PRAGUE — No matter which direction you turn in Prague’s Old Town, the spiers of churches and cathedrals rise above the city as far as the eye can see. Prague is nicknamed the “City of a Hundred Spires” and is home to the famous St. Vitus Cathedral, Tyn Church and Strahov Monastery.
It is ironic, then, that in a place where religious monuments are intertwined with public life, people seem to have little room for faith in their daily routine. In fact, according to the most recent data, almost 50% of the Czech population does not identify with any religion, while 30% refuse to provide information about their personal beliefs. The remaining 20% claim a religious preference.
Located in the central part of Europe – where religion has played an important role throughout history and surrounded by other religious nations sharing similar historical factors – the Czech Republic is today considered one of the most atheist nations in the world.
READ: The Search for God in an Unfaithful Nation
On the other hand, Czechs tend to be really superstitious people, which is why fortune tellers, amulets, talismans and other forms of what could be considered alternative religions are very popular among the population. Depending on the superstition mentioned, we can see that more than 50% of citizens have such beliefs.
Most explanations around this subject trace it back to the political history of the country. Having been a communist nation for decades and communism being an atheist political model, this widespread rejection of religion would make sense.
However, this phenomenon is not observed in neighboring countries like Poland, Russia, Hungary and part of Germany, all of which experienced the same rule in similar periods. In many ways, the Czech Republic is much more like France, Greece and Croatia, where church attendance remains among the lowest on the continent.
Natalia Timkova, a 21-year-old student at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, said she detaches herself from religion in her daily life. Originally from Slovakia but permanently based in Prague, she is in her second year of university and is obtaining another degree in arts management in the United States. Additionally, she works part-time as a receptionist at the Pedal Planet Museum.
She calls herself completely irreligious because growing up, she felt no pressure toward faith from her parents.
“I didn’t have to (believe),” she said.
When talking about her family, Timkova explained that her mother grew up in a Catholic religious household. Her father, she added, didn’t pay attention to faith growing up and was never a topic of discussion. This generated some tension between them, but it ultimately did not become an irreconcilable difference in his parents’ marriage.
In addition, she added, other family members belong to religious institutions and are faithful Catholics.
“My cousins on my mother’s side are very religious,” she said, adding, however, that “we get along pretty well” regardless of those differences.
Although religion is not an important part of Czech culture, Christianity – and particularly Catholicism – remains important. Czech citizens, including Timkova’s family, celebrate holidays like Easter and Christmas.
“We have Easter and Christmas,” she said. “We have a tree and typical dishes. … We do it because the whole family wants to be together.
Záboj Horák, a lawyer and jurist based in Prague, said that there are two approaches to religion among the intellectual class in the Czech Republic. The first underlines “a great personal distance with him; the second is open to its social importance.
The first point of view can be seen as an influence of the communist and atheist dictatorship and the second as an opposition to it. At the same time, communism is not the only answer to the growing non-religious population in the Czech Republic.
There are other characteristics which could include the fact that even those who are believers do not take the time to try to convert or impose their religious beliefs on others, as is the case in countries like States -United.
When asked about the importance of religion on a deeper spiritual and personal level, Timkova insisted that religion does not play an important role – at least in her case.
“I’m trying to find answers that aren’t religious,” she said. “For me, it’s more helpful (to try) to have a more rational approach.”
