ocialists have really no right to complain if their
opponents, relying on Bax's high authority, reproach them with being
Atheists. The excerpts given above show that the religion of Socialism
is a political and economic one. Its character and principles may be
found in the publications of the Labour Church Union and of the
Socialist Sunday School Union. The prospectus of the Labour Church
Union contains the following declaration of principles:

"(1) That the Labour Church exists to give expression to the religion
of the Labour movement. (2) That the religion of the Labour movement
is not theological, but respects each individual's personal
convictions upon this question. (3) That the religion of the Labour
movement seeks the realisation of universal well-being by the
establishment of Socialism--a Commonwealth founded upon justice and
love. (4) The religion of the Labour movement declares that
improvement of social conditions and the development of personal
character are both essential to emancipation from social and moral
bondage, and to that end insists upon the duty of studying the
economic and moral forces of society."

It will be noticed that the words Christianity, God, morality, virtue,
&c., do not occur in the foregoing statement.

Now let us study the details of the Socialist religion. These details
are taken from a statement of the aims, methods, &c. of the Socialist
Sunday Schools, published for the enlightenment of the public by the
Glasgow and District Socialist Sunday School Union, the principal
Socialist Sunday School Union of Great Britain. In that official
publication we read: "Socialism, which the children are taught, is an
idealism. It has been described as 'the highest flight of the ideal
into the realm of the practical.' It is a faith--a faith based on the
divine brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity--irrespective of class,
colour, or creed. It is a religion--a religion greater than creeds or
dogmas. It is a religion of love! Its followers and disciples are
lovers of mankind! Its worship is service to humanity! Socialism has
absorbed not only all the essential spiritual elements contained in
the Christ teaching, but it has also, as Christianity itself has done
before it, absorbed all the highest altruistic teaching of the ages.
But Socialism has done something more--it has struck a new note,
deep-sounding, far-reaching, and its vibrations are stirring in the
hearts of the nations! Socialism has p