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Greetings from Sweden

Hello there

My name is Jens and was born and raised in a atheist/nonbeliever home here in the very secular country of Sweden.

Did not get baptised as a baby, my parents decided that me and my little sister could choose for ourself when we old enough. Some of the older relatives the started to call us two for "the little heathens", I do find that hillarious. This was nearly 40 years ago, things have changed a lot since then.

Church and state are now seperated, took just about a thousend years. :)

Most people here in Sweden are nonbelievers in "religion" but have some believs in some sort of higher power. Many are still members of the Church of Sweden, you get automaticly membership when you get baptised.

Religion are more or less a private thing here, if people say they are believers, find jesus/god and/or missionering (is that the right word?) most people here, including me, start looking embarrased and wondering where the "candid camera" is.

I been looking/reading through many of the posts here at Atheist Nexus, some of the stories about beeing atheist and "comming out" sounds like pure nightmares. :(

If you have any questions about me and/or anything I will answer them the best I can.

Sorry if my english somewhat wrong, it is not my native one. Swedish (Svenska) is the one I mostly use.

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Permalink Reply by LarryL on November 30, 2010 at 8:02pm

Welcome Jens,
Have you ever been to the US? If not, do you pay attention to American politics? I'm always curious what outsiders think of America and Americans.

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Permalink Reply by Jens Gustafsson on December 1, 2010 at 12:28pm

Thank you,
I have never been to US, but I hope to travel there in the future. As an avid motorbiker I have a dream to ride around the US someday.

I do try to pay some attention to American politics, hard not to. Every newshow on tv have a lot about foreign news and especily US. You guys and girls seems to have a somewhat impact on the world in general. :)
I enjoy watching "Real Time with Bill Mahr".

As a historybuff and a former reenactor I have allways been interested in american history and the history of world.

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Permalink Reply by Scot68 on November 30, 2010 at 9:56pm

Hello Jens and welcome. Do you have any close or distant relatives who might have emigrated to Minnesota? We have about half of our state with Swedish ancestry, though that isn't mine. Another question I like to ask people, how is global climate change affecting people in Sweden. Here in Minnesota the moose are moving north into Canada, because it just isn't cold enough for them here anymore, and the port on Lake Superior is open longer into the winter and earlier in the spring because there is less ice than before.

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Permalink Reply by Jens Gustafsson on December 1, 2010 at 12:46pm

Thank you,
I may have some distant relativs i America, I do not know.

There are some effects, its raining a little more, but could just be some local variations.
We have an algal blooming in the Baltic sea every summer that is quite severe.

The winter has already started this year, I have -18 degrees celsius outside and snow, that is about a month to early. We usuly get snow and winter around christmas.

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Permalink Reply by Jens Gustafsson on December 1, 2010 at 12:57pm

Tack så mycket,

Of the hundred or so people that I interact with (relativs, friends and workmates) in real life there are only one evengelical (pentacostal), around five "religios/some faith" and are more or less active in the Church of Sweden and one of them is transgender, very intersting. The rest are more or less uninterested in faith and religion as long it does not impact on their lifes.

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Permalink Reply by Jens Gustafsson on December 1, 2010 at 2:02pm

Missionering Atheists :D
Here is an example from youtube, quite funny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMXD4iwklcI

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Permalink Reply by Jens Gustafsson on December 1, 2010 at 2:08pm

I do not think it is an age thing, more of that people are uninterested and most people do not like to discuss their own beliefs, it is something private.
I wonder if the "law of Jante" can have anything to do with it. :)