The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-07-11
SOCIALISM AND RELIGION
Review of New Book BY John
Sparqo

John Spargo's new book MARKHAM
Socialism and Religion is reviewed at
some length in the New York Times
of last Sunday. The Times article is
as follows;
Mr.. Spargo uses half of his book to
define religion and socialism. 1t is
not necessary to question his defini-
lions because they have nothing to do
with the facts of the case, as appears
from the concluding half of the book.
1t is easy to agree that religion con-
Germs itself with the hereafter, and so
cialism with the present. There is
nothing of economies in religion, and
nothing but economics in socialism.
Mr.. Spargo ranges himself with the
best friends and opponents of each
when he urges that they be kept apart.
Then he proceeds to differ from So
cialists who have mingled them. He
quotes many, too many, expressions of
atheistic and anti-religious bodies and
individuals, and reproaches them for
having exposed socialism and atheism
is met with the challenge that for
every atheist among Socialists several
may be named among the leaders of or
thodox political parties. Mr.. Spargo
objects that this controversy develops
the worst features OF theological
wrangling. There has been a warfare
of texts, torn from their associations
and distorted in their meaning. There
fore he proceeds to discuss the subject
upon principle, and to inquire whether
in substance there is any essential an
tagonism between religion and social
ism, apart from the errors of some
Socialists. His conclusion is that
there is no more inconsistency be-
tween socialism and religion than
there is between evolution and relig
ion Socialism deals merely with OBJ
served tendencies OF social evolution.
Facts are facts, apart from Divine di-
rection and control. Material and
economic factors certainly are at work
whatever may be thought about the OPP
Grafton Of other factors. and Proyi-
dence may work through both classes
Of factors in its own inscrutable way.
The French Socialists were not anti
clericals because they were Socialists
The Italian Socialists did not demand
the expulsion OF Jesuits because they
were Socialists Those incidents are
to be attributed to the intrigues and
ambitions of the Catholics. The de
claration of the Socialist Party OF
Great Britain that socialism is the
natural enemy of religion and much
more to the same effect, is frankly re-
pudiated, and the party denounced as
unrepresentatiye and unimportant any
way, The American position is de
clared to be expressed in the address
of the Socialist Party of Vermont i'll
1912, and in the position Of Cardinal
Gibbons, for which Mr.. Spargo gives
authority, The Vermont declaration
is that religious belief of non-belicf
is matter for the individual con.
science" and Church and State
should be entirely separate" Cardinal
Gibbons, on the authority of his secre-
tary. believes and never fails to
speak his convictions when an oppor-
tunity presents itself. that for our
country the separation Of Church and
State as we have it here is the best
thing for both Church and State"
Having thus divorced socialism and
religion as thoroughly in principle as
in his definitions. Mr. Spargo in his
concluding pages says ut must be adj
mitted that. in spite of the formal
declarations of neutrality toward re-
ligion by the socialist parties. attacks
on religion and the churches are com.
mon features OF the socialist prupagan-
da." The association of atheism and
socialism is declared "adventitious."
Darwinianism and socialism were near
ly contempOraneous That explains
the anti-religious views of some Social
lists, especially the Marxsts. Evolu-
ton and socialism are both scientific,
neither is anti-religious. II is the af-
filiation of the churches with the domi.
nant economic ideas and class that
drives the proletariat into suspicion
and contempt of religion. OF this
there was illustration and proof in the
Colorado labor war which identified
Rockefellerism with religion. Social
ism is truly religious and ethical, and
! its success depends upon the enlist
ment of the moral and spiritual forces
Of .tl. q