p In contrast to the capitalist countries, Soviet legislation protects the right to freedom of conscience for both believers and atheists. While granting broad rights to believers to satisfy their religious needs, the socialist state enables non-believers to carry on regular atheist propaganda, either individually or in scientific and educational societies without offending the religious sensibilities of believers. The bourgeois concept of freedom of conscience has never risen to the level of unqualified recognition of such needs. In Lenin’s words, the socio-economic meaning of freedom of conscience in capitalist countries consists in the “freedom for capital to buy or bribe whole church organisations for the purpose of doping the masses with the opium of religion"  [155•1 . A genuine, unrestricted freedom of conscience can exist only in a country where the social order based on 156 economic and spiritual oppression of the working masses has been abolished. The USSR is the first country to have done away forever with the spiritual oppression of the popular masses.

p The Great October Socialist Revolution has affected all aspects of human life, including the development of the masses’ atheistic world-outlook. The victory of socialism in the USSR has proven the truth of the Marxist-Leninist teaching on religion’s transient nature and ways of overcoming it. Most of the Soviet population are free of religious prejudices. The new generation has never known the influence of religion. The experience of the USSR has shown that the break with religion en masse under socialism was caused by radical changes in the social structure of society, by elimination of the exploitative classes, and organisation of entire life on a scientific basis.

p The multinational Soviet state, where economic and cultural backwardness has been eradicated for good, sets an example of how people can live together in equality and brotherhood. The tremendous accomplishments of the USSR in science, technology and culture attest to the might of the socialist system and its superiority over capitalism. The fraternal unity of Soviet nations was made possible by the leadership and guidance of the Communist Party which carries out a consistent Leninist policy of friendship among the peoples. All Soviet people, believers and atheists alike, are equal citizens of their socialist country. Inspired by great goals, they selflessly work toward building communism and support the domestic and foreign policies of the Communist Party and Soviet government.

p Enjoying the benefits of the Soviet way of life, believers, just like all other citizens in the Soviet Union, continue to feel the salutary effects of the tremendous progress in the sphere of socio-political reforms and the advance of science and culture. They have common interests with all Soviet people and participate in communist construction.

The CPSU shows constant concern for the Soviet people’s growth of welfare and improvement in spiritual culture. The overcoming of religious prejudices is a vital precondition for shaping the communist world-outlook of the working people. “The formation of a communist world outlook in the broad masses of the people," said the Report of the CPSU Central 157 Committee to the 24th Party Congress, “and their education in the spirit of the ideas of Marxism-Leninism are the core of all ideological and educational work by the Party."  [157•1