Utterly Mad

Actually, the IRL renaissance happened because some Italian merchants started reading ancient Roman and Greek texts to learn architectural techniques and other things, so how about a world on the very edge of a new renaissance? Also, if ANY religion were to make it through an apocalyptic event, it would be the Roman Catholic church. They went through worse, and the US and Europe is coated in Christian imagery. Plus, the papacy would defiantly survive the apocalypse for a short time at least. A ton of other religions would make it through as well, like........ Wait, what IS the main religion in China? Islam would make it through as well, over a slightly smaller area.

I would disagree really strongly. The renaissance happened because the plague and a change in population distribution, at least in the mainstream opinion. Though that's the joy of history, you can link anything to anything depending on your view.

A very convincing argument could even be made the Catholic church is responsible for the renaissance, a view which was really common in my parents generation, but less so now.

Main religion in China is a bit of a misleading question. The oldest "religion" in china is Confucianism, which has survived for a very, very long time, but is less likely to survive an apocalypse than Catholicism, which has spent a good chunk of it's existence forcing dominance on the world, and could likely do so again should things fall apart. I agree, same logic to Islam.

Anyway, revote!