August 2, 2010
Published: 27 May 10 08:44 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/26878/20100527/
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Swedes continue to turn their backs on the Church of Sweden with new figures indicating that the longer term fall in members has now started to hit baptisms and weddings.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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A good percentage of children here are confirmed only because their parents bribe them with gifts. Just keeping up with the Svenssons. "Scrape together?" Wow!!
I am sure many are confirmed because the are devoted to Christ and see this as another step forward in their faith. Within matters of faith statistics are irrelevant. In a secular society one would expect the these findings. Many young people today believe that their lives are just matters of chance.
swedes nor the rest of scandinavia has a true belief in god,some just go thru the motions when it comes to church life.where i come from we were told to love,respect,and fear god. the ones that do will have true blessing from god. i noticed that alot of scandinavians read the bible like a regular book( which you can't do that)you will never get a true understanding of the bible. you have to study the bible for years to understand it's true meaning.
You sound like a propaganda tape.
Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
Deuteronomy 29:29
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Unfortunately for the church, the reality is many churchgoers are not actually "faithful". Many attend only because of social expectations/pressures/conventions.
Society is not as deferential as years sgo. There is more independence available to younger people from older generations and public figures.
I welcome today's world more than the earlier, stifling society.
I take your statement to mean that the younger people don't need the accumulated wisdom of past generations, the norms and laws that have been tried and tested.
That sounds to me like pride which definitely leads to a great fall. No one is more prone to error than one that has no counselor.
If people felt that they needed the church, they would stay. Obviously, they don't.
Of course, if you still participate in the church, their absence doesn't take anything away from you.
But there are thousands of prayer warriors in this country who pray for non-believers on a regular basis and God does hear and answer heartfelt prayers.
May your hearts and minds be opened.
the Swedish church has plugged into secularity and democracy and now has lost its way and will as they are now realizing, the lights are going out!!!
If you let any tom dick or harry drive the church (like the recent homosexual debacle showed) it will go the wrong way ...... oh do I really need to point that out too!
"the accumulated wisdom of past generations, the norms and laws that have been tried and tested".
I agree with you; the information needs to be there to provide some guidance; a framework in which to operate (at least initially) or to refer to.
I don't mean to suggest that the "norms and laws" are not needed. I guess your reaction comes from the fact that you're a good conformist - but there's nothing wrong or right about that. It's just somewhat stifling being surrounded by people who operate and also expect others to follow the same norms.
Welcome to the new dark ages, where the ignorant give each other degrees and worship themselves or the ignorami of the moment on the TV.
It is true that religion has been used as a tool for great evil. Killing in the name of God. All those who kill in the name of God, hate God and hate God's Laws! God commanded: YOU SHALL NOT MURDER.
God's requirement for ALL humanity is KINDNESS:
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. Bible, Micah 6;8
In amazing kindness, Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, rose again on the third day and offers heaven and forgiveness of our sins as a free gift, paid in full at the cross, to all those who repent, trust Christ as Savior and follow Him.