Is Sweden an evil nation?

[burritos]

Old article, but a goodie:

Andrew Brown: God's honest truth? | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

The Swedish government has announced plans to clamp down hard on religious education. It will soon become illegal even for private faith schools to teach religious doctrines as if they were true. In an interesting twist on the American experience, prayer will remain legal in schools - after all, it has no truth value. But everything that takes place on the curriculum's time will have to be secular. "Pupils must be protected from every sort of fundamentalism," said the minister for schools, Jan Björklund.

Note. It's not illegal to preach BS in the church of your choice or even your home. But the BS just can't be passed on as "education."

I guess the government of Sweden would be considered atheisitic fundamentalists and fanatics. I call them rational.

[PriuStorm]

Bravo!

[Huntceet]

Would Sweden let me bring my Prius with me if I moved there?

Rod

[robbyr2]

I think if you read to the end of the article, you will see where the big concern is. At the same time, Sweden has a longstanding policy of toleration. However, faced with religious fundamentalism, it's the old conundrum- when do you stop tolerating intolerance?

[daniel]

My own working definition of religion:

A complex intellectual construct, built entirely of bullshit and devoid of any value whatsoever, which people believe even though all evidence and reason contradicts it.

Nobody with any intelligence whatsoever could possibly regard religion as having any educational value. It makes sense to ban religious indoctrination from the classroom. It would make more sense to treat religious indoctrination of children as child abuse. I am sure it is illegal to threaten to kill a child. It should be just as illegal to tell a gullible child that an invisible man in the sky will burn her alive forever if she fails to believe in bullshit.

Religion is evil.

[brick]

My Swedish counterparts have been in town all week for a meeting. I may not like the cold, and I may not like the winter darkness, but you had better believe I get along with the Swedes that I have met.

[burritos]

Originally Posted by daniel

It should be just as illegal to tell a gullible child that an invisible man in the sky will burn her alive forever if she fails to believe in bullshit.

Religion is evil.

Sounds like a good opportunity to harness geothermal energy.

[burritos]

Originally Posted by robbyr2

I think if you read to the end of the article, you will see where the big concern is. At the same time, Sweden has a longstanding policy of toleration. However, faced with religious fundamentalism, it's the old conundrum- when do you stop tolerating intolerance?

I think this is a good stop and watch point. I agree with Sam Harris's notion that we shouldn't want to persecute religious people, just like we don't persecute people who believe Elvis is still alive. Elvis believers just pay a price in credibility, respectability, and legitimacy when they prosetylize their beliefs. Religion should be brought to this level.

YouTube - Sam Harris makes a joke and a point

[Godiva]

Are they evil?

Well, they are Godless and they have healthcare.

And didn't they give the world ABBA?

[qbee42]

Originally Posted by Godiva

Are they evil?

Well, they are Godless and they have healthcare.

And didn't they give the world ABBA?

I don't think it's fair to blame all Swedes for ABBA.

Tom