Nevertheless, I think the case can be made that Communism functions like a religion to some extent. After all, like a religion, it has its founder (Marx). Moreover, it has its own "scriptures" (e.g., "The Communist Manifesto," Das Kapital, Mao's "Little Red Book"), its own "saints" (e.g., Lenin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh), and "heretics" (e.g., Trotsky). It even has its own secularized version of paradise--a future, perfect, classless society.
Communism even has its own "hymns," as I have come to realize living here in China. A fairly common phenomenon on many college campuses in the U.S. is a carillon placed in a tower which plays on a regular schedule. The music played on these carillons can vary, but occasionally it can include traditional (Christian) hymns. Here at the unversity where I teach in Beijing we also have a carillon (perhaps it is only a recording). However, instead of playing a hymn or perhaps the university's official song, every two hours (except at night it seems) it plays Dongfang Hong ("The East Is Red"), a song in praise of Mao Zedong that was popular during the so-called Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) and which for a while served as the Chinese national anthem. Here is the first stanza:
东方红,太阳升, The East is red, the sun rises;
中国出了个毛泽东。 China has produced Mao Zedong.
他为人民谋幸福, He is the people's happiness;
呼尔嗨哟,他是人民大救星! Hurray! He is the people's great savior!
To the extent a hymn is defined as a song in praise of someone or something, this arguably qualifies as a "hymn." My understanding is that this song is not performed as frequently as it was in the past in China, but it is interesting to me that the carillon tune has not been changed after all these years, perhaps because the song has become "traditional" in some sense. Whatever the reason, this is yet another example of how Communism seems to have some of the trappings of a religion--although some might argue this semblance is superficial.