Page 164 - Communism in Ambush

COMMUNISM IN AMBUSH
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simple and naïve. He rejected the accusations of "moderation" and "in-
consistency" these people leveled against Marxists and stated that the
"Marxist tactics in regard to religion are thoroughly consistent, and were
carefully thought out by Marx and Engels."
Lenin continued this moderate stance until the Communists came
to power in 1917. But after this, his moderation disappeared and re-
placed it with widespread oppression of religion and religious people
throughout the Soviet territory. Earlier, Lenin had stated that
Communists must not openly declare themselves to be atheists and
must even accept believers in religion into their ranks. But once he came
to power, he followed a much different path. In The Harvest of Sorrow,
the American historian Robert Conquest describes some of the main
points of Bolshevik religious policy:
Priests and clerics were declared, under another article (65) of the 1918
Constitution, to be 'servants of the bourgeoisie' and disfranchised. This in-
volved their receiving no ration cards, or those of the lowest category; their
children were barred from school above the elementary grade; and so on.
A decree of 28 January 1918 forbade religious instruction in schools,
though it was permitted to 'study or teach religious subjects privately.'
This last was further restricted by a decree of 13 June 1921 which forbade
the religious instruction anywhere of groups of persons below the age of
eighteen. . . .
. . . A law of 8 April 1929 forbade religious organizations to establish mu-
tual assistance funds; to extend material aid to their members; 'to organize
special prayer or other meetings for children, youths or women, or to or-
ganize general bible, literary, handicraft, working, religious study or other
meetings, groups, circles or branches, to organize excursions or children's
playgrounds, or to open libraries or reading rooms, or to organize sanato-
ria or medical aid.' In fact, as an official comment put it, church activity
was reduced to the performance of religious services.
On 22 May 1929, Article 18 of the Constitution was amended; instead of
'freedom of religious and anti-religious propaganda' it now read 'freedom
of religious worship and anti-religious propaganda'; at the same time the
Commissariat of Education replaced a policy of non-religious teaching in
schools by orders for definitely anti-religious instruction. . . .