As the twenty-first century progresses, there has been an increasing
interest and not a small amount of debate on the role of religion in
society and particularly on advances in secularisation. Richard Dawkins’
book , ‘The God Delusion,’ was a best-seller in the UK and novels like
‘The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ’ by Richard Pullman have
touched raw nerves in Church hierarchies. Against what they see as a
growing tide of secularism, spokespersons for the Church have denounced
the ‘intolerance’ of atheism and have fought a vigorous rearguard action
to defend the special position of faith, woven as it is into the fabric
of everyday life.
Many of us know that the origins of Christianity have nothing to do with silent nights or wise men. So what are its true origins? John Pickard looks at the reality of how this religion came about.
Jews throughout the 20th century were attacked as either Communists or rich capitalists. According to this view there was some kind of conspiracy here to overthrow society as we know it. This is pure racist anti-Semitism, which Marxists utterly reject. Jews around the world, and in Israel, belong to different classes and thus have different interests. How does this affect their thinking? Walter Leon looks into the question and connects it to the ups and downs of the class struggle.
Socialist Appeal's ongoing campaign to spread the christmas spirit today publishes Lenin, who wrote in 1905 that: "Those who toil are taught by religion to be submissive and patient while here on
earth, and to take comfort in the hope of a heavenly reward. But those who live
by the labour of others are taught by religion to practise charity while on
earth, thus offering them a very cheap way of justifying their entire existence
as exploiters and selling them at a moderate price tickets to well-being in
heaven."
As part of the build up to the festive season Socialist Appeal is issuing some articles by Marxists looking at the role of religion in the labour movement. This article written in
1945 analyses the relationship between the Soviet state and the
Russian Orthodox Church. There was a clear dividing line between
Lenin's approach to this question and the zig-zag policy later
adopted by Stalin. First published in Workers International News,
October 1945.
Socialist Appeal are proud to publish this education guide to help focus your studies of Marxist theory and practice. Visit the various tabs below to find links to introductory articles, classic texts, videos and audio talks for different topics. Read More
Check out this selection of writings for an excellent introduction to many of the fundamentals of Marxist theory, providing a strong basis for those wishing to equip themselves with the ideas necessary in order to fight for socialism. Read More
Dialectical materialism is the philosophy or methodology of Marxism. We must seek to understand the laws of society and nature in order to change them. Read More
Historical materialism is the general theory of how and why society develops in the way it does. Each social system has its inherent laws of motion. If we want to overthrow capitalist society, we must understand how capitalism works. Read More
Marxist economics is the study of the laws of motion of capitalist society, allowing us to understand why capitalism perpetually goes into crisis, where inequality comes from, and what the alternative is. Read More
For Marxists, the state is not at all neutral. We must understand the state’s real basis and strip away its mysticism by treating it historically - taking in its origins, rise, and eventual fall. Read More
The Russian Revolution is the greatest event in world history for Marxists. Studying the events of 1917, and understanding why the Revolution degenerated into Stalinism, provides vital lessons for revolutionaries today. Read More
Anarchism is naturally attractive for those wanting to abolish capitalism. But only Marxist ideas can explain why bureaucracy and oppression exist - and how to overthrow the exploitative capitalist system. Read More
Marxists are irreconcilably opposed to the oppression of women and fight determinedly for liberation and against discrimination. We believe this will be achieved through the class struggle - to abolish the oppressive capitalist system. Read More
The madness of fascism expresses the historic crisis and dead-end of capitalism. But it could have been avoided if the working class had a united revolutionary leadership, prepared to take power. Read More
Nations have not always existed, nor will they always exist in the future. Marxists are internationalists, fighting for world socialist revolution as the only way forward for humanity and our planet. Read More
Wars represent the sharp extreme of capitalism’s impasse. Imperialism, Lenin said, was the "highest stage of capitalism". As long as the profit system exists, there will be wars over markets and spheres of influence. Read More
All written history, Marx stated, is the history of class struggle. Our task is to learn the lessons from history in order to prepare for the revolutionary events taking place today and in the future. Read More
Our aim is to spread the ideas of Marxism, in an organised fashion, amongst workers and youth. In order to do this, we must study the history and traditions of the working class. Read More
As the twenty-first century progresses, there has been an increasing
interest and not a small amount of debate on the role of religion in
society and particularly on advances in secularisation. Richard Dawkins’
book , ‘The God Delusion,’ was a best-seller in the UK and novels like
‘The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ’ by Richard Pullman have
touched raw nerves in Church hierarchies. Against what they see as a
growing tide of secularism, spokespersons for the Church have denounced
the ‘intolerance’ of atheism and have fought a vigorous rearguard action
to defend the special position of faith, woven as it is into the fabric
of everyday life.
Many of us know that the origins of Christianity have nothing to do with silent nights or wise men. So what are its true origins? John Pickard looks at the reality of how this religion came about.
Jews throughout the 20th century were attacked as either Communists or rich capitalists. According to this view there was some kind of conspiracy here to overthrow society as we know it. This is pure racist anti-Semitism, which Marxists utterly reject. Jews around the world, and in Israel, belong to different classes and thus have different interests. How does this affect their thinking? Walter Leon looks into the question and connects it to the ups and downs of the class struggle.
Socialist Appeal's ongoing campaign to spread the christmas spirit today publishes Lenin, who wrote in 1905 that: "Those who toil are taught by religion to be submissive and patient while here on
earth, and to take comfort in the hope of a heavenly reward. But those who live
by the labour of others are taught by religion to practise charity while on
earth, thus offering them a very cheap way of justifying their entire existence
as exploiters and selling them at a moderate price tickets to well-being in
heaven." 
As part of the build up to the festive season Socialist Appeal is issuing some articles by Marxists looking at the role of religion in the labour movement. This article written in
1945 analyses the relationship between the Soviet state and the
Russian Orthodox Church. There was a clear dividing line between
Lenin's approach to this question and the zig-zag policy later
adopted by Stalin. First published in