Socialist Appeal
The British section of the International Marxist Tendency
Religious fundamentalism of all types is on the rise across the world, leading to barbaric terrorist attacks like those seen in New Zealand and Sri Lanka. This growing extremism is another reflection of capitalism's impasse.
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."