Walther: “Social Democrats” = Communists = atheists (1878)

      C. F. W. Walther reported in the 1878 Der Lutheraner, vol. 34, p. 45 a short news item from Germany that clarifies the actual nature of political ideologies in that country. Those who, as Christians, would defend “Democracy” while ignoring the more important matter of Freedom of Religion, are giving the enemies of the Church free reign to convince the population of their socialist causes.  But let us hear Walther's warning against Socialists in the Church:

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II. Abroad. 

The resignations from the Prussian State Church on the part of the Social Democrats (as the Communists are called in Germany) are becoming more frequent and more numerous after the court preacher [Adolf] Stoecker in Berlin, along with other pastors, has taken steps to call into being a Christian Socialist association. The unbelieving newspapers report this consequence of the efforts of those preachers with scorn and derision, since they think that great harm is being done to the Prussian State Church by the departure of the atheistic Social Democrats. In their blindness they do not see that this consequence is the most glorious that Christian preachers could wish for. If atheists and other children of unbelief leave the church, the church only loses what a ship that is about to sink loses when it sinks its ballast into the sea and thereby saves itself and its goods.       W. [Walther]

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One immediately notices that Walther identifies “Social Democrats” as equal to Communists, as Atheists.  One can easily make the case that that is now true of the ruling powers in the United States of America, both in the Federal government and in most states.  But may all Socialists in the Church come "out" and leave the Church.