SCIENCE AND SUPERSTITION

Organised Savagery.

(Written by J. S. Clarke for the "Edinburgh Socialist.")

"There is fountain filled with blood Drawn from Emmanuel's veins." — Christian Hymn.
"Nothing but the blood of Jesus." — Christian Hymn.
"Wash me in the blood of the lamb." — Christian Hymn.

Modern organised superstition, as its hymns denote, is a particularly bloody affair. That is why it appeals only to the uncultured or ancestral type of mind. It is, reduced to simplicity, a form of atavism. Its fetish is a book — "Holy Bible" — and its votaries simply slumbering savages — intimidated and disciplined by the one power greater than their belief — economic conditions. I say greater power, because that it is such, is obvious. The twentieth century barbarian is driven by his superstitious belief to devote one day to flattery of, and supplication to, his God, but driven by the iron law of economics to devote six days to his personal advancement. Just as one may see in Africa the benighted savage kiss, cajole and revere a mere wooden fetish, so may one observe an exactly similar series of operations in "civilised Britain." Perhaps the most pitiable, yet one of the most prevalent, sights of to-day is to watch an otherwise sane person close his eyes (a relic of "Sun worship") and press his lips to a book — an ordinary paper book printed on an electrically driven machine — in our courts of "Justice" Fetishism, par excellence.
 There is no substantial difference between the Zulu who kow tows before a painted stick and the modern "business man" who kow tows before a wooden saint, crucifix or altar. Both cases are examples of early ignorance and credulity.   The fetish book, an ordinary common or garden "Bible," makes fascinating reading, only if read in the light of scientific anthropological research. Therein do we find reference to every form of superstitious worship mentioned in this essay. In the Garden of Eden story we find clear evidence of the ancient belief in tree worship — the trees of "knowledge of good and evil" and "life." The serpent addressing Eve, the serpent worship of Moses in the wilderness, the "golden calf" of Aaron, the conjuring tricks with frogs and lice, and the transfiguration of Jesus into "the lamb of God" are all brilliantly obvious examples of Animism and Totemism. Of the mythical creatures of antiquity we find mention in the Bible of Satyrs, Centaurs, Cockatrices, Dragons Unicorns; besides marvellously weird "hares that chew the cud"; "fowls that creep on all fours"; "creeping things with legs above their feet"; Baalam's Esperanto speaking donkey; a whale that accommodated a man in his belly ; a devil with cloven hoofs and bull's horns; a man with woolly hair, brass feet and fiery eyes ; a lamb with seven horns and seven eyes; locusts with horses' bodies, men's faces, women's hair, lion's teeth, scorpion tails, iron breasts, and golden crowns. No wonder Heine spoke ironically of "the menagerie of the Apocalypse."
 Primitive cannibalism is practised in most churches to-day, only wafers and wine are substituted for flesh and blood —they mean the same. "Thou shalt eat my flesh and drink my blood." Anthropomorphism is stamped upon almost every page of the Bible. It is tolerably certain that Jehovah was merely the stone fetish of the early Jews. He was carried before the army in a box (the ark of the Lord), and when captured by the Philistines, Dagon, another stone god, fell down and broke in pieces. They played instruments before it and danced their worship dances to it. The creation of man out of clay; the mockery of Isaiah "among thy lot are the smooth stones of the valley" ; the cairn of stones which Jacob erected at Mispah ; the stone he anointed after sleeping thereon; Josuah's twelve stones at Gilgal; and Lot's wife transformed, like Niobe, into a pillar of sodium chloride, are pregnant with evidence of primitive stone worship.
 Is it not appalling to reflect that in the century of radium, electricity, submarines and aeroplanes, there are millions of people who regard this antiquated rubbish as sacred truth ?
 One of the profoundest truths ever uttered by man was spoken by Winwood Reade when he said, "We have all got rid of our tailed bodies but not our tailed minds." Is not that true ?
 And what, you may ask, is the cause of this disparity ? It is because the material or economic conditions of life outgrow with enormous rapidity the mental conditions, which they themselves mould in each successive generation; and that those beings who grasp the exigencies of the situation with all its advantages, are interested in withholding mental enlightenment from the masses.
 No better illustration of this can be given than the everyday life of those nomadic people who, it is often alleged, "control the money bags of the world" —

International Socialist (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1920), Saturday 20 January 1917, page 2