"Dying at 84 years of age, Herbert Spencer leaves behind him an enduring monument such as few men have been able to build for themselves. He helped to rid the world of superst.i.tion and to destroy priestcraft; he put the idea of a G.o.d-direction of the world, and its counterpart, the eternal subjection and the dependence of man, into the waste paper basket of history. He cleared the way for the feet of the army of progress."
In the propagation of atheism, the German Socialist papers of the United States are worthy imitators of those that are published in English. The "New Yorker Volkszeitung," October 9, 1901, thus acknowledges the atheistic and anti-religious att.i.tude of the revolutionary movement:
"Socialism and belief in the Divinity as taught by Christianity and its representatives do not agree, cannot agree, are diametrically opposed to one another. Socialism is logical only when it denies the existence of G.o.d, when it maintains that we do not need the so-called a.s.sistance of G.o.d, since we are able to help ourselves.
Only he who has no faith begins to feel that he can accomplish something. The laborer who places confidence in G.o.d, and who, with Christian resignation, thinks that all is done by G.o.d is well done--how can that laborer develop revolutionary forces for the overthrow of authority and social order, both of which, according to his faith, are inst.i.tuted by G.o.d? As long as he clings to this belief he will not be able to acquire a genuinely revolutionary spirit."
In the May 10, 1902, edition of "Vorwarts," a weekly supplement of the "New Yorker Volkeszeitung," we read:
"New York, May 6.--Archbishop Corrigan died last night after a protracted illness. Preparations are going on for a grand funeral with the usual paraphernalia. The soul of the prelate whizzed out of his mortal remains straight up into the seventh heaven, and now the bishop is staying there with lovely little angels and other beautiful beings hovering about him. Let him who is fool enough, believe it."
We are informed by "The Call," April 5, 1911, that at Utica, New York, on April 4, 1911, churches of all denominations were placed under the ban of the Italian Socialist Federation of the United States at the closing session of its National Congress, which had been in session for the last three days in that city and that strongly worded resolutions charging all churches with being against the emanc.i.p.ation of the working cla.s.s and for the protection and perpetuation of capitalism and moral and economic slavery were unanimously adopted amid vociferous applause; finally that by the adoption of these resolutions, all members of the federation must sever their affiliations with any and all existing churches and religious organizations and refrain from all religious practices and rites.
Some information regarding the atheistic teachings of the New York "Il Proletario," the official organ of the Italian Socialist Federation of the United States, will be of interest to the reader. In the edition of December 23, 1910, there are several attacks on Christianity. One of these ent.i.tled "Christmas Is Here" is translated as follows:
"Christmas is a fib, Christmas is a fraud, Christmas is a crime wanted and continued by the powerful to delude their servants and to make them believe that there is really happiness, justice and love on this earth.... There is no everlasting joy. How long, O poor and exhausted workingmen of the world, will the shameful comedy continue? When will you finally perceive that not from a false and unexisting G.o.d, not from a mystical and epileptic crucified man, who died without rebellion and without protest, will come your redemption? When will you open your eyes to the truth of Socialism, and realize that finally upon you alone depends your salvation?"
In the same edition of "Il Proletario" there is a detailed list of 170 books and pamphlets that are advertised as being on sale at the book-store of the Italian Socialist Federation. The first part of the list, under the heading "Anti-religious Pamphlets," includes 22 works, whose prices range from 5 cents to 30 cents. Among them are to be found:
"The Religious Pest--5 cents.
The Crimes of G.o.d--5 cents.
The Sins of My Lady Penitents--8 cents.
The Last Religious Lie--5 cents.
Neither G.o.d Nor Soul--15 cents."
Near the end of the detailed list 22 more works are advertised as anti-clerical novels.
On May 1, 1912, while its editor, Arturo M. Giovannitti, was in prison at Lawrence, Ma.s.sachusetts, "Il Proletario" published an article under the caption, "The Priest":
"Now at last the nations have understood that G.o.d is a monstrous fable, and that h.e.l.l, heaven, immortality, and all the other devilish things are states created by rascals to despoil and oppress the people."
We are very much indebted to the Social Reform Press for favoring us with the translation of "The Little Catechism," edited by Bartos Bittner, whose dead and corrupt body was found by neighbors in his lodging in Chicago. This blasphemous Catechism, from which quotations are to be given, was published for the use of the children of the Bohemian-American Socialists:
"Question. What is G.o.d?
Answer. G.o.d is a word used to designate an imaginary being which people of themselves have devised.
Q. Is it true that G.o.d has never been revealed?
A. As there is no G.o.d, He could not reveal himself.
Q. What is heaven?
A. Heaven is an imaginary place which churches have devised as a charm to entice their believers.
Q. How did man originate?
A. Just as did animals; by evolution from their lower kinds.
Q. Has man an immortal soul as Christianity teaches?
A. Man has no soul; it is only an imagination.
Q. Who is Jesus Christ?
A. Jesus Christ is the son of a Jewish girl called Mary.
Q. Is he the son of G.o.d?
A. There is no G.o.d, therefore there can be no G.o.d"s son.
Q. Did Christ rise from the dead as Christianity teaches?
A. The report about Christ rising from the dead is a fable.
Q. Is it true that after Christ"s death the Apostles received the Holy Ghost?
A. It is not; the Apostles had imbibed too freely of wine and their dizzy heads imagined all sorts of queer things.
Q. Did Christ ascend into heaven?
A. He did not; what the church teaches is a nonsensical fable, because there is no heaven, and there was no place to ascend to.
Q. Will Christ come to this earth?
A. He will not because no dead person can come back.
Q. Will Christ return on judgment day?
A. There will be no judgment day; that is all a fable so that preachers could scare people and hold them in their grasp. Man has no soul, neither had Christ a soul. All these things have been invented by the church.
Q. What is the Holy Spirit?
A. The Holy Spirit is an imagination existing only in the minds of crazy religious people.
Q. Is Christianity desirable?
A. Christianity is not advantageous to us, but is harmful, because it makes us spiritual cripples. By its teachings of bliss after death it deceives the people. Christianity is the greatest obstacle to the progress of mankind, therefore it is the duty of every citizen to help wipe out Christianity. All churches are impudent humbugs.
Q. Is there communion of saints?
A. No, because there is no G.o.d, no saints, no soul, and therefore our prayers are wholly useless, and only a waste of time, which should be spent in more useful things.
Q. What is our duty when we have learned that there is no G.o.d?
A. We should teach this knowledge to others.
Q. Should we take the name of G.o.d in vain?
A. Yes, because the name of G.o.d has no meaning."