CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 871, 15 January 1930, Page 9

CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED

ANTI-RELIGIOUS UPROAR AT LONDON MEETING RUSSIAN METHODS DEPLORED LONDON, Tuesday. Communists made a determined effort to break up a meeting in the Kingsway Hall, which had been called to protest against the persecution of Christians in Russia. There were continuous interruptions for two hours from compact groups of Reds scattered among an audience of 2,000 people. These led to repeated uproar. “This is a preparation for war against Russia,” shouted one Communist. Another asked what British capitalism did in 1914. When the audience sang the hymn “Oh, God, Our Help in Ages Past,” the Reds sang the “J£ted Flag.” Many were ejected, but the others carried on. One of the speakers said a man in Moscow married eight women in succession and had a child by each. People could be married in Russia in two minutes and divorced in two minutes. An anti-religious decree was promulgated in Moscow last year which struck at all the Christian churches. The three main clauses in the decree were designed virtually to prevent all welfare work by Christians, and all local preaching, or the itinerant 'administration of sacraments by priests, ministers, deacons and elders when a flock was too scattered or too poor to have regular worshipping places with permanent pastors. Priests, ministers, deacons and elders were forbidden to conduct services in any church, chapel or mission room other that that for which they were registered. They were also forbidden to use religious books, relics, images, sacerdotal vessels or vestments, except for the one church or Bible room where those objects were officially registered.