The Ninth Scientific Atheism Forum Held in Nanjing

On June 26, 2021, the Ninth Scientific Atheism Forum was successfully held at Nanjing University, sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Leading Group for the Construction and Research Project of Marxist Theory, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Marxism, and the School of Marxism at Nanjing University, and organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Research Center for Science and Atheism and the Chinese Atheism Society. The forum’s theme was “The Centenary Chinese Communist Party and Marxist Atheism.” More than 70 experts and scholars from universities and research institutions including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Nanjing University, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, Shanghai Normal University, Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics, and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University participated in the forum. Xue Hailin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Nanjing University; Gong Yun, Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and Fan Jianxin, Chair of the Chinese Atheism Society and Party Secretary of the Institute of Political Science at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, each delivered opening remarks.

2021年6月26日，由中国社会科学院马克思主义理论学科建设与理论研究工程领导小组、中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院、南京大学马克思主义学院主办，中国社会科学院科学与无神论研究中心、中国无神论学会承办的第九届科学无神论论坛在南京大学成功举行。论坛以“百年中国共产党与马克思主义无神论”为主题。来自中国社会科学院、南京大学、中国科学院大学、武汉大学、上海师范大学、新疆财经大学、福建农林大学等高校和科研机构的70多位专家学者参加了此次论坛。南京大学党委副书记薛海林，中国社科院马克思主义研究院副院长龚云，中国无神论学会理事长、中国社科院政治学所党委书记樊建新分别在开幕式上致辞。

Xue Hailin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Nanjing University, Delivers Remarks

南京大学党委副书记薛海林致辞

Secretary Xue Hailin emphasized that General Secretary Xi Jinping, at the 2016 National Conference on Religious Work, proposed that upholding Marxist atheism is a major principle. This is both a basic requirement for the Chinese Communist Party as the ruling party and a proper meaning of a socialist country. We Communist Party members must be steadfast atheists and actively propagate Marxist atheism. We look forward to this conference bringing us the most cutting-edge research results.

薛海林书记强调，习近平总书记在2016年全国宗教工作会议上提出，坚持马克思主义无神论是大原则。这既是中国共产党作为执政党的基本要求，也是社会主义国家的应有之义。我们共产党员要做坚定的无神论者，并且积极宣传马克思主义无神论。期待此次会议给我们带来最前沿的研究成果。

Gong Yun, Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Delivers Remarks

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院副院长龚云致辞

Deputy Director Gong Yun pointed out that the history of the centenary Chinese Communist Party is precisely a history in which Chinese Communists, under the guidance of Marxist theory, insisted on promoting the scientific spirit, overthrowing theocratic rule, eliminating long-standing abuses and bad customs, and leading the broad masses to rely on their own wisdom and hands, striving hard and daring to innovate. And Marxist atheism, as the starting point and ideological cornerstone of Marxist theory, is precisely the most indispensable spiritual foundation of Chinese Communists. Nanjing University has a fine tradition of research on Chinese atheist thought, which we should inherit and develop. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Marxist atheism at the 2016 National Conference on Religious Work has already pointed the direction for the disciplinary construction of scientific atheism in the New Era. In defending the dominant position of Marxist mainstream ideology, scientific atheism will continue to play a vital role.

龚云副院长指出，一部百年中国共产党的历史，正是中国共产党人在马克思主义理论指导下，坚持弘扬科学精神、推翻神权统治、革除积弊陋习，领导广大人民依靠自己的智慧和双手，艰苦奋进、勇于创新的历史。而马克思主义无神论作为马克思主义理论的出发点和思想基石，正是中国共产党人最不可或缺的精神底色。南京大学有着中国无神论思想研究的优良传统，我们应予以继承并发扬。习近平总书记在2016年全国宗教工作会议上关于马克思主义无神论的重要思想，已经为新时代科学无神论的学科建设指明了方向。在捍卫马克思主义主流意识形态的主导地位方面，科学无神论将继续发挥至关重要的作用。

Fan Jianxin, Chair of the Chinese Atheism Society, Delivers Remarks

中国无神论学会理事长樊建新致辞

Chair Fan Jianxin pointed out that over the past century, the spread of Marxism and the current propaganda and education of scientific atheism, including the work of the Chinese Atheism Society and the construction of the atheism discipline, have all been continuously consolidating and expanding the atheist front. We must form a joint force across all fields of society, implement the major principle of Marxist atheism in practical work in all aspects, and thus effectively promote Marxist atheism as the mainstream ideology to occupy a dominant position in the thinking of the people.

樊建新理事长指出，百年来马克思主义的传播、当前的科学无神论宣传教育，包括中国无神论学会的工作和无神论学科的建设，都是在不断巩固和扩大无神论阵地。我们要在全社会各领域形成合力，把马克思主义无神论这个大原则贯彻到各方面的实际工作中去，从而切实推动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。

Li Shen, Professor at Shanghai Normal University; Xi Wuyi, Director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Research Center for Science and Atheism; Zhao Wenhong, former Party Secretary of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of World Religions; and Zhang Xinying, former Director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Network Center and Vice Chair of the Chinese Atheism Society, respectively delivered keynote speeches on “Atheism and Traditional Culture,” “Opening New Platforms for the Disciplinary Construction of Marxist Atheism in the New Era,” “The Core of the Sinicization of Foreign Religions Is to Raise the Degree of Secularization,” and “Strategic Choices for the Social Dissemination of Atheism.” The meeting was chaired by Hu Daping, Dean of the School of Marxism at Nanjing University.

上海师范大学教授李申，中国社科院科学与无神论研究中心主任习五一，中国社会科学院世界宗教研究所原党委书记赵文洪，中国社科院网络中心原主任、中国无神论学会副理事长张新鹰分别作了“无神论与传统文化”“新时代开拓马克思主义无神论学科建设的新平台”“外来宗教中国化的核心是提高世俗化程度”“无神论社会传播的策略选择”的主题发言。会议由南京大学马克思主义学院院长胡大平主持。

The Forum’s Keynote Speeches Were Chaired by Hu Daping, Dean of the School of Marxism at Nanjing University

大会主题发言由南京大学马克思主义学院院长胡大平主持

Li Shen, Professor at Shanghai Normal University, Delivers Remarks

上海师范大学教授李申发言

Xi Wuyi, Director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Research Center for Science and Atheism, Delivers Remarks

中国社科院科学与无神论研究中心主任习五一发言

Zhao Wenhong, former Party Secretary of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of World Religions, Delivers Remarks

中国社会科学院世界宗教研究所原党委书记赵文洪发言

Zhang Xinying, former Director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Network Center and Vice Chair of the Chinese Atheism Society, Delivers Remarks

中国社科院网络中心原主任、中国无神论学会副理事长张新鹰发言

Participating experts and scholars also conducted extensive and in-depth discussions on issues such as “Marxist Atheism and the Centenary Founding of the Party,” “Marxist Atheist Education,” “Marxist Religious Studies,” and “Cult Governance.”

与会专家学者还围绕“马克思主义无神论与建党百年”、“马克思主义无神论教育”、“马克思主义宗教学”、“邪教治理”等问题做了广泛深入的探讨。

(Contributed by Li Cheng)

（李成 供稿）