A very sincere Catholic once told me: “On Lenin’s deathbed, he confessed to an Orthodox priest. He told the priest that ‘Communism would have worked, if only there had been more people like St. Francis.'”
One of the most brilliant lies in history.
First of all, Lenin was not a Christian, though his grandfather pretended to be to avoid discrimination. Anna, Lenin’s elder sister, wrote to Stalin: “It is probably no secret for you that the research on our grandfather shows that he came from a poor Jewish family, that he was, as his baptismal certificate says, the son of a ‘Zhitomir burgher, Moishe Blank’ and this fact could serve in combating anti-Semitism.”
Lenin’s sister went on to explain that Lenin’s Jewish origins were “further confirmation of the exceptional abilities of the Semitic tribe… Lenin always valued the Jews highly.” Stalin replied: ‘Not one word about it.'”
Another facet of the lie: Lenin’s actual last words were spoken on a sled ride very shortly before he died. “Good dog.”, he is reported to have said before passing on.
The Soviet spin-meisters needed a way to better benefit from Lenin’s last words. “Good dog” just wasn’t useful for any propaganda message at all.
“I know!” one of the brighter Public Relations people said, “Let’s tell the people that Lenin said it was their fault that Communism failed!”
“How will we do that?”
“We’ll say he went to Confession before he died.”, the clever liar answered.
“Will anyone believe that?”, the clever liar was asked, in astonishment.
“If we tell them often enough. We’ll convince millions that a founder of the Communist Party, who laid the foundations for the greatest mass murders of adults in history, was disappointed because the people were not saintly enough. It will be implied that God forgave, and even encouraged, him for killing so many people because they were not as kind and good as St. Francis.”
“How will that help us?”, one of the less intelligent liars wanted to know.
“Every death-dealer for years to come will be able to hide behind that same camoflauge. He’ll be able to blame the people he’s destroying for not being sufficiently similar to St. Francis. This lie will transfer hatred of tyranny to the people being made to suffer and die, all in the name of a great Catholic saint. It will keep well-meaning Christians confused about how much we love suffering and death for a century! Maybe, more!”
“Wow! Will everyone who’s on our side be able to use this lie? Could we tell this lie in Africa? Could we explain that Moslem invaders are slaughtering unarmed Christians because they are not enough like St. Francis? Will they believe it if we them that the Moslems have a special ‘duty’ to kill African, or any Christians, because they are not as good as St. Francis?
“We can use this lie any place and any time we want people to suffer and die!”, the clever liar for the Culture of Death explained with a great deal of self-satisfaction.
