Evening star., 1931-05-01
ATHEISM MAKES
GAIN IN. GERMANY
1,7O0,0 900 Protestants Leave
Churches-CathoIic Loss
Is 800, 900.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
BERLIN, April 30-Inclusion in
the MISUNDERSTANDING emergency
Gecree of March % of specific meas
ures combating anti-religious agitation
brought sharply to public attention
suggestion of the extent to which god
less propaganda has progressed in Ger
many.
Figures now available reveal that the
Christian faith in the Reich has lost
more than 100000 Of its adherents
to atheism and kindred groups in the
last 25 years. This secession has cost
the Protestant Church some 100000
of its members, the Catholic Church,
300, 900.
About 100000 of the secessionists are
organized in the German Society Of
FrcethinkerS, which is made up largely
of Socialists and dominated by them.
1t has a branch in which the Com
munists voice radicalism of a brand
which goes beyond the more moderate
position of a majority of the society.
The Communists, moreover, have
founded Freethinkers' Society Of their
own, the membership of which IS not
great as yet, but which may depend
upon the enormous reservoir of the
whole Communist party. According to
Red newspaper reports the number OF
persons declaring their separation from
the church in Berlin alone has aver
aged 800 day of late.
Red Anti-Religious Influence.
Under Moscow influence an inten-
sive propaganda for leaving the church
has set in throughout Germany.
Through the medium Of the COM
munist party this propaganda is sown
on whatever may prove fallow soil; this
includes mass of persons who have
remained simply nominal and .diSin-
terested church members. Many Of
these, being unemployed or having in
comes of less than 1,400 marks (S350)
a year, are free of the church tax any
how and have not even technical
bond with religion.
In Germany, 1t must be understood,
the churches have a right to levy
certain percentage of the state income
tax on their members. and this is col
lected for them by the state authori-
ties. In addition to this legal obligation
to support religion in Germany, a
churchman may not withdraw from
membership simply by stepping out and
declining to attend services. He must
go before a court and apply to have the
act of his separation from the church
registered. Before the application Is
granted the court notifies the parson
of the parish concerned to give him
last opportunity to prevail upon the
erring member of his flock. This fail
ing, the application must be granted
and registered, but the renegade has to
pay his church taxes in any case for
another year.
These handicaps to secession from
the church fail to deter anti-religious
propaganda in Germany. Soviet Rus
sia's Alliance of the Goddess is under
stood to furnish a goodly part OF the
support behind the movement.
Vulgar Propaganda.
The methods, from any angle you
look at it, are crude and vulgar. Gross
cartoons and posters are exhibited;
abuse of priests and ministers of the
gospel is unbridled; Communist news
papers carry columns of these clumsy
diatribes. Here is a characteristic wit
ticism: A dying convict. attended by a
murmurs, Now I can die happily. for
Jesus Christ. like myself, perished with
q blackguard at each sidel" AZ
One has heard too many variations
of that line to stamp it either as. very
original or very clever.
It has been the custom for years in
Berlin that demonstrations which might
give opposing factions cause for at
tack have been protected on their
march by police squads in automobiles.
AS a consequence, one might have wit
messed some time ago a big truck with
two Communists masqueraded as
drunken, cavorting priests, solemnly
escorted by two police cars. That was
irony, for, to a Berlin po-
liceman, duty is duty wherever it lies.
Hooliganism of this sort (intensifed
at times like Christmas and Eastern is
what led to the emergency decree's
taking cognizance of its threat to pub
lie peace. Plus the fact that a violent
spread of atheism, based on sheer de-
rather than on any sin
cere disbelief, constitutes q danger to
thes social and political security Of the
state.
Have Support In Reichstag.
Church authorities, at the same
time. have received a warning from the
minister Of the interior, DR.. Wirth, not
to overstep the limit on their own part
in denouncing the Freethinkers for SIM
ply following honest convictions.
The Freethinkers, as matter OF fact,
are not without representation and
support In the Reichstag. OF the SIT
members 206 are frank dissenterS or
without religious affiliation Of any sort.
~ Q