What would be your reaction if your child found in an encyclopedia this definition under "God" -- "A mythical invented being?'' Would you be shocked? Would you be moved with indignation? Just what would be your reaction? Whatever, this is the experience of parents in Soviet Russia. In the Large Soviet Encyclopedia, second edition, volume 5, (published 1950), the Word "God" is defined as "A mythical invented "being."

This is a step in a well-developed program to destroy faith in God and to establish atheistic materialism throughout the world. V. I. Lenin said, "Atheism is a material and inseparable part of Marxism, of the theory and practice of scientific Socialism. In accordance with their fundamental philosophical outlook, Marx and Engels always called themselves materialists.1' Notice the words atheism, socialism, and materialism. These words describe the international conspiracy of Communism.

Consider Communism as a system in contrast to Christianity. The one -- Christianity -- gives credit to a beneficent Creator as the giver of life; and gives direction of life, defines acceptable conduct; and looks into the future beyond life on earth; whereas the other -- Communism -- is atheistic and accounts for life and the meaning of life according to materialism and evolutionary processes. International Communism is opposed to all religious expression. V. I. Lenin, the celebrated prophet of Communism, said, "Religion is the opium of the people. Religion is a kind of spiritual intoxicant, in which the slaves of capital drown their humanity and their desires for some sort of decent human existence."2 In 1920, Lenin formulated the Bolshevik golden rule. He said, "Whatever helps the world Communist revolution is good; whatever hinders it is bad. Religion, through its insistence upon individual responsibility to the Creator of all things, interferes with the advance of world collectivism. It is, therefore, irredeemably evil."3 Listen to "Comrade" E. Yaroslavsky, in his book, Religion in the U. S. S. R.: "Remember that the struggle against religion is a struggle for socialism."4 Again, "The program of the Communist International also clearly states that Communists fight against religion"5 Many statements may be found which clearly announce a state of war between the militant atheism of International Communism and the religion of the one and true God, the faith which is in Christ Jesus. It behooves all who recognize that there is God in heaven to inform themselves of this militant evil that is subverting the world. Already millions of people have been brought under its ruthless control, and efforts are now being made to subvert our nation.

What is Communism? It is many things, but simply stated we may say that it is a philosophy of life expressed in a dedication to the advancement of socialism with an ultimate goal of achieving world domination. Karl Marx, who combined the philosophies of Hegel and Feuerbach, developed the philosophical basis. G. F. W. Hegel developed what he called a "scientific analysis" of history and attempted to establish "laws" to guide human action. Marx took this analysis a step further: the laws of human action are to be employed to change the world. He said, "The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it."6 To Marx, revolution became the philosopher's work.

However, this philosophy did not take a socialistic objective or motivation until influenced by Ludwig Feuerbach. Feuerbach taught that God was the creation of man's mind. He was a materialist, i. e. a philosopher who admitted only the existence of matter; he denied the reality of spirit.

Combining materialism and a program of action according to a so-called analysis of history, Marx developed a philosophy designed to produce a will to change, a will to destroy the old and to rebuild a new social order.

Since all changes are material changes, Marx reasoned, there must be material laws of change. With Engels, his son-in-law, Marx defined the laws of change. Every change, we are told, results from a struggle of opposites. And this struggle is constant, i. e. all matter is in a state of constant flux, change and revolution. With every state there is an antithesis, and as this antithesis overthrows the thesis (or status quo) it produces yet another social order (a synthesis). It is the work of the philosopher, Marx taught, to assist this change. We are told, if "the world is in a state of constant movement and development . . . then it is clear that there can be no 'immutable' social system. Hence the capitalist system can be replaced by the Socialist system."7 This is the program of International Communism, to overthrow capitalism and Christianity, and ultimately to establish universal atheistic materialism.

The philosophy is called in abbreviation Hismat or Diamat for historical materialism or dialectical materialism. This concept is the idol of Communism. The Communist is devoted to Hismat -- his life is totally dedicated. He lives for its advancement. Hismat is his god, and the Communist Manifesto is his creed. A world struggle now exists between the devotees of Hismat and the worshippers of God Almighty. The conspiracy has vowed to bury all Christians and destroy God's name from the face of the earth!

There are many fallacies in this godless and idolatrous philosophy, not discussed in this lesson. Rather we will content ourselves in this study to understand the conflict, define the enemy, point out the goals, and then to observe the modus operandi by which communism hopes to subvert the United States, in particular through the very means it desires to destroy, namely religion.

In pointing out the goals of Communism, we may do this by referring to three of its basic laws. In denying individual worth and human rights, moral values and responsibility, dialectic materialism affirms that --

1. There is no God. And therefore every moral and virtue that originates with God is denied.

2. Man is a materialistic machine. Man is thought of as the total product of evolution, and who may be improved by animal husbandry.

3. Economic determinism dictates all that is accepted as being right.

Notice these "laws" now in particular. 1. There is no God, and no morals or virtues as eternal verities. This is a basic concept of communism. V. I. Lenin said of morality:

"We deny all morality taken from superhuman or non-class conceptions. We say that this is a deception, a swindle, a befogging of the minds . . ."8 Again: "In what sense do we deny ethics, morals? In the sense in which they are preached by the bourgeoisie, which deduces these morals from god's commandments. Of course, we say that we do not believe in god."9 And again: "When people talk to us about morality we say: For the Communists, morality consists entirely of compact united discipline and conscious mass struggle against the exploiters. We do not believe in eternal morality, and we expose all fables about morality."10 There you have it! Whatever advances atheistic communism is morally right to the communist. This is why a communist can lie, steal, and murder with a clear conscience. To him he does right. Millions of people have been slaughtered by the communist conspiracy, and yet its dictatorship shows no emotions of having done wrong. This is because they do not believe that they have done wrong. They can make treaties, and break them at will. This is morally right, they believe, if it advances their cause. A communist can do anything -- from adultery to murder -- and feel morally good if it is for the conspiracy. To the communist mind there is no sin -- nor morality, no right or wrong, except as it relates to communism.

1. Since man is nothing but an animal, communism proposes to improve the race by selective breeding. Under idealistic communism there is no family, no marriage -- free love and state "homes" are ideal arrangements for the propagation and upbringing of the race.

2. Economic determinism dictates what one is, we are told. What one loves, accepts, etc. is influenced by the economic environment.

These so-called "laws" are now being disseminated throughout our land. A concerted effort is being put forth to destroy the moral fiber of our nation. Man is pictured as an animal, and animalistic conduct is suggested in so many ways: through salacious literature, provocative pictures, movies that glorify lasciviousness, and barbarous rhythms called music. Socialism is being expressed in so many government programs. The more these things are advanced, the more we play into the hands of those who are determined to subvert us. In fact, the communists of Soviet Russia no longer insist upon the overthrow of religion and our government by revolution; they believe that we will swallow the communist philosophy bit by bit until we become socialistic in fact. Then these United States will become the United Socialist States of America, and God will be destroyed from the land. This is the design . . . and it is meeting with success. We need to awaken to the threat and turn back this atheistic conspiracy.

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1--V. I. Lenin, Introduction to Religion, quoted page 153, The Communist Conspiracy, Part I, Section A, U. S. Government Printing Office.

2--Ibid., page 157.

3--Ibid., page 153.

4--E. Yaroslavsky, Religion in the U. S. S. R., quoted page 284, The Communist Conspiracy, Part I, Section B, U. S. Government Printing Office.

5--Ibid., page 279.

6--Karl Marx, Theses on Feuerbach, quoted page 123, Facts on Communism, Vol. 1, U. S. Government Printing Office.

7--History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks), Short Course, quoted page 132, Facts on Communism, Vol. I, U. S. Government Printing Office.

8--V. I. Lenin, op. cit., page 163.

9--Ibid.

10--V. I. Lenin, Tasks of the Youth League, quoted page 68, Soviet World Outlook, U. S. Government Printing Office.

Truth Magazine VIII: 5, pp. 19-20, 24 February 1964