Perilous
Times and The Great Falling Away
Swedish Church members 'don't believe in Jesus'
Published: 15 Jun 11 13:20 CET |
Updated: 15 Jun 11 17:12 CET
The Local Sweden
Only 15 percent of members of the Church of Sweden say they
believe in Jesus, and an equal number claim to be atheists
according to the results of a recent survey.
"It's not very high," Jonas Bromander, an analyst with the Church
of Sweden who was responsible for the study, told The Local in
reference to the figure.
"It's not really a problem; rather, it’s a byproduct of the
secularisation in Swedish society which has taken place over many
years."
More than 10,000 members of the Swedish Church participated in a
comprehensive membership survey carried out over the past year and
dubbed "Member 2010" (Medlem 2010).
According to the survey, 15 percent of church members they are
atheists, while a quarter of Swedish Church members identify
themselves as agnostic.
The younger the members, the more likely they are to be atheists
or agnostics.
Bromander pointed out that there is no requirement that church
members believe in Jesus or any particular religious figure.
"Many are members, not for religious reasons, but because of the
role the church plays in society, or because it serves as an
organisation which maintains Swedish traditions," said Bromander.
"In fact, there are many members who would rather that we focus
more on our social work in Sweden than on Sunday services."
Of the roughly 6.6 million members of the Church of Sweden, about
400,000 are active churchgoers, attending services at least once a
month.
According to the survey, 90 percent of church members have a weak
relationship with the Swedish Church, forcing the church to ponder
whether or not it remains a relevant institution in Swedish
society.
The purpose of the study was to learn more about what sort of
expectations people have for the church and to see how the church
"can be relevant to people's lives in contemporary society".
Most said they are members in the Swedish Church because they are
"have a little faith, because the church does good work in
society, and stands for important traditions, at the same time
thinking that the church isn't especially relevant for them
personally".
The study also revealed that members who have gone through the
confirmation process are more likely to see church membership as
relevant.
"Therefore, there is reason to take the continued drop in the
number being confirmed with the utmost seriousnees."
Most members remain positive about the church, but the authors of
the report note that those who have the greatest need for "hope,
comfort, and open doors" don't appear to view the Swedish Church
as giving them as much as it gives those who are happy with their
lives.
According to the study, if the church succeeds in providing
assistance to the poor, elderly, and other marginalised groups, it
can expect its members to view belonging to the church as more
valuable.
"For many the church is a religious organisation and they want it
to be one, even if they don't believe in Jesus themselves," said
Bromander, adding that members see their membership as a way to
support what the church does.
Until 1996, Swedes automatically became members of the church at
birth if at least one parent was a member.
Members are obliged to pay just under 1 percent of their annual
income in church tax.
Until 2000, the Church of Sweden was an official state church.
Bromander said the figures indicate that the church may face a
challenge in balancing the needs of faithful and secular members.
"That will be something for church officials to discuss," he said.
"There is a risk of an increasing divide between those who are
more engaged and those who aren't engaged."