X. 



CIVILIZATION- 

 WARD AND DIETZGEN 



One of the darkest curses that has fallen 

 on the working class is its being shut out of 

 the wondrous world of modern thought. The 

 great gates of the Temple of Science are 

 clanged in its face, and its mind is fed on the 

 theological garbage of the Middle Ages. In 

 the school, the press, and especially the pul- 

 pit, ideas are gravely presented as serious 

 truths, which are known by all university men 

 to be thoroughly exploded lies. 



A twentieth century newspaper will braz- 

 enly devote a whole page to presenting, with 

 pictorial illustrations, alleged recently discov- 

 ered proofs of the truth of that Genesis legend 

 which has done such loyal service to the rul- 

 ing class by stultifying the brains of its vic- 

 tims. These hypocritical displays are never 

 publicly contradicted, although every man 

 with the least smattering of scientific knowl- 

 edge, including the editors, knows how utterly 

 false they are. These worthies indulge in a 



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