Bulgarian protesters demand compulsory religious classes

As many as 10,000 protesters demonstrated in Sofia to demand that religious instruction become compulsory in schools. The protestors carried banners and slogans reading "66 years of atheism, that"s enough" and deploring "a condemned population without morals."

Bells also rang from every church to accompany the demonstration in downtown Sofia, which was organized by the Orthodox Church.

Now the Church wants to make religious instruction compulsory at school, where it is currently optional.

Under a new project by the Holy Synod, the highest authority in the Church, Christian children will learn about the Bible, Muslims about the Koran, and atheists will be taught ethics.

While the communist authorities imposed atheism, many Bulgarians found religion again after the end of the regime.