East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-07-11
BOLSHEVIK CONTROL
BLOW TO CHURCHES
Reds Take Census of Saints
Bones; Says Some Had
20 Legs, Arms or Heads.
By FRANK J. TAYLOR

(United Press Staff Correspondent
NEW YORK. July 10.-The church
is the only institution in Russia which
the bolsheviks insist upon operating
on capitalistic basis The bolshe-
viks threw out the church, as a state
proposition, when they came into
power and seized everything else. For
merly the church and state were close
1y allied. the state supporting the
thousands and thousands of mosques
Russia probably had more churches
per square mile than and other land in
the world. In Moscow there are more
churches per capita than there are
movie theatres in Los Angeles. and the
city block that does not have more
than one is difficult to find.
1t was a hard blow to the church
when the bolsheviks got control of
Russia. The bclsheviks are church,
haters. According to them. the church
was the means by which the czar
regime duped the people. Religious
holidays and religious ceremonies gave
the priest a tremendous influence over
the superstitious peasant.
The bolsheviks consider it a wonder
full accomplishment, the abolition of
religious holidays. which they said
prevented the Russian from getting
anything done. There were as many
as two or three saints birthdays to
commemorate each week, according to
the bolsheviks. The churchmen re-
taliate that the bolsheviks have not
only cut off the holidays, but have also
stopped work.
Sever church. state.
Following the fall of the Kerensky
government, the churchmen doubled
their efforts to stir up counter revolu-
ton. the bolsheviks say. The latter re-
taliated by completely serving church
and state, and forcing the priests to
rely on contributions from congrega-
tions for support.
Some churchmen adjusted them
selves to the new conditions, others
went to work, and still others are
marking time in prison cells for being
over jealous against the bolshevik
government Congregations have fall
len off, though many churches are
open. Incomes are limited to what the
congregation cares to donate. They
are now on the same financial basis
as the American churches.
The tithe system is abolished, and no
church can levy taxes. The bolshe-
viks further cut off the privilege of
educating children. which was former
ly done largely by the churchmen. Re-
,igion is separated from education.
Census of Saints Bones
In Russia IL was the custom to wor-
ship the bones of saints, supposedly
buried in churches throughout the
land. The bolsheviks have partly COM
pleted n census of the bones OF saints
which is enlightening.
1t shows already. say the hloshevilis,
that certain saints of considerable re-
nown had rs many as twenty legs and
mere arms and heads, according to TIE
number of churches which claim in
termed members of saints bodies. In
vestlgation of the tombs proved that
nany kinds of fakes had been COM
mitted by the priests to lead the SIM
pie minded Russian to believe that he
was worshipping certain sairt's
bones. In some tombs the priests had
stored money. food and wire, thinking
the bolshev lis would never find it
there.
The bolshev;its have conducted
these Investigations ruthlessly. and are
giving them wide publicity. MOVIES"
are taken of mark of the exposures as
far as the shortage of filn.s will per-
NIT. Films for making moves is pro-
badly the article which the bolsheviks
most need ,ignt now. considering its
calue in propaganda work.
All churches have not ceased 10
cxiSr In Moscow it is estimated tina.
half of them are operating on the
"ca pitalistic" basis and as lndependaht
institutions. and are fairly successful.
Many of the churchmen are tr: .og
fn od =, hA
ditions and are preachiue a more nc,
ern thought. In this they are follow
ing the example of the Jewish rabbis.
who have been more independent and
advanced than the Russian churcn-
men. son of the priests, adjusting
themselves more than oGiokly to the