Can we talk about an atheist regime?

Originally posted by Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_atheism#Communist_Albania Albania was declared an atheist state by Enver Hoxha,[13] and remained so from 1967 until 1991.[14] The trend toward state atheism in Albania was taken to an extreme during the regime, when religions, identified as imports foreign to Albanian culture, were banned altogether.[14] This policy was mainly applied and felt within the borders of the present Albanian state, thus producing a nonreligious majority in the population. The Agrarian Reform Law of August 1945 nationalized most property of religious institutions, including the estates of monasteries, orders, and dioceses. By May 1967, religious institutions had relinquished all 2,169 churches, mosques, cloisters, and shrines, many of which were converted into cultural centers for young people. Many Muslim imams and Orthodox priests renounced their "parasitic" past. More than 200 clerics of various faiths were imprisoned, while others were forced to seek work in either industry or agriculture. As the literary monthly "Nëndori" reported the event, the youth had thus "created the first Atheist nation in the world." From year 1967 to the end of communist rule, religious practices were banned and the country was proclaimed officially atheist, marking an event that happened for the first time in world history. Albanians born during the regime were never taught religion, so they grew up to become either atheists or agnostics[citation needed]. Old non-institutional Pagan practices in rural areas, which were seen as identifying with the national culture, were left intact. As a result the current Albanian state has also brought pagan festivals to life, like the lunar Spring festival (Albanian: Dita e Verës) held yearly on March 14 in the city of Elbasan, which is a national holiday. ==================== http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Albania#Constitution The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. According to the 1998 Constitution, there is no official religion and all religions are equal; however, the predominant religious communities (Bektashi, Sunni Muslim, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians) enjoy a greater degree of official recognition (e.g., national holidays) and social status based on their historical presence in the country. All registered religious groups have the right to hold bank accounts and to own property and buildings. No restriction is imposed on families regarding the way they raise their children with respect to religious practices. The generally amicable relationship among religions in society contributed to religious freedom. The Ministry of Education has the right to approve the curricula of religious schools to ensure their compliance with national education standards, and the State Committee on Cults oversees implementation. There are also 68 vocational training centers administered by religious communities. Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion. The government is secular and the Ministry of Education asserts that public schools in the country are secular and that the law prohibits ideological and religious indoctrination. Religion is not taught in public schools.

  

Originally posted by Ecumenical News International http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/novemberweb-only/33.0d.html Albania, which in 1967 became the world's first official atheistic state, is now fast becoming a model of religious growth and an example to the rest of Europe, according to a senior Orthodox official. [...] Religious organizations were strictly forbidden under Albania's hard-line communism. [...] The Orthodox Church was officially re-established only in the early 1990s and had, Tsetsis told ENI, made "enormous strides" since then. [...] Tsetsis told ENI that the welcome extended to Patriarch Bartholomeos by the government during his visit showed how much the situation had changed since 1992 and indeed since the communist era when Enver Hoxha's government had banned religion. The patriarch was warmly received by Albania's president and prime minister and, in several major cities, by Roman Catholic, Muslim and Bektashi (a Shiite dervish order) representatives, as well as by government and municipal officials. "The very fact that at a reception given by Archbishop Anastasios in honor of Patriarch Bartholomeos there were not only Orthodox bishops and church members present, but also the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Parliament, and the whole of the Parliament itself, most of whose members are Muslims, shows how things have radically changed in Albania, and that includes the government's attitude towards the church," Tsetsis told ENI. He added that this "miracle achieved within only eight years" showed that the Ecumenical Patriarchate's decision to send Anastasios to Albania had been "wise and perceptive". During the patriarch's visit both President Rexhep Meidani and Prime Minister Ilir Meta praised the peaceful co-existence of Albania's various religious communities. "Albanian politicians should draw lessons from the tolerance expressed among the faithful," Prime Minister Meta said. =========================== http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/novemberweb-only/33.0d.html?start=2 [...] "I believe," Tsetsis added, "that in a period when church buildings in Europe are being converted into concert halls and exhibition centers, when parishes are being closed because of a lack of vocations, the Orthodox Church of Albania stands out as an example. Does Europe need a major calamity to rediscover her own Christian identity?" Tsetsis said that the Orthodox Church had also become the main investor in Albania thanks to funds donated by Christians in Greece, by Greek Americans and by donor agencies following round-table discussions coordinated by the World Council of Churches in Geneva. The church itself was directly involved in the construction of schools, clinics and other buildings, and was providing work for hundreds of Albanians. [...] During his visit to Albania, from November 2 to 9, the Ecumenical Patriarch stressed the need for tolerance and the importance of Albania's own ethnic traditions. "We want to assist people to find and develop their faith, and cultivate virtue, especially through the means of their own language and culture," the patriarch said. There are wide divergences between the various estimates of the strength of religious confessions in Albania. According to the Albanian news agency, ANA, about 70 per cent of the population of 3.5 million is Muslim, about 20 percent is Orthodox and 10 per cent Roman Catholic. Copyright © 1999 Ecumenical News International

From the example of Albania, I am certain we can all agree on what is an atheist regime, and that it  had existed in contemporary history, in Albania.

There are other atheist regimes that had existed in contemporary history, and there could still be atheist regimes today.

Oslove