Faith and life…

Marxist atheism is undoubtedly the most important manifestation of contemporary atheism. This is firstly due to its extent. A third of humanity, the communist world, officially belongs to it, since in those countries it is the “state religion,” so to speak, and it is difficult for any person living there to have an important position unless he openly declares his atheism. Secondly, the danger of Marxist atheism is due to its “missionary” nature. In the communist world, religious rituals are performed, but they are considered folkloric manifestations whose existence is overlooked until they disappear with time. Religions are not allowed to preach any missionary work, while education, the press, radio, cinema, and television are used to spread atheism, and scientific discoveries and investigations are presented as the fruits of atheism. The third aspect of the danger of Marxist atheism is that it is presented as an integral part of a doctrine whose adherents have struggled and continue to struggle and have made great sacrifices in order to liberate humanity from exploitation and slavery. Therefore, the great experiment that may threaten the best people and those most idealistic and prepared to give and sacrifice is that they do not distinguish in Marxism between its atheism on the one hand and its call for justice on the other hand, and they embrace atheism because it is presented to them as being concomitant with the authentic human values that appeal to them in Marxism.

In this study we will not discuss Marxism in general. Rather, we will focus on the atheism that it professes and advocates. We will first see what Marx’s concept of God and religion is. Then we will move on to critique the Marxist critique of religion, trying to show the contradictions and dilemmas that the rejection of God in Marxism leads to. Finally, we will ask whether the God that Marx rejected is the God of the Christian revelation and whether Marx’s atheism is not due, to some extent, to the distortion of the image of God in the minds of Christians themselves.

Kosti Pendley

1. Introduction
2. Part One: Marx's God and the God of Christians
   • Chapter One: Marx's God - The Marxist Critique of Religion
   • Chapter II: Critique of the Marxist critique of religion
   • Chapter Three: The Meaning of Marxist Atheism – The God of Revelation Christ and the Idols of God
   • Conclusion
3. Part Two: Sartre's God and the God of Christians
   • Chapter one: Sartre's God
   • Chapter II: God of Biblical Proclamation
   • Chapter Three: Sartre's explanation of atheism - sufficiency and the idols of God
   • Chapter Four: The Dilemma of Sartrean Atheism – Freedom and Emptiness
   • Conclusion

To download the entire book in PDF format collected in a ZIP file, click here

This book was printed for Al-Noor Publications in 1968.