As I said above- Stalin persecuted specific religious groups. The Russian Orthodox Church continued without abuse. Yes, atheism was promoted, but it was the non-Orthodox Christians that got persecuted.
As for Mao, same thing. Buddhists were allowed to continue practicing Buddhism under Mao. Mao just used Buddhism (and China still does) as a tool to wield power through government control. Again, it’s the people who do not practice this form of Buddhism that are persecuted.
The commies, like Stalin and Mao, persecuted and murdered religious people.
The Chinese are still doing it to Tibetans and Uyghurs today.
Dictatorships are an inherent perversion of communist ideals. Also China is not coming from an atheistic place.
Stalin and Mao created cults of personality around themselves. They share a lot more in common with religious extremism than secular humanism.
As I said above- Stalin persecuted specific religious groups. The Russian Orthodox Church continued without abuse. Yes, atheism was promoted, but it was the non-Orthodox Christians that got persecuted.
As for Mao, same thing. Buddhists were allowed to continue practicing Buddhism under Mao. Mao just used Buddhism (and China still does) as a tool to wield power through government control. Again, it’s the people who do not practice this form of Buddhism that are persecuted.