The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-10-17
TRUE POSITION OF COM MUNISTS ON RELIGION CITED BY LOCAL
 PARTY
 Waterbury, Conn,
 October 15, 1886.

october 10, 1856. Editor, Waterbury Democrat:-
 We communists face all questions squarely, even with eager anticipa- tion. We leave nothing ursaid be- cause we have nothing to hide. On the contrary, the more we set forth our principles before the people the greater. becomes our prestige and strength.
 We are attacked as destroyers of democracy. This is a lie. Capital ists are the enemies of democracy. They fear 1t. When their power is weakened they destroy it.
 Communists defend democracy. They are heroic fighters for the republican cause in Spain. The en- emies of Spain maintain the oppo- site in the face of overwhelming facts.
 Perhaps they would like to ar- swer this question. Who is defend- ing democracy in Spain? Is it the fascists? Is it the church? Who set up dictatorship? Who is at- tacking constitutionally elected government? Is it the ccmmun- ists? Or is 1t Franco who has just been made dictator? .4 .f
 The enemies of the people are the enemies of democracy. The com munists ever on the alert and in the front rank for the cause of the people throw themselves unflinch- ingly into the struggle to prevent the destruction of the peoples lb- critics.
 Reactionaries maintain that the Spanish government is 8 communist government. Let us put this ques- tion to them. Is the French gov- ernment a communist government? In all likelihood they will answer yes. But who will believe them?
 The Peoples Front of Spain is a replica of. the Popular Front of France. Communists support these governments against the danger of fascism and for the preservation of democracy. Neither is communist. That communists support them is proof that communists are promin- ently participating in the struggle against those who would destroy democracy.
 We are accused of being irreligi- ous. We do not deny it. Atheism is no crime. We, are opposed to re- ligion because religion makes an ideal of misery and suffering. We are opposed to misery and suffering. Religion is passive. It teaches resignation to and acceptance of miserable conditions holding forth the blessings of an after life as 8 reward for a lifetime of misery and suffering.
 From this estimate of the social role of religion it is quite clear that the communist party is the enemy of religion. We try to awaken the masses to a realization of the miserable conditions under which they live, to arouse them to revolt against those conditions, and to change these conditions to life now; not to wait for any supposed re- ward in heaven, but to create their heaven on earth. It Is clear that any serious movement to arouse and organize the masses to the realization of a better life now must struggle against anything that tends to create passivity, to create the idea that it is best to submit passively to the powers that be.
 On the other hand, the com- munist party is absolutely opposed to any form of coercion on re- ligious matters. Communists arc for religious freedom uncondition- ally.
 They consider that in relation to staet power. the governmental poli- cies religion is Q private matter. The state should not interfere with or in any way dictate to religious institutions and beliefs.
 There Is complete religious free- dom for every individual in Soviet Union. The church is completely separated from the state. The Czar- ist church was one with the state, There were no lines of demarcation between the two. One was as cor rupt as the other. The power oi the church merged with the power of the state and was as equally re- sponsible for conditions under the Car. When Czarisrn went down h