Evening star., 1950-04-30
The Week in Religion
By RELIGIOUS News Service

by Religious News Servlce
The religious spotlight was on
Berlin this week as top Protestant
leaders met to discuss the sharp
ening conflect between the Church
and communism in the Soviet
Zone of Germany.
For the past several months
Communists in Eastern Germany
have been conducting an increas-
ing campaign to weaken and
hamper the churches and at the
same time to foster the spread of
Communist theology.
The Communist strategy in Ger
many differs from that employed
in Poland. Czechoslovakia. Hun
gary and elsewhere inasmuch as
it is directed at the Christian
rank and file rather that directly
at the churches themselves.
Joined by representatives of
Protestant churches in various
European countries, members OF
the Synod of the Evangelical
Church in Germany assembled in
Berlin's Soviet sector to review
developments which have made
Eastern Germany a new battle
ground in the struggle between
religion and communism.
Says Church is on Defensive.
The SYNOD sessions opened with
divine service in st. Mary's
Church at which DR.. Otto Dibelius,
Bishop of Berlin. preached SER
mon declaring that the Church
had been put on the defensive BY
Christian assaults which af-
feet more than 80 per cent OF
the East Zone population,
The Berlin bishop-one of the
most outspoken opponents of to-
talitarianism in Germany-tolo
Protestants they must be prepared
to stand firm, regardless of per-
sonal consequences. against every
attempt by the East Zone govern
ment to interfere with religious
life or to intimidate the conscien-
tious beliefs of the Christian pop
ulation.
Activities and policies of the
East Zone government which have
caused concern to the Evangelical
Church were specifically outlined
in a statement issued by the Ber-
lin and Brandenburg province on
the same day the Synod opened.
The statement charged that
Christian parents have been
forced to protest against the
propagation of materlalistic ide-
ology in schools, where children
hear teachers ridiculing religion
and telling them There is no God
and Christ never lived" It said
that Protestant believers are being
forced to join Communist organ
izations under threat of losing
their mems Of livelihood if they
resist.
Parley Due This Week End.
The more optimistic among the
Synod delegates expressed hope
that some good results would
come from a meeting scheduled
for this week end between Bishop
Dibelius and Premier Otto Grote-
wohl if the East Zone government
but others doubted if the meeting
would take place.
Grounds for pessimism were
seen in letter sent by Mr.. Grote-
woh to regional authorities de-
nouncing the Berlin and Branden-
burg Provinces statement as IAN
attack on the constitution, the
government and the republic"
Leaders of the Evangelical
Church of Saxony-Anhalt recent
ly sent a letter to governmental
authorities protesting against
continuously increasing political
and economic pressure" aimed at
compelling East Zone residents to
join Communist organizations.
The letter also denounced at
tempts to enforce a materialistic
theology upon youth.
The same stand has been taken
by Roman Catholic leaders. Jo-
seph Cardinal Frings, Archbishop
of Cologne, and Conrad Cardinal
Won Preysing. Bishop of Berlin,
have protested against policies of
the National Front and COM
planned that freedom of religion