For several millennia of history, religion has always played a dominant role in almost any country. Before monotheism, there was paganism when they worshiped entire divine pantheons, then Buddha, Yahweh, God replaced them. The church has always tried to interact with the government, gathering believers under its banners to unite them.
Even in the present enlightened age, it cannot be denied that religion still has great significance, although it does not reach the heights that were centuries ago. Even now, in the typology of states, the criteria often use its attitude to religion. An atheistic state is often referred to as one of the distinguished types.
History of atheism
Atheism - complete godlessness - was largely the result of constant ideological conflicts between various religious associations. For a long time, the clergy not only left their dogmas at the theoretical level, but also staged persecution of dissidents. Perhaps the most famous example of such persecution dates back to the time of the Inquisition, when priests burned witches.
However, science gradually began to prevail over the church, which wanted to leave knowledge locked up, rather than spreading it. The dark times are over. Various theories have appeared that are confirmed. Darwin, Copernicus, and many others thought very freely, so free thought gradually began to develop.
Now in the modern West, interest in religion is declining very much, especially during the 20th century, among intellectuals. Perhaps this led to the emergence of atheistic states. Now it’s not customary to attend churches every Sunday, to constantly pray in the hope of receiving divine forgiveness, to confess. Increasingly, people consider themselves atheists or agnostics.
The concept
An atheistic state does not at all recognize any religions within its borders; therefore, the state power without fail pursues denominations or simply prohibits them. All atheistic propaganda comes directly from the government structure, so the church can not a priori have any influence, nor its property.
Even believers are at risk of reprisal. The atheistic state has such an opposing regime in relation to religion that any religion automatically becomes the cause of persecution.
Key features
The main features of an atheistic state include:
- The persecution of absolutely any religious authority by the state itself.
- Any property is completely alienated from the church; therefore, it does not even have the right to economic principles.
- Religion in the country is totally controlled or completely prohibited.
- Constant repressions against not only religious ministers, but also ordinary believers.
- All legal rights are taken away from religious associations, therefore they are not able to conclude transactions or other legally significant actions.
- It is forbidden to conduct religious actions: ceremonies, rituals in any public places.
- Free propaganda of atheism as the only version of freedom of conscience.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
In the USSR and other countries belonging to the category of socialist countries, the foundations of a country without religion were first applied in practice. After the October Revolution, which overthrew the imperial power and revised the Russian Empire itself, the Bolsheviks who came to power at the legislative level made Russia an atheistic state. Article 127 of the first Constitution clearly established the right to propaganda for atheism, so mass godlessness became the norm for its inhabitants.
“Religion is opium for the people, ” said Karl Marx. It was this ideology that the main leaders — Stalin and Lenin — tried on the country, so the next decades the USSR lived under this slogan. A special course “Fundamentals of Scientific Atheism” was specially conducted at universities, repressions against believers were constant, and temples were destroyed. In 1925, a special society, the Union of Militant Atheists, was even created.
First atheistic state
Despite the fact that the policy of mass atheism was carried out in the USSR, the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania is considered the first state that is considered completely atheistic, that is, completely denying any practice of religion. It was here that during the reign of Enver Khalil Hodge in 1976, a similar decision was made, so the country began to fully comply with all theoretical principles.
