"SPIRIT FIGHTERS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 246, 17 October 1932, Page 8

"SPIRIT FIGHTERS."

PROBLEM TO CANADA.

DOTJKHOBORS AND THEIR

CURIOUS TENETS

ORIGIN OF SECT IN RUSSIA.

(By X Special Correspondent.)

EDMONTON (Ontario), Sept. 10.

One has to go back almost 200 years to Russia to trace to it's genesis that curious sect known as the Doukhobors, whose singular demonstrations in British Columbia are as mystifying to the average newspaper reader in the United States as their odd name itself.

In 1750 in the country of the Czars there came to notice a group of peasants whose descendants were in present times to constitute ■ such a probleni for the Canadian Government, filling British Columbia gaols with men, women,, and children who march naked to the scandal of those not of their belief, and holding in general to strange tene^. More than 900 person:! have been arrested in British Columbia as a result of nudist demonstrations. •' ' Doukhobor meane* "spirit fighter." This name was applied in those early days in Russia by. the clergy, who said the Doukhobors fought against- th 3 spirit of God. But the Doukhoboiv?, having accepted this name, .interpreted it in a different way, as fighting for. or with the spirit of God. The start of this strange sect may have antedated 17<»3, but it was not until then that the peasants who formed it began to attract the unfavourable attention of the orthodox clergy by their nonconformist beliefs. An energetid fight was begun against the Doiikliobors. In 1800 Czar Alexander ordered al Doukhobors transported to , Tauri.s where they endured cruel . perseciitioi for 40 years. Because of religious be liefs they defied the order of Czai Nicholas, to enter military service, - anc were banished- to Transcaucasia. Neithei the climate, unhealthy condition, unfertile ground nor savage hillmen shook ■their resolution, and in 50 years thej had transformed an inhospitable wilder ness into flourishing colonies. Apparently the wealth wrung from the soil turned many, of the Doukhobors tc wor.ldliness, and* they strayed from the religious beliefs of their fathers. Bu< .calamities were to bring them back ti the discipline dictated by their religion, In .1887 universal military service was introduced in the Caucasus. At first the Doukhobors submitted. The CzarV officials then decreed that'the:right.of the Doukhobors to own property should pase to the leader of one of the smaller groups, practically a tool of the. Czar. < The Doukhobors interpreted thia: edict as punishment from God. Practically the entire Doukhobor population, riunV bering about 12,000, renounced meat, alcohol, excesses of all kinds, and participation in any act of violence or military service. They burned their arms and refused further service in the army. • ' ■; *VJ? Doukhobors Banished Again. / Harsh persecution followed. Abditt 1895, 4000 Doukhobore in the province of Tiflis were banished to the, Georgian provinces, and. more than one-quarter. oj£ these died in two years from starvation, ill-treatment and disease. ■ The plight of the Doukhobors reached the ears of the Society of Friends in England and' the United States. Through the Friends funds were raised to assist the V°ple, and finally the Czar consented that-they leave ,Kussia. Under the direction of the . Friends-arid of Count Leo Tolstoi, the first party of Doukhobors, ■ 1126,- left /for Cyprus, in .1898. Doukhobor leaders thea-learned 0 . the exemption clause in Xanada's military service Act, and asked to settle in Canada. In 1899 "the second party, 4000, arrived in Canada, and it was joined a few months later by the Cyprus group. :.■_, Later a third party,, of 2000, arrived in Canada from, the Caucasus. The Canadian Government gave its cooperation, and free land was.allotted around, Yorkton, Thunder Hill and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Industrious and frugal, the Doukhobors became entirely self-supporting m eighteen months. Many of them moved west and took up land in Alberta and British Columbia. ; At present the Doukhobors,'or, as they prefer to be known, the Christian. Community of Universal Brotherhood are capitalised at £1,300,000, with extra-provincial registration in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta, of cash, securities and other property, held by Donkhobors in their own names, the assets of the community havebeen estimated at £2,000,000. This vast property i 3 controlled by Peter Veregin and 13 directors. Veregin, spiritual leader of the Doukhobors, was sentenced recently to three years' imprisonment on the charge of perjury. The directors are elected every two years. Veregin holds office for life, and is supreme over the entire council. The Sons of Freedom. The principal offshoot of the community, the one in the public eye, is the left wing, cr Sons of Freedom, as its members are commonly known. At the start of the demonstrations by naked marchers, Government officials said the Sons of Freedom were solely responsible. It was said they numbered only 550. These statements were denied. *Many of those arrested were known to police as community or independent Doukobors; several were people of moderate wealth. No fine line of demarcation can, be drawn among independent, Community and Sons of Freedom Doukhobore. Basic beliefs are the same. To them the nude human body typifies truth, and to appear naked, during religious service, is to signify they are struggling for truth. One Son of Freedom eaid, however, that disrobing represented the spiritual and economic nakedness to which Canadian laws had brought them. Still demonstrations is to exasperate the Government authorities. Veregin issued an order that Doukhobors should not attend religious services naked, but the Sons of Freedom wingsays this order is in direct violation of their, religious code. Doukhobors advocate complete disarmament. So convinced are they that war is an inexcusable crime that many refuse to pay taxes because part of the taxes ie used for armament or to pay for past wars. Say Gcd Owns All Land. Peter Anutooshikin, a director of the Christian Community of Univereal Brotherhood, gave another explanation of the Doukhobors' unwillingness to pay taxes when he said: "They won't pay taxes because they say all the land is owned by God and everything that grows is God's. * I

''They won't .their tn school because they say Canadian ecLok " teach the 'children militarism»» •

after fleeing from Russia, with only aw dollars, and was now worth 720Z dollars. Numerous of the leaders S? the Sons of Freedom are higWy $g gent and well educated. 2 ' " I<;eu »- The nudist demonstrations: are not .. sensationalae is generally" thought \ large orchard at -Thrums has Jj£eV tj* scene of most pi them. ;■ tne

Several hundred Doukhobors assemble for Sunday, service, They, generally 3 round tables on which ari bW.y water signifying basic elements of life The Doukhobors greet each other w\h low bows, eighifying that they a'cknofc ledge the Divine Snirit is present-in ead" a fundamental of the Doukhobof relieioil belief. At the end of the service xforJt of the men, and women and children remove their clothing, no matter wha? the weather. i l -

There is , no connection between- th« Doukhobors and.nudist cults of EuroDe . Doukhobors eschew tobacco, alcohol and meat, and their morality is / hish Profanity is. almost, an unforgivable sin' They believe in an omnipotent God and acknowledge the coming of Jesue Christ m the flesh. The sufferings, teacMmr and example of Christ th«y .accept: i n I spiritual sense. They believe,thte Divine Spirit is at work-in every man, and' that Christ continues to suffer ..for the-Sins nf mankind.—(N.A.N.A.) • ■■'■