Strengthening Party Building Requires Adhering to Marxist Atheism

In April 2016, the National Conference on Religious Work unequivocally stated that adhering to Marxist atheism is a major principle. All aspects of China’s legislation, administration, and judiciary, as well as its economy, politics, society, culture, and ecology, must uphold this major principle and must not, whether intentionally or unintentionally, violate it. The Communist Party of China, as a Marxist ruling party, must also adhere to Marxist atheism when strengthening Party building.

2016年4月，全国宗教工作会议旗帜鲜明地指出，坚持马克思主义无神论是大原则。我国立法、行政、司法，以及经济、政治、社会、文化、生态等方方面面都要坚持这个大原则，不能有意无意违背这个大原则。中国共产党作为马克思主义执政党，加强党的建设同样需要坚持马克思主义无神论。

I. Adhering to Marxist Atheism Concerns the Building of the Party’s Advanced Nature and Purity

一、坚持马克思主义无神论关系党的先进性和纯洁性建设

Adhering to Marxist atheism should first be a requirement that the ruling party imposes on its own construction. Strengthening the building of the Party’s ideological advanced nature is a foundational project for maintaining the Party’s advanced nature. Party members must not only maintain advanced nature and purity in politics, organization, and work style, but also in their worldview. Only by consistently adhering to Marxist atheism can one draw a clear line between materialism and idealism, and between atheism and theism, resist the erosion and infiltration of various decadent ideologies into the Party’s worldview, and lay a solid ideological foundation for maintaining the Party’s advanced nature and purity in ideology and politics.

坚持马克思主义无神论，首先应当是执政党对自身建设的要求。加强党的思想先进性建设，是保持党的先进性的基础性工程。党员不仅要保持政治上、组织上、作风上的先进性和纯洁性，还应在世界观上保持先进性和纯洁性。只有始终坚持马克思主义无神论，才能划清唯物主义与唯心主义、无神论与有神论的界限，抵制各种腐朽思想对党的世界观的侵蚀、渗透，为保持党在思想上政治上的先进性和纯洁性打牢思想基础。

The struggle between atheism and theism is essentially a struggle between materialism and idealism. Marxist atheism is the most thoroughgoing materialism, committed to liberating people from the ideological shackles of theism and taking the realization of socialism and communism as its own goal. If one does not adhere to Marxist atheism, one will waver in one’s Marxist worldview and socialist convictions, lose one’s Marxist stance, and become a captive of erroneous ideologies such as idealism and theism.

无神论和有神论的斗争，实质是唯物论和唯心论的斗争。马克思主义无神论是最彻底的唯物论，致力于使人们从有神论的思想束缚中解放出来，把实现社会主义、共产主义作为自己追求的目标。如果不坚持马克思主义无神论，就会对马克思主义世界观、社会主义信念产生动摇，丧失马克思主义立场，成为唯心主义、有神论等错误思想的俘虏。

Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has always taken Marxism as its guiding ideology and action guide. The theoretical achievements formed through the three leaps in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context [1]1 This is a paraphrase of a statement by Mao Zedong, who said in his 1945 essay “The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains”: “If there is a God, this God is none other than the masses of the Chinese people.” all possess the特质 of atheism: Mao Zedong said that Communists believe in science and “do not believe in theology”; Deng Xiaoping pointed out that while the Party implements freedom of religious belief, it also “conducts propaganda for atheism”; General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes that Communist Party members “must never seek their own values and beliefs in religion.” Communist Party members are Marxists, the vanguard fighters of the working class, the most advanced and most conscious elements among the masses. Their advanced nature, manifested in their worldview, is expressed as adhering to the dialectical materialist and historical materialist worldview, opposing idealist, metaphysical worldviews and all forms of theism, and striving for communism all their lives. If Party members were allowed to believe in religion, it would mean allowing the coexistence of two worldviews—idealism and materialism—within the Party. This would inevitably lead to the weakening and loss of Marxism’s guiding position, causing ideological and theoretical splits within the Party, thereby eroding the Party’s ideological advanced nature and purity.

中国共产党从成立以来，就始终把马克思主义作为自己的指导思想和行动指南。马克思主义中国化三次飞跃形成的理论成果，都具有无神论的特质：毛泽东说，共产党人信奉科学而“不相信神学”;邓小平指出，党在实行宗教信仰自由的同时“也进行无神论的宣传”;习近平总书记强调，共产党员“绝不能在宗教中寻找自己的价值和信念”。共产党员是马克思主义者，是工人阶级的先锋战士，是群众中最先进、最有觉悟的分子，先进性体现在世界观上，就表现为坚持辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义世界观，反对唯心主义、形而上学世界观和一切有神论，为共产主义奋斗终身。如果允许党员信教，那么就是允许党内唯心主义与唯物主义两种世界观并存，势必造成马克思主义指导地位的动摇和丧失，在思想上、理论上造成党的分裂，从而侵蚀到党的思想先进性和纯洁性。

First, the nature of the Party requires that Communist Party members must be thoroughgoing atheists. The Communist Party of China is a proletarian political party based on Marxist theory. Marxist philosophy provides the Communist Party of China with a dialectical materialist worldview and methodology. The fundamental stance of dialectical materialism determines that Communist Party members must draw a clear line with all forms of idealism (including theistic thought). Communist Party members must never confuse themselves with non-Party masses; they must consciously and strictly regulate themselves according to the standards of the Party Constitution in ideology, politics, and action, and comprehensively shape themselves according to Marxist theory.

第一，党的性质要求共产党员必须是彻底的无神论者。中国共产党是以马克思主义为理论基础的无产阶级政党。马克思主义哲学为中国共产党提供了辩证唯物主义的世界观、方法论。辩证唯物主义的根本立场决定了共产党员必须与各种各样的唯心主义(包括有神论思想)划清界限。共产党员绝不能把自己混同于党外群众，必须在思想上、政治上和行动上自觉按照党章标准严格规范自己，按照马克思主义理论全面塑造自己。

Second, the Party’s struggle goals and its reliance on the masses determine that Communist Party members must be thoroughgoing atheists. As a Marxist political party, the Communist Party of China takes the realization of communism as its ultimate struggle goal. The class foundation and the force it relies on to achieve this goal are primarily the broad proletariat, that is, the people. Engels once pointed out: “Among the socialists there are also theorists, or, as the communists call them, thoroughgoing atheists, while the socialists are called practical atheists.” [2]2 Xi Jinping, speech at a Party history study and education mobilization conference, February 20, 2021. Therefore, the Party’s struggle goal determines that Party members must draw a clear line with theism.

第二，党的奋斗目标和依靠力量决定共产党员必须是彻底的无神论者。中国共产党作为一个马克思主义政党，以实现共产主义为自己的最终奋斗目标，实现这个目标的阶级基础和依靠力量主要是广大的无产阶级，也就是人民。恩格斯曾指出：“在社会主义者当中也有理论家，或者，像共产主义者称呼他们的那样，十足的无神论者，而社会主义者则被称为实践的无神论者。”因此，党的奋斗目标决定了党员应当和有神论划清界限。

Third, the Party’s discipline constrains Communist Party members to be thoroughgoing atheists. On this issue, our Party has been consistent. In December 2023, the “Regulations on Disciplinary Actions of the Communist Party of China” issued by the Central Committee of the CPC once again clearly stipulates: “For Party members who believe in religion, ideological education shall be strengthened, and they shall be required to correct their behavior within a specified time limit; if they still do not change after education and assistance from the Party organization, they shall be persuaded to withdraw from the Party; if they refuse to withdraw, they shall be expelled; those who participate in using religion to engage in incitement activities shall be expelled from the Party.” [3]3 The Five-Sphere Integrated Plan refers to China’s overall strategy for promoting economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological civilization progress. Party discipline indicates that choosing to join the Communist Party of China means one must adhere to the stance of Marxist atheism, not believe in religion, not believe in ghosts or gods; otherwise, one will face corresponding Party disciplinary sanctions.

第三，党的纪律约束共产党员必须是彻底的无神论者。在这一问题上，我们党是一以贯之的。2023年12月，中共中央印发的《中国共产党纪律处分条例》再一次明确规定：“对信仰宗教的党员，应当加强思想教育，要求其限期改正；经党组织帮助教育仍没有转变的，应当劝其退党；劝而不退的，予以除名；参与利用宗教搞煽动活动的，给予开除党籍处分。”党的纪律表明，选择加入中国共产党，就必须坚持马克思主义无神论立场，不信教，不信鬼神，否则就会受到相应的党纪处分。

Ideals and convictions are the very foundation of the Communist Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping has clearly pointed out: “Communist Party members must

理想、信念是共产党的根本所在。习近平总书记明确指出：“共产党员要做坚定的马克思主义无神论者，严守党章规定，坚定理想信念，牢记党的宗旨，绝不能在宗教中寻找自己的价值和信念。”共产党员做坚定的马克思主义无神论者，是保持共产党的先进性和纯洁性的具体体现，是做一名合格的党员的基本要求。共产党员因为有了马克思主义信仰，有了共产主义理想，骨头就会很硬，就知道“从哪里来，到哪里去”,就明白“为了谁、依靠谁、我是谁”,就不会在宗教中寻找自己的价值和信念。某些落马的贪官，算命看相，烧香拜佛，不问“苍生”问鬼神，究其原因，有的是以宗教为幌子，掩盖自己贪腐的内心、肮脏的灵魂，缓解自己惶恐的心理、不安的心灵；有的则是歪曲宗教信仰，搞的是封建迷信，信的是利己主义、“为官哲学”。归根到底是这些党员干部的世界观出了问题，“总开关”扳错了位，导致信仰丧失、理想缺失、精神迷失、宗旨丢失。他们的行为，完全违反了党的纪律，丢失了党员身份，又如何能坚持党的性质、宗旨、本色，走向迷失和贪腐也就成为必然。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping, in response to the wavering and deviation in the ideals and convictions of some Party cadres and members in reality, has repeatedly stressed the need to strengthen education on ideals and convictions for Communist Party members, to consolidate the ideological foundation, to continuously enhance Party spirit, to prevent the erosion of Party members' thinking by religion, to forever preserve the purity and advanced nature of Communist Party members, and to consciously set an example in studying and propagating Marxist materialism and atheism. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "With firm ideals and convictions, one's standpoint is elevated, one's vision broadened, one's mind opened, and one can adhere to the correct political direction, neither arrogant nor impatient in victory and favorable circumstances, neither despondent nor wavering in difficulty and adversity, withstand various risks and trials, consciously resist the erosion of various decadent ideas, and forever preserve the political character of Communists." The broad masses of Party members should firmly believe in atheism from the height of a worldview, take atheism as their ideological weapon for understanding and transforming the world, resolutely resist the erosion and infiltration of various decadent ideas into their worldview, and maintain the advanced nature and purity of Party members in terms of worldview.

党的十八大以来，习近平总书记针对现实中部分党员干部理想信念方面出现的动摇和偏离问题，多次强调要加强共产党员理想信念教育，筑牢思想根基，不断加强党性修养，防范宗教对党员思想的侵蚀，永葆共产党员的纯洁性和先进性，自觉做学习宣传马克思主义唯物论和无神论的表率。习近平总书记指出：“有了坚定的理想信念，站位就高了，眼界就宽了，心胸就开阔了，就能坚持正确的政治方向，在胜利和顺境时不骄傲不急躁，在困难和逆境时不消沉不动摇，经受住各种风险和困难考验，自觉抵御各种腐朽思想的侵蚀，永葆共产党人政治本色。”广大党员应该从世界观的高度坚信无神论，把无神论作为自己认识世界、改造世界的思想武器，坚决抵制各种腐朽思想对世界观的侵蚀、渗透，保持党员在世界观上的先进性和纯洁性。

II. Upholding Marxist Atheism Concerns Whether the Party's Mass Foundation for Governance Is Consolidated

二、坚持马克思主义无神论关系党执政的群众基础巩固与否

The work of propagating and educating Marxist atheism has as its core the task of uniting and winning over the masses, and it holds particularly significant importance for consolidating the Party's mass foundation for governance. At present, the social influence of various forms of theism remains very strong; forces both inside and outside the country are intensifying their use of religion to infiltrate, contending with us for the masses and for the youth, and the contradiction and struggle between atheism and theism are very prominent. If theism is allowed to spread unchecked in society and expand rapidly, even becoming the mainstream ideology, then it will directly threaten the Party's guiding ideology, seriously damage the Party's governing foundation, and ultimately challenge the Party's ruling position. We must attach importance to the work of propagating and educating Marxist atheism from the height of the Party's governing security and the rise or fall of the Party's cause.

马克思主义无神论宣传教育工作，核心是团结争取群众的工作，对于巩固党执政的群众基础具有特殊重要的意义。当前，各种有神论的社会影响仍然很大，境内外各种势力加紧利用宗教进行渗透，与我们争夺群众、争夺青少年，无神论与有神论的矛盾斗争十分突出。如果任由有神论无限制地在社会蔓延并迅速扩大，甚至发展成为主流意识形态，那么将直接威胁到党的指导思想，严重损害党的执政基础，最终挑战党的执政地位。我们要从关乎党的执政安全和党的事业兴亡的高度，重视抓好马克思主义无神论宣传教育工作。

“The question of ‘for whom’ is a fundamental question, a question of principle.” The people’s standpoint is the fundamental political standpoint of the Communist Party of China, the distinctive mark that distinguishes a Marxist political party from other political parties. “Putting the people first” centrally expresses the people-centered nature of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, indicating that this thought is a “people-centered” thought. Objectively speaking, “people-centered” is fundamentally opposed in worldview and historical outlook to all that is “deity-centered,” and is incompatible with all theism that regards deities as the masters of human beings and demands that people obey them.

“为什么人的问题，是一个根本的问题，原则的问题。”人民立场是中国共产党的根本政治立场，是马克思主义政党区别于其他政党的显著标志。“坚持人民至上”集中表达了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的人民性，表明这一思想就是“以人民为中心”的思想。客观地分析，“以人民为中心”同一切“以神为中心”在世界观、历史观上是根本对立的，同一切把神看作人的主宰者，要求人听命于神的有神论是不相容的。

First, we must insist on doing everything for the people, not everything for “deities.” Theism emphasizes dedicating the individual to various “deities,” including God, while Communists emphasize dedicating themselves to the people. Both involve dedication, but the good deeds advocated by theism are for the “cause of the deity”; the dedication of Communists, by contrast, stems from the lofty ideal of “serving the people.” For the Communist Party of China, if there is any “God,” then “this God is none other than the masses of the entire Chinese people.”[1]1 This is a paraphrase of a statement by Mao Zedong, who said in his 1945 essay “The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains”: “If there is a God, this God is none other than the masses of the Chinese people.” Only by constantly working hard can the Party move the masses of the people, this “God,” and thereby consolidate its governing foundation; conversely, angering this “God” will lead to its downfall.

首先，要坚持一切为了人民，而不是一切为了“神灵”。有神论强调把个人奉献给包括上帝在内的各种“神灵”,而共产党人则强调把自己奉献给人民。同样都是奉献，有神论提倡的善行是为了“神的事业”;而共产党人的奉献，则是出于“为人民服务”的崇高理想。对中国共产党来说，如果有什么“上帝”,那么“这个上帝不是别人，就是全中国的人民大众”。党只有不断地努力工作才能感动人民大众这个“上帝”,进而巩固党的执政基础；反之，惹怒“上帝”就会垮台。

Our Party comes from the people, wholeheartedly serving the people is its fundamental purpose, and seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation is the original aspiration and founding mission of Chinese Communists. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “The hundred-year history of our Party is a history of practicing the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission, a history of the Party sharing the same heart, breathing the same breath, and sharing the same fate with the people.”[2]2 Xi Jinping, speech at a Party history study and education mobilization conference, February 20, 2021. The fundamental reason why the Communist Party of China, in its century-long struggle, was able to grow from small to large, from weak to strong, to rise from setbacks, and to achieve a great turn from suffering to glory, lies in always placing the people in the highest position in its heart, relying on the people to continuously win victories, and ensuring that the Chinese people truly become masters of the country, society, and their own destiny. All this proves the importance of the ideological foundation of Marxist atheism. On the new journey, to closely rely on the people to create history and adhere to the fundamental purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people, we must uphold the Marxist historical materialism and implement the important prerequisite of Marxist atheism.

我们党来自人民，全心全意为人民服务是党的根本宗旨，为中国人民谋幸福，为中华民族谋复兴，是中国共产党人的初心和使命。习近平总书记指出：“我们党的百年历史，就是一部践行党的初心使命的历史，就是一部党与人民心连心、同呼吸、共命运的历史。”中国共产党在百年奋斗历程中之所以能够从小到大、由弱变强，从挫折中奋起，实现由苦难到辉煌的伟大转身，其根本原因就在于始终把人民放在心中的最高位置，依靠人民不断取得胜利，确保中国人民真正成为国家、社会和自己命运的主人。这些都证明了马克思主义无神论这个思想基础的重要性。新的征程上，紧紧依靠人民创造历史，坚持全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨，就必须坚持马克思主义唯物史观，就必须贯彻马克思主义无神论这一重要前提。

In terms of the Party’s tasks and purpose, our Party represents the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people, which naturally includes representing the interests of religious believers. The history of China’s revolution, construction, and reform has fully proven that the consistency of fundamental interests between us and religious believers is primary. Under the premise of respecting citizens’ freedom of religious belief, it is entirely possible to closely unite both religious and non-religious masses around the Party, jointly working towards the major goals of various periods of revolution, construction, and reform. At the same time, we must persistently carry out propaganda and education on Marxist atheism, telling the broad masses of the people the truth that the world of “deities” and heavenly happiness do not exist, helping them clear away the theological fog on the road to pursuing a happy life, and, under the correct guidance of a scientific worldview, combining their personal pursuit of happiness with the great historical cause of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Only in this way can we fundamentally unite and educate the people, consolidate the Party’s mass foundation for governance, and enable them to follow the Party wholeheartedly and create their own happy lives.

就党的任务和宗旨而言，我们党代表最广大人民群众的根本利益，当然也包括代表信教群众的利益。中国革命、建设和改革的历史都充分证明，我们同信教群众在根本利益上的一致性是主要的，完全可以在尊重群众宗教信仰自由的前提下，将广大信教和不信教的群众都紧紧地团结在党的周围，共同致力于革命、建设和改革各个时期的大目标。同时，我们必须坚持不懈地开展马克思主义无神论宣传教育，把“神灵”世界和天国幸福并不存在的事实真相告诉广大人民群众，帮助他们廓清追求幸福生活道路上的神学迷雾，在科学世界观的正确指引下，把个人的幸福追求与中华民族伟大复兴的历史伟业结合起来。只有这样，才能从根本上团结和教育人民，筑牢党执政的群众基础，使他们一心一意跟党走，创造自己的幸福生活。

Second, we must insist on relying on the people for everything, not relying on “deities” for everything. Is history created by the people, or determined by the will of deities? Different answers to this question determine the different stances of “people-centered” versus “deity-centered,” and determine different attitudes when facing various problems. Communists adhere to Marxist atheism not merely to uphold a “doctrine,” but to enable the broad masses to master Marxist atheism as an ideological weapon for understanding and transforming the world, liberating the masses from the shackles of various theisms, allowing them to control their own destiny and be their own masters.

其次，要坚持一切依靠人民，而不是一切依靠“神灵”。历史是人民创造的，还是由神的意志决定的?对于这个问题的不同回答，决定了究竟是“以人民为中心”还是“以神为中心”的不同立场，决定了面临各种问题时的不同态度。共产党人坚持马克思主义无神论，不仅是为了坚持一种“学说”,更是为了使广大群众掌握马克思主义无神论这个认识世界、改造世界的思想武器，把群众从各种有神论的束缚中解放出来，自己掌握自己的命运，做自己的主人。

The Party’s original aspiration and founding mission determine that the Party will never seek governing status through religion; on the contrary, it must guide the broad masses to break free from the bonds of divine protection and transcendental consciousness, recognizing that it is people who create deities, not deities who create people. Socialists, as “practical atheists,” must firmly believe that real happiness and a beautiful earthly life are worth striving for, while illusory heavens and the afterlife are not worth cherishing. Adhering to Marxist atheism is the ideological and theoretical prerequisite for upholding the people-centered principle, and it is also an indispensable foundation for consciously implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Therefore, within the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan,[3]3 The Five-Sphere Integrated Plan refers to China’s overall strategy for promoting economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological civilization progress. whether it is adhering to the people-centered development philosophy in economic construction, upholding the governing concept of the people being the masters of the country in political construction, adhering to the people-centered creative orientation in cultural construction, striving to achieve the goal of common prosperity for all the people in social construction, or committing to meeting the people’s growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment in ecological civilization construction, consciously and firmly implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is inseparable from adhering to the ideological and theoretical foundation of Marxist atheism.

党的初心和使命决定了党决不会借助宗教去谋求执政地位，相反，她要引导广大人民摆脱神灵庇佑、超验性意识的束缚，认识到是人创造神而不是神创造人。社会主义者作为“实践的无神论者”,要坚信现实幸福、美好的人间生活值得奋斗，虚幻的天国、来世不值得眷恋。坚持马克思主义无神论，是坚持人民至上的思想理论前提，也是自觉贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想所不可缺少的重要基础。因此，在“五位一体”的总体布局中，无论是在经济建设中坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，在政治建设中坚持人民当家作主的执政理念，在文化建设中坚持以人民为中心的创作导向，在社会建设中坚持实现全体人民共同富裕的目标，还是在生态文明建设中致力于满足人民日益增长的优美生态环境需要，自觉地坚定地贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，都离不开坚持马克思主义无神论这个思想理论基础。

Through persistent, extensive, and in-depth propaganda of atheism, we must educate and guide the masses to consciously establish an atheistic worldview, to treat the world and life with a scientific attitude, and to rely on themselves to strive for a happy life, just as the “Internationale” sings: “There has never been a savior, nor do we rely on gods or emperors; to create human happiness, we must rely entirely on ourselves.”

要通过坚持不懈、广泛、深入地进行无神论宣传，教育和引导群众自觉树立无神论的世界观，以科学的态度对待世界，对待人生，依靠自己去争取幸福的生活，就像《国际歌》唱的那样：从来就没有救世主，也不靠神仙皇帝，要创造人类的幸福，全靠我们自己。

Finally, we must always adhere to the guiding position of Marxism and consolidate the ideological foundation of the Party’s governance. Currently, certain religious issues have constituted a serious impact and influence on mainstream ideology. Adhering to Marxist atheism must be examined and positioned within the framework of the Party’s ideological work; this concerns the security of the Party’s mainstream ideology and concerns the consolidation of the political foundation for the united struggle of the entire nation.

最后，要始终坚持马克思主义的指导地位，筑牢党执政的意识形态基石。当前，某些宗教问题已经构成对主流意识形态的严重冲击和影响。必须把坚持马克思主义无神论放在党的意识形态工作格局中来审视和布局，这关系到党的主流意识形态安全，关系到巩固全国人民共同团结奋斗的政治基础。

In today’s world, a considerable number of people believe in religion, and China also has a significant number of religious believers. Therefore, preventing and resisting the use of religion for infiltration by foreign forces is an important task that cannot be ignored. As early as 1990, Chen Yun pointed out: “Using religion to compete with us for the masses, especially the youth, is a common tactic of class enemies at home and abroad, and it is also a bitter lesson from the loss of state power in some countries led by communist parties.”[4]4 Chen Yun, a senior Chinese Communist Party leader, made this remark in a 1990 comment on religious work. Foreign forces using religion for infiltration includes using religion to incite national separatist activities, interfering in the internal affairs of our country’s religions, and illegally conducting missionary activities within our territory. These are essentially political issues, concerning our country’s political security. In this political struggle, while using legal and even dictatorial means is important, the sharp “weapon” of Marxist atheism is absolutely indispensable. Once this “weapon” becomes silent, disappears, or loses its voice, and positions become forbidden zones, various theistic thoughts will seize the opportunity to enter, and foreign religious infiltration will become unscrupulous. Therefore, to build a solid dam against foreign religious infiltration, it is urgently necessary for propaganda and education on Marxist atheism to play a fundamental role.

当今世界有为数不少的人口信仰宗教，我国也有相当数量的信教群众。为此，防范和抵御境外利用宗教进行渗透就是一项不可忽视的重要工作。早在1990年，陈云就指出：“利用宗教，同我们争夺群众尤其是青年，是国内外阶级敌人的一个惯用伎俩，也是某些共产党领导的国家丢失政权的一个惨重教训。”境外势力利用宗教进行渗透包括利用宗教煽动民族分裂活动、干涉我国宗教的内部事务、在我国境内非法进行传教活动等，这些在本质上是政治问题，关系我国政治安全。在这场政治斗争中，运用法律甚至专政等手段固然重要，但绝对不能缺少马克思主义无神论这件锐利“武器”。一旦这件“武器”失语、失踪、失声，阵地变成禁区，各种有神论思想就会趁虚而入，境外的宗教渗透就会肆无忌惮。因此，筑牢抵御境外宗教渗透的堤坝，迫切需要马克思主义无神论宣传教育发挥基础性作用。

Party members should actively propagate Marxist atheism to society. Starting from the need to unite the broad masses, obeying the Party’s central tasks, and aiming to凝聚 the broad masses of the people closely around the Party to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and promote the improvement of the socialist system, attention must be paid to uniting religious believers to strive for common goals. Under the guidance of the Party’s basic policies and various measures on religious work, as long as General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on religious work are fully implemented, it is entirely possible to unite the broad masses of religious believers to jointly work towards the grand strategic goal of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

共产党员要向社会积极宣传马克思主义无神论，要从团结广大群众出发，服从党的中心任务，以凝聚广大人民群众紧密团结在党的周围、为实现中华民族的伟大复兴和推进社会主义制度完善为目的，注意团结信教群众为实现共同目标而奋斗。在党制定的宗教工作基本方针和各项政策指引下，只要全面贯彻习近平总书记关于宗教工作的重要论述，完全可以团结广大信教群众，共同致力于实现中华民族伟大复兴的宏伟战略目标。

III. Adhering to Marxist Atheism Concerns the Carrying Out of the Party’s Self-Revolution

三、坚持马克思主义无神论关系党的自我革命的开展

Religion is ordinarily a spiritual tool for the ruling class to carry out its rule. In class society, it is insufficient for the ruling class to maintain its rule solely by state coercive means such as the army, the courts, and prisons; it must also control the populace spiritually, making them content with the status quo. Lenin pointed out: “All oppressing classes need two social functions to maintain their rule: the function of the hangman and the function of the priest. The hangman’s task is to suppress the resistance and rebellion of the oppressed. The priest’s mission is to console the oppressed, to paint for them a prospect of reducing their suffering and sacrifice while preserving class rule (this is particularly convenient to do, as long as one does not guarantee that this prospect will ‘come true’…), thereby making them submit to this rule, causing them to abandon revolutionary action, dampening their revolutionary enthusiasm, and destroying their revolutionary determination.”

宗教通常是统治阶级进行统治的精神工具。在阶级社会里，统治阶级单靠军队、法庭、监狱等国家暴力手段来维护统治是不够的，必须从精神上控制民众，使其安于现状。列宁指出：“所有一切压迫阶级，为了维护自己的统治，都需要两种社会职能：一种是刽子手的职能，另一种是牧师的职能。刽子手的任务是镇压被压迫者的反抗和暴乱。牧师的使命是安慰被压迫者，给他们描绘一副在保存阶级统治的条件下减少苦难和牺牲的前景(这做起来特别方便，只要不担保这种前景一定能‘实现’……),从而使他们顺从这种统治，使他们放弃革命行动，打消它们的革命热情，破坏他们的革命决心。”

For the ruled class, religion is a spiritual opium that narcotizes the revolutionary will of the people. Religion describes to people a kind of illusory happiness through the kingdom of heaven and the afterlife, invisibly placing on the populace a chain adorned with illusory flowers. Consequently, they can no longer investigate the causes of their own suffering, nor can they generate revolutionary demands to escape their fate of misery. They merely resign themselves to the status quo, entrust their happiness to the afterlife, and allow the rulers of reality to oppress and exploit them mercilessly. In this sense, Lenin regarded Marx’s famous saying that “religion is the opium of the people” as “the cornerstone of the entire Marxist worldview on the question of religion.”

对被统治阶级而言，宗教是一种麻醉人民革命意志的精神鸦片。宗教用天国和来世向人们描述了一种虚幻的幸福，无形中给民众套上了装有虚幻花朵的锁链。因此，他们再也不可能探究自己饱受磨难的原因，也更不可能产生摆脱苦难命运的革命要求。他们只是安于现状、将幸福寄托于来世，任由现实的统治者进行无情的压迫和剥削。从这个意义上讲，列宁把马克思“宗教是人民的鸦片”这一句名言看成是“马克思主义在宗教问题上的全部世界观的基石”。

Contrary to theists, the Communist Party of China has always adhered to Marxist atheism, emphasizing the need to carry forward the spirit of revolutionary struggle. This is of great significance for breaking the spiritual shackles of theism and strengthening Party building.

与有神论者相反，中国共产党始终坚持马克思主义无神论，强调要发扬革命的斗争精神，这对于打破有神论的精神枷锁，加强党的建设具有重要意义。

First, adhering to Marxist atheism helps to promote the Party’s spirit of daring to struggle and being adept at struggle. Daring to struggle and being adept at struggle are the spiritual qualities of Marxist atheism and the spiritual foundation for the continuous victories of the Communist Party of China. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC: “All Party comrades must remain true to our original aspiration and founding mission, must remain modest, prudent, and hard-working, and must dare to struggle and be adept at struggle.” Among these, “must dare to struggle and be adept at struggle” vividly embodies the spiritual character of Chinese Communists who are unafraid of ghosts, do not believe in evil, dare to struggle against powerful enemies, and dare to strive for victory.

第一，坚持马克思主义无神论，有助于弘扬党的敢于斗争、善于斗争精神。敢于斗争、善于斗争是马克思主义无神论的精神品质，是中国共产党能够不断胜利的精神基础。习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中指出：“全党同志务必不忘初心、牢记使命，务必谦虚谨慎、艰苦奋斗，务必敢于斗争、善于斗争。”其中，“务必敢于斗争、善于斗争”,鲜明体现了中国共产党人不怕鬼、不信邪，敢于和强敌斗争，敢于争取胜利的精神品格。

In the 1960s, facing pressure from the Soviet Union and encirclement by the United States, Mao Zedong pointed out: “There are no such ghosts as those described in old stories in the world, but there do indeed exist many things in the world that are similar to ghosts. From the large, such as international imperialism and its running dogs in various countries… to the small, such as difficulties and setbacks in general work, all can be said to be things similar to ghosts.” Mao Zedong emphasized that one must not fear various kinds of “ghosts”; one can only struggle against them. “All Marxists, all revolutionary people who take it as their mission to transform the world, should possess this lofty style and revolutionary mettle, thoroughly break down superstition, emancipate the mind, and become a tough man who fears neither heaven nor earth, a person of both soaring drive and scientific analytical spirit, both wise and courageous!”

20世纪60年代，面对苏联的压制、美国的围堵，毛泽东指出：“世界上并没有过去的故事里所说的那种鬼，但是世界上又确实存在许多类似鬼的东西。大而至于国际帝国主义及其在各国的走狗……小而至于一般工作中的困难、挫折等等，都可以说是类似鬼的东西。”毛泽东强调，对各种各样的“鬼”,不能害怕，只能斗争。“一切马克思主义者，一切以改造世界为己任的革命人民，都应该具有这种崇高的风格和革命的气魄，彻底破除迷信，解放思想，做一个天不怕地不怕的硬汉，做一个既有冲天干劲又有科学分析精神的智勇双全的人!”

At present, various “ghosts” affecting China’s development, both domestic and international, are still numerous. The risks and tests faced by China’s development are no less than in the past, the contradictions to be handled are complex and diverse, and the two overall situations [5]5 The “two overall situations” (两个大局) refers to the overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the overall situation of changes unseen in a century. are intertwined. We must carry forward the spirit of struggle inherent in Marxist atheism, dare to struggle and be adept at struggle, bravely overcome various difficulties and challenges, and continuously win victories in the great struggle with many new historical features in the New Era.

当前，国内外影响中国发展的各种“鬼”依然不少，我国发展所面临的风险和考验一点也不比过去少，所要处理的矛盾复杂多样，“两个大局”相互交织，我们必须发扬马克思主义无神论所拥有的斗争精神，敢于斗争、善于斗争，勇于战胜各种困难和挑战，不断夺取新时代具有许多新的历史特点的伟大斗争的胜利。

Second, adhering to Marxist atheism helps to carry out the Party’s self-revolution well and advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in depth. The Party’s Marxist worldview requires us to adhere to thoroughgoing atheism, that is, to uphold what Lenin called “militant materialism.” The courage to engage in self-revolution is an important manifestation of this spirit in the field of Party building. The reason our Party has the courage for self-revolution is, on the one hand, that our Party has no special interests of its own beyond the interests of the country, the nation, and the people—this is the source and foundation of our Party’s courage for self-revolution. On the other hand, it is because our Party has always carried forward the thoroughgoing materialist spirit, adhered to the spirit of struggle of turning inward with a sharp blade, had the courage to criticize and self-criticize, had the courage to listen to different opinions, and promptly corrected mistakes—these are the powerful weapons for our Party to carry out self-revolution.

第二，坚持马克思主义无神论，有助于开展好党的自我革命，把全面从严治党向纵深推进。党的马克思主义世界观要求我们坚持彻底的无神论，就是坚持列宁提出的“战斗的唯物主义”。勇于自我革命，就是这种精神在党的建设领域的重要体现。我们党之所以有自我革命的勇气，一方面，是因为我们党除了国家、民族、人民的利益，没有任何自己的特殊利益，这是我们党敢于自我革命的勇气之源、底气所在；另一方面，是因为我们党始终发扬彻底的唯物主义精神，坚持刀刃向内的斗争精神，勇于批评和自我批评，勇于听取不同意见，及时改正错误，这是我们党开展自我革命的有力武器。

Since reform and opening up, the Party has adhered to the principle that the Party must supervise itself and govern itself strictly, promoting Party building to achieve notable results. At the same time, due to the once-emerging problems of inadequate supervision and lax governance, the Party’s image and prestige were seriously affected, Party-mass and cadre-mass relations were severely damaged, arousing strong dissatisfaction and indignation among the broad masses of Party members, cadres, and the people. Facing these严峻 situations, since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has adhered to a problem-oriented approach, implementing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in all aspects of Party building. The lax and soft state of Party management and governance has been fundamentally reversed. The Party has become stronger through revolutionary tempering, exploring a successful path to break out of the historical cycle of rise and fall [6]6 The “historical cycle of rise and fall” (历史周期率) refers to the pattern of dynastic cycles in Chinese history, where a ruling house rises, flourishes, and then declines and falls. Mao Zedong famously discussed this with Huang Yanpei in 1945, and the CPC has since sought to break out of this cycle through self-revolution and democratic oversight. under conditions of long-term governance.

改革开放以来，党坚持党要管党、从严治党，推进党的建设取得明显成效。同时，由于一度出现管党不力、治党不严问题，严重影响党的形象和威信，严重损害党群干群关系，引起广大党员、干部、群众强烈不满和义愤。面对这些严峻形势，党的十八大以来，我们党坚持问题导向，把全面从严治党贯彻于党的建设各个方面，管党治党宽松软状况得到根本扭转，党在革命性锻造中更加坚强，探索出一条长期执政条件下跳出历史周期率的成功路径。

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Our Party is a Marxist ruling party, but at the same time it is a Marxist revolutionary party.” In the New Era, we must continue to carry forward the thoroughgoing revolutionary spirit and carry the Party’s self-revolution through to the end. We must always adhere to the principle that the Party must supervise itself and govern itself strictly and comprehensively, use the political courage of self-revolution to focus on solving the prominent problems existing within the Party, resolutely overcome the phenomena of lax, loose, and soft Party management and governance, promote the deepening of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, continuously enhance the Party’s capacity for self-purification, self-improvement, self-renovation, and self-enhancement, and ensure that the Party always remains the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

习近平总书记指出，“我们党是马克思主义执政党，但同时是马克思主义革命党”,新时代要继续发扬彻底革命精神，把党的自我革命进行到底。我们要始终坚持党要管党、全面从严治党方针，以自我革命的政治勇气，着力解决党自身存在的突出问题，坚决克服管党治党失之于宽、失之于松、失之于软的现象，推动全面从严治党向纵深发展，不断增强党的自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高能力，确保党始终成为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心。

Third, adhering to Marxist atheism helps to use the Party’s great self-revolution to lead the new-era social revolution forward. The Communist Party of China in the New Era is both a Party that remembers the revolutionary spirit and continuously carries out the “great self-revolution,” and a Party that takes changing the world as its mission to carry out the “great social revolution.” On the new road of the examination [7]7 The “new road of the examination” (新的赶考之路) is a metaphor drawn from Mao Zedong’s 1949 remark that entering Beijing to govern was like “going to the capital for an examination,” implying that the Party must constantly prove its competence and integrity in governing., the “examination hall” our Party faces is getting larger, the “examination questions” are getting harder, and the “conditions for answering the questions” are getting more complex. In advancing the great social revolution, an important task for us in the field of social construction is to always maintain the militant edge of Marxist atheism, direct the spearhead of struggle against various ethnic separatist forces, religious extremist forces, and violent terrorist forces, “make people of all ethnic groups cling together like pomegranate seeds, and closely unite religious believers around the Party.” Through proactive and aggressive struggle, we must seize the initiative, leadership, and discourse power in the ideological field, expand the position of Marxist atheism in the ideological field, and win over the masses and the next generation.

第三，坚持马克思主义无神论，有助于以党的伟大自我革命引领新时代社会革命不断前行。新时代的中国共产党，既是牢记革命精神、不断进行“伟大自我革命”的党，也是以改变世界为己任进行“伟大社会革命”的党。新的赶考路上，我们党面临的“考场”越来越大、“考题”越来越难、“答题条件”越来越复杂。推进伟大社会革命，我们在社会建设领域的一个重要任务，就是必须始终保持马克思主义无神论的斗争锋芒，把斗争矛头指向各种民族分裂势力、宗教极端势力、暴力恐怖势力，“让各族群众像石榴籽一样紧紧抱在一起，把信教群众紧紧团结在党的周围”。要通过积极主动的斗争，掌握意识形态领域的主动权、主导权、话语权，扩大马克思主义无神论在意识形态领域的阵地，赢得群众、赢得下一代。

On the new journey, we must always adhere to daring to struggle and being adept at struggle, not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts, not fearing pressure, firmly grasping the destiny of China’s development and progress in our own hands, and continuously winning new victories in comprehensively building a modern socialist country.

新征程上，我们要时刻坚持敢于斗争、善于斗争，不信邪、不怕鬼、不怕压，把中国发展进步的命运牢牢掌握在自己手中，不断夺取全面建设社会主义现代化国家的新胜利。

(Author bios: Wang Lili, Editor, Propaganda Department, Beijing Language and Culture University; Dai Lixing, Researcher and Doctoral Supervisor, Institute of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Executive Director of the Chinese Society of Atheism)

（作者简介：王黎黎，北京语言大学宣传部编辑；戴立兴，中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院研究员、博士生导师，中国无神论学会常务理事）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心