British Socialism Part 42

[982] Macdonald, _Socialism_, p. 101.

[983] _New Age_, October 10, 1907.

[984] _Ibid._ p. 10.

[985] Keir Hardie, _Can a Man be a Christian on a Pound a Week?_ p.

18.

[986] Bax, _Religion of Socialism_, p. 52.

[987] _Ibid._ p. 97.

[988] Blatchford, _G.o.d and My Neighbour_, p. 189.

[989] Leatham, _Was Jesus a Socialist?_ p. 14.

[990] Francis Adams, _The Ma.s.s of Christ_, p. 12.

[991] Leatham, _Was Jesus a Socialist?_ p. 14.

[992] Bax, _Ethics of Socialism_, pp. 192, 193.

[993] _Ibid._ pp. 196, 197.

[994] Leatham, _Was Jesus a Socialist?_ p. 6.

[995] Leatham, _Was Jesus a Socialist?_ p. 16.

[996] _Socialist Standard_, December 1, 1907.

[997] Bax, _The Religion of Socialism_, p. 90.

[998] _Ibid._ p. 98.

[999] Blatchford, _G.o.d and My Neighbour_, p. 194.

[1000] _Ibid._ p. 197.

[1001] _Ibid._ p. 124.

[1002] Blatchford, _G.o.d and My Neighbour_, pp. 135, 136.

[1003] Blatchford, _Not Guilty_, pp. 11, 12.

[1004] Blatchford, _G.o.d and My Neighbour_, p. 122.

[1005] _Ibid._ p. 137.

[1006] _Fabian Essays in Socialism_, p. 27.

[1007] _The Deadly Parallel_, October 1907.

[1008] Wheatley, _How the Miners are Robbed_, p. 13.

[1009] Davidson, _Gospel of the Poor_, p. 149.

[1010] _Times, Munic.i.p.al Socialism_, p. 42.

[1011] Schaffle, _Quintessence of Socialism_, p. 116.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE RELIGION OF SOCIALISM

We have seen in Chapter XXVI. that Socialism makes war upon Christianity and upon religion, that it strives to eradicate religion out of the people's hearts. Now the question arises: How do Socialists propose to fill the void? What do they intend to put into the place of that religion which they wish to destroy?

"Socialism involves a change which would be almost a revolution in the moral and religious att.i.tude of the majority of mankind."[1012]

"Religion will share the fate of the State. It will not be 'abolished,' G.o.d will not be dethroned, religion will not be 'torn out of the people's hearts.' Religion will disappear by itself without any violent attack."[1013] "The establishment of society on a Socialistic basis would imply the definitive abandonment of all theological cults, since the notion of a transcendent G.o.d or semi-divine prophet is but the counterpart and a.n.a.logue of the transcendent governing cla.s.s. So soon as we are rid of the desire of one section of society to enslave another, the dogmas of an effete creed will lose their interest. As the religion of slave industry was Paganism; as the religion of serf.a.ge was Catholic Christianity, or Sacerdotalism; as the religion of Capitalism is Protestant Christianity or Biblical dogma, so the religion of collective and co-operative industry is Humanism, which is only another name for Socialism."[1014] "The religion of the future is to be the religion of the common life. It will have for its ideal the complete organic unity of the whole human race. And this religion will be a political religion. It will be a religion which will seek to realise its ideal in our industrial and social affairs by the application and use of political methods. The popular conception of politics as something apart from religion is a cunning device of the devil to serve his own ends; just in the same way as the popular impression that politics is something apart from bread and b.u.t.ter, and shorter hours, and better homes, and better industrial conditions.

There can be no separation between politics and religion. The religion of the future will be an application of the moral truths of religion through politics to our industrial and social conditions."[1015]

To root out the very memory of Christianity, Socialists would abolish the Sunday. "We would surrender once and for all this chimerical notion of one day of universal rest and inst.i.tute three days a week, or, if necessary, more, as days of partial rest, _i.e._ on which different sections of the community would be freed from labour in turn."[1016]

This proposal, like so many Socialist proposals, reminds us of the French Revolution, which also simultaneously abolished the Christian religion and changed the calendar. The month was divided into three periods of ten days. The tenth day, the "_decadi_," replaced Sunday.[1017] The people were compelled to rest on _decadi_ and to work on Sunday. Peasants who on Sundays did not bring their vegetables to market were prosecuted.[1018] Policemen who on _decadi_ heard suspicious noises broke by force into houses to find out whether people were "desecrating" _decadi_ by work, and the people complained, "Where is the liberty you promised us when we may not even dance on any day we like?"[1019]

The French Revolutionaries destroyed the statues and pictures in the churches. British Socialists at present only propose to replace the effigies of Christ and the saints by Socialist heroes: "Let the painters, sculptors, poets, and musicians do honour to the heroes of humanity, the apostles of science and progress, as they have heretofore lavished their taste and skill and imagination on a conventional Jesus, an ideal Madonna and imaginary saints, and Gospel scenes; let statues arise to Bruno, Vanini, Servetus; let the historian and the biographer recount with loving wealth of detail their struggles, controversies, flights, imprisonments, and martyrdoms; let poets and painters cast the halo of romantic art around Caxton, Galileo, William the Silent, Milton, Harry Vane, and great masterful Cromwell; let hymns be sung to Copernicus, Newton, Harvey, to Ma.s.saniello, Danton, Garibaldi, Delescluze, to Grace Darling, Sister Dora and Father Damien."[1020]

"To the Socialist, Marx has said the last word that need be said on the subject of the relation of Socialism and religion. 'The religious reflex of the real world can only finally vanish when the practical relations of everyday life offer to man none but perfectly intelligible and reasonable relations with regard to his fellow men.'

Material conditions rule. 'The English Established Church will more readily pardon an attack on thirty-eight of its thirty-nine articles than on one-thirty-ninth of its income.' This is as true to-day as when written in 1867."[1021] Among the "Immediate Reforms" demanded by the Social-Democratic Federation is, of course, "the disestablishment and disendowment of all State churches."[1022]

British Socialists, like the French Revolutionaries, have issued numerous travesties of the Christian church service. The following are extracts from a widely read "Socialist Ritual."

"A CATECHISM FOR THE MOB

"Q. What is thy name? A. Wageworker.--Q. Who are thy parents? A. My father was called Wageworker--my mother's name is Poverty.--Q. Where wast thou born? A. In a garret under the roof of a tenement house which my father and his comrades built.--Q. What is thy religion? A.

The Religion of Capital.--Q. What duties does thy religion lay upon thee with regard to society? A. To increase the national wealth--first through my toil, and next through my savings, as soon as I can make any.--Q. What does thy religion order thee to do with thy savings? A.

To entrust them to the banks and such other inst.i.tutions that have been established by philanthropic financiers, to the end that they may loan them out to themselves. We are commanded to place our earnings at all times at the disposal of our masters."

"A LITANY

for the use of the respectable cla.s.ses. Edited by Edward Carpenter.

"O G.o.d, the Father of Heaven, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners.--Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers, neither take thou vengeance of our sins. Spare us, good Lord; spare us whom thou hast brought into honour and good position through the precious blood of the toiling ma.s.ses, and be not angry with us for ever: Spare us, good Lord.--From all evil and mischief, from the crafts and a.s.saults of the thief and the burglar, from poverty and the everlasting d.a.m.nation of the workhouse: Good Lord, deliver us.--From bad trade and bogus dividends, from shady and unprofitable investments, from all unsuccessful speculation and losses, whether on the turf or in the City: Good Lord, deliver us."