Evening star., 1948-11-22


Christian culture lecture series.
language Of the Judaic faith, is for
hidden by law. Feast days, religious
development and enjoyment for
Jews have been suppressed as harsh
ly as for any others.
How about Protestant groups?
They have been crushed.
Are Communists trying to corrupt
religion i'm the U. s. A.?
Yes.
Methods Used.
What Is their method?
The Communist Party Of the
United States assigns members to
join churches and church organiza-
tions. in order to take control where
possible, and in any case to influ-
ence thought and action toward
Communist ends.
It forms front organizations" de-
signed to attract fellow travellers
with religious interests.
It tries to get prominent religious
leaders to support Communist poll
cies, disguised as welfare work for
minorities or oppressed groups In
the words of Earl Browder, former
head of the Communist Party:
g. BY going among the religious
masses, We are for the first time
able to bring our anti-religious ideas
to them"
Are the American Communists
atheistic?
Yes.
Can q Communist ever have re-
ligious beliefs?
When he first joins the party. q
Communist may still have some re-
ligious faith but it soon goes or he
fails as q Communist.
What happens to q religious per-
son who turns Communist?
The party ridicules ]lis religious
ideals and dins atheist propaganda
into his ears, day and night, in an
attempt to convert him to atheism
What il a new Communist refuses
to renounce religion?
Kicked out.
What happens to q person who
gets kicked out of the party?
He is bounded for the rest of his
life. aas s-.~.,y. - - - -.- .'- .- ~
How do Communists work among
church people. since they them
selves are such haters of religion?
Communists are ,two-faced.
In their secret party meetings,
they make plans to destroy religion.
In public, they say religion and
communism should be friends. and
that both are working for the same
goals. III
Are there Communist clergymen:
Unfortunately, yes.
Some Admit Membership.
Do they admit they are COmmu-
nists?
Some do. but except in special
cases, the party requires Commu-
nists to keep their membership
secret.
Will YOU give an example of the
"open" type of membership:
The Rev. Claude C. Williams, a
Presbyterian minister, whose con-
gregat ation expelled him for party
activity. The Rev. Eliot White, re-
tired Episcopalian minister, who
served as a delegate to Communist
convention and lectured at Commu-
mist meetings.
Do YOU mean that just because .
clergyman joins or sponsors one or
two Communist fronts for one rea-
son or another. he Is playing Stain s
game In America?
No. We are talking about those
clergymen who have over period of
years consistently followed the party
line and joined. not one or Two
fronts, but 10, 20 or 80. These are
the core of agents the party depends
on in the religious field.
But couldn't some of these clergy
men be innocently misguided in
their attempts to do good?
Well, they have followed every
crook and twist of the Communist
Party line. Would you excuse that
in your minister's case?
Is Communist propaganda ever
sneaked into church publications?
Yes. For instance, the Christian
Register. official Unitarian publica-
tions. has carried Earl Browder' s
eyewash that a Good Christian can
be a Communist. 1t is significant
that the minister responsible for
doing this has since been removed
from his editorsship by the church.
Do Communist propagandist ever
actually get before church groups
as speakers?
Yes. For example, the head OF the
Communist Party, on one occasion
at lease, spoke at Union Theological
Seminary in New York City.
Only few months ago, the LegiS-
lative Secretary of the Communist
Party addressed conference Of 100
ministers in Washington, D. C.
What about church youth groups?
Young Communists are ordered to
join them.
Why?
For two reasons. To win over
youth to communism and atheism,
and to turn their groups into tools
of the Communist Party.
Is this done openly?
No. Communist youth. like Com
munist adults, work under cover.
They won't admit being Com
munist If you ask them unless and
until their party off1cers direct them
to do so.
Is the YMCA . Communist tar
get?
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