The most God-believing nation in Europe is....Russia!

That's because Russia was as much an Atheist country as it was a Communist country (that is to say, in name only but definitely not in practice).

I'll address the second point first: Communism is sharing of all the resources, material goods, and responsibilities equally. In Russia, all the resources were given to the central authority (something that doesn't even exist under pure Communism) and kept there. The worker got exactly two things: diddly and squat. Definitely not what Marx had in mind.

And now the first: the reason Stalin forbade any sort of church worship is, quite simply, he didn't want the competition (Mao knew a good idea when he saw it, and ran with it even moreso). The reason you weren't allowed to worship God wasn't the God didn't exist, but that you were supposed to worship Stalin.

Now, I'm not exactly the most religious guy on the planet, but given a choice between God and Stalin I know which one I'd choose (and it ain't Stalin).

 

(double post. I guess God likes what I say so much he had me say it twice)

 

You see? We CAN agree on something!

 

^ i believe so to. religion itself complicate itself. so many things that are redundant and stagnant that it keeps you in a short leash. people are promised with fire and clouds up high. i dont really get it. maybe people before in Communism had an idea of either worship an unseen god, just make up your own. make yourself god. its make-believe anyways in the first place.

 

Catholics are strong in numbers in Russia.

However I wouldn't say necessarily the most devout. Latin countries, in Europe might be Portugal or Italy.

How about asking which Christian religion has the most devout, active members?
Not going to mass on Sunday morning, getting the Eucharist, then high-tailing it back home for the football game.

One reason the Protestant movement started, was because a young priest was sick of the corruption above him. The Anglicans, and so on.

Which Christian sub-group really do follow Jesus Christ in all ways? Where are they the most vocal, active, in a positive way? Not the tele-evangelist shams.

 

There are very very few true followers of Christ, most Christian religions are closer to Anti-Christ in their belief then what Christ wanted them to be. Even in the US, which many claim is a Christian country, is so far removed from what Christ preached, it should rightly be called an anti-Christian country.

 

The Ivory Coast, which is mostly French speaking, have a strong & growing Cursillo movement. Someone there contacted the team here in Montreal, and members here paid out of their own pocket to go there, twice, to setup and train.

The local Catholic priests weren't happy about it, seeing it as a loss of power over the people. Mass now takes up half a day, all age groups have something fun to do (before and after Eucharist).

When you have a very poor population - they tend to have a lot of time available. In US/Can, the norm is 9-5, with a 2 to 3 hour loss for travel time. By the time the weekend rolls around, both parents are understandably "pooped" yet there's much work to be done.

It's quite labor intensive to keep up the "dream" - kids, house, pool, back yard, after school activities.

 

Totalitarian governments will always support religion, even if they have to do it underhandedly, because that will keep the common person under government control. The "usual" religious handbook was put together by a committee whose goal was keeping a large population from rebelling against the ruler. That's why there is so much "pie in the sky", and "submit to your governing authorities", and admonitions to suffer in patience, knowing that "heaven" will be a suitable reward.

It is a pacifier to throw to the oppressed, to keep them from pushing for their freedom. "Opiate of the masses"... an opiate is a drug that reduces pain. It was a prescription, not a rejection, of religion.