Norway - Doing it Right

A friend of mine posted the following picture on Facebook stating,

‎Anndi, you don't really want to go to this godforsaken land.

(She was joking!)

I, personally, found it funny because, as an American who grew up in a liberal environment, I was told separation of church and state was important. I agree with that wholeheartedly. The matters of state (school, jobs, etc) shouldn't be held captive to one religion. I don't mean to say that Catholic schools, for example, are an abomination because of that feeling. Not at all. But see, that's the beauty of this country...the freedom to choose where you wish to worship, learn and work. Those out there saying that the secularization of America is the downfall of the country are severely misinformed and tread upon those sacred freedoms. (see what I did there? ;) )

Yes, our founding fathers were Christian and our money, pledge of allegiance, inaugural pledge etc all make mention of God. But why does it have to be one God? 

So if one person is staunchly Catholic and devoted to his God attending church every Sunday and feeling the presence of his God in a true and fulfilling way, how is that different from someone devoted to God who religiously attends Temple and feels the presence of their God in a true and fulfilling way. Same for Buddhists, Hindis, Muslims, and all other religious believers. 

In my opinion all believe in the same god by different names. What is wrong with that? Isn't God a connecting factor through all our cultures?

NO ONE IS RIGHT AND NO ONE IS WRONG.

So this comic got me to thinking about religion in Norway. I had casually considered the topic while visiting the beautiful stave churches throughout the country and when looking for a church for our wedding ceremony. I've learned a little bit about the Church of Norway and I had heard somewhere that the atheism rate was high but I never really considered the topic especially when related to the GDP, unemployment rate etc. 

I am not a religious person but consider myself a spiritual person. Because of my "no one is right and no one is wrong" statement I feel that I can appreciate aspects of many religions and incorporate them into my life. 

Just to be clear - I was raised in a Presbyterian family and really do appreciate all the time I spent in church, youth group, choir and bell choir. The experiences all taught me how to relate to people and I learned about ethics. I learned a lot and I cherish those lessons. We chose to have a church ceremony because we both do value what we learned growing up and want to show our appreciation to our parents for all they have done for us religiously and spiritually.

When I am in Norway, I feel a spiritual connection with the land there. As corny as that may sound, the country really has touched me and I am glad I am moving to a place that is so open to everyone no matter their race, religion or Justin Beiber fan. It is a peaceful country. I'm not sure if the atheism rate is really associated with all the high points listed in the comic or not. (I'll never pretend to understand politics.)

But I think the comic makes a great point. Why do religion and politics have to be connected? What does one have to do with the other? God isn't going to smite you for voting a certain party. (S)He isn't running for president. (S)He doesn't make the laws. We tiny little people do that and, clearly, we're screwing up somewhere along the way because no matter what, the Golden Rule always stands true.

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

It's that simple, people. Norway is doing it right. Leave politics out of it, let me believe in what matters to me and I'll let you do the same. Then, we'll all go out for brunch.

For more information on religion and politics in Norway, I refer you to this article.