The Ward County independent., 1909-06-10
Socialism, Not Opposed
To Religion
Lynch. N. D., May 80, 1909


The Ward County Independent:
Gentlemen:-We the undersigned
respectfully request !hat you publish
the enclosed paper read by Miss LIS
ter Briggs, entitled, Socialism Is
Not Opposed to Religion" at our reg
ular meeting at the home OF Mr.. and
Mrs. A. Briggs May 80, 1909. ..r
| Yours truly, -'
| G.. s. Howell, r. w. DalZiel, A. D.
Briggs, Mrs. R.. w. Dalziel, Roy Kel'
Ter, Mrs. A. D. Briggs, Esther Briggs
Mrs. C. J. Bell, Mrs. Ella M. Howell
C. ]. Bell, B. Briggs, R. A. Daley.
Socialism Not Opposed to Religion
No, Socialism is not antagonistic to
religion. ..... ...
CAPITALISM is antagonistic to reli-
gion. .'7..
Capitalism compels the masses OF
the people to scramble for bare ex-
istence. It compels most OF them 70
break the Golden Ru1e every day. 1t
deprives them Of the time to develop
their spiritual natures. It, deprlves
them of the frame of mind necessary
TO the development of their spiritual
natures. r
That is amply sufficient to demon
strate that capitalism is antagonlstlc
to religion. -,
OF course, religion and the church
are two separate and distinct things
AS for the church, with minor ex-
ceptions, the capitalists dominate 1t
and use it for their own purpose.
They hold the purse strings OF the
church. The purse strings connect
with the preachers tongue.
Where the preachers tongue gets
unruly the capitalist gives the purse
strings yank.
The effect is electrical.
The preacher becolIes the most do
cile of men. He promises to be good.
He promises that he won't do 1t again.
But the preacher does not usually
come to the pass of getting unruly.
He knows that if he tells the truth
about the capitalists and the capital
ist system from his pulpit he will be
likely to lose his job. So he shuts
his eyes to the horrors of capitalism.
He praises the iniquitous system. he
grovels before wealth. he abhors
workingmen who strike against star
vation wages. He loses no opportun-
ity to prejudice his hearers in favor
OF capitalist slavery.
He has to do this or run an immin-
ent risk of losing his job.
He is not leader. ell is mirror.
He is not leader. He is a mirror.
parishoners. If he fails to reflect ac-
curately, they smash the mirror.
He is in a precari0us and pitible
position. He does not know how to
do anything but preach. If he were to
tell the, truth and lose his job ne
knows of no other occupation in the
world to which he could turn with a
fair prospect of being able to make
Ia living. He would not only face dis
grace, in the eyes of his capitalist
friends, but he would face actual star
yation. He has wife and children
He loves them. He does not want
them to suffer. By being hypocrlte
he can provide them with material
and educational advantages. 1t is
a trying position.
OF course, the right thing for him
to do is to throw hypocrisy to the
winds, face the situation with indom-
liable course, and resolve that he will
do and say what he believes @ to be
right, utterly regardless of the effect
it may have upon himself. He ought
to be brave enough to prefer to die
in the gutter rather than be a hypo'
critic. u
Some of them have faced the stu
alton and many of these have lost
their jobs. s,
But these are only the rare spirits
Such sublime courage is scarcely
to be expected of tha common herd Of
preachers. The average preacher
trims his sails to the breeze. He
guards his utterances so as to say
nothing that will offend the men who
pay the bills. He makes an uncon'
ditional surrender to the capitalist
class.
This is superabundant demonstra'
tion that capitalism is antagonistit
to religion. It throttles religion and
uses religious institutions for its OWL
purposes. 1t uses the pulpit to at
tempt to perpetuate itself.
No, Socialism is not antagonistic te
religion.
Directly, Socialism has nothing tt
do with religion.
Indirectly, Socialism will have