RUSSIA AND RELIGION.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 328, 8 January 1937, Page 4

RUSSIA AND RELIGION.

CLERGYMAN’S VIEW.

Philosophy Based On Discredited Ideas.

“My own feeling is that Russia will, in the long run, emerge with a deepened religious consciousness, for the Russian soul Is Intensely religious and idealistic," said the Rev. John Paterson, M.A., Stratford, when the reported antireligion activity In Russia was referred to him by a “Central Press” reporter this morning.

The message from Moscow stated that a Godless Conference was to ba held and steps taken to form a Godless International.

The present Russian philosophy was based on the intensely materialistic and scientific thought of the late 19th century, continued Mr. Paterson. This, of course, was now dead and science was leaning more and more towards a spiritual interpretation of the universe. Active- Propaganda. f The reported Moscow activity would indicate that the group who wanted to destroy religion were starting active propaganda, probably spurred on by the stady swing back to religious faith that was a feature of present Russian conditions. From his own reading he had seen that there was a definite revival of religious interest in Russia. The Baptist Church, in particular, which, being divorced from any political aims, had not been greatly interfered with, had made rapid growth.

“We must understand that the old Orthodox Church in Russia had become simply an instrument of the State, used for the suppression of any intellectual development of the peasantry through engendering a superstitious regard for the Czar and the priesthood," said Mr. Paterson.

The removal ot the Government incubus upon Russian religion, he continued, had given freedom to the very deep mystic spirituality of the religious life that had always existed within the Orthodox Church, In the monasteries and amongst a group Of educated laymen. This group had always been fairly antagonistic to the official Church.

Now that the Church itself had been destroyed, its truly religious followers were given the opportunity to express themselves, and Were doing so with great effect, asl whs shown by the works of exiled religious thinkers like Arseniev and Nlcholis Berdyaev. Innate Idealism. The innate idealism of the Russian people was shown even in the Bolshevik movement itsrflf, although it must appeal to us as a perverted idealism, incapable of satisfying the deeper ends of the spirit of war.

There was, nevertheless, no reason why many of the economic and social reforms of Russia should not link themselves with Christianity as France had done under the Concordat arranged by Napoleon with the Pope.

"After all. both man and society need religion as a foundation of moral authority and artistic development,” said Mr. Paterson in conclusion.