New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-06
SOCIALISM AND RELIGION.

The Socialist Congress which opens to-day at
Bresau has formidable programme before It,
Many Of the items are of highly contentious
character, and will doubtless provoke extremely
animated discussion One Is. for example,
proposition practically to declare the Seventh
Commandment null and void, and to abolish
wedlock as "relic Of barbarism." Another will
seek to array Socialism definitely and uncom
promsingly against every form Of religious faith
That these proposals will be adopted is not GER
tain What seems certain Is that they Will De
brought forward. seriously and earnestly, and
will be supported by a considerable proportion
Of the Congress. including not few of the lead
ing delegates. Apparently TO give more time 1or
the consideration of such themes, the much
mooted agrarlan question Is to be postponed I'M
I'll next year. although 1t is of all most to the
fore in the country where Socialism most -four
shes.
The topics we have mentioned as likely to re-
ceiye attention are Of especial significance at
This time when many well-meaning but Ill
understanding men are seeking to establish some
sort Of union between Christianity and Social
ism. Some clergymen even, are coddllng Social
,stic doctrines as a sort Of latter-day appendix
70 the Decalogue and the Sermon on the Mount
They seem tC have taken the Socalistic tax
about the brotherhood Of man as a revised YER
sion of the message Of Peace on earth good
will 10 men" That any one In his senses should
do so seems incomprehensible Perhaps 'his
Socialist Congress and some Of its deliberations
will serve TO open their eyes and clarity their
thoughts
II is perfectly true that there are and nave
been many estmable men calling themselves
Christian Socialists. One readily recalls Kings
Low and Maurice. and Ketteler, Moufang and
Hoffncr But one searches their writings ana
their sermons in vain for the peculiar doctrines
Of Socialism. Not one Is to be found. but, on
the contrary many utterances Directly hos'iie
10 Socialism The brotherhood Of man, honest
dealings between man and man. not to grind
the faces Of the poor" that 1.-THE laborer Is worthy
of his hire" these and other like principles can
not be claimed exclusively for Socialism. Ihey
| did not originate with 1t. They are not prac-
| tiscd by its devotces alone. On the other manu.
some of the distinctive doctrines OF Socialism, rs
| put forward by its best qualified eXpounders,
are directly anti-Chrlstan and anti-relisious. No
one, perhaps, is better entitled TO speak Tor Eng
| lish Socialism than Mr.. Bax, and he says PLAIN
" that Socialism utterly despises the other
world with all It's stage propertes-that IS
"thc present objects Of religion" God. eternity
| the SOUL Immortality. faith, prayer, are then
| all utterly despised." That is the creed OF
| Socialism
| II will be well II the religious question is
brought up at Breslau. There will then be op
portunity for the leaders Of Socialism to put
themselves definitely on record concerning It,
| and for the rest of the world to see Just where
they stand. There has been entirely too much
intellectual and spiritual mushness on this sub
iect. Let there be end of saying .. am q
Dest but l don't believe in God and L am
a Christian but don't believe in Christ, ano
equally with saying Il am Socialist but don
believe in Socialism" A man either does Ol
does not believe in thing, and If he does be
leve in it. he cannot believe in Its contrary
| Let us know what Is what.