I’m going to find the number to the pastors expiditon (or whatever it’s called) and call them about my official leave of the church. ASAP. This is something I should have done years ago because I see no reason whatsoever to be a member of something I don’t believe in. I don’t want to be like the majority of swedes who are members of the church for no other reason than tradition.

In Sweden religion isn’t widespread like in USA. Although 75% of Swedens population are members of the swedish lutheran church it’s mostly a tradition thing since almost all native swedes are baptised as infants and through that become members. Being able to be wed in a church is also a reason for many to be members since church weddings are very common here. Actual church attendance and religion in every day life is quite rare though and Sweden is known as a non-religious country.

I was brought up in a non-religous home but I’m still baptised and I was forced (by my non-christian mother!) to go thourgh the confirmation ceremony, because it’s a TRADITION. I was so mad at my parents and made a wov to leave the church as soon as I became eighteen. I still haven’t, because I haven’t taken the time to make that phone call yet. I really should because I see no reason not to. Why be a member of something I don’t even believe in? I think swedes are really weird when it comes to religion. We baptise our children, get married in churches and go through the confirmation ceremony but only out of tradition and not actual belif. I think it’s disrespectful towards the people who actually believe to go through with these ceremonies without caring about their actual meaning. It’s like voting for a political party who’s opinions you don’t agree with. Nobody would do that but when it comes to religion it’s standard. It’s so stupid and I don’t want to be like that. I don’t care if I’ll never be able to get married in a church and if I have children I won’t baptise them because I think it’s a choice they have to make by themselves. If I could choose I’d also prefer to be buried in the forest under a cairn but I don’t think it’s legal to be buried outside a graveyeard in Sweden.

What do you religious people think about this? I only know the opinions of atheists when it comes to this so I’m really interested in your opinions.

Just a note: I kind of like educating people about Swedish culture since I live in such a small country which most people barely know anything about. I mean, what do you think about when someone say Sweden? Vikings with horned helmets? Actually vikings never wore horned helmets. Snow, raindeers and dog sleds? Southern Sweden actually barely have snow during the winter nor dog sleds or raindeers. Blondes named Ingrid with weird german sounding accents? God how I hate that stereotype so often seen in movies! And 99% of all attempts of copying a swedish sounding english fails miserably. The next time someone mentions Sweden you should think about the Nobel price, vikings without horned helmets and the fact that several of the weekdays english names originiates from names of norse mythology (the viking age religion of all Scandinavia). Although I’m sure I also stereotype other countries I get very sick of widespread ideas of what Sweden is like which are totally wrong.

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