t profoundly revolutionise religion.
The change in the economic basis of society is the more important thing
to strive for; but if the triumph of the Socialist ideal does not crush
supernatural religion, then we shall still have a gigantic fabric of
falsity and convention upon which to wage war. Happily Christianity
becomes less and less of a power every day. So far, indeed, from
Christianity being able to support Socialism, it goes hard with
Christianity to stand by itself. As a support to Socialism it would
surely prove a broken reed."[989]

A Socialist poet proclaims:

The name of Christ has been the sovereign curse,
The opium drug that kept us slaves to wrong,
Fooled with a dream, we bowed to worse and worse.
"In heaven," we said, "He will confound the strong."
O hateful treason that has tricked too long!

Had we poor down-trod millions never dreamed
Your dream of that hereafter for our woe,
Had the great powers that rule, no Father seemed,
But Law relentless, long and long ago
Had we risen and said, "We will not suffer so!"

"O Christ, O You who found the drug of heaven,
To keep consoled an earth that grew to hell,
That else to cleanse and cure its sores had striven,
We curse That name!"[990]

There is an eminently practical reason for the hostility of Socialists
to Christianity. Religious people are not likely to become Socialists.
"Christianity is like a set of manacles fastened upon the minds of
those who believe in it. It is vain for us to look for aid from the
Church and Christianity. It might be supposed that a hungry Christian
would rebel against his hunger as readily as a hungry Atheist. But it
is not the case."[991]

The belief in a life after death also is incompatible with Socialism,
and must therefore be combated: "We are compelled to abandon the
belief in immortality. He who is given to meditating on his latter end
and for whom the question of a post-physical future life for himself
as an individual is of primary importance, is, generally speaking,
indifferent where not positively hostile to social ideals."[992] "The
moment this belief in an after-death existence is erected into a
dogma, the moment it comes to be looked upon as an article of faith,
which it is a duty to hold, or at least which it is the evidence of an
ignoble disposition of mind not to hold, then it becomes an enemy to
be combated."[993]

The practical teachings of Chr