Atheists and church leaders debate the future of religion in the Czech Rep

The Czech Republic has the reputation of being one of the most secular countries in Europe. In 2001 a nation-wide census revealed that 58 percent of the population were non-believers. But that's not to say the public is apathetic to religious issues: given the chance, even the country's many atheists relish discussing the future of organised religion. Many did so heatedly at a recent debate in Prague.

It's not often that one gets such a discussion on the future of religion as this: a recent debate organised in Prague by the Agora CE civic association and Czech daily Lidove Noviny, hosted by representatives of the main denominations: the Roman Catholic, the Evangelical and the Hussite Church. All were on hand to field questions from the public. Topics which invariably came up included blaming organised religion for conflict and bloodshed in the present and the past.

The discussion covered a lot of interesting ground, not least the hypothesis put forward by church leaders that the number of atheists in the Czech Republic will eventually drop: and Czechs will come back to the fold. Jan Schwarz, patriarch of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church:

"I miss the church in areas where values are breaking down: today people are unhappy and are looking for something to fill the emptiness in their lives, something to tell them how to live. What is modern life? We are living in a time of 'atomization'. Our grandfathers used to gather for all kinds of social events like the amateur theatre, while my generation spent its days in front of TV sets. Today our kids sit alone in front of the internet. The church can play a role bringing people back together and creating a meaningful community."

The decline in religious belief here has deep roots that go back to the 17th century, with the defeat of Protestant forces and forced re-Catholicisation. Along with forty years of communism and the general secularity of the present day, religion here has a tough time. Other thorny issues include the need to settle outstanding questions over property and funding between the Church and State. One of the outspoken atheists in the crowd, Zdenek Trinkewitz, said he thought the church ought to receive some funding since it was part of the cultural landscape: architecture, concerts, charities, but, as far as "belief" goes he was having none of it.

"I don't agree that people should succumb to religious belief. Historically it has its place, but as a rational-minded person I think that secularism will only grow. I am a scientific atheist: I have a strong sense of ethics, but I simply don't believe there is any such thing as a higher being in heaven."

It can't be easy for Church leaders in a country with such a high number of professed non-believers, but at the debate they didn't seem daunted, assured that many among the public retain an inherent need for 'belief' and that eventually they will find what they're looking for. Church leaders are hoping that at least some believers in the Czech Republic, who are not registered, will come out of the proverbial closet. The numbers certainly aren't showing it yet.