This is really an excellent analysis of modern Russian atheism. Atheism is a major player in addiction, and so this article sheds light on one of the largest contributing factors in Russia's (and I would say, the entirety of Eastern Europe's) addiction plague.
I am going to start working on a response to it, because I think that, while it is largely correct, the matter of atheism versus anti-theism must be explored. This is a topic I have discussed before:
This means that the situation in Russia is far more complex than a matter of belief versus unbelief, but rather gradations and levels which mark the path. Russia's stratified society before the Revolution certainly did foster a great deal of anti-theism, but I think that true atheism was never present in any significant way until the very end of the Soviet period.
Even now, Russia's greater temptations are with superstition and fundamentalism rather than genuine atheism. Real atheism requires a level of social and material security that is only seen in Northern Europe, which is why that area is the 'homeland' for atheism these days.
It will certainly take a few generations from Russia to regain itself, just as it took a few generations to get to this stage. But, I will write more about that later.
No comments:
Post a Comment