Communism as a Religion

Communism is often known for its atheism and rejection of god and religion, however that is only a surface understanding. Atheism in USSR was very different from Atheism in the Western World. You might even say that communism in itself was a religion.

When ideology stops being just sets of ideas and principles and becomes something of a dogma that requires faith then it gets dangerously close to becoming a religion. In late 1920s USSR did cross that line at full speed without looking back, read more here.

While the early party was open to discussions and debates, things did change when Stalin entrenched himself in power, communism evolved from an ideology to a religion level unquestionable dogma. 

Before becoming a communist, Stalin used to study in Seminary to become an Orthodox Christian priest. In power he did used things he learned there to reshape communism into a new kind of religion. Lenin became communist Jesus and savior of working people from capitalist oppression. Various revolutionary heroes were like apostilles and Stalin himself was akin to a Pope.

Faith in communism and zealotry in exercising this faith was required for successful career in the USSR. Open questioning of communist dogma was as persecuted as heresy during inquisition times. Rival religions such as Christianity were not tolerated and persecuted. 

This communist religion and believe in "Brighter Future" (that mostly consisted of promises that everything will be free, read more here), promised by Lenin and his party is what motivated people to work and kept disparate ethnicities that inhabited USSR united. 

That also led them to invade other countries to spread their one true faith to unbelievers in places such as Afghanistan. Comintern had clear aims to spread communist globally. They trained Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh, Kim Il Sung, Robert Mugabe, half of the African leaders and many others to spread communism to their countries. 

Czechoslovakia, just like during Jan Hus times managed to produce its own heretical version of communism. Just like Austria invaded and took control in 1400s in 1968 USSR invaded to enforce communist orthodoxy on them.

In the end communist faith proved to be false, countries flipped back, different ethnicities of the USSR all went their own way.