"Our program necessarily includes the propaganda of atheism"
About this Quote
The subtext is about authority. Religion, in Lenin’s Marxist frame, isn’t merely wrong; it’s a competing institution for loyalty, explanation, and moral permission. Churches offer narratives that can pacify suffering, sanctify hierarchy, and locate justice beyond politics. A revolutionary government that claims to be the sole engine of emancipation can’t afford an alternate pipeline of meaning. “Propaganda” is stated without embarrassment because, for Lenin, persuasion is not a dirty word; it’s a tool of power and education, a way to manufacture the new citizen required by the new order.
Context matters: the Bolshevik project was trying to consolidate control after revolution and civil war, in a society where faith was woven into daily life and imperial legitimacy. By folding atheism into the program, Lenin signals a cultural offensive alongside the economic one. It’s not just about arguing God out of existence; it’s about clearing the symbolic space where the Party can install its own rituals, saints, and certainties. The line reveals a revolution that understands belief as a material battlefield.
Quote Details
| Topic | Faith |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
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APA Style (7th ed.)
Lenin, Vladimir. (2026, January 18). Our program necessarily includes the propaganda of atheism. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/our-program-necessarily-includes-the-propaganda-10599/
Chicago Style
Lenin, Vladimir. "Our program necessarily includes the propaganda of atheism." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/our-program-necessarily-includes-the-propaganda-10599/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Our program necessarily includes the propaganda of atheism." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/our-program-necessarily-includes-the-propaganda-10599/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.









