My what a fun topic....I was expecting Separation of Church and state, and we're talking about tyrants and killers. Very well....
Vortex, I love a good debate on Communism, but trying to base one time frame against another doesn't quite do it justice, is like complaining that all Christians are evil. Funny, I didn't wake up evil, I didn't kick any cats, I didn't throw holy water on a demon....But it's kinda hard to ignore 20 million people being killed for their religion....that's Stalin's calling card for the Jews....and that's just him. Chairman Mao, in his efforts to liberate China from Chiang Kai-Shek, killed enough people to force boatloads to flee across the Formosa Strait, and almost led to world war three, with Eisenhower going to bat for Taiwan. Going on down the line, Ho Chi Mann, the leader of the Viet Cong had two simple methods for fighting, kill anyone who resists, and simply outwait armies from a long ways away, and their people will grow tired of fighting. France fell, and the US decided they'd had enough on two fronts....ya, the second front was a lot of liberalism and hippies.
However, you are right on one thing....The USSR didn't practice Communism, because in reality, Communism can't exist in a world with Capitalism. The USSR practiced Extreme Socialism, where you had a few wealthy elite....and a lot of poor people....hmm, sounds like the US. But in Communism, everyone is truly equal, and if you work, you get fed. there is no need for money, but there is also no desire to do better. the USSR did practice War Communism during World War two though, when it had to go on first the defensive, pulling back it's factories and defending cities like Stalingrad and Leningrad....and used lines after lines of unarmed prisoners to run German soldiers out of ammo.
But to be honest, I think what most of these leaders feared, from the churches, was people having an open mind....it's what people truly fear, is a person with hope. With a church, the Kremlin figured this was a place people could meet in secret, and for Stalin, this was not right. Stalin, in fact went out of his way, to indoctrinate children, by having them pray for candy...and having it "magically" fall from above, a miracle. But somehow, bibles, and hope, still got through the iron curtain.
Now, for a last fun point....why is it, that the country that used to be a beacon for freedom and rights, hates the church so much? Are atheists that frightened of Christians, they're afraid we're right? Do they fear we'll spread the truth? Are they worried they'll burst into flames? I don't think so....but it does seem odd to me, that if you have a room of 300 Christians, and one atheist, and if the one atheist is offended, the other 300 have to stop praying....where's the logic in that? if it works that good, does that mean if I go to say, California, everyone there has to become Christian? Don't see it happening.*smiles*