The Communist Issue Today

What of communism now? Consider its conquest of Tibet; its invasion of Laos; its division of the Congo; its absorption of Cuba, its wrecking of the summit conference; its attack on the United Nations; and its blocking of the nuclear disarmament conference in Geneva.

Surely, these things should show the folly of those who talk co-existence, rapprochement, and understanding with the Communist state. These people have a basic misunderstanding of communism. Those who think that by inviting men like Mikoyan, Molotov, Koslov, and Khrushchev to America they are advancing understanding between the Communist and the free world are tragically misled. These Communists like to come to America; appearing to be genial human beings, they disarm us. The Communists would like to have us think of them in terms of cultural interpretation such as the ballet, the theatre, science, and literature. They do not want to have us think of them in terms of Poland, Hungary, Tibet, and North Korea. They want us to forget the brutal, bestial, and bloody things they have done. The error of too many people in the West is the presupposition that Communists think, act, and work on our philosophy and standard of morals when actually they act upon their own standard.

The recent picture of Communist advance is most disheartening. In Laos the Communists have conquered half of the country and are in a position to dictate their terms to the other half. Our position in seeking a neutralized Laos is very weak. If the Laotian government takes Communists into the government and terminates the importation of arms, the outcome will ultimately be that the Communists will take over Laos because of their present strength which has been due to the Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese airlift and military mission. The order of procedure is exactly that which took place in China when Mao Tse-tung fought against Chiang Kai-shek and we thought we could neutralize China by compelling the Nationalist government to take the Communists into the fold.

Communists are advancing in the Congo. The Lumumba party, now directed by Antoine Gizenga, is definitely subsidized and armed by an airlift from Egypt. Gizenga claims to be the legitimate premier of the entire Congo and will not hesitate to launch civil war. The United Nations’ effort to disarm the Congolese will work in the favor of the Gizenga forces for they are being surreptitiously and unilaterally armed by the Communists. This is the reason Kasavubu, Tshombe, and Mobutu have turned against the United Nations.

Africa is being kept in a ferment not only through the spirit of nationalism but also through deliberate Communist activity. Thousands of Africans have been taken to Moscow to be trained and then to return to Africa to lead nationalistic movements. Jomo Kenyatta was advised that the elected leaders of Kenya have no part in the government until they have complete independence. He is one of these who has visited Moscow; he was the inspiring head of the Mau Mau movement and now is the uncrowned leader of the Africans in Kenya. The Communists are predominant in Guinea where their technicians, their teachers, their political advisers are present in great numbers. Ghana has evidence of the presence of the Communists in Pioneers for Accra, counseling centers, technical aid, gift of Illyushin planes, and an open affection for Tito’s form of government. As these colonial governments become unseated, the new African leaders who are unprepared for responsibility will be open for the new imperialism of communism.

Cuba is now in the Communist camp. Its economic life, its military preparation, its socialized form of government are all patterned after the Communist nations. Cuban agents are stirring a hate campaign against America throughout the poor and ignorant masses of Latin Americans.

The Communists are playing the game according to Communist rules. They alternate between soft and tough attitudes, between co-operation and competition, between offers of peace and threats of war in order to throw the West off balance and to achieve further advances for communism. They talk Peace and friendship when this will advance the Communist cause, but they will use force when it is valuable and necessary.

The purpose of the Communist is to wreck any disarmament attempt, promote confusion and conflict within the free nations, and discredit and weaken the United States and any other nation or organization which hinders the world revolution. Disarmament is not in the Communist program. Russia stalls on a plan of total inspection for nuclear warfare, delays and postpones the Geneva conference on disarmament, and seeks to maneuver us into a position whereby we shall lose any military advantage we now have and they shall have a preponderant military advantage by the numbers of soldiers, ground forces, they possess. The design of communism is world revolution and world conquest. This never changes. Whoever overlooks this is blind. Communism uses deceit as an instrument of diplomacy. Their pretended indignation over the U-2 incident points up their hypocrisy in the light of Communist spy rings, stealing of secrets, party activities, military movements in Tibet, Hungary, and Korea, and the record which they have made. It is a history of broken agreements, of aggression, of threats to peace, and of seizure of territory. It is strange, but people forget these things so quickly and because of their wishful thinking believe that the Communists have changed. Never believe a Communist statement except within the context of its own theory, goals, and strategy. We must recognize that it is impossible to co-operate with them and thus to dignify their leadership.

WHAT IS COMMUNISM?

The practice of Communist infiltration, allurement, and deception is well described in Proverbs 1:10–19. The admonition given to individuals who adopt these practices may be elevated and applied to any nation or group of nations. Against such we should be alert and active, and with them we should take no part.

Let us recognize the theoretical philosophy of communism. Communism is materialistic monism. It believes that ultimately there is nothing but matter in the world. Out of this physical stuff come all things of the material world and of human relationships. Materialism excludes the belief in the existence of God, of the soul of man, of the supernatural and of immortality. Materialists or naturalists are predisposed in favor of the views of communism. Since communism denies God, it denies absolute moral law and the infinite value of the individual. It denies the possibility of the change of an individual life by regeneration through the Holy Spirit, and therefore it necessitates a reliance on another method of change, namely, external control of force.

Communism believes in economic determinism. It believes that the economic process or the struggle for bread determines the form of society, the class government of society, and all the social relationships of men. It believes that ultimately history has destined that the proletariat will rule and shall liquidate all opposition.

Communism believes in class conflict. This concept was not invented by Marx but was discovered. Marx derived it from the Hegelian evolutionary viewpoint of ideas. He spoke of the thesis, the antithesis, and the synthesis. Marx declared that the revolutionary philosophy was a thesis, the reactionary capitalism the antithesis, and the world revolution the synthesis. This synthesis assertedly brings the victory of communism and ultimate peace. The concept of class conflict has dominated society throughout history and will dominate it until the process ensues in world revolution, consequent peace, and the establishment of a Communist society. The fourth concept is that of revolution. This revolution can be wrought by the ballot, the use of the franchise, through the rise of the labor movement controlled by the Communist party, or it may be brought about by violent revolution. The Bolshevik method is violent revolution. The masses must be taught by the Communist party that they are exploited, robbed and pillaged, and must be incited to revolution. They must use the methods of violence in order to overthrow class government and establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. The fifth item is that of the re-education of the masses. Those who are irrevocably corrupted by capitalism are to be liquidated and the remainder re-educated under the Communist system in “Communist truth.” Then it will be possible—so it is said—to build a prosperous, homogeneous society in which the dictum shall be to each according to his need and from each according to his ability. This is to be a warless, ignorantless, classless, governmentless utopia.

Communism holds before itself certain ultimate goals. The first and primary goal is world revolution. This is to be accomplished through individual revolutions within the separate states until the balance of power is obtained by the Communists, and then an all-out struggle is to be launched with the use of the Red armies of the Soviet states for the purpose of establishing world communism. The immediate goal of communism is to establish a socialistic society. The Communist society is an ultimate goal and cannot be achieved for four or five hundred years. Immediately there is to be a termination of all private property and private ownership of the means of production. All production and all income must go to the state and be used for the advancement of the Communist revolution, for the support of the Red army, and for the benefit of the masses. Simultaneously, the Communist socialistic society uses incentive and rewards for achievement on the part of individuals.

The Communist ideal is the homogeneous society in which government will wither away, all conflict will cease, and society will be marked by plenty, prosperity, and peace. This ideal should be contrasted with the 42 years of Communist history in which conflict, brutality, scarcity, and war have been instruments of Communist policy. Though the Communist excuses these on the ground that the end justifies the means, the realist should recognize that there is little probability of the Communist ever resorting to other methodology.

The strategy of communism is conquest through conflict, chaos, and confusion. The Communist seeks to divide his enemy through promoting race conflict, class conflict, and religious conflict. One wonders just how much of the nationwide conflict being stimulated over race questions is perpetrated by Communist money and influences today. The Communist seeks to corrupt his enemies through the press, through radio, through TV, through movies, through novels, through pornographic literature, through narcotics, and through every possible means. He seeks to weaken his enemies by confusing their convictions, by weakening their patriotism, by defecting them from their religion. The Communist seeks to infiltrate every movement and segment of the society of his enemy. Thus through Communist agents, cells, fronts, and stooges he seeks for control from within. Americans need to have very little fear about the ability of their army, navy, and air force to defend their country; but what they need to fear is that the defense forces of the nation will be rendered impotent by decisions of Communist sympathizers in places of importance and authority. One cannot help but wonder why so-called liberal Christians play the Communist game and adopt the Communist line in their pronouncements when they ought to know that this advances the Communist cause. The strategy also includes the promotion of stooge wars between puppet states and nations of the West which may be controlled by Communist forces without embroiling Russia herself. This is the present threat in Germany. Thus it may be seen that communism has a consistent theory, technique, and program, a part of which is illustrated in the attitudes of Mr. Khrushchev.

WHY IS COMMUNISM INCREASING?

The phenomenal growth of communism from a few thousand adherents in 1917 to the control of at least one-third of the human race in 1961, and its continuing growth may be conditioned on several matters. One is its capitalizing of certain movements.

Nationalism is the desire of indigenous peoples to determine their own destiny and to be independent. This may be illustrated today by the intense desire of Africans for self-determination. This was recently described under the clause, “Ready or not, here we come.” Africa is determined to have its “Uhuru”; hence, Nigeria, the Congo, Ghana, Senegal, Somali, and others, have gained their independence. Recognizing this justifiable nationalistic impulse, Communists have taken thousands of young Africans to Moscow to be trained in Communist education, doctrine, and technique. These students will return to Africa to become leaders of revolutionary activity. This may already be seen in the Congo. The deficiency of the knowledge by the mass of Africans concerning the true nature of communism will facilitate the leadership of these Communist-trained Africans in swinging some of the newly born nations into the Communist orbit.

The second tendency communism capitalizes on may be described as economic hunger. Frank Laubach has described the present situation of the world as a platform dividing one-third of the human race from two-thirds. The one-third is on top of the platform enjoying all the privileges of education, modern industries, sanitation, convenience, and leisure. Two-thirds are under the platform and enjoy none of these privileges. They do the hard, toilsome work with no rewards. The difference in the present situation and the former situation is that the platform is now become glass and the two-thirds may see the condition of the one-third on top and they are determined that they also will share in the privileges of the one-third—through technocracy, nationalism, and, if necessary, communism.

The third situation communism has seized upon is the vacuum left by the end of the colonial era. These many states which have gained their self-determination since World War II have not been adequately prepared to govern themselves and to develop sufficient economic independence. Consequently, communism has moved in and made puppet states out of some of them through the dumping of their economic goods, through political agitation, and through force. Communists have developed the strategy of subjugation. By use of the Communist party, secret police, prisons, slave labor, and propaganda, they have been able to develop a new international imperialism centering the control in Moscow. Their economic competition is favorable to them because they wring the products of the toil of slave laborers, sell them beneath cost in order to capture foreign markets, and then follow their penetration with political power.

The fourth condition seized upon by the Communists is that of the vacillation and weakness of the free world. For some unknown reason leadership in the free world has refused to believe that a Communist is a Communist. This leadership lacks knowledge of the purposes, techniques, and goals of communism. Moreover, it does not have a competing philosophy which is consistent and complete, and it fails in courageous action for the promotion of a competing program. The resort to expediency rather than principle, the demonstration of vacillation in reference to commitments, and the willingness to compromise has encouraged communism in its expansive and aggressive policies.

WHAT CAN COUNTERACT COMMUNISM?

To counteract communism we need a consistent theism. We need to understand the implications of the belief in God for every realm of human life. Kerzhentsev says, “A Communist cannot believe in God. He knows that religion is nothing but a means for duping the people in the interest of the exploiters.” So we know that a believer in God cannot be a Communist in the technical sense of that term. He who believes in God believes in absolute moral law. God is a just and righteous God; therefore, if he talks about love, it must be in the framework of justice, righteousness, and truth. He will not be sentimental, vacillating, or weak in his application of law. He will support righteousness and justice by force if necessary. A man who believes in God also believes in the dignity and value of an individual human being. This is derived from the fact that man is created in the image of God, and from the proclamation of the Christian Gospel that God himself came into the world to redeem individual man and remake him in His own likeness. The believer in God believes that man according to law may express himself in a free society. He has freedom of ballot, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of economic activity, and freedom of speech. It is time that we undertake to propagate these views in competition with the views of the Communists. We should exploit the natural desires of men for freedom. If an African calls “Uhuru” in defiance of all law and order, then we should cry “Freedom” with the framework of a theistic society. Actually, freedom is on our side. If we teach the truth in a consistent system, we may meet Communist theory. It is time to underscore the differences between the Communist and a free society. Instead of obscuring and depreciating the American dream which has built this noble society, we ought to exalt the elements of it over against it. We should be unafraid to reveal the condition of the captive nations and their degrading slavery.

To counteract communism, we need constant vigilance. There must be an alertness to the wiles, the devices, the fronts, and the deceit which are used by Communists and which are Communist inspired. The fact that so many good men have been taken into front organizations which have advanced the Communist cause does not commend our intelligence as patriots or as Christians. True vigilance would anticipate the Communist movements of advance throughout the world, whether in Africa, South Asia, Latin America, or in our own United States. It also would develop an aggressive diplomacy which would wrest the initiative from the Communists. The irritation of Mr. Khrushchev over captive nations’ week in 1959 reveals that such initiative on our part could actually hurt the Communist cause.

To counteract communism, we need courageous action. Firmness is the only thing which Communists understand. Firmness must be backed up by military strength and force. We may be thankful that our nation had courage enough to move into Korea, into Lebanon, into Formosa, and to declare that aggressive acts on the part of the Communists brought us to the brink of war. The same courage should be manifested in reference to Berlin. We should remind the Communists of their treaties and of our rights, and declare that we will maintain access to Berlin whatever comes, even if this means using atomic weapons. Courageous action demands diplomatic firmness in reference to a nation such as China which today threatens her neighbors, has invaded Vietnam, Tibet, and Korea. She should not be rewarded with recognition or admission to the United Nations. Courageous action means an alliance between nations that believe in moral law and in the freedom of men. Our defense dependence should not be placed upon the United Nations but on such an agreement among moral nations.

The faith and dedication of communism must be met by the faith and dedication of Christians. Communist adherents believe the Communist dialectic. They are convinced that it is their historical destiny to win. They have embraced an idealism for a better world. This view must be met by an equally consistent and virile faith. Such a faith, in my opinion, may only be found in evangelical Christianity. Liberalism, through its embrace of naturalism, has softened resistance to the intellectual aspects of communism.

The Communist dedicates self, possessions, family, and life to the cause. This must be matched by an equal dedication on the part of Christians. It is in this realm that our aging culture reveals itself. Too many so-called Christians are searching for security, for indulgence in pleasure, for profit even with the loss of integrity, and for ease displayed in the lack of discipline in study and work.

Communism is idealism. The students of our day are idealistic. The power of the students to change the social order has recently been shown in China, in Korea, and in Turkey. Students want the challenge of the ideal. Jesus Christ, Christian truth, and loving humanitarianism are that ideal. Let us accept the challenge and present this to students in our day. Communism can be counteracted and it can be defeated, but it will take Christian theism, idealism, and dedication.

Samuel M. Shoemaker is the author of a number of popular books and the gifted Rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh. He is known for his effective leadership of laymen and his deeply spiritual approach to all vital issues.

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