Aims of Communism

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19555, 10 February 1938, Page 18

Aims of Communism

Sir, —Mr. Gilberd denies his master in arguing that the teaching of the Communist leader Marx is out of date in that it is 50 years old. I could quote teachings nearly 2000 years old by the founder of Christianity and these truths still stand. The animosity towards Jesus .Christ and towards His teaching, on the part of those impecunious people who claim to be the only genuine social reformers of our time is somewhat unintelligible. Jesus Christ worked as a carpenter until he was 30 years old. His 12 apostles were also working men, fishermen, etc., unless we except the one who had been a tax collector or public servant. Our Lord's most attentive hearers were the poor. Jesus Christ and the "twelve" worked so hard for "the people" that frequently they had no time to eat. And what, exactly, did Jesus Christ and His apostles teach? That unselfish love is all important. That upon the love of God, and upon the love of man "hang all the law and the prophets" that the primary source of all righteousness and the basis of the highest happiness is love (of God and man). We are all brothers because we all have the same Father—God. The Christian standpoint is that, having one Father, we form but a single family, and every member of it can and must please the All Father by acting the part of brother or sister to those who stand in need of love. That is the teaching of Christ, the Founder ol Christianity. And what says the founder of communism? My letter of December 15 quoted Marx thus: "The abolition o religion is a necessary condition ol the true happiness of the people. Also, "The idea of God is the keystone of a perverted civilisation. It must be destroyed. The true root ol liberty,, equality, culture is atheism. Another teaching of Marx: '"Religion is the opium of the people. Marx and his friend Engels may be regarded as the founders of scientilic socialism or communism. And how does Engels regard religion? "The first word of religion" Friednch Engels declares "is a lie." The Socialist Party of Great. Bri- , tain, one of the most atheistic of I manv socialist bodies, issued a pamphlet '"Socialism and Religion, which was to be the accepted manifesto ol the Socialist Party on the subject. This is taken from that pamphlet: It is a profound truth that socialism is the natural enemy of religion. Through socialism alone will the relation between men in society, and then relations in nature, become reasonable, orderly and completely intelligible, leaving no nook or cranny lor superstition. The entry of socialism is consequently the exodus of religion. Socialism and religion are irreconcilably opposed to each other. It is not to be expected that this will convince Mr. Gilberd that communism is opposed to Christianity bur if may safely be left to the reader , to form his own conclusion.—Yours, etc., NON-COMMUNIST.