The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1930-04-18
FOREIGN ATTACKS GIVE IMPETUS TO
SOVIET MASSES ATTACK ON RELIGION
By EUGENE LYONS

United Press Staff Correspondent
Moscow, April 17-UP-For-
eign attacks on their work have
undoubtedly served as a great
Stimulus to the militant atheists
here in their fervent drive against
all religion.
If persecution fortifies true
faith, it apparently also fortifies
true lack of faith. The recent
condemnations, begun by the Vat
lean and carried on by practically
all religions in the world, have
given the Goddess enthusiasts in
the Soviet Union a sense of being
prosecuted and have revivified
their propaganda.
At home, too, the organized
Goddess have come in for sharp
| criticism Government leaders
have blamed them for failing to
restrain over-zealouS members in
the villages. The Communist
Party has pronounced itself force
fully as opposed to compulsory
methods against the churches and
even to "mockery of religious SEN
timent."
! The effects of this criticism are
already visible. The publications
of the Society of Bodless under
line more emphatically than ev-
er before that the work must be
strictly limited to moral and in
tellectual suasiOn.
The immediate effects of the in
ternational protest on the religious
issue and of the domestic situa-
ton are twofold:
First, a cessation of arbitrary
coersive measures against religion
Communists deny that the cessa,
ton has been influenced by the
demonstrations abroad, yet there
seems no doubt that foreign in.
dignation was a contributory fac.
tor in ending the recent admins.
trative campaign against churches
Second, an intensification of am
h-rellgious propaganda. The atti
tude of the Catholic Church, the
Church of England, the Jewish
rabbis, etc, has provided the God
less movement with a powerful ar
gument to the effect that religion
is only the handmade of capitalism
! in the fight against the Soviets.
I Prof. Alexander Lukachevsky
one of the Vice-Presidents of tn,
Society of Goddess, told the Unit
ed Press that the organizationl
J ''five-year plan" is being through
" revised upward in view of Thu
unexpected prOpitious conditions
: for its activities.
: And even before revision thos'
: plans were not modest. The!
. foresaw a membership of 1900,
eco by 1888, as compared witt
about 100000 at present. The,
! foresaw 100 per cent of all you'll
between the ages of 8 and IA en-
rolled as members of the Goddess
Moreover, these figures mean ev
en- more than appears on the sur
face. because for every person &C
!, tually a member of the militan
u atheist society there are usual
several others in complete sympa
thy.
The work of the society will b
v expanded in every direction, Pro-
Lukaehevsky indicated. The the
atrical field, for example, will pro
vide between now and October
1893. minimum of 8 operas,
operettas, IL revues, Is drama
and II children's plays all direct
! ed against religion. In Moscow
. Leningrad and other centers Q
population special Goddess The
aires viii be established. In ad
! dition, of course, the film industr
viii contribute more and more an
= ti-religious pictures.
= Meanwhile the pressure agains
! priests in the villages seems t
: have been considerably release,
= Religious circles in the capital cor
slider the outlook more optimisti
So long as the atheists refrai
: from arbitrary actions with tt
Z support of government official
= religion at least has a fightin
= chance to retain its supporters.