Communism; Industrial Workers of the World; Socialism
Apart from these two classes of American Socialists, who admit the
existence of a campaign in favor of atheism, most Socialists in our
country, because they fear that votes will be lost if our people are
convinced of the anti-religious character of the party, steadfastly deny
that they are conspiring against religion. Indeed they are quite cunning
and crafty in their effort to beguile the unwary. If the person
hesitates joining the party, owing to his conviction that nearly all the
Socialist leaders have been the enemies of religion, he is informed that
it would be just as foolish for him not to be a Revolutionist for this
reason, as it would be for one not to become a Republican because Robert
Ingersoll did not believe in God and even propagated atheism.
As the conspirators against religion have, by this plausible argument,
involving the name of Ingersoll, removed the prejudices that many
persons formerly had against Socialism on account of the atheistic
teachings of its leaders, it seems but fitting to give a short
refutation of the deceptive argument and to point out the absurdity of
the comparison just mentioned.
In the first place, although Robert Ingersoll was an atheist, he never
stated that Republicanism was anti-religious. On the other hand, very
many of the highest authorities in the Marxian Party, whose extensive
knowledge of Socialism justifies our belief that they know but too well
the policy of the revolutionary movement, admit that Socialism
postulates atheism and war against religious beliefs. Ingersoll,
moreover, never attacked religion nor taught atheism with a view to
furthering the cause of Republicanism. But a very large number of the
Socialists, whether Europeans or Americans, in their endeavor to promote
what they consider to be the best interests of their party, have in
their books, magazines, pamphlets and papers been waging a relentless
war against religion. The atheistical works of Robert Ingersoll were not
purchased by the rank and file of the Republican Party for purposes of
party propaganda, but the rank and file of the Revolutionary Party spend
large sums of money on publications in which their avowed leaders teach
atheism as part of the Socialist program. Not content even with this,
the members do their utmost to increase the circulation of
anti-religious Socialist books, magazines, pamphlets and papers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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