Recently, the Lutheran Church in Finland, my home country, conducted a poll of its members to find out what people expect of the church. Let me give you some background: In Finland, like in the other Scandinavian countries, the Lutheran Church is a majority religion. Just a couple of hundred years ago, by royal decree, everybody had to belong to it and attend its services, and it was a capital crime to leave it. Even today, the Lutheran church enjoys a solid social position and receives its funding from the Tax Office, which bills all taxpayers that belong to the church an extra 1 percent in income tax to maintain the church.
So what do these people of the mainstream expect of their church? Integrity and concern for the poor. Plus a message that emphasizes joy of life and contentment. They want to be told that life is fine as it is, that they've arrived and that they're satisfied. That's the extent of it.
What's missing from this picture? Any reference to the Christian faith or to salvation. Any concern for the state of their souls. Any kind of connection to the divine. Any interest in the Word of God.
Finland (and, I suppose, the other Scandinavian countries, as well) considers itself a Christian country, but by common consent, nobody is expected to bring up religion in any discussions. That's the job of the church; we leave all those things to the proper authorities. One of our foremost concerns in our relations with each other is not to interfere in anybody's life or business. So when I walk past somebody who has collapsed on the street, I pride myself on leaving the person to run his or her own life, and on having left all action to the ambulance crew that, no doubt, is on its way. My assumption that someone else must have called the emergency number is, of course, a little suspect because everybody else also thinks it's none of their business.
I was quite a bit taken aback some time ago, when my friend and former minister in DC, Lee, asked if my wife and I run Bible studies in our home. I had it hard to explain to him that you don't do that here. The church takes care of such things to the extent it deems necessary. Presuming to step on its turf would be scandalous and nobody would come.
So I think I'll continue to interact with my American Christian friends. God bless you all!
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1 comments:
Robert, it's amazing how different countries view such an important subject as the church/state relationship!
Here in the U.S. we give a tax-exempt status to our churches, and it's common practice to discuss politics in some pulpits, even though there's a law against it! We have a social taboo in America; "one should never discuss politics and religion at work" - but we do anyway and tempers will sometimes flare. : )
We have every religion known to man over here, including some questionable ones like Voodoo, New Age, and Scientology!
The Lutheran church in America is seen by most other Christian sects as an apostate group. Like the Episcopalians they're in a schismatic transition right now trying to decide which direction to go.
America, in general, seems to be taking well-defined sides on all issues; political, social and religious. To me, the two sides appear to be delineated by; Man's Traditions (and wants) vs. Biblical belief (God's wants?).
Our very first "Right" in our Constitution has everything to do with freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom of religious practice; all without state interference, although Obama is trying to do harm to that Right!
And yes, we have churches that demand complacency, as well. They are jokingly referred to as "cum-by-ya Christians", people who would try to make peace with Satan himself, thinking they're doing something good! : )
We Americans are often guilty of seeing the world from our point of view only. It's interesting to see another view.
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