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p A new man is being formed during daily creative activities by socialist society’s workers. Comprehensive socio-political and educational measures are directed toward this goal. The atheist education of the working people has been and still is an important field of ideological work. Although religion in the USSR has been ousted from the main, decisive spheres of public life and most Soviet people have freed themselves from religious convictions, one cannot ignore the ideological harm of religion, because some Soviet people are still under the influence of religious ideology.

p This ideology goes back into the distant past. Its roots are to be found in the backwardness and ignorance of the bulk of workers and peasants. The ruling classes of old Russia relied on the church to hold the masses in such a state for centuries. According to 1897 census, the population (within present-day borders) was 70.4 per cent illiterate in what is now the RSFSR. Georgia was 76.4 per cent illiterate, Uzbekistan—96.4 per cent, Kirghizia—96.9 per cent and Tajikistan—97.7 per cent. Fortyeight ethnic groups even had no alphabet of their own before the Revolution.

p Because of this, Lenin soon after the Soviets had taken power taught the Communists to combat religious prejudices by means of propaganda and education of the masses. “The deepest source of religious prejudice,” he said, “is poverty and ignorance; and that is the evil we have to combat."  [157•2  That is why the Communist Party linked the task of overcoming religious prejudices to an upswing in the material and cultural standard of living.

p Having separated church from state and school from church, the socialist state ensured an unheard-of pace of improvement 158 in the masses’ culture and education during the lifetime of just one generation. While the enrolment of all general education schools in tsarist Russia of 1914 and 1915 was 9,656,000, in September 1976, 46,468,000 pupils attended Soviet schools. In addition, 4,950,000 students are enrolled in 859 higher education establishments. By providing education free of charge at all levels and paying scholarships to students, Soviet power made education accessible for the working people. The Soviet Union now has the largest army of skilled workers, collective farmers, experienced engineers and technicians, agronomists and livestock experts, business managers and scientists. As of 1977, there were 780 people who had a secondary (complete and incomplete) and higher education for every 1,000 people engaged in the national economy. In developed socialist society, the mass media, such as the press, radio and television, have been greatly improved, more books, magazines and newspapers are being published. All this helps to raise Soviet people’s culture, to shape their scientific-materialist world-outlook, and to overcome religious prejudices.

p One can sometimes come across ridiculous statements in the bourgeois “free press" that the CPSU formulated a demand for forceful eradication of religion and the believers in its Programme. But Communists have always rejected and resolutely condemned any highhanded methods in combating religion, as well as pseudo-revolutionary demands by anarchists that it should be banned. The founder of the Communist Party and the Soviet state, Lenin advised that “we must be extremely careful in fighting religious prejudices; some people cause a lot of harm in this struggle by offending religious feelings."  [158•1 

p In overcoming religion, he said, one should not forget that church ideology permeates the everyday life of not only peasants but also of great masses of urban proletariat. Therefore, Lenin pointed out, the Communists were faced with a gigantic struggle, long, persistent, careful and unremitting. He taught Communists “to combat the religious fog with purely ideological and solely ideological weapons, by means of our press and by word of 159 mouth."  [159•1  He felt that an administrative pressure in matters of worship would achieve nothing and can only “prevent it [ religion—Ed.] from really dying out."  [159•2 

p Consistently following Lenin’s directives, the CPSU has formulated democratic and humane principles for combating religious prejudices in its Programme. It says: “The Party uses ideological media to educate people in the spirit of a scientific materialist world conception, to overcome religious prejudices without insulting the sentiments of believers. It is necessary to conduct regularly broad atheistic propaganda on a scientific basis, to explain patiently the untenability of religious beliefs, which were engendered in the past when people were overawed by the elemental forces and social oppression and did not know the real causes of natural and social phenomena."  [159•3  The Programme emphasises that in this work one must use the achievement of modern science, which is steadily solving the mysteries of the universe and extending man’s power over nature, leaving no room for religious inventions about supernatural forces.

p CPSU Programme propositions proceed from the thesis that religion is anti-scientific in its very nature, that it dulls believers’ social sentiments and reduces their social awareness. The clergy tries to persuade believers that happiness on earth is illusory and temporary and real happiness cannot be found in this life. They cultivate in the believers individualism, passivity and indifference to public life. That is why what Frederick Engels said in his time is still prophetically true: “A person who makes his whole being, his whole life, a preparation for heaven cannot have the interest in earthly affairs which the state demands from its citizens."  [159•4 

p Proceeding from the demands of its Programme, the CPSU lately concentrates its atheist work more on criticism of religion 160 in terms of philosophy and natural sciences and on providing help to people still affected by religious prejudices to convert to the materialist world-outlook. Emphasis is laid on dissemination of scientific knowledge explaining natural phenomena and laws governing society and human life. Atheist propaganda is conducted not only strictly scientifically but also in a popularised from. At the same time, lecturers and propagandists, while taking care to set forth the atheistic ideas profoundly and in a popularised form, seek to avoid simplification and vulgarisation when working with believers. Marxism-Leninism requires that any offence to religious feelings of the believers should be avoided.

p The overcoming of religion is not an end in itself but a necessary step in converting a person to a really scientific worldoutlook. The Communist Party sees the value of atheism in that it directly forms the communist world-outlook. As the Communists see it, scientific atheism is not simply an unbelief in God. It does not boil down to a denial of religion alone because the exposure of the untenability of religious views and of the illusory nature and harm of religion does not solve the main problem— that of giving a person the scientific dialectic-materialist worldoutlook. The Communist Party directs ideologists toward shaping scientific-materialist views in the minds of all Soviet people, believers and unbelievers alike, toward establishing values unconnected with religion, materialistic concepts of the world and Man and communist moral standards. The goal of scientific atheism is to try patiently and persistently to convert atheist knowledge into atheistic convictions. This is the essence and basic meaning of Marxist-Leninist atheism.

p Atheist propaganda in the modern world calls for broader elucidation of religion’s role in history. It is well-known that the churchmen lately take great efforts to picture religion and the church as champions of spiritual progress of nations. The atheists, therefore, are faced with the task of explaining the historical facts scientifically and revealing the real meaning of religion and its ideology as alien to science, to the ideas of socialism and communism.

p Atheist propaganda on a scientific basis is designed to help increase the working people’s activity. Lenin warned atheists 161 against aiming at only enlightening people in overcoming religion. He held that “the combating of religion cannot be confined to abstract ideological preaching, and it must not be reduced to such preaching."  [161•1  Insomuch as the struggle against religious ideology is part of the more general struggle for communist transformation of society, Lenin recommended that this work should be bound up with actual practice of fighting for communism and for a better life. It is carried on in the USSR so that a believer sees an atheist as a close friend wishing him well. That is why atheist work is closely linked to other fields of activities by the Party and public organisations and by ideological institutions and agencies.

p Atheist work helps to develop to the utmost the working people’s creative initiative and activity and to emancipate spiritually those few Soviet people .who are still influenced by religious ideology. It is combined with tact and consideration toward believers, who are for the most part honest workers in socialist society.

p The CPSU repeatedly pointed out that any simplified approach to the work on overcoming religious prejudices was inadmissible. Immediately after Soviet power had been established a new Party Programme, adopted by the 8th Congress with a direct participation of Lenin, clearly formulated the fundamental line of the Party with respect to religion and the church during the building of socialist society. The 8th Congress of the RCP(B) confirmed in the new Programme the thesis approved by the 2nd Congress that church should be separated from state and school from church and emphasised that to combat religion and the church successfully was possible only along the lines of the socialist transformation of society and involving the believers into effective production and socio-political activities. The Party recommended that religion should be combated by propaganda and patient explanations. The Programme also pointed out that scientific-educational propaganda should help liberate the working masses from religious ideology. The Communist Party at that time attached a special importance to totally breaking the ties between the exploitative classes and 162 religion. To break those tics in practice was to deprive hostile elements of the opportunity to use the church as a political and ideological weapon against Soviet power. On the other hand it was necessary to help believers by persuasion and atheist propaganda, to understand the class essence of religion. The Programme stressed that the main method for combating religious prejudices still was involving broad masses of working people into active construction of the new life. “The Party seeks to destroy completely the connection between the exploitative classes and organisation of religious propaganda,” the Programme said, “ promoting actual liberation of the toiling masses from religious prejudices and organising the widest possible scientific-educational and anti-religious propaganda.” The Party was especially concerned for devising a policy toward the peoples of outlying national areas, oppressed in the past.

p The Communist Party and Lenin set an example of a careful attitude to customs and traditions of the peoples who had professed Islam in the past. Lenin said in his Report on the Party Programme on March 19, 1919 at the 8th Party Congress that a specially careful handling was required “in relation to such peoples as the Kirghiz, the Uzbeks, the Tajiks, the Turkmen, who to this day are under the influence of their mullahs."  [162•1  He advised against any haste and said: “we have to wait until the given nation develops, until the differentiation of the proletariat from the bourgeois elements, which is inevitable, has taken place."  [162•2  As for the peoples formerly oppressed by tsarism, Lenin thought it of paramount importance to win their confidence, “to win it over again and again; to prove that we are not imperialists, that we shall not tolerate any deviation in that direction."  [162•3 

p He stressed the same idea in his telegram to G. K. Orjonikidze: “Again urge you to display caution and maximum good will towards the Moslems. . . ."  [162•4 

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p The Party Programme adopted by the 8th Congress states: “It is necessary to avoid carefully any offending of feelings of the believers as it leads only to religious fanaticism being strengthened.”

p The Communist Party and Lenin personally always spoke out resolutely against any anarchic methods of combating religion, considering it inadmissible to hurt believers’ feelings even when simply criticising religious views. The Party called for consideration and respect toward the believers and directed its wonders toward long-range scientific-educational work and involving believers into effective production and socio-political activities.

p Mistakes are possible in such a complex and subtle undertaking as the overcoming of religious prejudices. Individual local officials sometimes went to Leftist extremes like closing Orthodox and Catholic churches, mosques or synagogues, and taking away church bells. Such actions, however, have nothing to do with the Leninist policy toward religion, or Party methods of combating religious ideology. The Party has always condemned such methods in combating religion.

p When places of worship began to be closed down on a large scale in some areas of the country at the beginning of the reconstruction period, the Central Committee of the RCP(B) sent a directive to the local authorities on May 15, 1923 with a request to investigate each case when a church had been closed down and to punish those responsible if the church had been closed down in violation of the legislation on worship. The letter ordered that the closures of churches be stopped. A duty was imposed on local Party offices to suggest that the gubernia executive committees of Soviets should reconsider the matter and to hand the churches expropriated in violation of the law back to the believers if the latter so requested. It was pointed out that the authorities should handle believers’ complaints when their churches had been closed down with utmost consideration.

p Another circular sent out by the Central Party Committee on June 1923 said: “Despite a number of directives from the Central Committee that religious prejudices of the peasantry and of a backward part of workers should be treated as 164 carefully as possible, information continues to conic to the CC from the country about facts that run counter to these directives, particularly about churches being closed down, that cause certain discontent and are used in every way possible by anti-Soviet elements.” The letter went on to say: “The CC orders you to stop this measure being carried out and to give directives to the state authorities that the complaints of the population concerning the closures of churches should be treated with the greatest possible consideration.” It was explained that even if a part of the population were annoyed by their church being closed down, the latter should be reopened and the persons guilty of this distortion of the Party’s policy be punished.

p The Central Party Committee has always condemned Leftist extremes such as the illegal closures of churches. Its resolution dated March 14, 1930 “On the Struggle Against Distortions of the Party Line in the Collective-Farm Movement" stated: “The practice of churches being closed down administratively under the fictitious pretext of voluntary desire of the public must be definitely stopped. A church may be allowed to be closed down only in case an overwhelming majority of the peasants really so desire and, at all events, if the appropriate resolutions of the peasant assemblies are endorsed by the regional executive committees. The persons guilty of insulting or mockery of religious feelings of peasant men and women should be severely punished.” The resolution emphasised that, undoubtedly, such practices carried on under the flag of “Leftist rhetoric. . . have nothing to do with the policy of our Party".

p Certain facts of high-handed actions with respect to the church were severely censured by a resolution of the CPSU Central Committee entitled “On Mistakes in Conducting Atheistic Propaganda Among the Population”, adopted on November 10, 1954. The CPSU Central Committee charged all the Party organisations “to eliminate resolutely the mistakes in atheistic propaganda and not to allow in future, on any account, any offence to feelings of believers and clergymen, as well as administrative interference in the church activities. It is necessary to bear in mind that insulting actions with respect to the church, the clergy and religious citizens are incompatible with the course of the Party and the state in atheistic propaganda and run 165 against the USSR Constitution which grants freedom of conscience to Soviet citizens.”

p The Party holds that the drawbacks and errors in atheistic work breed distrust to the policy of the Soviet state toward religion and the believers and make further rallying of Soviet people more difficult. The division of working people according to their religions would benefit only the enemies of socialism who are taking pains today to stir up religious strife among nations, try to bring about a conflict between the church and the state, and thus to weaken common efforts in the struggle for communism.

p It is not a ban on belief in God, nor violence to views and feelings of a religious man but a patient attitude to sincere convictions in matters of faith, making the believer change his mind on the basis of scientific knowledge for his own good, in the name of spiritual emancipation, that is the immutable principle of the Soviet state policy toward religion and the major principle of atheist propaganda by scientific means.

p Lenin pointed out that the masses should be provided with different materials on atheist propaganda. He argued that the Communists should do what they can in their scientific- educational work to make the masses “familiar with facts from the most diverse spheres of life, they should be approached in every possible way, so as to interest them, rouse them from their religious torpor, stir them from the most varied angles and by the most varied methods, and so forth."  [165•1 

p Consistently following these directives the CPSU concentrates its efforts to combat religious prejudices on regular atheist propaganda to be conducted on a scientific basis and on explanation of the untenability of religious beliefs.

p Atheist propaganda, of course, helps to persuade believers away from religion but its power is not limitless. Many other factors—the Soviet way of life, first of all—affect the mass consciousness.

p Freedom of conscience, pursued rigorously in the USSR, is an important manifestation of personal freedom in general and 166 is an integral part of the Soviet way of life based on mutual respect, fraternal unity and cooperation of the working people, regardless of their nationality and religious convictions. Freedom of conscience in the USSR is a major instrument ensuring that citizens develop spiritually and fully release their creative forces and abilities.

p The CPSU helps people to overcome an ideology incompatible with science, their belief in life beyond the grave and in gods. The Party Programme sets forth a clear-cut goal, understandable for every Soviet citizen, of building communist society, of a struggle for happy life on earth. The practicability of the Party plans and the great achievements in Soviet economic, public and spiritual life, lead the Soviet people to atheism inexorably and inevitably.

p Co-workers play a very important part in atheist education of people where they work. Their collective opinion is atheist, and the reactionary and anti-scientific meanings of religious ideology and morals are exposed there patiently and tactfully, but also persistently and reasonably. Public opinion is becoming an increasingly effective force in political and moral education at the present stage of communist construction.

p Much is done regularly at places of residence to educate pensioners, disabled workers, war invalids and housewives in the atheistic spirit. It is this group of population that makes up a great part of the believers. The public tries to involve them in social work, to help them maintain contacts with work collectives. They are offered lectures and talks on the subjects they are interested in.

p Children and teenagers are an object of special attention and concern. Whenever atheistic work with youth grows slack, churchmen and sectarians try to use the situation to their advantage. Preaching to religious parents, they urge them to bring up their children in a religious spirit. The churchmen, sectarians especially, often try to get in touch with minors and to win them round to the church by means of personal conversations.

p School is initially important for education of the young in atheistic spirit. Soviet schools provide children with scientific knowledge. The contents of any subject, therefore, provides ample opportunities for the teacher to demonstrate the power of science 167 and the untenability of religion to the pupils. Teachers of many schools possessing broad knowledge do successful work to tactfully win round religious parents.

p Various forms and methods are used in work with the believers. Personal contacts are the most effective. They help best of all because the direct relationship with a believer makes it possible to understand his interests and why he is religious. The propagandist wins the confidence of the believer, and arouses his interest in conversation not only on atheistic but on other vital subjects, as well.

p Cultural-educational institutions do a lot in this respect. Palaces of Culture, clubs, museums, libraries, recreation and reading rooms at factories and election agitation centres arrange regularly for topical meetings, conferences to discuss atheistic and scientific subjects, series of lectures accompanied by films, oral magazines, literary and reader’s conferences, question-and- answer evenings. Young people’s atheist clubs have been set up under the auspices of cultural-educational institutions. Explanatory work is carried on with believers, as well as with children and teenagers from religious families.

p Cinema is an important means of atheistic education. In the early years of Soviet rule, Lenin recommended using films on atheism and the natural sciences to expose the anti-scientific nature of religion.

p All atheistic education, whatever its form, is directed firstly against superstitions and religious survivals and includes education of Soviet people in the spirit of communist humanism and friendship between all the peoples of the USSR, in the spirit of Soviet patriotism and proletarian internationalism.

p While taking care to shape a scientific world-outlook in the minds of all Soviet people and educating people in communist morality, the Party organisations also propagate new festivals, traditions and customs.

p The process of forming new traditions and ceremonies began after the socialist way of life had been firmly established. And while the exploitative classes used the ceremonial aspect to maintain and strengthen religiosity and superstitions in the past, ceremonies and new traditions in socialist society contribute to the moulding of high morals in individuals and are effective 168 means for the atheistic education of the masses. And religious prejudices are overcome faster where the state and public organisations act creatively and introduce new secular ceremonies more actively. For example, the number of religious rituals performed in Leningrad is diminishing every year. Many young people married in church there not so many years ago. The city authorities have devised a new and exciting ceremony for civil marriage and built a wonderful palace for the purpose. The number of marriages in church has been reduced almost to naught as a result. Only 0.24 per cent of the Leningrad newly-weds sanctified their marriages in church in the last few years.

p There are fewer baptisms today, too. Propaganda and introduction of new non-religious ceremonies help in no small degree. A lot has been done in this respect in the Ukraine. The Republic’s cities and villages now have about 8,000 special premises designed for registration of marriages and the newly-born. Four hundred and fifty-four service centres and 27 banquet rooms have been opened for people to celebrate their anniversaries and family occasions.

p Along with other forms of ideological impact, the introduction of new Soviet ceremonies helps people to give up church rituals and leave religion. The establishment of fine rituals, reflecting new content of life, for solemn registration of the newlyborn, for silver and golden weddings, for weddings celebrated according to Komsomol traditions has led to a great decline in church ceremonies being performed.

p The new traditions have an enormous educational power. “While supporting the progressive traditions of each people, and making them the property of all Soviet people, the Party will in all ways further new revolutionary traditions of the builders of communism. . . ."  [168•1 , says the GPSU Programme.

p Proceeding from the demands of the Programme, the Party organisations do much and in varied forms to propagate and introduce new Soviet customs, festivals and rituals. Solemn ce- | remonies are held in many regions of the Russian Federation, ’ in the Ukraine, Byelorussia, Georgia, the Uzbek, Latvian and Estonian Soviet Socialist Republics to celebrate important events in one’s personal and public life. They mark the days when a 169 child enters school, joins the Young Pioneers and the Young Communist League (Komsomol), when a teenager receives his passport, goes to work, is called up to service in the Soviet Army, etc. These festivals and solemn ceremonies reflect historical revolutionary events, the deeds of Soviet people during the War and in peace.

p The Party, state and public organisations in the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic have been searching for new nonreligious ceremonies for many years. Voluntary councils for civil ceremonies have been set up all over the Republic. Its Council of Ministers approved Model Rules for a district council on civil ceremonies in 1971. The district council on civil ceremonies is now a legal entity and is self-supporting financially. Colourful, emotionally exciting new civil ceremonies gradually replace religious rituals. Only about 10 per cent of the newlyborn are baptised today in the Republic and most of the dead are buried with civil ceremonies.

p Bokhara Region does much in the quest for and creative use of revolutionary and labour traditions. Such new festivals and civil ceremonies as Khasil Bairami (celebration of the harvest), celebration of corn-shoots, and celebration of the first cotton ball become well-established in many towns and villages, as did celebrations to mark the occasions when the title of communistway workers is awarded, passports are given to young people, old workers retire and young men are called up for military service. Weddings are celebrated gaily by Komsomol comrades of the newly-weds and special solemn ceremonies accompany registration of marriages. Fifty-eight Wedding Houses have been set up and are operating in the region. In addition to registration of marriages and the newly-born, they are used for giving passports to young people, Honorary Diplomas and awards to the best workers—all in a festive atmosphere with the participation of deputies to local Soviets and representatives of Party, government or Komsomol organisations. The most important events in the life of workers, collective farmers and intellectuals are also celebrated there.

p New ceremonies and traditions have been created in their own fashion in the village of Lugumbek, Izbaskan District, Andizhan Region. Due to efforts by all the villagers, actively 170 supported by their collective-farm chairman, Sharafutdin Saifutdinov, a wonderful park has been laid out in this hot, dry climate. The park became a sort of cultural and recreational centre for the cotton-growers. There is a stadium with a football pitch and a running track adjacent to the park. An artificial swimming pool with a sandy beach is nearby. The central avenue of the park is decorated with sculptures of the veteran workers and veterans of the Revolution, among them the sculpture of Omanbibi Khuzhamberdieva, a brave Uzbek woman who was the first in the village to throw away her yashmak. It was a brave deed for that time. The enemies of the new life, instigated by religious fanatics, killed Khuzhamberdieva on the same day when she had been elected chairman of the local village Soviet. Her life is an example of ideological fortitude and moral strength for young people today.

p Three hundred fir-trees have been planted in the park to mark the number of villagers who died on the battlefields during the Great Patriotic War. The park is like an out-of-door House of Culture. Children are admitted there into Young Pioneers, young people are given their passports, parties are held to see off the youths called up for military service, the young are initiated into the cotton-growers’ fraternity and the anniversaries of the senior citizens are celebrated. An Atheists’ Club with a small planetarium is being built in the park. All this makes a great impact on the villagers and helps them overcome the vestiges of the past.

p The ability to carry on patient explanatory work with the believers is of utmost importance for an atheist in combating religious prejudices still alive in the minds of some Soviet people. Thus training and retraining of lecturers and propagandists of scientific atheism are called for. Much is being done in this respect by Party organisations of Moscow, Leningrad, Gorky, Novosibirsk, the Ukraine, Moldavia and Lithuania. Permanent study groups for atheist lecturers and atheistic faculties in the People’s Universities became widespread.

p Over 32,000 People’s Universities have been set up by now under the auspices of factories, collective and state farms, cultural institutions, higher educational establishments and research institutes. Many have faculties or departments of scientific atheism.

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p The People’s Universities set up to popularise scientific knowledge in many fields help widen the vision of urban and rural dwellers and educate them ideologically and politically. The People’s Universities of Atheist Knowledge give invaluable help in shaping the materialist world-outlook. The RSFSR has universities of this type in 50 regions and Autonomous republics. They encompass 53,000 students.

p The curricula of the universities include studies of the reasons for religiosity and of the ways of overcoming it in connection with the modern advance in science and technology and achievements of natural sciences.

p To impart practical propaganda skills to their students, many universities include practical seminars in their curricula and help them prepare papers on atheistic subjects. A university in Kirovsk, Leningrad Region, for example, holds conferences on the theoretical and practical problems of providing atheistic education for the young. The process of learning is rounded of lectures and reports prepared by students themselves, which are previously auditioned at seminars.

p The students of the People’s Universities acquire skills for conducting atheistic meetings, directing study groups of young atheists at schools, and taking practical measures to introduce new Soviet ceremonies and rituals.

p The training of experts in scientific atheism remains an important task. The Institute of Scientific Atheism gives close attention to this work. In conjunction with the USSR Ministry of Higher Education, the Ail-Union Znaniye Society and Moscow University, the Institute of Scientific Atheism held conferences between 1975 and 1978 on theoretical and practical subjects for professors teaching scientific atheism at higher educational establishments, as well as for lecturers and propagandists lecturing to popular audiences on atheist subjects. Such conferences and seminars were arranged in Moscow, Alma-Ata, Leningrad, Barnaul, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Vilnius, Volgograd, Cheboksary, the Krasnoyarsk Territory and in some other places. The leading experts in the, field of scientific atteism delivered lectures and reports at these seminars. Great attention was devoted to improving the techniques and effectiveness of atheistic propaganda.

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p Much work is carried on in the USSR to explain the humane principles of Soviet legislation on religious worship. Party committees and executive committees of village, community, district and city Soviets in Gorky Region do this in many forms. Talks, lectures and reports are delivered at places of work and residence in many localities on Soviet legislation and on citizens’ rights and obligations.

Purposeful, regular propaganda and strict observance of Soviet legislation on religious worship are the best guarantees for genuine freedom of conscience to be carried out in practice.