The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-03-10


conducted without religious sery-
ices; that fact tells its own story
to all who know Russia.
Leaders of the new regime have
no time for the churches. The dis
appearance Of the former veneration
for things religious is demonstrat-
ed by the bullet-scarrcd churches
and smashed icons in Holy Mos
cow The cupolaS OF the beauti-
full church of St. Basil, outside Of
the walls Of the kremlin, were
wrecked by the recent civil war
In actual practice, bolsheyikism is
coming to he regarded almost as a
religion. While not formally Of
fered as a substitute for Christian
ity, it is being preached as the
gospel Of the new social order
Russia is scarcely conscious that
it has gone back on the religion OF
its fathers. Merely the old thoughts
and the old habits have been crowd
ed out by these new and intense
interests of revolution and radical
ism. The peasant and the soldier
have no time for priest or church
service or parish interests. They
have given up these old habits. Such
formal usages as uncovering when
passing a church, and the keeping
OF lights burning before the icons,
have been overlooked There is
little consciou, rcpudiation OF the
church in Russia, but an oyerwhelm-
ing Indifference.
Leaders Without Faith.
RadicAlism in Russia has not vet
assumed an anti-religious phase.
In its program the revolution
shrewdly let the church alone. As
yet there is no considerable out
spoken anti-Christian propaganda,
but one locks in vain in the church,
with their diminished congregations
for Red guards or other radical
leaders.
In truth, the men at the top of the
bolshevik party are in good part
Russian Jews, returned from Amer
lea and other foreign lands who are
veteran social agitators and who
long ago got far beyond religion.
They are OF the group who talk
against religion in open-air meet
ings in Madison square. The pious
and orthodox Jews in Russia call
these men infidcls. The tie Of their
historic faith has been broken The
bolsheyik leaders do not care ior
Iionism They do not care Tor
their fellow Jews. Up to the pres
ent they seem powerless to do any
thing practical to stem the growing
Russian tide of anti ewish feeling
which has been created by the spec
ulation ia foodstuffs. Asked for a
definition OF their faith, the radi-
ais in Russia would say that their
religion is humanity.
A Sacred and Silent Pulpit.
Nor is there anybody left to lit
the church's voice except in anath-
ema. The high officials OF the
orthodox church seem to be eccle-
siastics rather than prophets They
like the great body OF "papas.' or
parish priests who follow them are
silent on the social struggle that
is the one supreme factor in the life
of Russia today. They are neither
strongly for the new regime nor yet
may they be depended upon for a
counter-revolution. In fact. Russian
ecclesiastics have sought their bomb
proof cellars. They are living low,
in the hope that the storm viii pass. |
and they await the return of the
pre-reyolutionary status of the |
church-Yhich means that they will |
die waiting. unless they change their
minds. So far as am aware. no
church leader has given anv sign
that he senses the real significance
OF what has happened i'm Russia |
within the past twelve months
The Russians are rapidly accept
ing socialism as a religion. Even |
the mystic Muscovitcs are so en-
crossed in problems of a new earth |
that they have temporarilv lost their
ancient CLEAN of new heaven.
They are aflame with the spirit oil
zeal for revolution. The onlv re-
yiyalists in the land are radicals, The
political propagandists are the
preachers OF power. Twelve months
ago Russia was nation more close
" allied to the church than anvil
other country: today Russia. as a |
nation. may be said to be seeking
the new gods Of radicalism.
The Great Issue Raised.