| | After the [[French Revolution]], [[France]] has predominantly been a secular nation with a very secular educational system.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3325285.stm The deep roots of French secularism], BBC News online by Henri Astier. September 1, 2004</ref><ref>[http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/spip.php?page=article_imprim&id_article=8387 The values of the French school system]</ref> Yet, in April of 2010, the British academic and [[agnosticism|agnostic]] Eric Kauffmann declared that "the rate of [[Secularization|secularisation]] has flattened to zero in most of Protestant [[Europe]] and France."<ref>[http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/shall_the_religious_inherit_the_earth/ Shall the religious inherit the earth?], by Eric P Kaufmann, April 6, 2010</ref> In 2012, French scholars indicated that [[Evangelicalism|evangelical Christianity]] was the fastest growing religion in France.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2012/0712/In-a-France-suspicious-of-religion-evangelicalism-s-message-strikes-a-chord In a France suspicious of religion, evangelicalism's message strikes a chord], ''Christian Science Monitor'', By Robert Marquand, Staff writer July 12, 2012</ref> Much of France's growth of evangelical Christianity has been due to religious immigrants. In 2011, a paper was published entitled ''The End of Secularization in Europe?: A Socio-Demographic Perspective'' which indicated that immigrant populations tend to retain their religiosity.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/08/immigrants-become-more-religious-longer.html Religious immigrants will alter the religious landscape of Europe]</ref> | | After the [[French Revolution]], [[France]] has predominantly been a secular nation with a very secular educational system.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3325285.stm The deep roots of French secularism], BBC News online by Henri Astier. September 1, 2004</ref><ref>[http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/spip.php?page=article_imprim&id_article=8387 The values of the French school system]</ref> Yet, in April of 2010, the British academic and [[agnosticism|agnostic]] Eric Kauffmann declared that "the rate of [[Secularization|secularisation]] has flattened to zero in most of Protestant [[Europe]] and France."<ref>[http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/shall_the_religious_inherit_the_earth/ Shall the religious inherit the earth?], by Eric P Kaufmann, April 6, 2010</ref> In 2012, French scholars indicated that [[Evangelicalism|evangelical Christianity]] was the fastest growing religion in France.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2012/0712/In-a-France-suspicious-of-religion-evangelicalism-s-message-strikes-a-chord In a France suspicious of religion, evangelicalism's message strikes a chord], ''Christian Science Monitor'', By Robert Marquand, Staff writer July 12, 2012</ref> Much of France's growth of evangelical Christianity has been due to religious immigrants. In 2011, a paper was published entitled ''The End of Secularization in Europe?: A Socio-Demographic Perspective'' which indicated that immigrant populations tend to retain their religiosity.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/08/immigrants-become-more-religious-longer.html Religious immigrants will alter the religious landscape of Europe]</ref> |
| | + | As the indications leave little doubt, Russia is showing clear signs of a religious resurgence. In fact, all seven criteria by which change in religious behavior and values are measured here confirmed that Russia is experiencing what could be called a religious revival. Since 1970, the nonreligious/atheist population has been on steady decline, from 52% in 1970 to 33% in 2000. Further, the percentage of this population is projected to decrease even further, possibly reaching the 20% mark in 2025. Between 1990 and 1997, belief in God has risen from 35% to a whopping 60%, while belief in the importance of God has climbed to 43% in 1997, up from 25% in 1990. More people have been raised religious in Russia in 1997 (20%) than at the beginning of the decade (18%), and 8.39% more Russians believed religion to be important toward the end of the 1990s, when compared to 1990. “Comfort in Religion” has also sharply increased within this time period, from less than 27% to over 46%. Finally, more and more Russians attend church services more regularly in 1997 than they did in 1990. |
| | + | In the three Eastern European countries that were included in the WVS survey on belief in God, a drastic rise could be witnessed of respondents who answered this question in the affirmative. In Hungary, the percentage of believers in God jumped from 44% to 58% from 1981 to 1990, even prior to the collapse of the former Soviet Union. In Belarus, the number of people who believe in God nearly doubled over the course of the 1990s, from 36% to 68%, while in Latvia this figure almost quadrupled, from 18% to 67% in the same time period. Similar trends held true when it came to the importance of God, where there was a sharp rise in all three countries.<ref>[What does the historical record say about how fast secularism can collapse in countries?]</ref>}} |