I don't know why I'm posting about politics again. I don't think that was in the plan.

[marshtide]

This was news at the weekend but I'm still headdesking: Basically, the people in charge of schools wanted all the major religions to be covered equally in religious education classes but the government has overruled them and said that Christianity is Totally Most Important, so, you know, fuck equality.

Amazing.

I shall be over here with the cat. We will be practicing our looks of hatred and distaste.

He's better at it than me though.

Comments

[jae]

I get your headdesk, but I'm actually impressed that they were considering this in the first place. It'd never fly in Germany. Maybe it was an idea before its time?

-J

[marshtide]

*wry* I guess so! Sweden is more secular than almost anywhere else, though, so you'd think if it would work anywhere...

On another level it really is good that Skolverket tried, of course.

[madelienegrey]

*headdesking in the general direction of Sweden*

It sounds like something that would happen here. :/ Actually, no it doesn't. I think the people would revolt if such an idea were even proposed here.

[marshtide]

One does end up torn between irritation that it got smacked down and the thought that it's quite possible no-one would even have thought of this back home.

[silveradept]

Wow. That's just flatly insane. Not that they wouldn't do it here, and willingly, but "you people over there in Europe" are supposed to be the stalwart anti-Christians. Stop messing up our neoconservative stereotypes! *fistshake*

I will join you in the looks of disdain, though.

[marshtide]

Sweden is in fact deeply secular. On paper a huge number of people are Christian - that's because of things like compulsory membership and automatic membership, neither of which have existed for a while now but which have left a legacy of people who are members by default and haven't bothered filling out the form to officially leave. Less than 10% of the population regularly attend the national church; I'm not sure what the exact numbers are, but not very damn many. The percentage of people who will admit to believing in god at all when surveyed is also pretty low compared to other nations. Which somehow makes the whole thing even more irritating.

[silveradept]

Quite. For the supposedly secular country, the people in power sure decided they didn't want to be secular there.

[unnique]

Us people over here in Europe still have state religions, which, when you look at the number of people actually admitting to religiousness (low), makes things even more hilarious. XD

[silveradept]

Yes, but state religions are easily dismissed as "Oh, Henry wanted a divorce, so he made a church." in our history classes. Nothing to get in the way of the anti-Catholic sentiment so many of our neoconservatives harbor, almost as much as they hate intellectuals, logic, and people not themselves.

[unnique]

Oh, we too scoff and scowl at the Catholics. North Europe is very very Lutheran, you know. We don't like bling. And fun. And frivolity. And stuff. :)

[marshtide]

And you'll work hard and be miserable and eat your damn bark bread! And you'll like it!

[dancing_moon]

the people in charge of schools wanted all the major religions to be covered equally in religious education classes [something sensible] but the government has overruled them and said that Christianity is Totally Most Important, so, you know, fuck equality [and all other sensible things].

That there is pretty much how our schools work all the time. Only sometimes you can replace "government" with municipality or somesuch =(

The thing is, the thing that really gets me annoyed, is that if it's purely abut the historical parts of Christianity that have "built this country" bladiblah as some people claim, they ought to be moved to HISTORY CLASS.
And then, once you know how Ansgar came and Gustav Vasa said all ur churchbells are belong to me, then you can in religion class have some nice, comparative theology discussion with equal amounts of time to all the different viewpoints (including atheism, plz)

[marshtide]

Yeah, that was pretty much what I thought re: historical importance. I mean seriously. Aagh.