The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-16

Thomas church, presents the back ground of the Russian revolution and the rallying cry of Christians to the Goddess campaign now in evi- dence.
 WORLD WAR ON GOD
 In Russia, early in the year of 1887 man was executed in the city of St. Peterburg for plotting to take the life of the Czar. The mans name, Alexander Ulianov. Thirty one years later the mans brother successfully carried ou the plot to take the life of the Czar. The brothers name, Vladimir Ulianov or as he will live in history forever, Nicholas tLenin. The story is told that when Lenin, as a boy sixteen heard of the execution of his brother, he tore from his neck the Cross the emblem of Russia's tradi- tional faith worn by Orthodox youths, trampled 1t under foot and swore revenge against God and society. This fearful revenge took concrete form in 1918 first by the slaughter of the imperial family in a cellar of the town of Ekaterin- burg and then by launching his long planned attack on the coul of the Russian people.
 On November 1917, with de- feat of the Kerensky revolution which after the abdication of the Czar had given Russia a nine- months attempt at democracy, the Communist leaders of the world, the Balshevicks as they were then call- ed, found themselves in possession of a major government of Europe with the entire apparatus, foreign and domestic, for the practical ap- plication of the doctrines and philosophy of Karl Marx.
 Religious Opium
 In the philosophy of Marx, reli- zion is considered the "opium of the people," narcotic which deadens mans intellect and retards his economic development" In his book Socialism and Religion" Lenin who developed the teachings of Marx, writes: Religion is and opiate for the people, a Lind of spiritual vodka, meant to make slaves of Capitalism tread in the dust their human form and their aspirations for a semi decent existence" In the official textbook of the Soviet "The A. B. 0. of Communism" the position of the government is well stated. Soviet power must exert the most fervent propaganda against all religion. All religions are one and the same poi- son, intoxicating and deadening to the mind." These are official pro- nouncementS.
 If the essence of Communism is to be found in the doctrines of Marx, Lenin and Stalin, the Communism is essentially atheistic. It can have no room for God. Wherever the spearhead of Communism penetrates its shaft is clutched by an iron fist sworn to destroy all the altars of Christendom. It demands the com- plete destruction of all forms of faith which admits the existence of God. The central idea of Commun- ism is the "all sufficiency of the producing State." In the philosophy we are complicated pieces of mat ter, our activities are carried on by blind material forces, our death is but the burning away of coal of the wearing down of an engine. We are like the spark struck from the flint and stel; we rise and shine for a moment and then fall back again. There is no after-world, no i'm. mortal soul, no God.
 Today Communism, particularly our suave Communists of America do not emphasize this philosophy, this atheism of Communism would persuade us that the persecution of religion in the first practical appli- cation of Communism, was but a passing phase of the movement and would not be repeated. But what of Spain? What of Mexico? What of the words of Earl Browder the Secretary of the Communist Party in the United States? In his book Communism in the United States" he has written: "The Communist Party takes the position that the social function of religion and reli- gious institutions is to act as an opiate to keep the lower classes passive ;. from this estimate of the social role of religion 1t is quite clear that the Communist Party is the enemy of religion" Only an atheist can be Communist. Lenin laid down the law: "our program is based on -atheistic philosophy :. Marxism (Communism) cannot be conceived without atheism.
 Opening Slogan
 we have dethroned the earthly Cars, now we shall destroy the heavenly ones." So ran the opening slogan of the notorious aheistic magazine "Bezbozknik," and so be- gan the violent and bloody persecu- ton of religion in Russia. In the beginning the Russian Orthodox Church was the chief victim. Be- tween 1918 and 1920 26 Archbishops and bishops and 5000 priests of the Orthodox Church were put death The Archbishop Of Prem was buried alive, after having his eyes put out and his face brutally slashed. The Archbishop of Tobolsk after suffer- ing two months of penal servitude was drowned. The Bishop of Bell garod was thrown into quicklime. At Tcherdin a priest was stripped naked in the cruel Russian winter and sprinkled with water until he became a statute of ice. The Arch bishop of voronej was hanged be- fore the altar of his own church With one assination more horrible than the next. The history of these years is a glorious martyrology of horrors.
 In 1922 new method of attack was begun. All valuable objects of gold or silver in the keeping of the Church was demanded by the gov ernment. The pretext was that they were to be sold for the relief of famine. The insincerity of this claim was shown when the Vatican offer