The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-21
BY JACK HOWARD
United Press staff Correspondent
Copyright. 1881. BY United Press

Copyright. 1881. BY United Press
PARIS, Aug. 21.-While the
church has received what was in
tended as death blow in Russia,
1t Is not yet dead.
1t is not fighting desperately for
survival, for it is too late for that.
1t and its congregations merely are
trying TO pass out Of the picture
with as much of the old-time splen-
dor of the orthodox church of the
cars as possible.
The Communist regime realizes
that the power of the church is
dead. 1t can be eradicated COM
pletely any time, or it can be al
lowed to disintegrate by itself
Eradication is more costly and no
more effective.
The Russian church always was
allied closely with the ruling class
and never had a real hold upon
the people. Therefore it has not
been hard task to tear the young
generation away from God and
push IL toward Denln.
Old Only Attend Services
Many churches still hold services,
but these are attended by old per-
sons only.
God does not exist for the young
Russian.
Most of the old men and women
one sees attending church services
seem to go through habit. Me-
chanically they take their part in
the ceremony. When they have
passed on there will be no one who
ever can go through the superficial
forms of worship.
Of the vast number of priests
and monks. who once swarmed over
Russia, those who took advantage
of the situation early in the revo-
luton are faring as well as the
average.
They are working in factories with
the rest of the proletariat, or doing
other work that fits into Commu-
mist plans. Those who chung tena-
ciously to the church are not do
ing so we'll. Many have become
beggars. Others peddle papers or
souvenirs on Moscow streets.
Many Are Torn Down
A few still can be found day in
and day out sitting in the empty
little shrines, or the emptier
little churches.
With the overthrow of the church.
the wholesale destruction OF
churches did not take place. Many
churches have been torn down to
make way for improvements. But
seldom is any church touched that
has any artistic or historical value
One beautiful church has been or
dered torn down to make way for a
new temple of labor. 1t is the
Cathedral of the Redeener, occupy
ing one of the most commanding
sites in Moscow.
This church is "a magnificent
structure with a great dome made
from a ton of pure gold, but the
Communists claim it has no his
torical or artistic merit. 1t was
completed late in the last century
and is not pure Russian in style.
Perhaps the real reason it is
doomed is because it can be seen
from almost any spot in Moscow
and such a reminder of God rankles
the Soviet soul.
Lenin' Is New Religion
Russia really has not eliminated
religion from the lives of the peo-
Die, for the faith of Communism
with its prophet Lenin merely has
moved into the spiritual vacancy
forcibly vacated by the church.
Z Peasant women, who still make
the sign of the cross before some
icon of the virgin or Christ, do like
wise before small Statuette or
picture of Lenin. Thousands daily
stand in line under a broiling sun
and wait their turn to see the re-
mains of the proletarian prophet
laid out in state in his magnificent
red marble tomb in the Red Square
of Moscow.
Already many myths are growing
up around the life of Lenin ano
most of the famous sayings of great
radical leaders are attributed to
him. Lenin's famous statements
apparently outnumber the prodigi-
Gus number of beds of which
Americans boast as resting places
of George Washington.
The zeal of a true Communist is
stronger and more fiery than that
of most Christians today, because
it is the zeal and fire of apostles
The Communist feels he has found
the right way to live and he wants
to spread this theory to all parts
of the globe.
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