Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-26
Americans Predict Failure
AS SOviets Attack Church

Failure" is the word that Americans
apply to the campaign being conducted
in Russia to stamp out religious
organizations. 1t is maintained generally
that persecution always strengthens
religion and that attacks upon liberty
of belief will consolidate world feeling
against the Soviet.
1.-The Soviet government could have
chosen no surer method Of fostering
and encouraging religious belief"
maintains the Petersburg Progress
Index, than in the determined efforts
being made by the government to stamp
it out. 1t is in high degree probable
that millions now living shall see reli-
gion flourishing and prospecting in
Russia as never before" The Harris
burg Telegraph remarks: THE poor
fools who cannot see divine will and
intelligence back of creation are simply
headed for their own ruin. Having
failed to recognize the fundamental
truth of divine origin, all other of their
calculations must one day fail. Make
no doubt of it. God is not Knocked. He
has survived many, many such plots. 81"
X X 4 X
christianity has never yet been
harmed by persecution" according to
the Houston Chronicle, "and it is to
QOuDbGQ
They might, indeed, injure the organized
church for while; but if Christianity is
the vital force its disciples believe it to
be, it will eventually overcome the
amaterialiStS and pagans who oppose 1t. y
The Newark Evening News recalls that
France once made an attempt to sub
Stitute a goddess of reason for the
warmth of Christ's divinity" but that
paper adds: 1T is possible Russia S
state atheism will suffer the same fate.
It can, by decree and education, change
mems minds, but it cannot change men
themselves"
"The unrefined savagery Of the
Soviet" in the opinion of the Port
Huron Times Herald, lis likely in the
end to be its own undoing. Religion,
even more than political principles,
has. from the beginning of things, pro-
duced men and women who joyfully be-
came martyrs to a cause, and VINO, IN
their sacrifice and punishment, brought
defeat to their oppressorS." Holding
that persecution, no matter how vlo-
lent or widespread, cannot crush the
truth" the Long Beach Press Telegram
remarks: Communism seems to have
ignored one of the greatest discoveries
of all time 1t is expressed in the poets
declaration, God moves in a mysterious
way His wonders to perform A verbal
variation Of the same thought is, Man
proposes and God disposes.'
4 4 X X
"Such startling events as this savage
drive to stamp out religion and the
plan now afoot to dispoSsess wealthy
peasants and turn their land over to
workmen inexperienced IN farming, ="
declares the Providence. Bulletin, ARE
deeds which, in the words of the Arch
bishop of Canterbury, violate the ele-
mentary principles of justice. They
make Russia an enigma to America
and indefinitely postpone all hope of
reconciliation between the two coun-
tries" The Salina Journal points out
that in this instance there are no
"jealousies of creed or attempts to boil
ster prejudice between religions" and
concludes: when it is evident that
persecution that seeks to throttle belief
in God does not distinguish between
religions, we can hope, at least, the
sewers of the seed of religious hatred
will find less fertile soil on which to
work"
Looking at the religious situation in
Russia in purely political terms" argues
the Ann Arbor Daily News, sit would
seem that the Soviet would be appre-
hensive OF the ultimate result. It is
playing with two kinds of fire, both of
which are serious menaces. One is the
red FIRE OF anarchy which is being
famed into flame, and the other Is the
fire of religious faith, which will burn
more steadily and become stronger with
every effort to extinguish."
\ X X
Nothing In Roman or medieval or
sixteenth century prosecutions" SAYS
the Atlanta Journal, ''can compare for
bitterness with the present Soviet on
slaught, upon the religious faiths IN
Russtaat Christian, Jew, Mohammedan.