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Religion In Russia Essay

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Winston Churchill famously said, “Russia is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” Any effort to make sense of the place of religion in post-Soviet Russia is equally elusive (Burgess, 2009). Today the Russian Orthodox Church is reclaiming its place as an integral part of Russian society. In many Russians’ minds, to be Russian is to be Orthodox. They would argue that Orthodoxy is an essential part of Russian identity (Burgess, 2009). During the communist era, the church, like every other institution in the Soviet Union, was completely subordinate to the state (2). The Russian church has sought to fill the void of ideology left by the collapse of Communism. Today Russians in America hold onto the orthodox belief that the Orthodox …show more content…

Christianity includes a wide base of religious faiths. America is very diverse in religion affiliates due to our religious freedoms allowed in this country. In the United States, Protestants make up the largest religious group. The Protestant religion is subdivided into major branches that include, but are not limited to, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, and Pentecostals. An example of the religious beliefs of Baptist members is that an emphasis is put on having a personal relationship with the one true God, who sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Over the last few decades it has become apparent that religion is not as important as it was when this country was founded. The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing. These changes are taking place across the religious landscape, affecting all regions of the country and many demographic groups. While the drop in Christian affiliation is particularly pronounced among young adults, it is occurring among Americans of all ages (1). Russians identify themselves by their religious affiliation, whereas Americans do not put an emphasis on religion for their identity. Americans do not hold religion or religious affiliation in such a high regard as Russians

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