Communism and religious persecution
The persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union was the result of the violently atheist Soviet government. In the first five years after the October Revolution, 28 bishops and 1,200 priests were murdered, many on the orders of Leon Trotsky. When Joseph Stalin came to power in 1927, he ordered his secret police, under Genrikh Yagoda to intensify persecution of Christians. In the next few years, 50,000 clergy were murdered, many were tortured, including crucifixion. "Russia turned red with the blood of martyrs", said Father Gleb Yakunin of the Russian Orthodox Church.[1] According to Orthodox Church sources, as many as fifty million Orthodox believers may have died in the twentieth century, mainly from persecution by Communists.[2]
The religious landscape of China is quickly changing, however, due to the rapid growth of Christianity. See also: Global atheism
In addition, in the atheistic and communist Soviet Union, 44 anti-religious museums were opened and the largest was the 'The Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism' in Leningradâs Kazan cathedral.[4] Despite intense effort by the atheistic leaders of the Soviet Union, their efforts were not effective in converting the masses to atheism.[5]
China is a communist country. In 1999, the publication Christian Century reported that "China has persecuted religious believers by means of harassment, prolonged detention, and incarceration in prison or 'reform-through-labor' camps and police closure of places of worship." In 2003, owners of Bibles in China were sent to prison camps and 125 Chinese churches were closed.[6] China continues to practice religious oppression today.[7]
The efforts of China's atheist leaders in promoting atheism, however, is increasingly losing its effectiveness and the number of Christians in China is rapidly growing (see: Growth of Christianity in China). China's state sponsored atheism and atheistic indoctrination has been a failure and a 2007 religious survey in China indicated that only 15% of Chinese identified themselves as atheists.[8]
North Korea is a repressive communist state and is officially atheistic.[9] The North Korean government practices brutal repression and atrocities against North Korean Christians.[10]
- â Ostling, Richard N. (December 4, 1989). "Cross meets Kremlin: Gorbachev and Pope John Paul II". Time. Time magazine website.
- â Moore, Rev. Fr. Raphael (October 1999). "In memory of the 50 million victims of the Orthodox Christian Holocaust", Spiritual Nourishment for the Soul, Serfes, Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios, compiler.
- â "The largest atheist/agnostic populations". Chris & Terri Chapman. Countries with the largest atheist populations.
- â Humphrey (December 16, 2008). "Merry Anti-Christmas!" Quodlibeta.
- â Multiple references:
- Humphrey (December 16, 2008). "Merry Anti-Christmas!" Quodlibeta.
- Froese, Paul (March 2004). "Forced secularization in Soviet Russia: why an atheistic monopoly failed" [abstract]. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 43, 1, pp. 35-50. Abstract: Ingentaconnect
- â "China sends Bible owners to labor camp" (November 26, 2003). WorldNetDaily.
- â Chinese Police Proudly Record Their Torture of Christians, By Voice of the Martyrs|June 12, 2003
- â Briggs, David (January 23, 2011). "Huffington Post: Chinaâs state-sponsored atheism a failure" [excerpt]. National Post website.
- â Lee, Sunny (May 12, 2007). "God forbid, religion in North Korea?" Asia Times Online. Archived at Internet Archive on May 21, 2013.
- â Multiple references:
- Clyne, Meghan (November 16, 2005). "Korean reds targeting Christians". The New York Sun.
- Siemon-Netto, Uwe (May 7, 2003). "North Korean and Chinese atrocities against Christians worsen". NewsMax. NorthKoreanChristians.com
- â Martyred in the USSR
- â The Russians' Secret by Peter Hoover with Serguei V. Petrov, Speaking Without a Tongue, Chapter 1 (Pages 1-3)