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What makes a church any different to the party in this respect? Aren't we also preachers, trying to convince people about the best path to human salvation? I am seriously concerned about us entertaining double standards, and alienating otherwise virtuous people in the process.

You know, Christianity originally flourished as a secret society - what makes you think forcing groups of the religious to organise 'privately' (whatever that means) is going to achieve anything useful?

The religious question is a sideshow, comrades. It is merely a symptom of broader problems in society of which we are all acutely aware of. Targeting or repressing non-violent religion with the power of the state achieves nothing that is worth the accompanying violation of the principle of free speech.

I agree wholeheartedly, religion is best left alone where it does no harm.
 
What makes a church any different to the party in this respect? Aren't we also preachers, trying to convince people about the best path to human salvation? I am seriously concerned about us entertaining double standards, and alienating otherwise virtuous people in the process.

You know, Christianity originally flourished as a secret society - what makes you think forcing groups of the religious to organise 'privately' (whatever that means) is going to achieve anything useful?

The religious question is a sideshow, comrades. It is merely a symptom of broader problems in society of which we are all acutely aware of. Targeting or repressing non-violent religion with the power of the state achieves nothing that is worth the accompanying violation of the principle of free speech.

Religion has proven its inherently dangerous nature. People believe in Atheism, some incredibly strongly, but you do not see them joining secret societies, preaching from pulpits and manipulating the poor and uneducated with their message. The institution of religion must be smashed, let it be a private matter just as Atheism is.

Open Letter to all the Factions of the Party

Comrade, these ideas of yours are incredibly dangerous.

1. Abolition of the old bourgeois languages and adoption of a new revolutionary Socialist language. The existence of separate languages and cultures within the VSVR weaken the Revolution, and the old bourgeois identities must vanish and be replaced by an Internationalist Proletarian identity. A true Socialist language would help in this matter.
2. A Complete revolution of Culture: Art, Architecture, Music and Literature need to be completely changed from their bourgeois past, and a new Proletarian style must be introduced. No more regressive music or art, only a revolutionized cultural life will bring forward Communism.

You cannot force people to abandon their cultural identities. You can't force them to have a certain type of culture deemed 'revolutionary' either. Art et. al. will come to represent revolutionary ideals through the course of time. Should we try to force their hand we would be no better than the bourgeoisie tyrants we toppled.

3. A new capital: Köln is tainted by it's bourgeois past, and a completely new Socialist city should be built as the headquarters of the World Revolution.

There is no need for a capital at all. We should be decentralising, not picking a new position for central administration.

4. Harsh policy towards traitors of Socialism: That so many people still embrace religion and not true Atheism is just a proof there's dangerous elements in the republic trying to derail the Revolution. Anyone embracing these false Regressive Gods must be tried for treason!

While I am a most ardent critic of religion and advocate for its destruction, this is nothing short of tyrrany, comrade. You cannot simply try anyone who maintains belief in a deity. It is not personal belief that is the genesis of the pain and suffering religion inflicts, but religious organisations. As with culture we cannot try to force the people's hands to change, it must happen as a matter of course. In proving the ascendancy of Atheirsm and scientific rationalism we shall see more and more people give up their personal beliefs.

5. Elimination of the Petty bourgeois: if they don't become Proletarians by their own will, let's drag them to the factories and proletarize them!!

Here I offer no argument.
 
Köln is the capital of the Republic now and it shall be forever! People should stop think about moving it. I'm looking at you yourworstnightm. It is where the revolution was born and thrived these last 50 years.
 
Köln is the capital of the Republic now and it shall be forever! People should stop think about moving it. I'm looking at you yourworstnightm. It is where the revolution was born and thrived these last 50 years.

It's a city tainted by a Capitalist past. the World revolution need a new capital that's built completely according to the values of Socialism.
 
I've already told you about my dissertation on Trotsky and Stalin but I've also recently written another one which was bout the relationship between christinaity and socialism (using 2 Graham Greene books :D). So I've done quite some thinking and writing on the subject.

I disagree that personal belief is not harmful to a socialist revolution. I won't go into detail but essentially I believe that both Christianity have the same inherenty noble ideal at heart - to help the common man. Whilst christianity has become deformed beyond all recognition in the 19 centuries since then (in AAR) socialism has yet to become so defomred - although in RL it too suffered from this fate. But that doesn't matter so much. One can be just as good a person if you believe in christianity than if you believe in socialism - indeed you might be better. However you cannot be a good socialist and a christian. The two are incompatible. I agree with Marx on this point, if you want a bit more detail look for some of his writings on religion. Faith in an afterlife is incompatible with socialism, this does not necessarily matter in a non-socialist society but if we are to achieve communism then religion of all kinds must be totally and utterly anhilated. Personal faith is just as damaging as the Church institution. It is just debateable what is the best root to eject it - I favour education (the most proven bane of religion) but as you shall see Lenin's going to take on a more 'hands on' approach to spead up the process.
 
I've already told you about my dissertation on Trotsky and Stalin but I've also recently written another one which was bout the relationship between christinaity and socialism (using 2 Graham Greene books :D). So I've done quite some thinking and writing on the subject.

I disagree that personal belief is not harmful to a socialist revolution. I won't go into detail but essentially I believe that both Christianity have the same inherenty noble ideal at heart - to help the common man. Whilst christianity has become deformed beyond all recognition in the 19 centuries since then (in AAR) socialism has yet to become so defomred - although in RL it too suffered from this fate. But that doesn't matter so much. One can be just as good a person if you believe in christianity than if you believe in socialism - indeed you might be better. However you cannot be a good socialist and a christian. The two are incompatible. I agree with Marx on this point, if you want a bit more detail look for some of his writings on religion. Faith in an afterlife is incompatible with socialism, this does not necessarily matter in a non-socialist society but if we are to achieve communism then religion of all kinds must be totally and utterly anhilated. Personal faith is just as damaging as the Church institution. It is just debateable what is the best root to eject it - I favour education (the most proven bane of religion) but as you shall see Lenin's going to take on a more 'hands on' approach to spead up the process.
Good, religion must be beaten out of the people, with heavy hammers if necessary. Those who don't embrace Atheism are clearly traitors to the Revolution and needt to be tried as such.

We could use that useless land we have in Africa as internment camps for traitors.
 
Good, religion must be beaten out of the people, with heavy hammers if necessary. Those who don't embrace Atheism are clearly traitors to the Revolution and needt to be tried as such.

We could use that useless land we have in Africa as internment camps for traitors.

That seems way too harsh. Internment camps? This is a serious infringement on their liberties, and a normal place to gain religious thought is at harsh living-conditions, like prisons, internment camps, sweatshops etc. The best way to fight the spread of the people's opium, religion, is through education.
 
I favour education (the most proven bane of religion) but as you shall see Lenin's going to take on a more 'hands on' approach to spead up the process.
This reminds me of something I've been meaning to ask but forgot, how did you come up with that 35% Atheist statistic from a few updates ago? Did you create an atheist religion especially for the VSVR mod?
 
Is not atheism itself a religion and institution? Is it not corruptible?

How can you corrupt something that doesn't exist :confused:

As Phalanxia said. Atheism literally means without theos, i.e. religious institution. An Atheist can still have some belief in a higher power. Someone who neither believes in a religious institution nor a deity is an Agnostic Atheist.
 
As Phalanxia said. Atheism literally means without theos, i.e. religious institution. An Atheist can still have some belief in a higher power. Someone who neither believes in a religious institution nor a deity is an Agnostic Atheist.

I disagree

a·the·ism
   /ˈeɪθiˌɪzəm/ Show Spelled[ey-thee-iz-uhm]
–noun
1.
the doctrine or belief that there is no god.
2.
disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.
 
As Phalanxia said. Atheism literally means without theos, i.e. religious institution. An Atheist can still have some belief in a higher power. Someone who neither believes in a religious institution nor a deity is an Agnostic Atheist.

An agnostic (or "weak atheist") is one who believes that neither the existance or non-existance of a god can be proven, while an atheist is someone who believes that no gods exist.

Oh and also, I oppose the eradication of religion by way of force. As others have already said, education is the shining beacon of light in the darkness of superstition.
 
I would advocate the outlawing of organized religious conversion and the progressive education of the dangers of religion as the method of removing religion as a whole from the Republic.

I'm curious what Lenin will do though, I'm not really concerned as long as he isn't sending people to reeducation camps or forcing them to convert on the spot.
 
I approach this from a strategic perspective. By taking such a hardline stance now on a relatively petty issue, we are alienating what could be valuable allies against the international bourgeois. We can and should settle cultural disputes after the economic and political phases of the global revolution are complete.
 
I approach this from a strategic perspective. By taking such a hardline stance now on a relatively petty issue, we are alienating what could be valuable allies against the international bourgeois. We can and should settle cultural disputes after the economic and political phases of the global revolution are complete.

I could'nt agree more. We can deal with religion after the economy and the home front are secured.
 
This would be radical, but what about the old Roman approach to religion. Since Atheism is essentially the religion of the State, and central to its eventual fulfillment of Communism, it is not entirely different from Rome where religions was partly a civic function. Hence individuals are allowed to hold their beliefs so long as they offer prayers and sacrifice for the Emperor. The questions to be resolved are:

How do we define prayer and sacrifice such that we can regulate and monitor it? Taxes? Attendance of the local Party meeting? Membership in the Unions? Military service?

And what holds the place of the Emperor? the Party? the State? the Revolution? the Chairman?

EDIT:

Possible third question:

What to do with those that refuse? Exile them? Tax them? Try them? Coliseums with Lions :) ?
 
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