Posted on 07/30/2011 8:52:58 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Nearly three-quarters of Sweden’s population of 9.4 million continue to belong to what was long the official state church of this Nordic nation, according to a recent survey. Yet only 15 percent of the members say they believe in Jesus, and an equal percentage do not even believe that God exists.
The survey – conducted over the past year by the Church of Sweden – found, moreover, that only about 400,000 of the roughly 6.6 million church members attend church services at least once a month.
Local clergymen such as Sven Björkborg, who serves several rural parishes southwest of Stockholm, says he is not surprised by the findings of the survey, citing the gradual secularization of Swedish society over the years. Members of the church, he adds, are not required to be believers.
Pastor Björkborg argues that Swedes today support the church because it does good work and upholds important national values and traditions, providing assistance to the poor, the elderly, and others.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
The Terror of Evil and Sin
The Tragedy in Norway
By: Chuck Colson
“But here are two root causes of this horrible act that few in Norway, or the rest of the Western world for that matter, will acknowledge: Evil and sin.
You see, Norway is one of the most secular countries in Western Europe. Hardly a shred left of the Christian faith that once dominated the country.
So, without that Christian understanding of fallen human nature, the people of Norway are left in mourning, but without an explanation for the horror that has befallen them.”
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/17539
“Members of the church...are not required to be believers.”
Say What??!!
That’s sad. We will pray for them.
RE: Say What??!!
That’s the problem with a GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED Church. People can simply be born into the church regardless of whether they believe or not, and Ministers don’t have to actively evangelize...
They can just relax, get their salaries, and perform their usual rituals.
The Great Christian Hymn sang by Evangelicals, Protestants and Catholics — HOW GREAT THOU ART, originated in Sweden over a hundred years ago.
My, how times have changed...
China is a non-christian country, Japan is a non-christian country, India is a non-christian country, and they all are doing just fine. They have less violent crime and less divorces than most christian countries.
I am laughing at your post.
The great falling away is upon us. And Islam will take it’s place.
I didn’t laugh but I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. That guy ain’t much for accurate history.
Actually, China is rapidly becoming Christian. It is estimated by 2030 it will be a majority Christian country.
And the irony is that they have more Christians than most so-called "christian countries".
Government schooled, huh?!
The Swedes (along with everyone else) ought to be more concerned about whether God believes in THEM. If God were to stop believing in THEM, just think of the consequences.
Oh, the arrogance of man that HIS belief in God really matters!
The United States could not have been founded without Christianity. Look around her now. Like what you see?
Go ahead, drink that Chinese milk that killed Chinese children. Feed your dog the Chinese dog food that killed 5,000 dogs. Sit in Chinese chairs imported to France that sent a dozen people to the hospital with skin rashes. Crime reporting in China is highly restricted.
If you want to call that "doing fine," I guess you're free to do so. But the 54 million who died in China didn't think so.
RE: And the irony is that they have more Christians than most so-called “christian countries”.
When China closed its doors to Christian Missionaries for over 25 years under Mao, people thought that the atheistic philosophy of the Communist Party would kill any traces of Christianity in that country for good.
After 1977, Christian Missiologists visited the country and were amazed to discover that there were an estimated 40 million Christians in CHINA! The church never died. Many Christians in fact SUFFERED tremendous persecution for their faith!
The church actually held steady in suffering while in many other places in the west, the church declined under material comfort.
Today, it is estimated that if you add ALL branches of Christianity ( Protestant, Evangelical, Catholic, Officially recognized or not ), there are over 100 million Christians in China and the numbers are growing rapidly everyday!
If this rate continues, China will have the LARGEST CHRISTIAN POPULATION IN THE WORLD WITHIN A GENERATION!
The irony is, it was the West that brought Christianity to China, and it is now the west that needs missionaries preaching the gospel back to them.
I will not be surprised to see missionaries from the East like China (or even Africa) bring Christianity back to places like Sweden someday.
Christians deserve the credit for founding this great country. That is not the point. The point is non-christian countries are also doing good economically, socially, and with violent crime.
Israel was the first country to have a female head of state, India was the 2nd country to have a female head of the largest democracy in the world. So even women have progressed faster in non-christian countries.
Moral of the story is there is good in other religions.
I am talking more about the huge non-christian populations in China & India. No question the communist government was and still is brutal against human rights.
Both countries combined have population greater than all Christians of the world combined, and people in both countries are currently progressing rapidly. Historically speaking these two countries had the world’s largest GDP’s for over thousand years.
Again I am not trying to talk down Christians. I think Christianity is a very fine religion, one of the best. The post I was replying to implied that you must be a Christian in order to progress peace and prosperity.
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