That is the advice of the Swedish special court for immigration, when they want to send back a Christian couple to Iran, according to Dagen . According to the newspaper, the Court (and apparently the Immigration Service itself, as they want to sent the couple back) thinks it is no big problem being a Christian in Iran, as long as you hold a low profile. They seem to know little about Christianity, as Christ calls upon his followers not to keep a low profile. The Great Commission and the central place that has in Christian faith seems to be unknown for them. How can one be a Christian and not talk about what changed ones life with friends, relatives, collegues, not gather in places to pray and worship?
There is no freedom for Christians in Iran. I thought everybody knew that. If Sweden thinks freedom of religion is important (as politicians say all the time) it seems clear to me that people like this couple should be granted to stay. While Sweden as a nation should do all that is possible to support democracy in countries like Iran.
Sending back people who fled because of their Christian faith to a country where they can be sentenced to death for their conversion from Islam to Christianity could be seen as helping third part to persecute people for their faith. Let us hope that Sweden will be more decent than so.
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Bugging a pastor
Swedish Parliament has recently passed a very controversial law giving FRA (National Defensce Radio Establishment) more possibilities to bug telephone and internet traffic passing the Swedish border. The law is controversial indeed.
Today, Dagen reports that already in the 90-ies FRA has bugged the leader of the Word of Life Church in Uppsala, Ulf Ekman, because of his missionary contacts with Russia. Apparently, FRA does not need a law at all, they seemed to think they can do whatever they like to.
Stefan Swärd, leader for another church, EFK, has put questions to FRA boss Ingvar Åkesson. Relevant questions. Why was this bugging done? Who ordered it? Have more christian leaders/organisations being bugged? What does the new law mean for the future concerning religious institutions? We wait for some good answers, if they exist.
In Sweden there is freedom of religion guaranteed. There are also laws protecting personal integrity and guaranteeing pastors and priests the right to be silent about things they have heard in confidence. How then can it be possible that FRA is bugging a pastor? Apparently they have been violating the constitution. What does this mean for missionary organisations in Sweden? Can we speak freely on the phone with our partners, or do we have to be more careful - not because of some other regimes, condemned by democratic Sweden, but because of our own governmental organisations?
Freedom of religion and protection of personal integrity are cornerstones of our society. I would hope they will remain so in future. FRA needs to be controlled in a better way. Apparently.
Today, Dagen reports that already in the 90-ies FRA has bugged the leader of the Word of Life Church in Uppsala, Ulf Ekman, because of his missionary contacts with Russia. Apparently, FRA does not need a law at all, they seemed to think they can do whatever they like to.
Stefan Swärd, leader for another church, EFK, has put questions to FRA boss Ingvar Åkesson. Relevant questions. Why was this bugging done? Who ordered it? Have more christian leaders/organisations being bugged? What does the new law mean for the future concerning religious institutions? We wait for some good answers, if they exist.
In Sweden there is freedom of religion guaranteed. There are also laws protecting personal integrity and guaranteeing pastors and priests the right to be silent about things they have heard in confidence. How then can it be possible that FRA is bugging a pastor? Apparently they have been violating the constitution. What does this mean for missionary organisations in Sweden? Can we speak freely on the phone with our partners, or do we have to be more careful - not because of some other regimes, condemned by democratic Sweden, but because of our own governmental organisations?
Freedom of religion and protection of personal integrity are cornerstones of our society. I would hope they will remain so in future. FRA needs to be controlled in a better way. Apparently.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Missing link between Christianity and Judaism?
Under this title the newspaper Dagen reports on Israel Knohls (prof of Biblical Stdies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem) presentations concerning Gazon Gavriel, a recently discovered Hebrew text on stone from shortly before the birth of Christ. Dagens source is an article in New York Times. The text, found near the Dead Sea, is an apocalyptic text ascribed to the angel Gabriel. According to Knohl, the text confirms his theory that the thinking of a suffering and slain Messiah, raised again from the death, was already found in Judaism before Christ became active as a teacher. The text reads at a point: “In three days you shall live (an idiom for come to life again), I, Gabriel, command you.”, adressing a "Prince of Princes". The new thing in Knohls interpretation is the word live (hayeh), which is spelled in an unusual way, but in a way occurring just in this period of time. The original publishers could not read this particular word.
Knohl thinks the text in this case may be about a certain Simon, killed by Herods army, an interpreteation apparently challenged by others. But that is not the important point. The important point for him is, that the concept of a slain an resurrected messiah was not unknown at Christs time. According to him and others, this should shake our basic view of Christianity, and, as Daniel Boyarin from Berkeley says in the articles, see a threat to the uniqueness of Christianity, others may have another view.
I find the stone very interesting a look forward to more discussions about it. By the way, one may wish to read Knohls own article in Haaretz which came already in April (apparently missed by both Dagen and NY Times) which is far more elaborate than the other two articles. If Knohl is right and the concept of a slain messiah was already more or less common in (parts of) Judaism I see no problem for Christians. No threat. Contrary, many theologians recognize the concept of a suffering messiah in Old Testament texts, the most wellknown being Isaiah 53 (Yes I know there are other interpretations as well). Many texts are interpreted as prophetic texts pointing to Christ. Of course, one can explain the texts in different ways, they may well have more than one interpretation at the same time. But if Christians are right saying that the suffering and death of Christ as well as his resurrection are foresaid in the Old Testament, it is not at all suprising to discover that the concept of the slain messiah was alive within certain parts of Judaism. It would rather be expected.
I cannot see that the discovery would pose a problem for Christianity as a swedish blogger states (http://omreligion.blogspot.com/2008/07/jesus-en-i-mngden.html). It rather clarifies a connection between Judaism and Christianity that many of us already knew is there.
Knohl thinks the text in this case may be about a certain Simon, killed by Herods army, an interpreteation apparently challenged by others. But that is not the important point. The important point for him is, that the concept of a slain an resurrected messiah was not unknown at Christs time. According to him and others, this should shake our basic view of Christianity, and, as Daniel Boyarin from Berkeley says in the articles, see a threat to the uniqueness of Christianity, others may have another view.
I find the stone very interesting a look forward to more discussions about it. By the way, one may wish to read Knohls own article in Haaretz which came already in April (apparently missed by both Dagen and NY Times) which is far more elaborate than the other two articles. If Knohl is right and the concept of a slain messiah was already more or less common in (parts of) Judaism I see no problem for Christians. No threat. Contrary, many theologians recognize the concept of a suffering messiah in Old Testament texts, the most wellknown being Isaiah 53 (Yes I know there are other interpretations as well). Many texts are interpreted as prophetic texts pointing to Christ. Of course, one can explain the texts in different ways, they may well have more than one interpretation at the same time. But if Christians are right saying that the suffering and death of Christ as well as his resurrection are foresaid in the Old Testament, it is not at all suprising to discover that the concept of the slain messiah was alive within certain parts of Judaism. It would rather be expected.
I cannot see that the discovery would pose a problem for Christianity as a swedish blogger states (http://omreligion.blogspot.com/2008/07/jesus-en-i-mngden.html). It rather clarifies a connection between Judaism and Christianity that many of us already knew is there.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Are believers stupid?
According to Dagen (http://www.dagen.se/dagen/Article.aspx?ID=154898 and http://www.dagen.se/dagen/Article.aspx?ID=154899) the danishprofessor Nyborg has concluded that religious people are less intelligent than atheists. His research was done in 137 countries, but is not new. See http://danish.newsvine.com/_news/2007/02/05/554043-professor-atheists-are-more-intelligent-than-believers from feb 2007!). But I tend to agree to the english prof Martin, who according to Dagen thinks this is ridiculous.
Satistics is not easy. I would like to see the research methodology, the factual results and the statistical methods. Interpreting statistiscs is difficult. All we who have worked with statistics know that. Thre might be problems there in this case. Statistic correlation is not always the same as factual causality. Many times there can be alternative explanation models. Further, IQ is a difficult thing in itself. I am not sure you can just use the tests in different cultures, the tests have been developed in a western context. I am not sure that the results are totally independent from the testees background and education. There might be a bias there. Could it be that poor and religious countries give a lower average IQ because of other factors than religion? The results for the US - high IQ and high religiosity - talk against Nyborgs conclusions. Dagen writes: "There are several exceptions in the research, among others the US. There the IQ is high, even if the is a high percent of religious people, which the researchers explain through the many europeans have emigrated to the US because of their religion, and after that given their religiosity to coming generations." A nice explanation but I don't buy it. It must have been the more stupid part of the Europeans who emigrated (they were religious), but then it does not fit the results. In that case Americans should be more stupid than Europeans. Which is rubbish.
And then - what does it mean that 1% in the United Arab Emirates doubts the exitence of God, and 64% in Sweden does that? How free does an individual feel to express that kind of doubt in the Emirates compared to Sweden? What does the educational system mean here? Social pressures?
What had Swedes answered in the 19th century? Surely, the percentage of believers would have been much higher. Were Swedes more stupid back then?
As I understand it the researchers have compared the percentage of religiosity in the countries to the avergae IQ. But how is the connection between the two? Are the individuals with lowest IQ the religious ones? Or the other way around maybe? I do not think that it is possible at all to prove a real correlation between the IQ of people and their belief in God. The number of variables is too large, the uncertainties in what we measure too large.
But of course, an alternative explanation would be that I am too stupid to understand. After all, I believe in God.
Satistics is not easy. I would like to see the research methodology, the factual results and the statistical methods. Interpreting statistiscs is difficult. All we who have worked with statistics know that. Thre might be problems there in this case. Statistic correlation is not always the same as factual causality. Many times there can be alternative explanation models. Further, IQ is a difficult thing in itself. I am not sure you can just use the tests in different cultures, the tests have been developed in a western context. I am not sure that the results are totally independent from the testees background and education. There might be a bias there. Could it be that poor and religious countries give a lower average IQ because of other factors than religion? The results for the US - high IQ and high religiosity - talk against Nyborgs conclusions. Dagen writes: "There are several exceptions in the research, among others the US. There the IQ is high, even if the is a high percent of religious people, which the researchers explain through the many europeans have emigrated to the US because of their religion, and after that given their religiosity to coming generations." A nice explanation but I don't buy it. It must have been the more stupid part of the Europeans who emigrated (they were religious), but then it does not fit the results. In that case Americans should be more stupid than Europeans. Which is rubbish.
And then - what does it mean that 1% in the United Arab Emirates doubts the exitence of God, and 64% in Sweden does that? How free does an individual feel to express that kind of doubt in the Emirates compared to Sweden? What does the educational system mean here? Social pressures?
What had Swedes answered in the 19th century? Surely, the percentage of believers would have been much higher. Were Swedes more stupid back then?
As I understand it the researchers have compared the percentage of religiosity in the countries to the avergae IQ. But how is the connection between the two? Are the individuals with lowest IQ the religious ones? Or the other way around maybe? I do not think that it is possible at all to prove a real correlation between the IQ of people and their belief in God. The number of variables is too large, the uncertainties in what we measure too large.
But of course, an alternative explanation would be that I am too stupid to understand. After all, I believe in God.
Är troende dummare?
Enligt Dagen (http://www.dagen.se/dagen/Article.aspx?ID=154898) har den danske professor Nyborg kommit fram till att religiösa har lägre IQ än ateister. Forskningen berör 137 länder. Att resultatet är omstritt är självklart. Varför detta kommer i tidningen idag kan man förresten undra, eftersom Nyborgs tolkning inte är så ny (se http://danish.newsvine.com/_news/2007/02/05/554043-professor-atheists-are-more-intelligent-than-believers från feb 2007!). Men jag är nog benägen att hålla med den engelska professor Martin, som enligt dagen menar att detta är skrattretande.
Statistik är vanskelig. Det vet alla som kan ämnet. Jag skulle nog vilja se underlaget för forskningen, de faktiska resultaten och sedan hur de har bearbetats statistiskt. Jag förmodar att en god statistiker skulle kunna hitta brister där. Denna typ av resultat är väldigt svåra att bevisa statistiskt, det kan ofta finnas alternativa möjligheter att lägga samband. Sedan är IQ i sig ingen lätt sak. Det är inte säkert att IQ tester ger en rättvisande bild om man tillämpar dem i olika kulturella miljöer. Testerna har utvecklats i en västerländsk kontext. Jag tror inte att de är helt oberoende av testpersonens uppfostran och utbildning. Redan där kan det gå snett. Där kan fattiga, mycket religiösa kulturer ge lägre IQ bara genom testets utformning. Har denna möjlighet beaktats? Att i USA hög IQ och hög procent religiositet går ihop pekar på detta. Dagen skriver: "Det finns dock flera undantag i undersökningen, bland annat exemplet USA. Där är intelligenskvoten hög, trots ett stort procentantal religiösa, något som i undersökningen förklaras med att många européer emigrerat till USA på grund av sin tro, och sedan överfört sin religiositet på kommande generationer." Det är ett roligt påhitt men då får man väl anta att det var den dummare delen av den europeiska befolkningen emigrerade (de var ju religiösa) men då stämmer inte resonemanget.
Jag fröstår från artiklarna att man har jämfört länders genomsnittliga IQ med landets genomsnittliga religiositet. Ytterligare en osäkerhetsfaktor. Hur är sambandet på individnivå? Är det individer med lägst IQ som är mera religiösa? Jag tror inte att det går att hitta ett sådant samband.
Jag tror faktiskt inte att - med tanke på alla osäkerheter och det stora antalet variabler - det över huvud taget går att bevisa ett samband mellan intelligens och Gudstro. Nyborg och hans medarbetare befinner sig på mycket tunnt is.
Naturligtvis finns en annan möjlighet. Nämligen att jag inget begriper för jag är dum. Jag tror ju på Gud.
Statistik är vanskelig. Det vet alla som kan ämnet. Jag skulle nog vilja se underlaget för forskningen, de faktiska resultaten och sedan hur de har bearbetats statistiskt. Jag förmodar att en god statistiker skulle kunna hitta brister där. Denna typ av resultat är väldigt svåra att bevisa statistiskt, det kan ofta finnas alternativa möjligheter att lägga samband. Sedan är IQ i sig ingen lätt sak. Det är inte säkert att IQ tester ger en rättvisande bild om man tillämpar dem i olika kulturella miljöer. Testerna har utvecklats i en västerländsk kontext. Jag tror inte att de är helt oberoende av testpersonens uppfostran och utbildning. Redan där kan det gå snett. Där kan fattiga, mycket religiösa kulturer ge lägre IQ bara genom testets utformning. Har denna möjlighet beaktats? Att i USA hög IQ och hög procent religiositet går ihop pekar på detta. Dagen skriver: "Det finns dock flera undantag i undersökningen, bland annat exemplet USA. Där är intelligenskvoten hög, trots ett stort procentantal religiösa, något som i undersökningen förklaras med att många européer emigrerat till USA på grund av sin tro, och sedan överfört sin religiositet på kommande generationer." Det är ett roligt påhitt men då får man väl anta att det var den dummare delen av den europeiska befolkningen emigrerade (de var ju religiösa) men då stämmer inte resonemanget.
Jag fröstår från artiklarna att man har jämfört länders genomsnittliga IQ med landets genomsnittliga religiositet. Ytterligare en osäkerhetsfaktor. Hur är sambandet på individnivå? Är det individer med lägst IQ som är mera religiösa? Jag tror inte att det går att hitta ett sådant samband.
Jag tror faktiskt inte att - med tanke på alla osäkerheter och det stora antalet variabler - det över huvud taget går att bevisa ett samband mellan intelligens och Gudstro. Nyborg och hans medarbetare befinner sig på mycket tunnt is.
Naturligtvis finns en annan möjlighet. Nämligen att jag inget begriper för jag är dum. Jag tror ju på Gud.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Secularized Sweden
The newspaper Dagen writes that a new survey was published by Kairos Future, showing clearly what we already new: Sweden is one of the most secularized places in the world. A survey was done among 22500 people (16-50 yrs) from 17 countries. In the US, 75% believes in God. In Europe only 38%, and within Europe Sweden is even much lower. Even fewer see religion as important for their identity. In all kinds of questions, religion ends up very low on the list, says one of Kairos people.
The survey shows also, that young people may be concerned about e.g. environmental issues more than about money, but their behaviour is more centred on materialistic issues than on values.
See http://www.dagen.se/dagen/Article.aspx?ID=154449 (swedish) and http://www.kairosfuture.com/en/international/projects/globalyouth
The survey shows also, that young people may be concerned about e.g. environmental issues more than about money, but their behaviour is more centred on materialistic issues than on values.
See http://www.dagen.se/dagen/Article.aspx?ID=154449 (swedish) and http://www.kairosfuture.com/en/international/projects/globalyouth
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