1.3 Attacks on Religious Beliefs and practices Flashcards
Why did the Bolsheviks attack the Church? (3)
- they saw religion as a threat to the imposition of socialist ideology
- they felt that the church provided an alternative ideology to that of Marxism
- christianity’s emphasis on the rights of the individual contradicted the collective mentality of socialism
Why was it so hard for the Bolsheviks to destroy the church?
because the Russian Orthodox Church had been closely linked to the old order, the tsar had been its head
opium of the masses (4)
- used by Karl Marx to describe the impact of religion on the population
- he believed that religion was used by the ruling class as a tool to keep the population under control
- believed that religion gave people an artificial sense of happiness by distracting them from their suffering
- Marx believed that true happiness could only be achieved without religion
What were the measures that were introduced to limit the power and influence of religion? (5)
- in 1918, the Decree on Freedom of Conscience separated the Church from the State, which deprived the Church of its land and outlawed its publications
- large number of churches were destroyed and all monasteries were closed
- during famine of civil war, attacks on church increased and they were looted
- 1929, the League of the Militant Godless was established
- religious rituals were attacked
The League of MIlitant Godless (3)
- established 1929
- was part of a propaganda campaign against religion
- tried to disprove the existence of God by taking peasants for plane rides to show them heaven did not exist in the sky
What were the changes to religious policy under Stalin? (4)
- campaign of religious repression
- more churches were closed and many priests were deported
- many attacks followed during the Great Purge of 1936-39
- but when German invasion happened, the policies changed because the church supported the war effort
Krushchev’s anti-religious campagn (5)
- Krushchev was very anti-religious and did active repression similar to Stalin before war
- the role of priests was limited to only spiritual advice
- Parish councils were placed under control of part officials
- within four years 10 000 churches were closed
- surviving priests were harrased by secred police
What were Breshnev’s policies towards the church? (5)
- active persecution of the church declined after Krushchev
- Breshnev was aware that it would not have a good impact on the foreign policy with the West
- gov did use Council of Religious Affairs to monitor religious services
- Church was expected to stick to formal church services and support Soviet policies
- religious groups such as the Jews and baptists who were more critical of the regime were not treated so wel
Why was it more difficult for the Bolsheviks to deal with the Islam?
because it was more engrained into a distinct way of life and integrated within its community
How did the Socialists deal with Islam? (7)
- religious endowments of land were prohibited, which made the keeping of mosques more difficult
- most mosques were closed down
- Sharia courts were phased out
- Mullahs were removed as part of the collectivisation process
- campaign against the veiling of women
- Ramadan fasting was forbidden, as it ‘interferred’ with work
- Polygamy was prohibited
What were the results of religious policies? (3)
- survey from 1980s found that only 25 % of population believed in God and even fewer engaged in religious worship
- the influence of formal religious structures had declined considerably
- however, those who remained faithful, seemed only to have strengthened their belief, as an underground network of support developed that provided substenance to those who weren’t helped by government
