Shocked To Read
About The Situation
In The U.S.
Ola Nilsson
From: "Ola Nilsson"
(Sweden)
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: PA-via_Positive_Atheism_Index
Date: Thursday, December 09, 1999 6:30 PM
Greets!
Im a 23 year old philosophy student from Sweden and it is with great interested I've been browsing through your site. So now I want to encourage you for the important work that you do by running the website and participating in various events and the writing of articles.
I must say I'm shocked to read about what the situation is like in the U.S. as of today. In northern Europe where I live, society has become so much secular that it's almost the opposite of the situation your country is experiencing.
Here there are no such things as huge demonstrations against abortion from religious (Christian) groups. And we don't have talk shows discussing subjects like Jerry Springer just to mention one. It seems to me that the American society is totally dominated by christian morals and ethics and that no other groups get a chance to have influence. I read in one of your articles that it's almost an inquisition against atheists in the U.S.
Im here just going to mention a few differences between our situation in Sweden today and the situation I've seen described in your articles.
1) Teens having sex (legal age for sex in Sweden is 15 but if both parts agree on having sex then nobody can get judged in the court of law).
2) Alcohol (legal age 18) moralists however keep this limit floating and alcohol is accepted as a cultural and historically important heritage.
3) Church and government. They are separated from each other. Our Swedish goverment does not spread words of religion and at school; there's no such thing as "public" prayers.
4) Science is the dominering method used for explaining how nature works and how humans behave.
5) I read in one of your articles that people are worried that if religon and spirituality is put aside then the crime rate will go up and more people will need social wealthfare.
Sweden is showing that this isn't true. My country is known to be one of the most secular countries in the world but if you look at a comparision between how many murderers, thiefs, gang-related crimes, etc., there are per capita in the U.S. compared to here then it's to our benefit.
6) Professors at swedish universities seldom stand for a Christian belief unless they are professor in theology.
Just thought I should write this to you and show that the world doesn't look the same everywhere. I would also like to apologize for my english grammar. Since english isn't my native language I sometimes find it hard to make myself clear.
Best wishes for the future and I hope we'll see a more secular america in a soon future
Swedish Atheist
Ola Nilsson
University of Lund Sweden
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