COMMUNISM AND CHRISTIANITY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 478, 20 August 1948, Page 5

COMMUNISM AND CHRISTIANITY

Sir,-When your correspondent G. F. Holibar talks about the Russian way of life, he is talking rubbish. There is -in the abstract-no Russian, English, or American, way of living. You either live vitally and purpdsefully or you don’t really live at all, and this can bé done in any country. Russia, like all capitalistic countries, has its classes, the well-to-do and the poor. The Dean of Canterbury’s book is comparatively worthless in appraising conditions in Russia, Much! of the progress that has been made in Russia is mainly due to the help given by the western countries. Furthermore, political Communism has nothing at all to do with real Christianity, which is not practical or impractical, it is not giving or getting, it is

being.

G. H.

HIGNETT

(Devonport).

Sir,-The fundamental, difference between Communist and Christian doctrine is that whereas Communist doctrine claims that some. day (probably a long time from now) we will have heaven on earth,» Christian doctrine denies this and says instead that we must first die and then a selected por-_ tion of us will go to heaven while the remaining large portion will be excluded because of sin. In an area which had put into practice true Communism the states we at present know would no longer exist, until in time ‘the nation states slowly

disintegrated into their smallest components, the communities. The basic governing factor in the lives of the people would be the community, and the local pride of the citizenry, evident in this country, shows that people who live long in the one community learn to love it. This is especially so in the smaller communities where people are able to love both their community and their neighbours. I am sure that your correspondent has made the mistake of confusing. the system, wrongly called Communism, at present in use in the Soviet Union with the so far still theoretical. system of Communism. No doubt the correspondent would reply that in the Soviets is found the result of applying the doctrines of Communism to a materialistic world. To counter this I would point out that our late enemies, Italy and Germany, have always been strongholds of Christianity as it is applied in a materialistic world,

CHARLES

SINCLAIR

(Wellington),

Sir,-Congratulations to G. H. Holibas on his letter. May I, like him, refer to The Listener's interview with Dr. J. Coleman. But. may I suggest that Communism by no means shows a monopoly of hate in these days. Your correspondent aptly uses Christ’s parable of the two sons. I would express the opinion that Christ’s two parables of the new wine in old bottles, and the new cloth in an old garment, suggest a revolution of society rather than its reformation.

WAYFARER

(Auckland).