There are two subjects that are supposed to turn off a lot of people, subjects they prefer not to argue over. These are politics and religion. And yet it would be hard to find two other subjects that are more universally discussed, for as long as one is breathing it is difficult to avoid them. The matter of politics is touchy enough and friendships are often broken because of conflicting viewpoints. With religion, however, one should be even more diplomatic if one wishes to avoid antagonisms. Even the majority of those who regard themselves as socialists or communists avoid the subject of religion almost like a plague It is a private matter, they contend, and therefore socialists should not be interested In discussing religion.
The World Socialist Movement begs to differ on this point. Religion, we maintain, is not a private but is, rather, a social question and therefore should definitely be considered by socialists. In fact, from both a theoretical and a practical viewpoint socialists cannot honestly avoid the subject. And although we do not go out of our way to attack religion we still feel it is necessary to analyze it and to demonstrate how incompatible is a belief in religion in any of its forms with an acceptance of socialism.
There are all sorts of definitions of religion, of course. In order to make ourselves clear let us state what we maintain religion to be. By religion we mean belief in a power or powers superior to man which can direct or control the course of nature and of human life. Whether one admits to an anthropomorphic god or professes to regard God simply as a force that can control one’s destiny and which should be meditated upon rather than prayed to, in no way changes the basic belief. The self-styled progressive religionist is as much a believer in metaphysics as the orthodox Catholic, Baptist, Jew, or you name it. Socialists must of necessity reject all religion because socialism rests upon the materialist conception of history, which not only explains the development of man and his social systems but the origins of his political and his religious systems of thought. During the long centuries when man was unable to explain his environment, religion substituted for scientific knowledge and understanding. In proportion to the growth of scientific discovery, the powers attributed to religion waned until today we find most religions in a life and death struggle to retain any important degree of control over their flocks. Religion, today, has more of a social than a spiritual hold upon its devotees. It is concern over what one’s neighbors will think that motivates the faithful.
But there is also the practical reason why socialists oppose religion and vice versa. Most religious organizations in our times are heavily involved in the business of exploiting labor. They are not only a strong pillar of the capitalist system but are also an important part of the ruling class. One need not name specific churches. The extent of the hold upon property — the kind of property that holds the working class in wage servitude — by a number of denominations is well known. The future well-being of all important religions is bound up with the maintenance of capitalism.
How. then, can socialism be compatible with religion? Socialism seeks to abolish capitalism. Religion, even those churches that are deeply involved with the Civil Rights Movement, seek to alleviate — to whatever extent possible — the economic condition of the laboring poor in order that the basis of the present social order might remain. The militant leaders of religion may reject the traditional approach of humility and docility. They may march, they may demonstrate, they may protest, they may even go to Jail as a result of anti-war activity. But until they come out openly for the outright abolition of the wages, prices, profits system and the immediate establishment of world socialism, they remain defenders of the status quo.
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