A 180 degree turn?
This week we are going from Sweden and sex to Sweden and religion. A rather drastic change maybe, but in large Swedes think about religion the similar way they think about sex, this is personal.
I will take you through a quick religious history of Sweden’s religious history from the days of the Vikings to today’s more secular society and everything in between.
I will talk about how there is quite a discrepancy between the number of members in the Church of Sweden and the numbers of Swedes that actually believe in God, and why this is. And I will talk about how the Swedish public school system includes religious knowledge as a subject for all students from grades 1-9.
Why?
The main reason I decided to create this upcoming episode is my first impression when I moved to the US. I was quite surprised moving over here hearing people ask me “What church do you go to?” as if it was a given that I went to church. In Sweden, your religious beliefs are something very personal and we very seldom talk about them with people we are not really close to. At first, this felt very much like an invitation of my person, but I have now come to terms with it and realize that going to church over here is very much about social belonging than it is about beliefs. That doesn’t mean that beliefs are unimportant, but that is just one aspect of belonging to a church.
Where I think Sweden has an advantage
In this episode, I talk about how religious knowledge is treated in the public school system, and this is one area where I think Sweden has an advantage, by educating, in a hopefully unbiased way, about other religions, as well as other outlooks on life, creates a deep knowledge for cultural and ethical differences that may have its explanation in religious beliefs. This, in turn, creates a deep understanding of different ways to think, believe, and describe the world around us, and hopefully more compassion and understanding for people that don’t think the same way as you.
Would like some help
To end today’s post I would ask you for a favor. To better be able to create the episodes in a way that You would like I am interested in what topics you are most interested in. Beneath is a short simple poll that I would appreciate if you would answer. You can only pick one, with the possibility to vote again.
Thank You
PixelPia
