The following comment was posted on an article here:
A very small percentage of Russians attend church regularly and the abortion rate is about 4 times of ours
Since I have not thought about the facts before, I did some research:
- Church Attendance
Russians Return to Religion, But Not to Church
Over the past two decades, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been an upsurge in affiliation with Orthodox Christianity in Russia.1 Between 1991 and 2008, the share of Russian adults identifying as Orthodox Christian rose from 31% to 72%, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of three waves of data (1991, 1998 and 2008) from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) – a collaboration involving social scientists in about 50 countries. During the same period, the share of Russia’s population that does not identify with any religion dropped from 61% to 18%. The share of Russian adults identifying with other religions, including Islam, Protestant Christianity and Roman Catholicism, rose in the 1990s and then leveled off. (Estimates of the size of Russia’s Muslim population vary. The most recent ISSP survey finds that Muslims make up 5% of Russia’s population, but other surveys and studies have somewhat higher estimates. For more information, see “Sochi Olympics shine spotlight on Russia’s Muslim population.”)
Church attendance of Americans 2021
According to a 2021 survey, 31 percent of Americans never attend church or synagogue, compared to 22 percent of Americans who attend every week.
Religiosity in the United States
Despite only about a fifth of Americans attending church or synagogue on a weekly basis, almost 40 percent consider themselves to be very religious. Additionally, states in the Deep South such as Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana had the most residents identifying as very religious. In contrast, New England states like Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire had the most people identifying as nonreligious.
Both nations need to have higher church attendance. Identifying as a Christian without works may still grant salvation, it does not make a better world as we now are reaping. I understand that church attendance does not impact the level of faith for a Christian. I am saying that in our country, our ministers and pastors have let us down and have not produced moral citizens.
2. Abortions Rates
Abortion Rights in Russia
It might be surprising, but Russia is one of the top countries in the world for the number of abortions.
Abortion rates have been exceptionally high for decades when compared to other countries, but have decreased in the past two decades. According to the latest data compiled by Statista, the number of abortions recorded in Russia reached over 2 million in 2000 and dropped to over 550,000 in 2020. The abortion rate has been steadily decreasing since 2020, although it remains high overall.
Overall Increase in Abortion Nationwide (United States)
The new data released by Guttmacher include several notable trends (see table with abortion incidence and rates by state and region):
- In 2020, there were 930,160 abortions in the United States, an 8% increase from 862,320 abortions in 2017.
- Similarly, the abortion rate increased from 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 in 2017 to 14.4 per 1,000 women, a 7% increase.
Population US: 331,449,281 million (0.2% abortion rate)
Population Russia: 144.1 million (0.3% abortion rate)
The abortion rate in Russia is 50% higher than in the United States. The abortion rate in Russia has fallen 72.5% since 2000. Putin became President of Russia in 2000. While the abortion rate in the United States has declined, it is now rising. Let us pray that the reversal of Roe v. Wade will cause it to decrease.
I would be grateful if someone would show that Putin was not responsible for Russia’s large decline in abortion:
Russia moves to curb abortion rates
Russian women’s right to terminate pregnancies is to be dramatically curtailed under a new government decree that has sparked the country’s first serious debate about abortion in decades.
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I know that the above information will not interest most readers. I do want to point out that Putin has drastically cut the abortion rate in Russia and has been a staunch advocate for Christianity. Our country’s leadership seems intent on following a Satanic pathway for their own personal edification. Time will tell whether good or evil will win in the short term but the Lord always wins in the end according to His plan.
David DeGerolamo
This is actually quite interesting…
Some say that “our ministers and pastors have let us down” is due in part to the 501C3 incentive…. which itself was only possible due to “income tax”… which was created at the same time as the federal reserve, and required the creation of the false dichotomy of “employer/employee”, to force everone to rat each other out on federal forms. None of this can work in a nation of farmers, craftsmen, and artists, all trading openly with each other. “self-employed” is a “job” the way bald is a hair color, and was also created by the income tax.
When our religious institutions are corrupted, the uncorrupted religious will avoid the institutions. Just another way to control by limited the ability to organize. To replace “community” with “government”, which is why nobody knows who their neighbors are in a city, even the apartment next door. They don’t even *want* to know, as familiarity breeds contempt.
What is being done to this nation is so self-destructive, so evil, that *even* if every lie told about Russia was true, we would still have to consider supporting them simply because they are the most visible force opposing the evil behind this globalism. We can only *hope* that they’re not just controlled opposition. What a world….
Modern society uses the term “Religion” so out of context.
Instead of the Self-Gratifying works-based false definition, Folks need to understand the Biblical term of “Religion”.
James 1: 27
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
I imagine these study figures would drastically change, if the input were accurate.
As an Orthodox Christian, what are the Russian stats regarding teaching kids they can be any sex they want? Also, removal of genitalia verses US?
Putin describes transgender rights as ‘crime against humanity’
https://www.washingtonblade.com/2021/10/22/putin-describes-transgender-rights-as-crime-against-humanity/
Yes, you are on point! I listened to his entire speech.
Thanks for the research, so what direction is Russia going and which direction are we going! Putin may be a bit of a tyrant, but not completely, he is trying to move the country towards God, unlike FUSA, where we apparently worship sexual deviants! God apparently had no problem with the destruction of Israel when they turned away from him, I doubt he supports the direction our country is going in. Russia may be one of only a few nations still believing in God!
Our nation has turned against God. Let us pray for one another. Time is short.
“our ministers and pastors have let us down and have not produced moral citizens.”
This is each individuals responsibility!
i do not believe raising moral citizens rest solely on pastors and ministers.
Where i believe pastors and ministers have gone wrong is not speaking out about the uncomfortable topics. They (many) are not warning the people.
Perhaps many of them do not know what is coming? They do not see that this world is upside down and opposite. Just because they attend Seminary and or Bible college does not evoke the True Holy Spirit of Christ.
They think if they turn the music up, no one will notice?
This is their problem, they have attended them.
Read the 5000 Year Leap. It details the responsibility of the church. What do you think the church is responsible for? You may disagree but this was the foundation on which our nation was founded.
in reading the Bible what are our responsibilities? The “church is not made with human hands. Where is the True Temple?
LBJ is at fault . 1954 church’s took the bait: 5103c status. Every pastor is afraid of speaking out plus many of them do not want to give up all the goodies they get.
Many pastors simply tickle the ears of those in their congregations. They go with what the political board members say and vote on. They have become meeting places, social clubs, business get togethers, money exchangers, concerts, theatres, coffee shops.
Obongo’s IRS also had a chilling effect on the Pastoral rank and maybe more so on board of directors, we had to fill out applications to maintain the 501C3 status…all of a sudden these peoples focus changed from faith to business orientation. It was horrific.
The only greater impact I’ve seen has come from academia, that began with federalization of education and real indoctrination.
Dana
A couple of points. First, Russian Orthodoxy has become a state religion in Russia. Affiliation is a poltiical act and is not a good measure of religiosity. The state push for Orthodox affiliation is such that people who belong to other religions are actively persecuted. Russia is particularly interested in persecuting Baptists, who are fined or imprisoned for “missionary activity” which is illegal for non-Orthodox. The Russian government has also started tearing down and bulldozing Pentacostal churches. Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned outright. Russia has also outlawed most non-Orthodox seminaries; all religious training must be state-approved.
Second, while church affiliation in the US has been falling and is associated with a corresponding increased in “nones,” the percentage of people who are devout Christians has not changed in the past many decades. What is happening in the US is essentially the reverse of what is happening in Russia. Fifty years ago,affiliation with a church was the social norm, and church membership was associated a number of social and cultural benefits. This is no longer the case, with many of the elites actively discriminating against people who are openly religious. It should also be noted that church affiliation is still higher than it has been through most of the early history of America, particularly prior to the Revolution. Church attendance in Revolutionary times was only 17 percent (though in some colonies it was mandatory by law and thus much higher), and was in the low 30s in 1850.
The people who are leaving the church are for the most part social or nominal Christians in the first place. A fair number of the remnant believe that it’s a good thing that they are leaving, since they are largely the impetus for accommodating nonchristian beliefs and doctrines into the congregation. There is a reason that those denominations that have accommodated these things are hemorrhaging members while more conservative churches are doing much better. Purging these casual and, frankly, nonbelieving members may be what is needed in order to start a new Awakening driven by those who do believe.
I would like to see some source material for your above comment. However, let’s assume that everything you said concerning Russia is true. I live my life according to the Word of God. BUT if I had to choose between the two governments’ religious dictates, I would choose Russia. But that is not my point. The 5000 Year Leap states: if our churches were doing their job, they would be producing moral citizens and by extension, moral politicians. I have to agree with Putin and classify our government as Satanic.
Some source material:
https://wordandway.org/2017/09/12/russia-expands-anti-missionary-crackdown-against-baptists-others/
https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Russian-Baptist-Christians-targeted-in-latest-persecutions-42323.html
https://www.christianpost.com/news/russia-persecution-christians-intensifies-putin-cant-be-trusted-experts-warn-184255/
https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/july/german-court-asylum-russian-baptist-persecution.html
https://www.imb.org/175/stories/latvian-baptists-flee-russian-persecution-find-new-home-brazil/
I would argue that you make a false equivalence. You state “BUT if I had to choose between the two governments’ religious dictates, I would choose Russia.” The problem with this is that Russia *does* have a state religion and *does* actively persecute non-orthodox Christians. The United States does *not* have a state religion and does *not* by policy persecute Christians. Yes, there are isolated events and the Biden regime is attempting to institute religious persecution. But right now, that’s not the case. You will not be fined and imprisoned for belonging to an unlicensed and unsupervised church. In contrast, part and parcel of having a state church is corruption of the church.
For a broader discussion of American statistics, take a look at:
https://www.deseret.com/faith/2022/4/14/23022509/god-is-not-dead-religion-data-politics-faith-in-america
I agree that if there were more devout Christians we would have a bigger impact on culture and then in politics. But I think that the proper place of emphasis is on culture, and not politics. Part of the decline we’ve seen, I think, is a reaction to the politicization of churches during the “Moral Majority” years. That doesn’t mean I don’t think that Christian principles are not important in politics, but I think they are a consequence of supporting a Christian culture first. You cannot impose Christian morals on a non-Christian culture and be successful in the long run. You *can* convert and change the culture into a Christian culture.
But, in the end, devout Christians will always be a minority. As Jesus noted, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
This is why state religions are as corrupt as secular states — by becoming state religions, they become of this world. It’s why state religions persecute almost as much as atheist states.
Thank you for information. I put my faith in the Lord. This means that I will not make the choice between the two nations. It it similar to the post I wrote concerning the difference between freedom and liberty.
First, Russian Orthodoxy has become a state religion in Russia. Affiliation is a political act and is not a good measure of religiosity.
… and Constantine made Christianity the state religion. I agree with you that ‘affiliation’ is not a good measure of religiosity. The problem is we can not know what is in another person’s heart. By their fruit we will know them. Russia appears to be showing more fruit today while we show less. So there’s that.
And when Constantine imposed the principle of “One God, One Emperor, One Church” he corrupted the faith resulting in 2000 years of religious persecution. As soon as the church becomes of the world, it loses its value.
In an individual sense, we may not be able to know a man’s heart, but in the aggregate sense, we can get a good feel for it by looking at behaviors and statements of belief. And it tracks pretty well, In the medical and sociologic literature, there is a very important distinction between “instrinsic” and “extrinsic” religiosity.
Intrinsic religiosity provides stunning benefits to true believers in the aggregate sense. There is a huge literature on the practical benefits of faith, including lower long term mortality, less drug use, an amazingly lower suicide rate (in one study a greater than 70% lower rate in one cohort), and up to a 68% decrease in “deaths from despair” (e.g. combined metric of suicide, drug deaths, alcohol-related deaths, etc). People of faith are more emotionally resilient to economic downturns and other life challenges. Youth who are people of faith do particularly well. One study of adolescents found “Compared with no attendance, at least weekly attendance of religious services was associated with greater life satisfaction and positive affect, a number of character strengths, lower probabilities of marijuana use and early sexual initiation, and fewer lifetime sexual partners. Analyses of prayer or meditation yielded similar results..”
In terms of overall mortality, one study found that high intrinsic religiosity has about the same benefit as quitting smoking, while another found that it “plays a considerable role in mortality rate reductions, comparable to fruit and vegetable consumption and statin therapy.”. And only a relatively small part of these benefits are due to social support by fellow believers in multivariate analyses.
So, yeah, there are tools you can use to estimate intrinsic religiosity in people that are fairly good in aggregate, even if they aren’t perfect at the individual level.
However, almost all of these benefits disappear if the respondent only exhibits “extrinsic” religiosity,, though some of the social support benefits remain.
You know nothing of Orthodox Christianity by what you wrote.
Yes, but Putin is not a Christian. Watch his first interview with Larry King we’re he puts his faith in man. Putin is still a communist and the propaganda for us is that we on the right think that he is somehow a Christian. They, along with the CCP are promoting all the crap we see here. Diversity, inclusion, gay pride and all the rest. It is to destroy the family structure. I think our government is corrupt as well as all institutions have been infiltrated.
Putin is still a communist and the propaganda for us is that we on the right think that he is somehow a Christian. They, along with the CCP are promoting all the crap we see here.
You claim to know what is in another man’s heart. Source please. Something beyond an old Larry King segment?
Read the articles from the defectors that have come out of Russia. Read what others have written who specialize in this area. Trevor Loudon and Jeff Nyquist and others. Soviet Russia never went away with the tearing down of the wall. Just a strategic withdrawal to fool the west. My wife is Russian and lived there for 47 years. Putin is also Masonic. I don’t like Ukraine because they are verry corrupt as well. Hell, seems all the governments are worthless, but don’t fall for the propaganda. Watch the video I posted earlier.
And what do you claim? You claim to know the heart of Zion? Source please. WW3 has started. The Empire is eating itself alive. The fiery dragon is spewing flames out of its dragon mouth, wildly whipping its tail and smacking Europe to death as it takes its final breath and descent into Hades.
Putin made a phenomenal speech. ☦️ Amen
I think I should clarify my point: I don’t care if Russia is Communist or if Putin is a Christian. I am saying that our illegal government is more Communist than Russia and that Putin is more Christian than Biden.
Who are you to decide who is a Christian and who isn’t? Getting born again, [Romans 10:9,10,] makes you a Christian. You can’t “tell” if someone’s a Christian. It’s an inside job, Christ in you, the hope of glory, [Colossians 1:27.] Living the word of God is another topic resulting an a life more than abundant, [John 10:10.]
I have thought about this for over a decade. Who knows who is a Christian? Good people will do bad things when their family is starving.
Watch his videos on all of this
https://youtu.be/pS3MBgzMYm8
Know your enemy
https://www.cpusa.org/
How Communists Are Weaponizing Christians (& Conservatives)—Trevor Loudon Interviewhttps://rumble.com/v1h1ydb-how-communists-are-weaponizing-christians-and-conservativestrevor-loudon-in.html
Acts 19 Comes to mind.
From resulting commentary:
“We may learn, also, that when people’s pecuniary interests are affected, they often show great zeal for religion, and expect by clamor in behalf of some doctrine to maintain their own interest, and to secure their own gains.”
History and current events show that the above is quite true.
Proceed with caution.
Somehow I surprised that Russia’s abortion is even as high as it is. I am not surprised,however, to learn that it is dropping. I do think the Orthodox Church has more of a positive influence on the Russian people and the leadership that Christianity seems to have that of the west. That’s sad. I read a long time ago that Russia claimed it would be the Third Rome and their would not be a fourth. We shall see.