Quote Originally Posted by Tiaexz View Post
Hah, no. I realised it came across like that after you replied. I was more suggesting that Christianity would have played a big impact in his life, so it isn't a case of blank-slate atheism with no spiritual influence in the slightest. Raised from a strong religious environment myself, I am aware of how this would have affected him and shaped him as a person.
Stalin was raised in Tsarist Russia, a religious country like most of Europe at the time. However, like most of Europe, Tsarist Russia had pockets of radicalism. Most of these pockets were not pure, but roughly 50/50 religious/radical. Stalin grew up in one such pocket.

If anything, Stalins childhood was shaped by the tensions created between conservatives and radicals. He ultimately fell down on the radical side. That he went to a seminary isn't very important; educational choices were largely determined by the father of the household, who sent their kids off somewhere.

Lenin didn't really want to become a lawyer either.