This text from July 1967 explores the phenomenon of kitsch within the realms of faith and atheism. Starting with an analogy of modern war as a kitsch version of a duel, the author examines how intellectual clashes transform into ideological kitsch. The primary focus is on the conditions under which faith devolves into kitsch. This occurs when faith establishes itself as a rigid system of dogmas and liturgical rituals that, instead of facilitating transcendence, impose restrictive boundaries. In such a state, faith loses its legitimacy and authenticity. Atheism faces a similar risk; when it defines itself solely through its opposition to a theistic system and relies on vehement denial, it adopts the kitsch structure of what it rejects. The author suggests that the potential for genuine thought lies in transcending these fossilized forms. Atheism's true strength and intellectual potential emerge only when it rises above this kitschified existence and moves beyond mere negation toward a more profound and authentic engagement with reality.