史上中国农民革命没有取得最终成功的诸多原因，其中就包括利用了迷信。他在为《报告》作的序中指出：“他们打倒玉皇大帝、元始天尊、天下都城煌、城隍老爷、土地公、五圣神、大狐仙的神权。”1927年4月，李维汉在《湖南革命的出路》一文中也提出，“他们动摇了族权神权夫权”。《报告》中提到的推翻神权和破除迷信的重要成就主要包括三个方面。一是推翻神权方面。《报告》指出，“神权的动摇，也是跟着农民运动的发展而普遍”，“对于推翻神权，破除迷信，是各处都在进行中的”。表现在：农民协会占了神的庙宇做会所和提取庙产办农民学校，禁止家神老爷游香，一些地方敬神、做道场、送大王灯的也很少了，在农民势力占了统治地位的地方的青年和壮年农民都不信神了，等等。二是农民诸禁方面。《报告》指出，各地的小禁令很多，如醴陵禁傩神游香、禁买南货斋果送情、禁中元烧衣包等，破除了社会恶习。三是清匪方面。《报告》指出，一些打着宗教迷信的“会党加入了农会，在农会里公开地合法地逞英雄，吐怨气，‘山、堂、香、水’的秘密组织，没有存在的必要了”。

IV. “Three Musts”: The Practical Implications of the Atheist Thought in the *Report*

四、“三个必须”：《报告》中的无神论思想的现实启示

The practical implications of the atheist thought in the *Report* can be summarized as the “Three Musts”: the long-term nature of the roots of theism in the socialist period must be fully recognized; the adaptation of Marxist atheism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times must be continuously advanced; and the propaganda and education work on Marxist atheism in the New Era must be persistently carried out closely around the Party’s central tasks.

《报告》中的无神论思想的现实启示，可归纳为“三个必须”，即必须充分认识社会主义时期有神论根源存在的长期性，必须不断推进马克思主义无神论中国化时代化，必须紧紧围绕党的中心任务坚持不懈地做好新时代马克思主义无神论宣传教育工作。

First, the long-term nature of the roots of theism in the socialist period must be fully recognized. The long-term existence of theism lies in the long-term existence of the roots of theism. After entering socialist society, the class roots of theism in our country have basically disappeared, but the natural, epistemological, and psychological roots of theism will still exist for a long time. In his *Report on an Investigation of Changgang Township*, Mao Zedong pointed out, “Some old women, although they dare not openly worship gods, still believe in them in their hearts.” Because the superstitious ideas left over from the old society are difficult to completely eliminate in a short period; because the various hardships brought by certain severe natural and man-made disasters cannot be completely shaken off in a short period; because the great enhancement of productive forces and the high development of education, science, and culture still require long-term struggle; and because there is still a certain scope of class struggle and exploitation by external forces, in the primary stage of socialism, “among the total population of our country, especially among the Han nationality, which accounts for the vast majority of the population, there are not a few people who believe in ghosts and gods.” Mao Zedong also pointed out that with the high development of productive forces and science, “humanity can gradually liberate itself from the dual oppression of nature and society.” Entering the New Era, the Party has written “promote the scientific spirit, popularize scientific knowledge, resist superstition and decadent backward culture, and prevent the infiltration of extremist religious ideas and illegal religious forces” into the *Implementation Outline for Civic Moral Construction in the New Era*, and written “strengthen education in Marxist materialism and atheism” into the *Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Ideological and Political Work in the New Era*, etc., fully reflecting the high importance attached by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to the propaganda and education work on atheism.

第一，必须充分认识社会主义时期有神论根源存在的长期性。有神论存在的长期性，在于有神论根源存在的长期性。进入社会主义社会，我国有神论存在的阶级根源已经基本消失，但有神论的自然根源、认识论根源、心理根源等仍将长期存在。毛泽东在《长冈乡调查》中指出，“有些老婆太，虽不敢公开敬神，心里还是信神”的。由于旧社会遗留下来的迷信思想很难在短时期内彻底消除，由于某些严重的天灾人祸所带来的的种种困苦还不可能在短期内彻底摆脱，由于生产力的极大提高和教育科学文化事业的高度发达还需要长期奋斗，由于还存在一定范围的阶级斗争和境外势力的利用，所以在社会主义初级阶段，“在我国总人口中，特别是在占全国人口绝大多数的汉族中，信鬼神的人不少”。毛泽东也指出，随着生产力的高度发展和科学的高度发达，“人类便能逐渐从自然与社会的双重压迫之下解放了出来。”进入新时代，党把“提倡科学精神，普及科学知识，抵制迷信和腐朽落后文化，防范极端宗教思想和非法宗教势力渗透”写入《新时代公民道德建设实施纲要》，把“加强马克思主义唯物论和无神论教育”写入《关于新时代加强和改进思想政治工作的意见》等，充分体现了以习近平同志为核心的党中央对无神论宣传教育工作的高度重视。

Second, it is necessary to continuously advance the adaptation of Marxist atheism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. In the long-term practice of revolution, construction, and reform, Chinese Communists have combined the basic tenets of Marxist atheism with China’s specific realities and with the fine traditional Chinese atheist thought, putting forward a series of sinicized Marxist atheist viewpoints and opening up a new realm for the development of Marxist atheism. Entering the New Era, based on the overall strategy for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world, and fully implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on upholding and propagating Marxist atheism, it is necessary both to resolutely guard against and resist the infiltration of various theist thoughts, to strengthen targeted propaganda and education on Marxist atheism, and to always maintain Marxist atheism as the mainstream ideology occupying a dominant position in the thinking of the masses; and also to continuously enhance unity between atheists and theists, vigorously develop productive forces, promote the all-round development of the individual, and in the practice of handling issues continuously advance the adaptation of Marxist atheism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, constructing a theoretical system of sinicized Marxist atheism.

第二，必须不断推进马克思主义无神论中国化时代化。在长期革命、建设和改革实践中，中国共产党人把马克思主义无神论基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统无神论思想相结合，提出了一系列中国化的马克思主义无神论观点，开辟了马克思主义无神论发展的新境界。进入新时代，立足于中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局，全面贯彻习近平总书记关于坚持和宣传马克思主义无神论的重要论述，既要着眼于坚决防范和抵御各种有神论思想的渗透，有针对性加强马克思主义无神论宣传教育，始终保持马克思主义无神论作为主流意识形态在人民群众思想中占据主导地位，又要着眼于不断增进无神论者与有神论的团结，大力发展生产力，促进人的全面发展，在处理问题的实践中不断推进马克思主义无神论中国化时代化，构建中国化马克思主义无神论理论体系。

Third, it is necessary to closely focus on the Party’s central tasks and persistently do a good job of propaganda and education on atheism in the New Era. Lenin pointed out that the struggle against religious theism should not be confined to abstract ideological propaganda, “but should link this struggle with the concrete practice of the class movement aimed at eliminating the social roots that give rise to religion,” and that “propagating atheism must be subordinated to the basic tasks of the Social Democratic Party.” [8]8 V. I. Lenin, “The Attitude of the Workers’ Party to Religion,” *Proletary*, no. 45, May 13 (26), 1909. The quotation is from Lenin’s discussion of the relationship between atheist propaganda and the class struggle of the Social Democratic Party. The atheist propaganda strategy embodied in the *Report* runs through this viewpoint of Lenin’s, reflecting the style of seeking truth from facts and scientific investigation. In October 1930, Mao Zedong further pointed out in the *Xingguo Investigation* that vagrants, including fortune-tellers, diviners, Taoist priests, and monks, also received land distribution during the Agrarian Revolution, which mobilized their enthusiasm for production, and some fortune-tellers and Taoist priests even joined the revolution. [9]9 Mao Zedong, *Xingguo Investigation* (1930), in *Selected Works of Mao Zedong*, vol. 1. The investigation was a survey of land reform and class conditions in Xingguo County, Jiangxi, during the early phase of the Chinese Soviet Republic. This shows that propagating atheism must proceed from reality, and must unite and lead religious believers and masses with superstitious ideas to strive together for the Party’s central tasks. In February 2018, during an inspection in Liangshan, Sichuan, General Secretary Xi Jinping was told by a Yi villager that “before, when she was sick, she always thought it was because a ghost had possessed her.” General Secretary Xi Jinping said, “In the past, there really were ‘ghosts’—ignorance, backwardness, and poverty were the ‘ghosts.’ Once these problems are solved, with education, hygiene, and a good life, the ‘ghosts’ will naturally be driven away.” [10]10 Xi Jinping’s remarks during an inspection tour of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, February 11, 2018, as reported by Xinhua News Agency. At the same time, propagating atheism must fully implement the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, respect the religious beliefs of the masses, and “we cannot, because we Communists are atheists, or because there are religious extremist forces, especially foreign hostile forces using religion to infiltrate, put religious figures and believers into a separate category.” [11]11 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Religious Work” (April 22–23, 2016), in *Xi Jinping: The Governance of China*, vol. 2.

第三，必须紧紧围绕党的中心任务坚持不懈地做好新时代无神论宣传教育工作。列宁指出，同宗教有神论作斗争不应局限于抽象的思想宣传，“而应该把这一斗争同目的在于消灭产生宗教的社会根源的阶级运动的具体实践联系起来”，“宣传无神论，必须服从社会民主党的基本任务”。《报告》中体现的无神论宣传策略，贯穿了列宁的这一观点，体现了实事求是、科学调查的作风。1930年10月，毛泽东在《兴国调查》中进一步指出，包括打卦的、算命的、道士、和尚等游民在土地革命中也分得了土地，调动了其生产积极性，有的算命的和道士还参加了革命。这说明，宣传无神论要从实际出发，要团结带领信教群众和有迷信观念的群众共同为党的中心任务而奋斗。2018年2月，习近平总书记在四川凉山调研期间，一位彝族村民告诉他，“以前她生病，总以为是有鬼附身”。习近平总书记说，“过去的确是有‘鬼’的，愚昧、落后、贫穷就是‘鬼’。这些问题解决了，有文化、讲卫生，过上好日子，‘鬼’就自然被驱走了。”同时，宣传无神论要全面贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策，尊重群众宗教信仰，“不能因为我们共产党人是无神论者，不能因为有宗教极端势力特别是有境外敌对势力利用宗教进行渗透，就把宗教界人士和信教群众打入另册”。

In summary, the atheist thought in the *Report* creatively answered the major theoretical and practical question of how the Party should understand theocratic authority and how to treat it during the democratic revolution, opened up the path of sinicizing Marxist atheism, clarified the important principles and strategies of propaganda and education on atheism, and achieved important results in overthrowing theocratic authority and eradicating superstition. It has important practical implications for fully implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on upholding and propagating Marxist atheism, fully implementing the Party Central Committee’s policy deployments on propaganda and education on Marxist atheism, and fully doing a good job of research and propaganda and education on Marxist atheism in the New Era.

综上，《报告》中的无神论思想创造性地回答了党在民主革命中如何认识神权、怎样对待神权这个重大理论和实践问题，开辟了马克思主义无神论中国化道路，阐明了无神论宣传教育工作的重要原则和策略，取得了推翻神权和破除迷信的重要成就，对全面贯彻习近平总书记关于坚持和宣传马克思主义无神论的重要论述，全面落实党中央关于马克思主义无神论宣传教育工作的方针部署，全面做好新时代马克思主义无神论研究和宣传教育工作，具有重要现实启示意义。

Online editor: Rainbow

网络编辑：彩虹