Soviet Experiments in Atheism
Marriage in Russia
Mr. Harindranath Chattopadhyaya writes in “The People”:
“Even that most superstitious institution of all, namely, Marriage, has been done away with. Those who have been taught priest obeisance and church worship would naturally imagine this to be a calamity. But let them not imagine that Marriage in Russia being abolished, chaos and immorality reign in its place. On the contrary there is a more sensible law that binds man and woman together than the stupid enforced law of legalized prostitution which we politely call marriage in India and elsewhere! It is the law of freedom – and comradeship in the strongest bond of all! I have not seen healthier men and women nor known of a healthier attitude towards life’s deepest problems such as sex as I have known in Russia and the Germany of to-day.
Revolt, 26 December 1928
Anti-God Campaign in Russia
A cable to the Hindu from Riga, dated 7th January says:-
The Conference at Moscow of the Anti-God Society has decided that the failure of the recent campaign against holding any religious ceremonies during Christmas is largely due to the belatedness of the Government and agreed to renew the agitation immediately in order that efforts may be more successful at Easter.
The Society has appealed to the Soviet organizations to do the utmost to assist in carrying out special anti-religious campaign during the next three months. The Central Committee of Workers’ Union has instructed its local branches fully to support the movement.
The Moscow Trade Unions have contributed 5,000 roubles to the Atheistic Labour Journal to enable it to print and distribute among workers a quantity of literature directed against the Clergy.
Revolt, 9 January 1929
Determined to Uproot Religion
“There are millions of religious believers and only thousands of the Godless” but we shall uproot religion and destroy its influence with the masses, comments Pravda in a leading article, concerning the Congress of the Society of the Godless, which 800 delegates attended. M. Maxim Gorky, the Russian novelist was on the platform and was given an ovation. Many Soviet leaders were present. (Pravda, our readers are aware, is the official publicity organ of the Soviet Republic).
Revolt, 3 June 1929
Atheistic Propaganda in Russia
The exact manner and methods of propaganda work in Soviet Russia, writes Corinna in The Freethinker depends upon the members of the Atheist clubs and the local circumstances, each group working out its own methods. Generally, however, the work done for the Freethought Movement is closely connected with the work on the political side. It is quite different to the case in England, where politics are not the concern of the Freethought world. Here the men and women who still uphold their religious ideals are the enemies of the existing political system and under the disguise of religious work are engaged in working against the present political powers. This makes it necessary for the political power to combine anti-religious work very closely with political work, and the future of the country, in the eyes of the political body depends upon the close co-operation of the Atheist Movement with the political side.
In the villages the Atheist Union Branch works by means of easily recognized methods towards socialistic ends. For example, there will be members organizing agricultural experiments, model farms and teaching the peasants in co-operative methods and every success is naturally made a piece of propaganda for ‘Atheist’ methods. To understand this, you must remember that there are still peasants who pray to God for rain and sunshine. So each success in material things is made the point of Atheist propaganda and the results of thus combining political and Atheist work have had very great success.
Also we consider that the propagation of Atheism is not the task of merely the Atheist Union, but of all the people. The Atheist Union is only the leader. Following out this idea, the Atheist groups often arrange different forms of propaganda with other bodies such as the trade unions, International Workers Help Association and others. During the day devoted to international co-operation festivities, we arrange with the co-operative bodies to propagate secular ideas amongst the religious co-operators. There is one great difference between the English propaganda work and the Russian. Ours is always socially directed to the mass, individual work is carried on but not on the scale of the mass readings, mass film propaganda, mass processions, rambles, anti-religious carnivals etc. To effect this we have to prepare very carefully. Every group of the Atheist Union arranges anti-religious study circles in the factory, the village, the office, etc. On a larger scale there are the summer schools, courses to prepare the necessary reports and statistics and courses to instruct lecturers and leaders of the study groups.
By thus organizing in local groups we can use every incident or every example that comes our way. We carefully point out the influence of religion on professional and technical problems, demonstrate the effect of freedom from religious ties on the labourer, and not only reach the literate worker, but what is more important., the worker who is not necessarily a student, but who can learn from practical experience.
Revolt, 21 July 1929
Sunday in Russia
One of the most amazing things yet achieved, or attempted, by Soviet Russia, has just been officially decreed by the Council of Commissars. It is nothing less than “the nationalization of Sunday” – the sweeping away of all distinction between sacred and secular day, and the establishment of an unbroken seven-day week. Thus, the decree of the Commissars provides that there shall be 360 working days in the year instead of the former 300. From the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1st all factories, shops, co-operative, enterprises etc., shall be open every day without interruption. Work shall be arranged on the basis of regular “shifts”, each worker or employee getting thirty-six hour holiday once every seven days. This holiday period shall be constant for each worker – that is, A. shall have, say, Wednesday afternoon and Thursday free every week, B. Thursday afternoon and Friday, and so on. Sunday shall be like every other day, a day of work for all but the group of workers whose release chances to come at that time. As this same system is to apply to schools, one may imagine what enormous changes will come to the family life of Russia, and indeed to the whole social economy of the nation. Pravda, the great Moscow newspaper declares that this new seven-day week will accomplish three great purposes. First, it will cut down unemployment, by not less than 25 per cent. Secondly, it will greatly increase the total volume of national production. Thirdly, it will strike a death-blow at religion by elimination of Sundays and other church holidays.
This last feature is by all odds the most interesting of the three. Here is a real opportunity to test the vitality of religion – whether its observance depends upon the sanctity of a day, or a book or an institution. In our western world, the Sabbath is being lost not at one stroke but by a natural process of social evolution. This obviously means the passing of the old, sanctimonious, pietistic religion of rites and ceremonies, but not the passing of religion itself in any true and high sense. Our own guess is that this Soviet decree will shake superstition in Russia like an earthquake, and at the same (sic) emancipate real religion.
The Unit
– Revolt, 3 November 1929
