Communism vs Religion
Maanasa Ravipati
Soviet Union Map:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwealth/soviet_union_admin_1974.jpg
How did the end of communism in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe affect religion?
When the Communist Regime came into power, religious practices were generally discouraged. The Communist regime believed that religion furthermore separates people. Most communists were atheists. The end of communism in the former Soviet Union brought religious revival in Europe. Property that was confiscated by the Communist regimes, were reverted to Church ownership. More people attended church. In the Middle East or Central Asia, many people were Muslims. It was difficult for these newly independent countries to come up with laws that incorporate Islamic customs, rather than the customs inherited from the Soviet Union.
When the Communist Regime came into power, religious practices were generally discouraged. The Communist regime believed that religion furthermore separates people. Most communists were atheists. The end of communism in the former Soviet Union brought religious revival in Europe. Property that was confiscated by the Communist regimes, were reverted to Church ownership. More people attended church. In the Middle East or Central Asia, many people were Muslims. It was difficult for these newly independent countries to come up with laws that incorporate Islamic customs, rather than the customs inherited from the Soviet Union.
European Church: |
Newly Independent Middle Eastern Countries:
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https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Facade_of_St_Andrew's_Church_at_dawn._Kiev,_Ukraine,_Eastern_Europe.jpg
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http://www.worldatlas.com/img/areamap/continent/middle_east_map.gif
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