SOVIET CALL TO ATHEISM

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 May 1937, Page 2

SOVIET CALL TO ATHEISM

YOUTH REPRIMANDED. MOSCOW. March 17. “Komsomolskaya. Pravda.” the official organ of the Young Communist League, sternly reprimands Young Commuinist. officials everywhere for neglecting the struggle to liquidate religion. They seem to imagine, the newspaper explains that just because priests and other ministers of religion are- no longer deprived of civic rights the Bolshevik anti-religious crusade is no longer necessary. This is absolutely false: “Soviet youth must, without any exceptions, be protected against religious influences."

Young Communist League officials ami even the militant Godless Ones League interpret, tbo right to practise religion maintained by Stalin's now Constitution, and the restoration therein of the civic rights of priests, as moaning that, religion is no longer dangerous because it is already annihilated except among elderly people. But th" truth is that "there is a certain revival in (’hitrch devilry."

Not only priests of the Orthodox I'hiiicli. but Nonconformist sects are now showing "the most refined methods of spiritual depravity, and are recruiting not only aged people. hut ymiiig ones, especially girls."

One of the ■•most shameful" examples cited by " Komsomolskaya Pravda" comes from the old county town" of I’etiSo'. where students of the local technical school have been actually discovered singing in church choirs. Even school children have been detected habitually committing the same offence.