Abstract
Soviet policy towar<;ls religion since t;he Revolution has fluctuated. Underlying the many changes is the basic Marxist tenet that religion is the opium of the people, also the expectation that with the building of socialism religion will die a natural death. At the same time policies have manifested a sometimes remarkable pragmatism. It is the thesis of this article that Soviet policy towards religion is now entering a new, severe period. On u October 1973 the central Ukrainian Party newspaper. Truth of the Ukraine published an editorial on a local Central Committee meeting. This gathering called upon the Ukrainian press to improve its contribution to the atheist education of the people. Party Life No. 2!l (November) 1973 reported a meeting of Latvian Party leaders, who also called for more atheist propaganda. On 22 February 1974 Pravda published a widely-reported article on atheist education. The writers of this article conceded that religion was still very much alive in the USSR and called for improved atheist work to combat it. Then an article appeared on 21 March which pointed out serious shortcomings in atheist literature; yet another appeared on 24 March which stated that religion debases human dignity. Both articles were also published in Pravda, a newspaper which does not normally devote much space to religion. Before the appearance of these articles a meeting for Secretaries of East European Communist Parties was held during the summer of 1973 in the Crimea (see Ecumenical Press Service, 25 October 1973). At this meeting a common policy towards religion was discussed. The EPS report stated:
Published Version
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