Posted on 01/30/2009 8:12:18 AM PST by Ethan Clive Osgoode
Excerpts from the pamphlet Socialism v. Religion, Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of Great Britain, Jan., 1911. The excerpts appear in Socialism from the Christian Standpoint by Bernard Vaughan S.J., Macmillan, 1912, pg. 170--174.Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of Great Britain
As part of the essential educational work that must be done before this emancipation can be achieved the present pamphlet has its place. It is an entirely proletarian product, and treats a serious subject seriously and scientifically. It is issued, not as the view of an individual, but as the accepted manifesto of the Socialist Party on the subject; and agreement with it and the general position of the Party entails upon every member of the working class the duty of joining the Socialist Party of Great Britain and helping forward its work.
Is Socialism antagonistic to religion? Can a Socialist be a Christian?... an explanation of the Socialist position on this question is the more urgent now, because the hypocritical and time-serving procedure of so many professed Socialists has enabled those who are frankly our opponents to keep the anti-religious aspect of Socialism effectively to the fore. Politicians angling for votes and office, and organizations scheming for members and subscriptions, have almost all evaded the charge that Socialism implies atheism and materialism, by pretending that religion is in no way related to the question of Socialism.
God did not create man, man created God in his own image... Christianity, indeed, is a cemetery of dead religions... In the light of historical facts, it is clear that religion has evolved continuously under the pressure of natural causes, and in this it does not differ from all other things; but a distinct characteristic is exhibited by religion's modern phase. In contrast with science, which grows in volume, complexity, interdependence, and definiteness, religion decreases in volume, cohesion, and definiteness, and is now in process of evolution -- if such it can truly be called -- into nothingness. It is, in fact, more accurately an evaporation than an evolution... whenever knowledge takes a step forward God takes a step backward.
It is therefore a profound truth, that Socialism is the natural enemy of religion.. the entry of Socialism is, consequently, the exodus of religion... Socialism as a system of society means the end of supernatural beliefs... all religious teaching is directly opposed to the scientific materialism, or monism, which is an integral part of socialist philosophy...
If a man supports the Church, or in any respect allows religious ideas to stand in the way of the principles of Socialism or the activity of the Party, he proves thereby that he does not accept Socialism as fundamentally true and of the first importance, and his place is outside. No man can be consistently both a socialist and a Christian. It must be either the socialist or the religious principle that is supreme, for the attempt to couple them equally betrays charlatanism or lack of thought. There is, therefore, no need for a specifically anti-religious test. So surely does the acceptance of Socialism lead to the exclusion of the supernatural, that the Socialist has little need for such terms as Atheist, Free-thinker, or even Materialist; for the word Socialist, rightly understood, implies one who on all such questions takes his stand on positive science, explaining all things by purely natural causation; Socialism being not merely a politico-economic creed, but also an integral part of a consistent world philosophy.
Our question is therefore answered. Socialism, both as a philosophy and as a form of society, is the antithesis of religion.
Thanks for the ping!
Amen to that. They count on our admonishment to "turn the other cheek." So long as we do that we facilitate the work of our enemy from within our own house. It's a Catch-22 for Christians who, unlike their mooslumb counterparts, are not charged with the mission of "conversion or death by the sword."
Socialists never have and never will have anything to offer to anyone. They can only offer to one person that which is another person's. For that reason more than any other--and there are many others--they are the grand facilitators, using the 3-way playoff system as a means to achive their end: "My enemy's enemy is my ally" works every bit as well for them as it does the muzzies.
I can understand why the socialists, muzzies, and all the rest so loathe Christianity. Despite their best efforts to the contrary, Christianity prevails. Unlike their "religions of non-religion" Christianity does not draw its strength from its followers or their puny mortal-man's works; it IS the Strength from which its followers and mortal-men's good works flow. Big difference.
OT: "The 1911 version. . . ." Made me chuckle a little. In certain "disciples' " circles that would be a reference to another "religion" and a different Moses--John Moses Browning. ;)
“But it is bound to implode at some point... or is it?”
They have impressive modelling & polling now, and will withdraw items that people react too harshly to. The frog is boiling in the pan. They know how to stop it jumping out. They didn’t have that in the 40s.
Great find.
I refer to him as “zero” - without capitalization
Goos show
The zero identified his enemy in the first few days: conservatism, by desperately trying to marginalize Rush Limbaugh.
It is bound to fail I believe, because I think this is a trial run to the real thing that will ultimately fail permanently.
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