The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-04
SOCIALISM AND The CHURCH
BY David ooIdsteln.

BY David GoIdstein.
However many notions individuals
may entertain as to the character o
Socialism, the Church is not for ONT
moment confused on this question
Yet it is just because so many per
sons propagate Socialism as some
thing other than it is that | submit
few contrasting points of doctrine
which may be Of service to those hav
ing little time for prolonged stud!
of this most practical assault upoI
our Faith.
Backed by the protection of thu
Holy Ghost and the experience of thu
ages, the Church more than quartel
of century ago warned the faithful
of the approaching storm that has
been steadily gaining force ever since
The increasing army of the Reyolu
ton has pitched its battle close vi
to the walls of the Vatican.
In every nation in Europe, and ii
America as well, this foe of Christian
civilization is in the field or preparing
for war. AS the issue is unto death
it is not only vain, but reasonable
as well, to permit the enemy to be
come more strongly intrenched within
our borders. Socialism here is nc
borders. Socialism here is no mean
foe; it has already succeeded in
gaining a vast deal of sympathy
but from the general public as we'll
while radical education is raising new
generations fully imbued with the
blasphemous notion that God is a
myth. If, then, our country is to be
saved from the tyranny of a Goddess
victory, it is perfectly clear that
Catholics must come to the rescue.
For, as none other, they are fitted
for the heroic task.
The issue is clear cut. There can
be no compromise on either side with
out surrender of basic principles.
The devil still offers men the whole
world If they will but fall down and
worship him; while the Church still
holds out eternal salvation, to which
all good things in the world shall be
added if men will first seek the king
dom of heaven. For your Father
knoWeth We have need of these things.
With one doctrine set over against
the other he who runs may read the
meaning of modern Socialism, which
is founded upon the teachings of Marx
and Engels. All the Socialist parties
of the world are in agreement as to
these authorities.
First: The Church says God is our
Creator; that He has commanded us
to love Him first of ali, and our neigh
Dor as ourselves.
Socialism says there is no God;
that Evolution brought us into being.
Second: The Church says rational
beings endowed with free will are
personally responsible to Almighty
God for their thoughts, words and
deeds.
Socialism, denying free will, says
that society is responsible for our
shortcomings, as we are wholly sub
ject to our environment.
Third: The Church says the Chris
tian family, one man, one wife, is the
design of God, prefgured by the two
made one flesh in the Garden of
Paradise.
Socialism insists that the mono
gamic family is the creature of Pri-
vate Property-of the desire of some
remote savage to leave his surplus
of arrows and fish hooks to legfti-
mate heir.
Fourth: The Church says that mar
riage is Sacrament instituted by the
Son of God to sanctify and bless the
relationship of man and wife which
endures until parted by death.
Socialism says a mans association
with the opposite sex is his own in
dividual affair Ones personal in
clination is the only authority in the
case. Therefore no functionary-ec-
clesiastic or civil-has any right to
intervene. Hence new sex fondness
makes a separation from the last a
benefit to both parties and to society.
Fifth: The Church says that the
family is naturally moral body of
which the man is the head, and this
was so ordained by God.
Socialism says that man became the
head of the family because of his
economic superiority. In the new soci-
ETY. inevitably evolving, his headship
shall be rendered nil by the estab-
Hshment of the economic equality of
the sexes.
Sixth: The Church says the father
being the natural bread winner, hence
society shall be so ordered that the
man shall receive family wage that
he may provide for his wife and chill
dren in a becoming manner
Socialism proposes to end the eco
nomic dependence of wives upon their
husbands by the introduction OF the
whole female sex into the public in
dustries. 1t asserts that the married
woman of today differs from the WON
an in the street in that one sells her
self permanently and the other tenn
porarily. The ideal state will be the
economic equality of the sexes which
shall be maintained by the individual
wage.
Seventh: The Church says the
child belongs under God to its par
ents. Upon the parents rest the re-
sponsibility for the moral, material
and intellectual education.
Socialism says that the State is the
natural protector of the child, conse-