This secret notice was issued to “further boost Marxist atheism research, propaganda, and education.” It reflects a new assessment from the top Party leaders, in light of “the new situation to target ‘Falun Gong,’ and various pseudo-sciences and superstitions, and represents a new trend of denigrating Western ‘hostile’ forces attempting to ‘westernize’ and ‘disintegrate’ China, in the name of religion”. It mandates that Marxist atheism propaganda and education be integrated into all sectors of society throughout the country, at all levels. All efficient measures shall be taken to “ban all uncivilized conduct in spreading superstitions,” in order to assist “peoples’ minds to be educated, spirits enriched, and their state of thought improved.”]
Secret
The Department of Personnel of the Central Committee of the CPC
The Department of Propaganda of the Central Committee of the CPC
The Office of the Central Steering Committee on Spiritual Civilization Construction
The Communist Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC
Ministry of Education
China Academy of Social ScienceDOCUMENT
Issued by the Department of Propaganda of the Central Committee of the CPC: No. (2004) 13
Notice on Further Strengthening Marxist Atheism Research, Propaganda and Education
To the Department of Personnel, the Department of Propaganda, the Office of Spiritual Civilization Construction, and the Communist Party School of the Communist Party Committee, and the Department of Education of all provinces, autonomous regions and metropolises, the Communist Party Committee of all departments, ministries and commissions of the Communist Party and the state organs, and the General Department of Political Affairs of the People’s Liberation Army:
The following notice is hereby issued in order to earnestly implement “the Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party on Further Prospering and Developing Philosophical Social Science”, and further boost Marxist atheism research, propaganda, and education.
1. Full understanding the significance of strengthening Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education. Marxist atheism is an important integral part of the worldview of dialectical materialism and historical materialism. Our party has all along paid high regard to Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education, created and accumulated many valuable experiences in practice, and achieved remarkable social effects. Nowadays, our nation has entered into a new developing stage, during which a better-off society (Xiaokang) is under construction, and the socialist modernization drive is expedited. Facing the new task of reform, development and stability, the new demand of the people on spiritual and cultural life, the new situation on targeting the cultic organization of “Falungong” and various pseudoscience and superstition, and the new trend on Western hostile forces’ attempt to “westernize” and “disintegrating” China in the name of religion, we need to further strengthen Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education, which is of great significance to consolidating the directive status of Marxism in ideological field, maintaining the advancement and purity of our party, improving the spiritual, moral, scientific and cultural makings of the whole nation, laying solid foundation for the concerted endeavors of the whole party and the whole people, and promoting the harmonious development of socialist materialist civilization, political civilization and spiritual civilization.
2. Instructions on how to conduct Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education. Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education shall be strengthened under the directive of Marxism, Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and important “Three Representing” thought , aiming at consolidating the directive status of Marxism in ideological field, centering on economic construction, serving the overall working situation of the party and state, promoting the comprehensive progress of the society and the complete development of each individual, liberating thought, being practical and realistic, following time and tide, paying attention to people’s needs, coming close to reality, life and people, making relevant work well on target and efficient. Efforts shall be centered on positive propaganda and education, using the facts, speaking the truth, being patient and meticulous, and imperceptibly influencing the people. Research, propaganda, and education shall be coordinated, enriching the contents of propaganda and education with research results, and deepening research with propaganda and education. Hold tightly to national education, media communications, research on social sciences, spiritual civilization construction activities of the people, the trainings conducted by the Communist Party School and administrative institutions at different levels. Popular theoretical and practical issues shall be dealt with in time. Attention shall be centered on the party cadres and juveniles. And relevant work shall be done persistently and incessantly, with an effort to create healthy social values, and good social environment, under which science and civilization are advocated, fatuity and superstition are opposed, and evil teachings and heterodox are boycotted.
3. Major tasks of Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education. Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education shall be centered on popularizing the fundamental materialist views and basic knowledge of natural science, aiming at the elimination of fatuity and superstition, surrounding the subject of publicizing scientific thought, expanding scientific spirit, popularizing scientific knowledge, and disseminating scientific method. We shall strengthen the research, propaganda and education of the basic principles and knowledge of Marxist materialism, helping people recognize the general process and rule of the development of human society, so that they may voluntarily and firmly stick to the historical view of Marxist materialism. Aiming at the phenomenon of fatuity and superstition, which exists among some people, we shall strengthen the research, propaganda and education of natural science, particularly the basic knowledge about life, helping people understand the universe, the origin of life, the rule on human evolution, and correctly deal with various natural phenomena, natural disasters, birth, aging, disease and death. We shall also strengthen the research, propaganda and education of healthy and civilized life style, helping people acquire the habit of good behavior, and scientifically and reasonably conduct physical exercises, health care, living, sightseeing, recreation and entertainment. And through unswerving efforts, we shall lead people in firmly setting up correct worldview, philosophy of life, and values, and scientific view of nature, universe and life, and strengthen their ability to distinguish materialism from spiritualism, science from superstition, and civilization from fatuity.
4. Integrating Marxist atheism propaganda and education into national education, teaching and training of the Communist Party School and administrative institutes. Various levels and types of school are important places, where Marxist atheism propaganda and education may be conducted. Aiming at cultivating “four having” new people, and sticking to the principle of separation of national education and religion, we shall integrate Marxist atheism propaganda and education into the syllabi of the course of political theory, the course of morals, and other related courses of specialty, conducting propaganda and education pointedly according to the characters of students of different ages, thus ensuring the actualization of the teaching contents and requirements. The Communist Party School and administrative institutes at all levels, as the major places where the party and government leaders, and the civil servants receive their training, shall integrate Marxist atheism propaganda and education into their teaching plans, conducting propaganda and education in various ways. The Communist Party School and administrative institutes in western and border regions shall, in considering the real situation of multi ethnic groups and religions, properly increase the proportion of Marxist atheism propaganda and education targeting local leaders.
5. Integrating Marxist atheism propaganda and education into people’s spiritual civilization construction activities. People’s spiritual civilization construction activities are the great products of the people in changing their customs and reforming the society, and are of great significance in carrying Marxist atheism propaganda and education. Marxist atheism propaganda and education shall be integrated into such activities as constructing civilized cities, villages, and vocations, which is under way throughout the country, introducing culture, science, technology, and health to the villagers, introducing science, education, culture, sports, law and health to communities, developing civilized tourist sites, building safe and civilized campus, and so on, and be weaved into different taches of planning, designing, and implementing. And efficient measures shall be taken to ban all uncivilized conducts in spreading superstitions. Through closely following the real production and living situation of cadres and people, we shall combine Marxist atheism propaganda and education with the change of old habits into new ones, with conducting peoples’ cultural and sports activities, and satisfying peoples’ spiritual and cultural demands, with popularizing knowledge on laws, rules and regulations, and improving peoples’ legal awareness, and with popularizing scientific knowledge, and improving peoples’ scientific makings, thus causing peoples’ mind to be educated, spirit enriched, the state of thought improved.
6. Marxist atheism propaganda and education as daily work of the media. The media, which directly faces people, and has speedy communication, wide coverage, and strong influence, is an important channel through which Marxist atheism propaganda and education can be conducted. Broadcasting, TV, newspapers, and magazines shall develop their respective advantages, earnestly manage science and technology programs, and pages and subjects on theory, in accordance with the different needs of their audience, and publicize Marxist atheism and scientific knowledge. Internet is speedy, convenient, reciprocal and open. We shall enrich the pages and sections related to morals of some key websites, strengthen the instruction and management over online comments, and make internet a new tool to conduct Marxist atheism propaganda and education. To publicize Marxist atheism, we shall positively use films, TV programs, books, electronic publications, and other things to people’s taste, and firmly ban all illegal publications, which disseminate superstitions and evil teachings.
7. Integrating Marxist atheism research, as a key subject, into the developing plan of social science. Thorough research on Marxist atheism is an important task in prospering philosophical social science. National Fund on Social Science and all research programs on philosophical social science shall involve atheism research in such directive documents as subject instructions issued by corresponding departments, and provide required fund through public bidding and special trust. In light of the overall situation of the construction of better-off society, reform, development and stability, the current international and domestic situation, the serious harm caused by superstition, pseudoscience and cult, and the actual mindset of cadres and people, we shall conduct purposeful research, and try to achieve certain results, which are deeply theoretical, academically valuable, and socially influential. We shall strengthen the construction of Marxist atheism department and the training of talented people in this field, run well atheism research institutions and related departments in colleges and universities, establish and train an atheism research team, which is armed with Marxism. The relevant regulations of the state shall be strictly followed in conducting foreign academic exchange and joint research on religion. The procedure on approving and recording shall be made sound.
8. Firmly strengthening the leadership over Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education. To strengthen Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education is an important, long-term and pressing task. The party committees at all levels shall integrate it, as an important contents in developing advanced socialist culture, into scientific research plan and overall arrangements on propaganda, put it on top agenda, make concrete plans, adopt actual measures, and bring it into full implementation. We shall fully implement the party’s policy on freedom of religious belief, respect people’s freedom to believe religion or not to believe religion, and make distinction between religion and superstition. The party members, especially leading party cadre, shall strengthen their party culture continuously, firmly hold materialist worldview, and voluntarily set an example in studying and disseminating Marxist atheism. All relevant departments of the party and government, all relevant teaching and scientific research institutions, and all relevant social sectors shall, under the leadership of the party committees, fulfill their duties, closely coordinate with each other, positively explore the characters and rules on conducting Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education under new situation, continuously improve and renovate working contents, forms, manners and instruments, and make our best endeavor to improve the standard of Marxist atheism research, propaganda and education.
Seals of the Department of Personnel of the Central Committee of the CPC, the Department of Propaganda of the Central Committee of the CPC, the Office of the Central Steering Committee on Spiritual Civilization Construction, the Communist Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, China Academy of Social Science
May 27, 2004
Key Words: Marxism, propaganda and education, notice
Submit to: members and alternate members of the Politburo of the Central Committee, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee, Premier, Vice Premier and State Counselors of the State Council
Copy to: the General Office of the Central Committee, the General Office of the State Council
Distributed by the Secretariat of the General Office of the Department of Propaganda of the Central Committee on May 28, 2004.
Total copies: 750
Source: Provided by China Aid Association(http://www.chinaaid.org)