Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02

4
Orthodox Church denies. There Is a
persistent rumor that the Reformed
Church Is under the full control of the
Communist party and is being used by
1t to weaken religion from within its
portals. In q recent interview the pa
triarch of the new church renounced
this notion definitely, but he agreed
with the Soviet theory Of education of
, the young in mechanistic explanations
OF life. saying 1t would do them no
harm and claiming that there would al
ways be a need for religion in the
realm of life's mysteries that exists be-
yond the limits of scientific knowledge,
which people will always explain by
| means OF religion. It Is this religious
tendency, 50 strong in the Russian, that
forms the great bulwark Of the hsrassed
church against the atheistic assaults Of
| Communism.
And 1t is into this spiritual field that
the Communists now carry their war
The legislation expiating religion was
enacted, the Soviets explain, in order
70 remove the churches from the politi-
cal domain. The political power of the
Ialtn Is now crushed beyond repair, its
wealth Is gone and its unity demoralized
ana so the government does not plan
Irtner administrative encroachments
BUT through the Communist party It
continues its assault and enters the
realms OF the spirit to win the souls
OF people from religion. And here it
OF material law the Russians are accus-
Toned to being ruled, and submit read
iIy, out their mystic natures have never
been restrained. Atheism. to succeed
must overcome that fundamental force
30 the battle Is drawn, piouS mystic-
ISM pltted against propaganda, blaS-
pHemy and oppression.
Russian Peasants Sought Deity.
1t has been said that in old Russia
one never met a native who was not on
MS way TO hear something about God
or returning from some place where he
mad just heard of God The art of the
land reflects the constant concern of the
Russian over his soul. The novels of
Dostoevski and Tolstoy do not picture
material people, nor did thew come
from the minds of materialiSts. And
Tcha1kowsky's Pathetic Symphony IL
not the cry OF mechanical soul. Death.
MES mystery, fate and an eternal effort
10 md sanctuary from futility in the
concept of a Deity run like silver
threads through the pattern of Russian
NE. From the shabbiest peasant on
the nat, wind-swept steppes to the Gar
N nus naunts OF ivory and gold, every
True Russian felt his fate to be In the
- AASANAAAAs pCLSOIlhl N1OQs
When the first blizzard of Winter
noWled down from the Arctic, turning
the vast empty Steppes into desert Of
snow, the peasants work In the field
was done. Until Spring they were shut
In tiny villages and squalid towns. There
was no diversion but vodka and a aad.
WIG song or two. For thinking and
DIooolng there we're many sullen hours.
!led TO the heavy soil, they had no
ufeams OF better life coming through
Iner own volition. Their sole bulwark
against dull and bitter existence was
tnelr faith; the mosaic and eilded
cnurch, the only flash Of beauty In An
unDeautiful existence, and the promises
OF a gayly gowned priest their onlv
TOE. Famine would come in spite of
tner best efforts. Their God was the
. oniy one 10 stop 1t. Strange illnesses
vlSiIeo their squirming households. Thev
them. w cure
Inc mystic nature of the people over
moved from the rituals of the church
ana magic and omens and charms Ala
great deeds in their imaginations. Holv
men wandered through Isolated vilIares
Douno Tor some shrine in q far CITY az
music and color and light. one Gftsn
pLayeo Tor rain and rain came, or he
cnanted for q sick child and the child
became well. When this occurred ths
tsles OF his power spread and grew as
sney were retold. Simple acts BECAME
miracles and stories Of the berpar's
paUw.sSs, sometimes long after his death.
moui9 reach monastery. There thev
would De recorded, and the creature of
!TneIy peoples faith would be set I'M in
IHons In the cathedrals of the cities ana
chapes OF the Czars-a saint.
q, Inen, too, the people created their
ncofEuptlple saint" He was usllallv = n
asceuc who entered a cave in a Elm
mao himself walled in, except for =
smaH opening, through which he took
S Sis ana water. When starvation or
olseaSe had killed him, the tiny hole
va, was closed and the grave he went To IN
ne would become q shrine. These were
UIten opened, and in the colder and
oIIeF CLIMATES the remains Frequently
were found to be mummified. If this
happened, the body was venerated as
an mcorrupt1ble saint and carried to a
silver tomb and established A. 4 sl,rirs
Of pilgrims. ''-i A'ie
SarcOphagus Exposures Hurt Church.
The inherent mysticism of the peonle
tnat created these Superstitions Il the
most formidable wall that shuts o,It
atheism, yet the creatures created bv
THIS force have furnished the most yuI-
PNAAHo Va &II1CA IOT AIyl-Ten.
gious propaganda. Though the Churches
OF modern Russia are swinging awav
from these irrational concepts. the
SoVletS nave exploited them to treat
advantage. When inventories of the
monasteries were being taken, tornbs of
lncorruptible saints were opened In
several important churches it was found
tnat inscriptions churchmen had
placed wax images in the sarcophaeus
dnese disclosures were given wide pub
hclty and proved important blows
struck against the church.
These exposures, the legal disabilities
set upon the faith and the constant
propaganda have had their effect upon
church membership. The Orthodox
Cnurch, that numbered 10000, 900
communicates before the revolution
now has in both branches about So oon
600. The Reformed Church claims 20 :
0OO, 600 and the old Orthodox Church
100000. However, the entire loss
cannot be credited to atheism. for
Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews and
MahometanS, under the Car, were not
given full religious rights. and since
tnese faiths now have equal privileges
with the Orthodox Church thew have
encroached upon its membership.
rms unprecedented religious life Of
the nation casts fantastic shadows on
the Russian scene AS the ranks of the
religious are thinned hundreds of
churches are unneeded for houses of
prayer. During the last IL months "a
were closed in Moscow,
In Leningrad the proud Cathedral of
st. Isaac has met an ironic doom, It's
grandiose pillars Of granite that were
rolled from Finland to hold I'm an
ornate facade OF angels and saints now
| shelter guides who lead visitors through
the mighty bronze doors into an anti
religious museum housed beneath the
| vast R1lded dome. The walls NnnA ,.,i4l,