The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1962-04-20
BY FIR. JOHN cRoNIN

Many Oh the more vocal
Communist groups
have connected commun-
ism with social philoso-
phies they find unpopular.
Many, for example, use
the argument expressed by a
former high government of
fetal in late 1861. 1t runs this
way:
LIBERALISM Tor the Fair
Deal or the New Frontier) is
the same as the welfare state.
The welfare state is socialism.
And the Communists say that
they are socialists. Hence lib
eralism is communism.
Actually this statement is
bad logic and worse history.
AS logic, it would make the
the Encyclieal of Pope John
XIII, Mater Ell Masistras
christianity and Social Prog
ress), a defense of commun-
ism.
The Encyclical either advo-
Gates or does not reprove
many specific items rejected
by extremist groups (the use
Of the income tax to ~equalize
burdens, aid to undeyeloped
nations, government action to
smooth out economic changes,
social insurance, and to agri-
culture, housing subsidies, etc.
Since both liberalism and
the welfare state have such
loose definitions, there is no
point OF arguing with a per-
son who equates the two. So
cialism, on the other hand, can
be more precisely defined.
IN GENERAL, Socialism
has advocated government
ownership of the means of
production. The Communist
wing Of the Socialist move
ment proposed violent seiz-
ure Of power and property
and almost total ownership OF
private property by the state.
The more moderate social
lists generally advocated a
more limited form of public
ownership. This was to be
achieved by democratic pro-
cesses, OF this trend, Pope
Plus XI in ousdrssesimo An
no said in 1881:
zone might say that, terri
fled by its own principles and
by the conclusions drawn
therefrom by communism, So
cialism inclines toward and in
a certain measure approaches
the truth which Christian ira
dition has always held sacred;
for il cannot be denied that
its demands at times come
very near those that Christian
reformers Of society justly in
sist upon.
"If the foregoing happens,
II can come even to the point
that imperceptibly these ideas
Of the more moderate social
ism will no longer differ from
the desires and demands Of
those who are striving to
remOld human society on the
basis OF Christian principles"
Thus, the socialism of the
Communist world and the SO
cialism OF the free world are
entirely different terms.
THE VIOLENT and bitter
struggle for racial equality ii
the United States has offer
prompted charges that Com
munists were behind these &C
tivities. Tine targets most fire.
quently we're the NAACP ant
CORE.
Actually, it Is an amazing
fact that the Communists have
had such little success among
the Negroes. Negro leader
and the overwhelming major
ity OF Negro people have re
jected Communist influence
Whenever Communist influ
ence is detected by NAACP o
CORE, 1t is promptly r e
moved.
Protestant Churches. espeC
tally the National Council o
Churches, have also been
target for attack. The Worl'
Council OF Churches has beer
under fire for admission @
Churches from Communis
countries.
We noted earlier that a si1
able number OF Protestar
ministers had been duped II
10 joining Communist fronts
These activities reflected tn
confused climate of the 1890
and 1940's. But communist II
fluence among the Protestar
clergy today is virtually no.
existent.
Some anti-C Communist sou
ces are also antisemitic. The:
groups are small and have Il
tie influence except amor
bigots. The organized JEWS
community in the Unite
States is strongly opposed
communism.
GROUPS OPPOSED to II
United Nations often use
legged Communist infiltrati'
HEADQUARTERS
Fer
PaFochiaI School