Why Orthodox countries seem to be least developed in Europe?

[Methuselah]

Discuss please. Communism played the role and also Eastern life is harsh with all the attacks from the Mongols and Turks but does Orthodox world differ also in mentality? I have nothing against Slavs or Orthodox church, also many great minds were Orthodox Christians of some sort, so don't get offended.

[Victor]

It's a false correlation as majority of back then Orthodox nations were under Ottomans and restored their statehood after centuries, while Russia, the only long existing independent nation with majority of Orthodox people lived under Communist experiment for 70+ years. All of the Orthodox majority nations including Russia are just nominally Orthodox now with majority of people not being consciously religious and religion having minimal impact on people's psychology, society and behavior.

[Mortimer]

I do not think it has anything to do with religion but they do differ in mentality

[ooops]

Greece is still considered a first world country.

Russia is the 11th largest economy in the world.

Romania is richer than many Catholic Latin American countries.

Religion has nothing to do with the development of the country. Also, Northern Slavs, Southern Slavs, Greeks and Georgians have very different mentalities and attitudes.

[Methuselah]

It's a false correlation as majority of back then Orthodox nations were under Ottomans and restored their statehood after centuries, while Russia, the only long existing independent nation with majority of Orthodox people lived under Communist experiment for 70+ years. All of the Orthodox majority nations including Russia are just nominally Orthodox now with majority of people not being consciously religious and religion having minimal impact on people's psychology, society and behavior.

Well but even at the times of Tsars Russia was a bit backwards... But this has many explanations, not only religion.

Do you think it's a bad or good thing that religion has only little influence on the modern Russian society? Could Russia benefit from religion?

[Methuselah]

I do not think it has anything to do with religion but they do differ in mentality

Differ from who? From Western Europeans or Catholic Slavs and Balts?

[Mortimer]

Differ from who? From Western Europeans or Catholic Slavs and Balts?

Mostly Western Europeans I do not know about the latter

[Methuselah]

Mostly Western Europeans I do not know about the latter

What's the difference? East Slavs are more tribal?

[Mortimer]

What's the difference? East Slavs are more tribal?

More conservative then Western Europeans

[Incal]

What I have observed on this forum is that orthodox seem to have some beef with catholics but we catholics don't even know they exist lol