NORWAY FLOURISHES AS SECULAR NATION
Montgomery Advertiser - Montgomery, AL, USA
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Rev. Rick Mason notes that atheism is on the rise. He blames Christian
fundamentalism. Certainly the ineptness, dishonesty and lack of ethics
of the overtly God-fearing Bush administration may be turning people off
on God.
A case study shows what this could mean for America. Norway has embraced
secularism at the expense of its Christian roots. A 2005 survey
conducted by Gallup International rated Norway the least religious
country in Western Europe.
In Norway, 82.9% of the population are members of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church. (They are automatically registered at birth and few
bother to be unregistered.) However, only approximately 10% regularly
attend church services and identify themselves as being personally
Christian.
A 2006 survey found 29% believe in a god or deity; 23% believe in a
higher power without being certain of what; 26% don't believe in God or
higher powers; 22% have doubts.
Depending on the definition of atheism, Norway thus has between 26% and
71% atheists. The Norwegian Humanist Association is the world's largest
humanist association per capita.
And what has secularism done to Norway? The Global Peace Index rates
Norway the most peaceful country in the world. The Human Development
Index, a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and
standard of living, has ranked Norway No. 1 every year for the last five
years.
Norway has the second highest GDP per capita in the world, an
unemployment rate below 2% and average hourly wages among the world's
highest.
Reprinted under the Fair Use section of international copyright law at
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retained by the original publication.
