- Feb 5, 2002
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The world is once again turning its eyes to the suffering and resilience of Ukraine. The war has devastated lives and landscapes, yet amid calls for peace from world leaders, another story is unfolding. Amid devastation, the church in Eastern Europe is proof that there is Gospel hope rising from the remnants of conflict and repression.
The rise and fall of the Soviet Union left lasting scars that continue to shape Eastern Europe. During Stalin’s reign of terror, known as the Great Terror from 1936 to 1938, believers of every faith faced execution, imprisonment, relentless violence and exile to the Gulags. Even for decades afterward, Christians were routinely discriminated against, harassed, denied education or employment and forbidden to gather publicly. State loyalty was presented as the new religion, and those who worshipped God met secretly in the shadows, becoming lifelines to the small pockets of believers. Others formed covert organizations, hidden from the eyes of neighbors and the secret police, keeping the Church alive.
Generations of religious repression reshaped entire nations across Eastern Europe, as governments enforced atheism and sought to eliminate any trace of organized religion. For millions, the wounds and stories from that destructive period remain fresh, even decades later.
Continued below.
www.christianpost.com
The rise and fall of the Soviet Union left lasting scars that continue to shape Eastern Europe. During Stalin’s reign of terror, known as the Great Terror from 1936 to 1938, believers of every faith faced execution, imprisonment, relentless violence and exile to the Gulags. Even for decades afterward, Christians were routinely discriminated against, harassed, denied education or employment and forbidden to gather publicly. State loyalty was presented as the new religion, and those who worshipped God met secretly in the shadows, becoming lifelines to the small pockets of believers. Others formed covert organizations, hidden from the eyes of neighbors and the secret police, keeping the Church alive.
Generations of religious repression reshaped entire nations across Eastern Europe, as governments enforced atheism and sought to eliminate any trace of organized religion. For millions, the wounds and stories from that destructive period remain fresh, even decades later.
Continued below.
The Gospel in post-Communist Europe
The history of Eastern Europe reminds us that even under decades of repression, and even now still covered by the shadow of war, the Church is on the rise
www.christianpost.com
