Irreligion in Bulgaria pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and secularism among the citizens of Bulgaria. Irreligion is a minority religious position in Bulgaria. Making up approximately 5-10% of Bulgarians, irreligion is the second most common religious stance after Eastern Orthodoxy. Irreligion in Bulgaria is closely tied to the history of Marxism–Leninism and Soviet rule in the country during the 20th century.
For much of its history, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church was the primary religion of Bulgaria. Early irreligion in Bulgaria rose from the debate over phyletism in the early 20th century, where Bulgarian nationalists disagreed as to the role that religion should play in Bulgarian independence. Bulgarian revolutionaries such as Lyuben Karavelov and Hristo Botev wrote that religion is not necessary to form a cohesive nation. In the 1930s, atheism spread among Bulgarian academics amid translation of Russian atheist works. These academics included Asen Zlatarov, Todor Pavlov, and Azaria Polikarov, who all played a role in the spread of atheism in the country. [2]
In 1946, Bulgaria became the People's Republic of Bulgaria under the government of the Soviet Union. As a soviet republic, state atheism was enforced in the country. [3] [4] [5] The Dimitrov Constitution removed the Orthodox church as the state religion of Bulgaria, and the Denominations Act, 1949 further enforced atheism by placing the church under direct control of the state. The act became a point of contention after Bulgarian independence and was repealed in 2002. [6]
Many religious traditions were secularized during Soviet rule. Religious holidays were renamed, birthdays took precedence over name days, civil marriage became the standard over religious marriage ceremonies, and taxes were prioritized over church dues. Members of the Muslim Bulgarian Turk community were targeted by nationalist propaganda and forced to change their personal names. As a consequence of a scientific tradition in Bulgarian socialism, academics in Bulgaria were relatively free to research and discuss traditional religion in Bulgaria. [2]
Following Bulgaria's independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, the Constitution of Bulgaria recognized Eastern Orthodoxy in Bulgaria while establishing separation of church and state. [7] In the 1990s, religious expression was seen as a rejection of Soviet rule and widely celebrated, and institutions were renamed in honor of religious figures. [2]
Irreligion is uncommon in Bulgaria, as most citizens are Eastern Orthodox or Muslim. In the 2011 Bulgarian census, 9.3% of Bulgarians declared that they were irreligious, [1] a significant increase from 3.88% in 2001. [8] Eurobarometer found the number of irreligious Bulgarians to be 5% in 2019, with an additional 4% undeclared. [9] Irreligion is more common among Romani populations, with 16.1% of Romani Bulgarians not identifying with any religion in the 2001 census, compared to just 2.3% of ethnic Bulgarians at the time. [10] [11]
Irreligion is the neglect or active rejection of religion and, depending on the definition, a simple absence of religion.
Religion has been a major influence on the societies, cultures, traditions, philosophies, artistic expressions and laws within present-day Europe. The largest religion in Europe is Christianity. However, irreligion and practical secularisation are also prominent in some countries. In Southeastern Europe, three countries have Muslim majorities, with Christianity being the second-largest religion in those countries. Ancient European religions included veneration for deities such as Zeus. Modern revival movements of these religions include Heathenism, Rodnovery, Romuva, Druidry, Wicca, and others. Smaller religions include Indian religions, Judaism, and some East Asian religions, which are found in their largest groups in Britain, France, and Kalmykia.
Religion in Montenegro refers to adherents, communities, institutions and organizations of various religions in Montenegro. While Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the dominant religious denomination in Montenegro, there are also sizable numbers of adherents of both Catholic Christianity and Islam.
Accurate demographics of atheism are difficult to obtain since conceptions of atheism vary considerably across different cultures and languages, ranging from an active concept to being unimportant or not developed. Also in some countries and regions atheism carries a strong stigma, making it harder to count atheists in these countries. In global studies, the number of people without a religion is usually higher than the number of people without a belief in a deity and the number of people who agree with statements on lacking a belief in a deity is usually higher than the number of people who self-identify as "atheists".
Religion in Italy is characterised by the predominance of Christianity and an increasing diversity of religious practices, beliefs and denominations. Most Christians in Italy adhere to the Catholic Church, whose headquarters are in Vatican City, Rome. Christianity has been present in the Italian Peninsula since the 1st century.
The predominant religion in the Republic of Ireland is Christianity, with the largest denomination being the Catholic Church. The Constitution of Ireland says that the state may not endorse any particular religion and guarantees freedom of religion.
Christianity is the main religion in Belarus, with Eastern Orthodoxy being the largest denomination. The legacy of the state atheism of the Soviet era is evident in the fact that a part of the Belarusians are not religious. Moreover, other non-traditional and new religions have sprung up in the country after the end of the Soviet Union.
Estonia, historically a Lutheran Christian nation, is today one of the "least religious" countries in the world in terms of declared attitudes, with only 14 percent of the population declaring religion to be an important part of their daily life. This is thought to largely be a result of the Soviet occupation of Estonia in 1940, prior to which Estonia had a large Christian majority.
The main religion traditionally practiced in Latvia is Christianity. As of 2019, it is the largest religion (68.84%), though only about 7% of the population attends religious services regularly.
Irreligion in Belgium pertains to citizens of Belgium that are atheist, agnostic, or otherwise unaffiliated with any religion. Irreligion is the second most common religious stance in Belgium, following Catholicism.
Irreligion in the Czech Republic pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and lack of religious affiliation in the Czech Republic. The history of irreligion in the Czech Republic dates back to 19th century freethought and saw additional developments during Communist rule. A majority of people in the Czech Republic are irreligious or otherwise unaffiliated, and the country is considered to be one of the most irreligious in the world.
Irreligion in Estonia pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and secularism of the people and institutions of Estonia. Irreligion is prominent in Estonia, where a majority of citizens are unaffiliated with any religion. Estonian irreligion dates back to the 19th century, when Estonian nationalists and intellectuals deemed Christianity a foreign religion in opposition to Estonian independence. Irreligion in Estonia was later accelerated by the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, in which state atheism was enforced. By some metrics, Estonia is the most irreligious country in the world.
Irreligion is prevalent in Germany. In a time of near-universal adoption of Christianity, Germany was an intellectual centre for European freethought and humanist thinking, whose ideas spread across Europe and the world in the Age of Enlightenment. Later, religious traditions in Germany were weakened by the twin onslaughts of Nazi rule during World War II and that of the Socialist Unity Party in East Germany during the Cold War. In common with most other European societies, a period of secularisation also continued in the decades that followed. While today Christianity remains prevalent in the north, south, and west of Germany, in the east relatively few Germans identify with any religion whatsoever.
Irreligion in Egypt is controversial due to the prominence of conservative social traditions and the persecution by the religious institutions in the country. It is difficult to quantify the number of atheists or agnostics in Egypt, as the stigma attached to being one makes it hard for irreligious Egyptians to publicly profess their views and beliefs.
Irreligion in Romania is rare. Romania is one of the most religious countries in Europe, with 92% of people saying that they believe in God. Levels of Irreligion are much lower than in most other European countries and are among the lowest in the world. At the 2011 census, only 0.11% of the population declared itself atheist, up from the 2002 census, while 0.10% do not belong to any religion. While still one of the most religious countries in Europe, church attendance is quite low, and is mainly done by elderly people and mainly in rural areas, while in urban areas church attendance is much lower.
Irreligion in Croatia pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and lack of religious affiliation in Croatia. The growing population of irreligious Croats has been attributed to modernization. Even though the 2011 census showed that only 4.57% of Croats considered themselves irreligious, Gallup polls conducted in 2007 and 2008 found that 30.5% of respondents did not consider religion important in their lives. The Japanese research center, Dentsu, conducted a survey in 2006 concluding that 13.2% of Croats declare themselves irreligious, compared to the 7% found by a 2010 Eurobarometer survey across Europe.
Irreligion in Italy includes all citizens of Italy that are atheist, agnostic, or otherwise irreligious. Approximately 12% of Italians are irreligious, and no affiliation is the second most common religious demographic in Italy after Christianity. Freedom of religion in Italy was guaranteed by the Constitution of Italy following its enactment in 1948. Until then, the Catholic Church was the official state church of Italy.
Irreligion in Hungary pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and secularism in Hungary. The tradition of irreligion in Hungary originates from the time of Austria-Hungary and it was a significant part of Communist rule in the second half of the 20th century. As of 2011, irreligion is the country's second largest religious stance after Catholicism.
Irreligion in Latvia pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and lack of religious affiliation in Latvia. Irreligious thought in Latvian history is associated with national identity and a period of Communist rule. The irreligious make up a significant minority group in Latvia today, with 29% of Latvians identifying as irreligious.
Irreligion in Lithuania pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and lack of religious affiliation in Lithuania. Irreligious Lithuanians make up a small minority of the population, encompassing only 6.11% of the population in the Lithuanian census of 2021. Irreligion in Lithuania is associated with the period of Soviet rule in the late 20th century.
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