Communist Russia....doesn't make sense?

Question

Please forgive me if I make any political mistakes because I'm only 13.

Okay, so I had to go to Space Camp for a 7th grade trip last year. It sucked. Well anyways, they were talking about the Russian Space Program.

They said, that even when Russia was communist, you had to be 100% Russian and you had to be Russian Orthodox. You couldn't be Jewish, to be in the Space Program.

Why does it matter of what religion you are if Russia didn't believe in religion during the Soviet era? I'm saying they didn't believe in religion, because I asked my Russian Jewish voice teacher if she had a Bat Mitzvah, and she said, "NO NO!!! No religion in Russia! NO!"

So any ideas????

Thanks a ton!!!

Answer 1

Even though the Soviets were Atheists they STILL hated Jews more than other religions. I know, you'd think they'd hate them all the same. They also discriminated against people from the places like Uzbekistan too.

Answer 2

They lied. The Soviet State was strongly against all forms of organised religion, including the Orthodox Church (which is why your voice teacher didn't have a Bat Mitzvah). However, there were plenty of Jews working in the Russian Space Program.

Answer 3

In communists years the russians were actually hardcore atheists, so I doubt they would have based inclusion on any religion. It seems more likely they would only have allowed communist party members to become astronauts, and they would have been required to be atheists. I remember one of their first astronauts said something like he went far into space and still didn't see God.

Answer 4

the teacher probably said that because of discrimination against jews

Answer 5

its like being president for here. you have to be born in this country to run for president. as far as russia their government runs the country, what they say goes. there is religon in russia.