Religion: Baptists in Russia

Enemy to the Russian Orthodox Church is the Soviet Government. But Soviets can be subtle. To combat orthodoxy they chose not atheism or agnosticism, but Baptist and Methodist missionaries. The Soviet plan: to foster Baptist activities and thus enfeeble orthodoxy. This was in 1921. Last week the shrewd Soviets had to admit they had blundered.

In the U. S. the Baptists, whose membership verges on 10,000,000 baptized souls, achieved their greatest potency not so much by their religious beliefs alone as by founding countless welfare homes, over 90 colleges and universities. In Russia likewise, Baptists began to administer Baptist welfare, to build Baptist homes.

Last week, therefore, the Soviet Central Executive Committee passed two potent anti-Baptist laws. One law declared that “the activity of all religious units be confined to the exercise of religion, and be not permitted any economic or cultural work which exceeds the limits of their ministry to the spiritual needs of Soviet citizens.” Forbidden, therefore, is all Baptist social welfare or recreation work; permitted is nothing but Sunday preaching, hymn-singing.

The other law reads: “The houses of prayer and other religious property and the clergy shall minister to the believers of the locality adjoining the said buildings [i. e., to only one congregation]. Thus are Baptist activities among the Soviets split up, isolated, weakened.