Customer Reviews

Marx & Satan

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a grad student in China studies, I once made the mistake of referring to Marx and Satan in the footnote of a paper for a very by-the-book scholar. He circled the title in heavy red ink and wrote in the margin with even heavier sarcasm: "Might the book have a bias?"

Richard Wurmbrand certainly did have a bias, though not the one the "one star" reviewers below accuse him of. No, this is not "anti-Semitic drivel;" Wurmbrand was himself a Jew, persecuted by the fascists for his race, who loved his people. No, he is not a "reactionary fanatic," nor does this book represent "the scarier mindscapes of the Bible Belt." Wurmbrand is actually from Romania, which is I believe some distance from Texas, and you read his many fascinating books, you will find he was actually quite thoughtful. But yes, he was biased against communism. He spent many years in slave labor camps, was tortured, and saw friends die. (A slave labor camp, I might point out, is rather a scarier place than a Southern Baptist church; tens of millions of people died in such places in the last century.)

Despite the provocative title of this book, such experiences did not render Wurmbrand bitter or unhinged. His argument here is not a vitriolic piece of ad hominem; rather it is a serious suggestion, backed up, it seems, by a fair amount of circumstantial evidence.

It is commonly argued that Marx had nothing to do with the crimes of communism. Even if Wurmbrand's central thesis does not convince you, the evidence he offers does at least show the spiritual or psychological continuity between Marx and the crimes committed in his name.

The book has its flaws, true. The evidence Wurmbrand offers is not overpowering. Wurmbrand sometimes takes phrases like "demonic fury" a little too seriously; I suspect it was often mere hyperboli. Also, he is not critical enough with his sources. Although he does not base anything on it, in one place he seems to accept the "Ritual Satanic Abuse" scam, for example. Finally, the book is a bit gossipy.

Still, Wurmbrand knows a great deal about communism. He seems to have read very widely in primary sources, and provides strongly suggestive quotes to back up his thesis. He shows caution at times, and is knowledgeable and thoughtful.

A few months ago I came across a dissertation in my university library entitled "The Role of Atheism in the Marxist Tradition." The author of the dissertation, a journalist named David Aikman, wrote it under the guidance of Donald Treadgold, editor of the Slavic Review and a leading historian of the Soviet Union. It was interesting to me to find that Aikman took Wurmbrand's thesis very seriously, and in his own study of Marx, Engels, and Lenin, had found additional evidence that seemed to point in the same general direction.

What did Marx and his chief disciples really believe? As Wurmbrand admits, Marx and Satan is not the final word on that question. But I think this little book does point out a set of facts that more conventional history largely ignores, and that ought to be considered; and not only as an intellectual curiosity. Wurmbrand was not an arm-chair critic, but a witness, survivor, philosopher, and passionate lover of God and man. The facts he points out, and his observations on this subject, are worth considering, if not just for their own sake, for the sake of those who died.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

On page 71 of my 1979 edition of WAS KARL MARX A SATANIST?, Richard Wurmbrand writes: Marx did not love mankind. Mazzini, who had known him well, wrote that he had "a destructive spirit. His heart bursts with hatred rather than with love toward men." I know of no testimonies to the contrary from Marx's contemporaries. Marx the loving man is a myth constructed only after his death.

This is a factor that all men and women who lean toward Communism/Socialism as a result of genuine concern for the welfare of all people would be wise to seriously consider before ascribing any noble aspirations to the manifesto Marx gave to the world. If what Marx wrote was true, that he harbored "hatred against all gods" and that he wished to avenge himself "against the One who rules above", should it surprise any of us then that the fruit of his philosophy is responsible for unspeakable torture, terribly unjust acts, and the murder of about 100 million people worldwide? Should any thinking person be mystified by the obvious unfeasibility of Marx's secular Communism/Socialism wherever it has been tried, and by the destruction and unhappiness it inevitably leads to for the people it proposes to benefit?

WAS KARL MARX A SATANIST? By Richard Wurmbrand is just a small, 84 page booklet, but it contains lots of food for thought. If I was part of a jury given the responsibility to officially answer this question, in all honesty, I could not say that Wurmbrand's booklet proves its contention beyond all reasonable doubt. Wurmbrand essentially concedes this point when he writes, "I am conscious that the evidence which I give here is only circumstantial ..... I do not claim to have provided undisputable proof that Marx was a member of a sect of devil-worshippers, but I believe that there are sufficient leads to imply this. There are certainly enough leads to infer satanic influence upon his life and teachings ..... The sins of Marxism, like those of Nazism, surpass the ordinary. They are satanic." With that I wholeheartedly concur.

For the student such as myself, interested in the study of secret occult societies, there are a number of little "dots" provided in Wurmbrand's booklet that aid in seeing "the big picture" when one is connecting those dots. For instance, there's Karl's association with Moses Hess, whose family name appears in any detailed study of the Illuminati, and Karl's own Son-In-Law, Edward Aveling, friend of luciferian Annie Besant, and a leading personality in her luciferian Theosophy organization.

On page 67, Wurmbrand makes the extremely intriguing supposition: "Communists have the habit of creating front-organizations. [The above text] suggests the probability that Communist movements are themselves front-organizations for occult satanism. This would also explain why all the political, economical, cultural, and military weapons used against Communism have proved so inefficient. The means to fight satanism are spiritual, not carnal..."

I've given this book 3 stars only because of its cursory examination of a topic worthy of rigorous, scholarly study, and because it is not ultimately able to conclusively prove what it proposes. But anyone interested in this idea will find WAS KARL MARX A SATANIST? well worth reading and considering.

On February 27, 1852, Karl Marx wrote to his comrade in evil, Friedrich Engels, about an inheritance he would come into if his wife's ill uncle passed away: "If the dog dies, I would be out of mischief." On March 2nd, Engels replied, "I congratulate you for the sickness of the hinderer of an inheritance, and I hope that the catastrophe will happen now." As bad luck for Marx would have it, the old man recovered and did not depart for a better world until 1855. But on March 8th of that year, Marx wrote again to Engels, expressing his glee: "A very happy event. Yesterday we were told about the death of the 90-year-old uncle of my wife. My wife will receive some 100 Lst; even more if the old dog has not left a part of his money to the lady who administered his house."

These are the two great "humanitarians" who gave this world the joys of Communism/Socialism. I'll say this much: If Karl Marx was NOT a satanist, he certainly missed his second calling. (God called him first - as God calls to each of us first - but we KNOW Marx wasn't listening to THAT Voice!)

"The good of the workers was only a pretense. Where proletarians do not fight for Socialist ideals, Marxists will exploit racial differences or the so-called generation gap. The main thing is, religion must be destroyed."

_Marx and Satan_ by Richard Wurmbrand is a small book that advances the theory that Karl Marx was a member of a Satanic cult. To this affect, Wurmbrand, a Lutheran pastor who had been imprisoned by Communist authorities in Romania, cites many examples of Marx's poetry and personal writings. He also delves into the backgrounds of other members of the early communist/socialist movements, notably Frederick Engels and Moses Hess. Marx was born a Jew, however he was baptized at age seven for his family's business reasons. It appears that Marx may have been devout in his early years, but he later turned against Christianity with a vengeance. Marx's poetry contains references to overthrowing God and having himself [Marx] reign in His stead. Despite his current reputation in liberal academia as a champion of the rights of the poor, Marx made many disparaging comments about the poor and unenlightened. Despite his pretenses as being a champion of the exploited classes, the poor have generally in history been the ones least likely to change their "primitive" worldview in the face of drastic social change. Most of those committed to Communist/Marxist ideology in America are those from well-educated, upwardly mobile types who think they are "enlightened" about humanity's true condition. Marx called the Slavs and Russians of Eastern Europe scum and reactionary people. Curiously, he polemicizes against his own people the Jews, characterizing them as supporters of tyrants and as capitalist exploiters. The biggest issue that liberals (who are basically "softcore Marxists" that use subtle propaganda rather than open revolutionary violence) have with the world is the influence that traditional religion, in particular, Christianity, wields. This means the belief that mankind is not merely the product of material (i.e. economic, evolutionary, sexual, biological, etc.) drives, but rather the product of a reflected divine nature. Wurmbrand speculates that Marx may in fact have been a Satanic high priest. It makes sense that a Satanic cult would use classical Marxism as a front to achieve its ends in destroying the worship of Christ. Communism, as articulated in Marx and Engles' _Communist Manifesto_, states that human society is the product of competition between various classes of economic status. Marx revels in that the bourgeoisie businessmen and merchants destroyed Europe's old feudal structure, but that current setup would be violently overthrown by the proletariat, the common masses of humanity. His fellow revolutionary and propagandist #1 is the mysterious Robin Goodfellow, who is the spirit of revolution and Shakespeare's "knavish spirit that misleads nightwanderers, laughing at their harm." Marx's demands for radical social revolution have been institutionalized in the government, academia, and even in many churches today, furthering the humanist New World Order based on the Luciferian principle of autonomy and rebellion against the Divine Order. Satanism reverses opposites and tries to turn black into white, right into wrong. Marxism/Communism is not about helping the poor achieve economic equity ("the poor you will have with you always"), but about Satanic rebellion and the destruction of Christ's Church.

There are some problems with _Marx and Satan_. One glaring irregularity is Wurmbrand's statement that the Satanic cult is "older than Christianity." Christianity is just a more recent name for the worship of He Who Is, rather than Satanism, the worship of transgression and rebellion. He is also off when he supports Theodore Herzel's Zionism. On a positive note, _Marx and Satan_ is not written in a spiteful manner towards its subjects, but rather with an attitude of compassion and repentance.

Also recommended about the unusual beliefs of the founders of socialism: _Moses Hess: Prophet of Communism and Zionism_ by Avineri.

I wish to avenge myself against the One who rules above . . .
- Karl Marx.

_Marx & Satan_, published in 1986 by Living Sacrifice Book Company, written by Rev. Richard Wurmbrand is a fascinating look into the secret life of Karl Marx and the communist revolutionaries he helped inspire showing their Satanic influence. Richard Wurmbrand (1909 - 2001) was a Romanian Evangelical Christian minister who was brutally captured and tortured by communists. As such he had first-hand experience with the atrocities of the communist menace and devoted much of his life to researching the evils of communism. He founded Jesus to the Communist World (renamed Voice of the Martyrs) and was active in helping Christians who suffered at the hands of communists and Marxists. This book is unique in that it makes direct allegations concerning the person of Karl Marx. As is apparent to all those who have studied Marx, he is not only a hater of religion and Christ but also a hater of humanity itself and a promoter of destruction. Marxists have claimed that Marx was in fact an atheist and denied the existence of God. However, this book seems to indicate that Marx was actually a Satanist and involved in Satanic rituals and that communism itself constitutes a "Satanic cult". It should be noted however that the distinction between atheism and Satanism becomes blurry because of the hatred of atheists for Christ and because of the fact that many public atheists are actually private Satanists.

Wurmbrand begins his book by explaining how Marxist ideas have even infiltrated Christianity. Indeed, it is maintained by some that Marx sought to aid the exploited masses and that thus his teachings may be understood as fundamentally Christian. Many Christians and even clergy have also embraced Marxism and preached his teachings as a continuation of the teachings of Christ. However, Wurmbrand quickly shows that this is a Satanic conceit, that Marx had no intention of aiding the poor and oppressed but only sought destruction, and that in fact Marx very likely worshipped the Dark Lord, the very enemy of Christ himself. Wurmbrand notes that the Jew Marx began as a Christian believer as a young man. However, he quickly turned to hatred of God in his writings, although his life had largely been comfortable up until that point. Wurmbrand notes Marx's relationship to Bakunin as well as the role of the Satanist Church (in its diabolical attempts to imitate the Catholic mass through the black mass) in the life of Marx. Wurmbrand shows how Marx composed a drama entitled _Oulanem_ which had Satanic undertones and may have participated in the black mass. Wurmbrand also compares Marx to another diabolical individual hellbent on destruction, the Marquis de Sade, and notes the role of Marx's hatred for books (including his own books which he called "swinish books"). Wurmbrand then turns his attention to Satan in Marx's family, noting Marx's desire to "chase God from heaven" and the role of the thinking of Bakunin and Heine on Karl Marx. Wurmbrand also mentions Marx's devilish poetry and the role of Marx's Satanic thought among the thugs of the Soviet Union. Wurmbrand also mentions Marx's ravaged life, his hatred, and his money troubles. Following this, Wurmbrand turns his attention to the life of Engels (the co-author with Marx of _The Communist Manifesto_). Wurmbrand notes the fact that Engels too began as a Christian (and was eventually to repent of his evils). Wurmbrand however notes Engels counter-conversion and the role of Satanism. Following this, Wurmbrand makes mention of the fact that Marx hated entire nations, including the Jews, the Germans, and the English. Marx in fact was a virulent racist and frequently made hateful remarks about blacks and others in his writings. Following this, Wurmbrand makes mention of a revelation made by one of Marx's housemaids. This maid noted that Marx in fact was involved in spiritual practices and prayed alone in his room with lighted candles and a sort of tape measure around his forehead suggesting phylacteries used by Orthodox Jews. However, Wurmbrand will argue that such practices were actually Satanic in nature. Wurmbrand also makes mention of family letters, biographers testimonies, and the secrets behind Lenin's life. Following this, Wurmbrand explains how the Antichrist of Marxism is in fact a "cruel counterfeit" and attempts only to accomplish destruction with no true interest in aiding the poor, the working class, or the oppressed. Wurmbrand notes the role of Satanism in the words and deeds of such men as Bukharin, Stalin, Mao, Ceausescu, and Andropov. Wurmbrand also notes the Satanic cruelty of the Marxists and communists and their delight in torturing innocents and especially Christians. Wurmbrand also notes the practice of communists for engaging in Satanic rites and includes copies of Satanic inversions of the Lord's prayer used by communist thugs. Wurmbrand considers religious obscenities and Marxism as a church. Following this, Wurmbrand notes the influence of the thought of Charles Darwin on Karl Marx. Wurmbrand also notes the role of a false Zionism based on socialism and Jewish supremacism in the writings of Moses Hess, a fellow communist. Wurmbrand notes the penchant of communists for mocking the Lord such as by naming one of their organizations "Hell". Wurmbrand also relates this to the black magical practices of the Nazis. Following this, Wurmbrand makes note of the Satanist mass within Marxism as well as the Satanic (and Croweleyian) idea that "everything is permitted". Wurmbrand notes the role of a figure called Robin Goodfellow (a nickname for Lucifer) in Marxist writings. Wurmbrand also makes some remarks on Lenin's tomb. Wurmbrand ends by including a chapter on the reaction to this book as it originally appeared, both positive and negative from communist and Satanist circles. Wurmbrand finally asks the question: Marx of Christ? He shows the great gulf between the God-man Christ (the true proletarian hero) and the all-too-human Marx. He also considers the fact that while Marx remained unrepentant one can imagine him saying "Proletarians of the world, forgive me!" for his vile crimes against humanity and God. The book ends with an appendix explaining why a Christian cannot be a Marxist, showing the diabolical influence of Marxism on Christianity through such new movements as Liberation Theology (existing parasitically off the Roman Catholic Church), and attempts to infiltrate the Orthodox Churches as well.

This book provides a gruesome account of the crimes of the Marxists and makes specific mention of the hatred and blasphemy of Christ. The book makes a profound case the Marx indeed dabbled in Satanism and that Marxian communism constitutes a "Satanic cult". While the author notes that the hands of capitalism are not clean, he does note the importance of maintaining a Christian and spiritual brotherhood with one's fellow man. One cannot serve both God and Mammon. While many of those who remain sympathetic to the diabolical Marx are likely to dismiss this as "right wing propaganda", it will certainly give them pause before expressing sympathy for such a profoundly hateful and anti-Christian man who unleashed the terrors of the Twentieth century upon the world.

Was Karl Marx an active Satanist? This seemingly phantastic suggestion gets strong circumstantial evidence in Richard Wurmbrand's study. He reaches his conclusion by considering several facts. The young Karl Marx was a believing Christian, as his earliest writings demonstrate, but at an early stage his love for Christ, for some unknown reason, turned into hate, and his thinking is radically changed. In his youth Marx wrote poetry, and in his poems he starts revealing horrific thoughts. Filled with venom, they tell us about self-idolizing and dreams of destruction and usurpation of God. He writes about his vision to wander victorious through the ruins of the world, and through the streangth of his words feel equal with the creator. On the other hand, however, he knows that he will fail: "I know it full well, my soul - once true to God - is chosen for hell". In one poem he confesses that he has bought a sword from the prince of darkness. This is significant, as the introduction rite to the Satanist order involves buying a sword from Satan, paying with one's soul. Other poems, too, contain allusions to Satanic rites, for instance one named Oulanem (a distortion of Immanuel). Marx' housekeeper told that her master was a pious man. He used to kneel on his bedroom and pray with black candles burning. Karl Marx' correspondence with his family members contain some strange details. He calls his son "dear devil" and is himself titled "highpriest" - an office that does not exist in any other religion than Satanism (except ancient Judaism, a religion that he rejected emphatically). His doughter has also told that he used to tell scaring fairy tales to his children, about people who sold their souls to the devil. Marx' appearance is also worth considering. Though having a beard was not uncommon in his age, it was by no means common to let it grow shaggy as he did. In the Satanist order of Joanna Woolcott, however, this was the praxis. Wurmbrand offers more arguments and their cumulative effect is, in my opinion, convincing. This side of Karl Marx has of course been suppressed, not least beacause those who are interested in him usually do not want to believe it. It is interesting to notice that when the Communist party of India decided to make a rebuttal of the book, all they came up to was a plead to judge Marxism on its own value and not to care about the religious views of its architect. (Of related interest is Gary North: Marx' Religion of Revolution).

This book dives right into something that is ignored by even most critics of Marx - his satanic roots.

Marx, like Engels, both were involved in satanic teachings of "the communist rabbi" Moses Hess. He wrote a number of satanic poems. In fact, his doctoral thesis was entitled "I hate all the gods." Marx was delving into satanism long before he knew anything about economics. He had no knowledge of the plight of the working man or "proletariat" at that time.

One of the critics of this book says that it is just anti-semetic and rediculous. Interestingly, if you look at that same critic's other reviews, his other reviews are for the band T.S.O.L which is an L.A. "death rock" band which he favorably compares to early Christian Death. His other reviews are for the band "Death Church" (which he likes) and "Jesuseater."

It's pretty hard to take a guy like that serious in a review of a book about satanism and Marx.

Anyway, this book sheds quite a bit of light on the topic of Marx's turn to satanism during his school years. Marx's poetry about desiring to destroy the world and take the place of the creator is downright haunting.

Who was Karl Marx? Richard Wormbrand allows the reader to decide, in a thin but powerful volume replete with original source quotations and references. Reverend Wormbrand is not a "fanatic" or a "right-wing extremist" or an "anti-Semite" as other reviewers accuse. He is a Jew himself, who did convert to Christianity and was imprisoned and tortured for many years under the Communists in Rumania. The negative reviewers obviously have not actually read the book, which is humble, circumspect, and full of forgiveness for those who have been taken in by evil. This is the same Richard Wurmbrand who founded the organization that distributes the book, "Jesus, Friend of Terrorists" to offer a hand of love and forgiveness to the FARC guerillas in South America. So, if you are thinking that maybe Rush Limbaugh wrote this book to somehow discredit the left-leaning Democrats, you would be very wrong.

The overwhelming evidence in the words of Marx himself is very clear--even if Marx was not a practicing Satanist, he was extremely familiar with Satanism, he wrote a Satanic play, he wrote Satanic poetry, and he was filled with hatred for mankind in general, and Christians in particular. Richard Wormbrand establishes this very easily, by using direct quotations from the writings and correspondence of Karl Marx. The biographers of Marx usually contend that he was baptized into Christianity at the age of 7 for "business reasons". His father, a Jew, was a lawyer--and presumably would get more business as a Christian. The truth is that we don't know if the senior Marx was a real convert or a convert for expediency. But it is certainly possible that sometime during his teen years, Karl felt that his father was a hypocrite. That might have led him to hate Christianity, and also to hate Judaism. We do know that Marx wrote some virulent anti-Semitic materials, which was curious considering his ethnicity. In any case, his rebellion against traditional religion might very well have led him to extremes. That makes the idea that he was, in fact, a Satanist seem rather plausible. But again, even if he did not truly believe in Satanism, his pride, venom, and hatred are evident from his own words. It is abundantly clear that he was less an "economic theorist" than he was an anarchist and anti-Christian zealot.
The only disagreement I have with this book is that Richard Wormbrand seems to equate "extreme" evil (such as the tens of millions killed under Communist regimes) with evidence of Satanism. I personally believe that mankind can come up with some pretty extreme evil even without the black candles and bad poetry of Satanism.

This really should be required reading here in America with our new administration! Scary?, yes! Necessary information?, Definitely!!! We have an admitted Marxist turned communist in the White House advising our president(B.O.)! Does anyone care?

The denials aren't shocking. These critics never discuss the evidence but merely resort to sophomoric personal attacks against the author. It's sad that they choose ignorance over objective examination of evidence.
How can you deny things that Marx wrote himself!? Oh of course the author mad is all up! Does your brain work at all?

"This sad book deosn't have any literary qualities whatsoever. This is pure Anti-semetic drivel full of ultra christian rhetoric from the extreme right. Marx was a philosopher and an idealist, this book doesnt examine him in anyway whatseoever it just descends into religious rants."

This book is the silver bullet through the communist werewolf's heart! I dare you commies to read this; you'll never feel the same about the god that failed.