The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-03-25

court for defending some religious thesis or
other as, for example, propounders of such
doctrines as the Immaculate Conception, the
creation of Eve out of Adams rib, Dead Sun
day (Al Souls Day., Transubstantiation, etc
We have removed the religious factors
from the whole educational activity and from
the system Of enlightenment in our country,
and we secure and promote with all the means
at our disposal the development of science
and spread it among the brsadest masses.
And with US such trial as the Monkey
Trial" in the U. S. A. would of course be i'm
possible, we promote in every way the
spread of scientific knowledge. The spread
of scientific knowledge and the overcoming of
every kind of prejudice naturally and of nee
essity leads to decline of the influence of
religion and falling off in the number of
those holding religious beliefs.
This decline of the influence of religion and
the number Of its adherents is also result
of the fact that number of religious organ
izations have compromised themselves by their
open support of counter-revolution 1.-THE Jesus
regiment in the army of Admiral Koltchak
the recent declaration of the Extraordinary
Church Conference of the Ukrainan Autoche-
phalic Church, that under the flag of this or
ganization White Guardists clothed as priests
prepared an armed revolt against the Soviet
Power, and number of similar facts.).
am asked another question in regard to
the closing of churches. Without doubt a
number of churches are being closed But this
is taking place as result of the decisions of
meetings Of the people, in cases where the
population itself regards the existence of the
church superfluous and prefers to employ
the church buildings and premises for cultural
purposes, schools, clubs etc. If / am not
mistaken also abroad churches are sub-leased,
closed and used for this or that institution of
secular character.
With US the closing of churches takes place
with sufficient guarantees which are con-
tanned in the decision of the Central Executive
Committee on religious communities. / men,
tion for example paragraphs SO and 81 of this
decision, which was adopted in April, 1929,
and also the fact that considerable portion
of the applications of the local authorities for
the closing of churches were not granted by
the higher organs.
The last question is what are the causes Of.
the agitation in other countries for the pur-
pose of raising the question of religion in the
Soviet Union? I believe that these causes are
not of religious, but solely of political ma
ture. Those groupings which. have launched
this campaign and are conducting it in con-
siderable number of foreign press organs, are
Shuco'oi"S w use IHc quSSIioH VI IciSiOH AS
weapon for political purposes. Here we
have without doubt to do with circles which
proceed from the standpoint that in political
warfare all means are permissible. This alone
would explain firstly, the appearance of alb
solutely wild inventions in the bourgeois news
papers, and secondly, the circumstance that
groups and persons have come forwardtjn de-
tense of religion, who for the most part them
selves hold religion to be mere prejudice and
ignorance, and who with their political activity
could never guarantee those forms of religious
'liberty which exist on the territory of the So
Wet Union.