RUSSIA’S WAR ON RELIGION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18520, 18 March 1930, Page 9

RUSSIA’S WAR ON RELIGION.

“ Criminal Madness.” SOVIET CALL FOR UNITY. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received March 17, 7.9 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 16. A thousand worshippers of the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish faiths met and prayed in protest against the Soviet’s religious persecution, while twelve thousand Reds gathered at the Bron Coliseum at a meeting marked by blatant, noisy derision of religion. Red speakers called upon listeners to rally to defend the Soviet against “Imperialists and their tools, the Pope, Rabbis and Socialists.” Bishop Manning, addressing a great gathering at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, stated: “Never perhaps in history has there been such effort to blot out and destroy all religion from life.” At a mass meeting in the Town Hall, representatives characterised the Soviet activities as horrible folly and criminal madness.” REMARKABLE SERVICE. SOCIALIST VICAR S VIEWS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received March 17, 7.9 p.m.) LONDON, March 16. One of the most remarkable of the countrywide services of intercession against religious persecution in Russia was held in the Parish Church of Flaxted, where the vicar and curate, both Socialists, drew up their own special prayers asking that Russian and all other churches should recover in the fullness of Apostolic faith their passion for social justice, and seeking God’s blessing for the Soviet’s efforts to build up a kingdom where the poor shall be raised up, and exploiters kept low; that Anglican bishops and clergy should witness bravely anti-social evils in their own land, and teach the people to see the Bolshevists’ efforts with the eyes of Jesus instead of with the eyes of millionaire newspaper owners.

The vicar, in his sermon, said: “We should be careful not to bear false witness against Sovieters who do not join in the promotion of hatred and malice. Some allegations are at present being made deliberately, with the object of stirring up the people in order that they should fight against Russia when the time comes.” INTERFERENCE CONDEMNED. NEW CAMPAIGN PLANNED. (United Press Assoc’atlon—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received March 17, 7.9 p.m.) MOSCOW, March 16. While intercession services were being held throughout the world, thousands of Russian Sovieters met at clubs, barracks and factories and passed a resolution condemning foreign clerics’ interference with the Soviet’s domestic affairs. The Society of Godless here are planning to launch a new campaign against religious observance during Easter, but religious circles are most relieved by M. Stalin’s climbing down manifesto, forbidding all violence against churches.

NEWSPAPER ATTACKS ARCHBISHOPS. SEEKING TO SMASH SOVIET PLAN. (United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received March 17, 9.4 p.m.) LONDON, March 16. The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily News” telegraphs a violent commentary on the intercessions by the Moscow “Worker,” the most largely circulated newspaper in Moscow. The “Worker” attacks “the Archbishops Canterburyski and Yorkski, and the rest of these hypocrites, priests and vestments,” and applies insulting epithets to the Pope, whom it accuses of inciting blackguards of all nations against the Soviet. “If Mister God’s armies dare to cross our frontier, we will give them a warm reception. Snuffling, praying men try to prove their prayers unpolitical, whereas they are acting as an advance guard for capitalists who are seeking to smash the Soviet’s five years’ plans.”