attacks on religion beliefs and practices Flashcards
what was the Bolshevik attitude towards religion
they saw religion as a threat to the socialist society
for example Christianity emphasised individuals not the community
plus Russian orthodox church had close links with tsar regime
Karl Marx quote about religion
opium of the masses
Measures introduced to limit religion in Lenin era
1918 decree on freedom of conscience which deprived churches of land and banned public religious practice
1918 head of church arrested
churches were destroyed
1923 lots of bishops and priests killed (over 1000)
by end of 1930 415 village churches destroyed/ decommissioned
did policies Lenin era policies work
no 55% of peasants were still Christians
initial religious policy under Stalin
further religious repression due to collectivisation
more churches and priest purged and labelled Kulaks
great purge meant that 1939 only 12/163 bishops were at liberty
what changed religious policy under Stalin
WW2
how did religious policy change under Stalin
church supported war effort so churches were reopened, more priests were changed as religion was used to boost moral
what was Khrushchev’s stance on religion
anti religious VERY
what were Khrushchev’s religious policies
1958-59 he launched harsh anti religious campaigns similar to pre ww2 Stalin
e.g. priest could only give spiritual advice
within 4 years 10,000 churches closed
priest were constantly harassed by secret police
(jews and Baptists were also attacked)
what were Brezhnev’s polices towards religion
Brezhnev allowed church to operate with limitations only for political gain
council of religious affairs monitored religion to obey to socialist ideas, church expected to support soviet policy
1976, some priests set up Christian committee for defence of believers rights this was too far for Brezhnev and leader was imprisoned for 5 years
however jews and baptists were still treated with less tolerance
result of all religious policies
by 1980 only 25% of population believed in god and fewer too part in religious practice
formal religious structures diminished
most religious affairs took place underground
what was Bolshevik view to Islam
feared Islam threated the social cohesion of the state
what happened in mid 1920’s to Islam
government felt confident to attack Islam they did this by
religious endowments meant keep up of mosques difficult
most mosques closed
sharia courts phased out
campaign against unveiling of women 1927
Ramadan condemned
more than one wife prohibited.
what were result of Islamic measures 1928-29
lead to wave of revolts but crushed via soviet armed forces
pushed Islam underground to continue to fight group called tariqat
