The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1891. SOCIALISM AND RELIGION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2199, 12 May 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1891. SOCIALISM AND RELIGION.

“I ai i Socialist because I am a Christian,” Bishop Julius said recently in Christchurch. A few years ago to be a socialist was regarded as the reverse of being a Christian, but the light is spreading, and now we find the highest religious authority holding socialism and Christianity as synonymous terms. Those who regarded socialism as unchristian had good grounds for doing so. The Socialistic doctrine was orgioally propounded by Jews who bad renounced belief in Judaism and become Agnostics. The source of the proposals was, therefore, essentially irreligious and unchristian, but there are still better reasons for the common error of regarding socialism as opposed to Christianity. A certain school of socialists labor under the delusion that unless they can break down the power of the churches they will never attain the object they have in view. They think the churches exercisegreat power and that that power is wielded in support of the present order of things. They have good grounds for thinking so. We regret to say that the power of the churches is to be found too frequently supporting the power of the purse, and it is not at all surprising that the advocates of progress like to weaken the forces thus combined against them. This is the cause of socialism being regarded as irreligious. Its advocates look upon the churches as the greatest impediments in their way, and no one can deny that they have excellent grounds for thinking so, inasmuch as that churches show too little sympathy with movements for the betterment of the poor man’s social condition. The socialists motives are humane and benevolent even if mistaken. His object is to banish want, misery, hunger, and starvation from the world, and establish a social system which cannot fail to yield peace and plenty to all. It is, therefore, vexatious to him to find the very institutions which ought, of all others, to be foremost in promoting social happiness, using their power against him. He believes the churches ought to help in his work, and be is disgusted to find them opposed to him. He therefore aims at destroying them.

Now, both the socialists and the churchmen are laboring under mistaken ideas. 3 here is nothing in religion which is opposed to socialism, and there is nothing in socialism which is opposed to religion. Socialism aims at promoting earthly happiness, religion heavenly bliss, and there is no conflict between the two. There is no greater enemy of socialism than the socialist who thinks he can make people give up all ideas of religion. It cannot be done He is fighting a power behind which is the Almighty , influence. His opposition to religion frightens man? away, and thus he does more mischief to the cause he has espoused than thousands of sermons could do. On the other hand the minister of religion who decries socialism is equally as great an enemy of religion. He too is estrangeing the people from divine worship, just as the socialist is frightening them at the other end. It is fortunate for religion and socialism that such men are getting fewer every year, and that men of the stamp of His Lordship of Christchurch are taking the lead. The great majority of English speaking socialists in G-reat Britain and America, look upon those who aim at the extinction of religion as their greatest enemies, and they are right in doing so. In America, their organ is edited by a Church of England clergyman, aud so on. On the Continent things are somewhat different. There the people do not enjoy the privileges we do, their •.Governments are more despotic, and as the clergy are in many instances paid by the State they are looked upon as upholders of existing conditions. The socialists, therefore, look upon the clergy as part of the Government, and aroopposed to them on that account, and hence the chief part of the irreligious aspect which they bear. But even there the philosophic socialists as they call themselves are greatly in a majority while the anarchists are getting fewer. The creed of the philosophic socialist is that socialism must develop as civilisation extends, and that no one can harry it on, or stop it. It will come as soon as society is flt for it, and no sooner, and bis constant aim is to educate the people so as to hasten the time when they shall be able to embrace it. This is the reasonable common sense view of the case, and it is the one which must win. Socialism must come gradually and almost imperceptibly just exactly as changes have hitherto taken place. During the last 50 years most extraordinary changes have taken place, and yet no one seems to notice them. It will be exactly so in future; we shall be always progressing till the complete change is effected; These changes will have no influence whatever on religion, no more than the “ one man one vote ” policy, the perpetual leasing, or any I other measure, *