under the title “NRK’s outdated preaching to an increasingly indifferent people” Nettavisen’s political editor writes Erik Stefansen on what he considers trends in the Church of Norway: “At a Broadcasting Board meeting, he stated that the tradition of broadcasting services has continued since 1924. Available figures show that NRK has broadcast 5800 of them. Then perhaps it is time to surrender.”
If the proportion of Norwegian church members decreases, the number of members in Christian churches and religious denominations does not decrease. But when so many are members of the Christian church and religious community, we cannot speak of indifference.
About 75 percent of the members of the Christian church and religious community attest to a different truth. And while many TV services are broadcast from the Church of Norway, the show also includes ecumenical diversity and gives insight into what the Christian faith is.
If we are to take faith and outlook on life seriously, as an important part of private and public life, then programs that give insight into the faith of a large part of the population have their rightful place on the state channel.
[ Kommentar: Advokaten gjorde for tredje gang nazihilsen i rettssalen ]
“Faith is a private matter” wrote Stefansen as an argument to support his claim that “it is a human right to believe what you want, but it is not a human right to borrow Norway’s biggest microphone to enforce it exactly. for you Faith for the rest of the people.”
Here, in his description of faith, Stefansen is mistaken, for faith is personal, but not private. Faith occupies such a large place in people’s lives that it goes beyond the private sphere. This is not something that people don’t care about.
Freedom of religion and the opportunity to exercise religion, individually and collectively, is a constitutionally protected right: “Freedom to express one’s religion or belief publicly or in secret, through education, practice, worship and ritual,” says Article 18 of the Declaration of Human Rights.
The government also stressed in Hurdahl’s platform that “Government wants a society with an open view of life, where everyone respects and knows how to view the lives of others. Religious communities and beliefs are important to both individuals and society as a whole. For many people, they constitute an important community and create belonging and identity.”
[ – I disse gatene møtte Oslos klassiske arbeiderklasse den nye arbeiderklassen ]
Church services and faith and expectations programs provide insight and knowledge about expectations. Knowledge lays the foundation for respect. Stefansen promotes a view of religious belief that is too narrow to fit in a booklet or review booklet for an exam at the KRL.
No, “knowing how to look at other people’s lives” is infinitely greater. The belief otherwise testifies to the lack of knowledge precisely, and the underestimation of the place this occupies in people’s lives. It is about giving space to watch life in the public eye. In any case, it will not be neutral.
In the preparatory work for the new Faith and Beliefs Community Act, an open-minded community was encouraged, with the desire to have a good place for faith in the public space. Is Sunday hour service beyond what you put in “good space”?
In addition to the church service, we also have the traditional morning worship, and here the range of worshipers has become increasingly diverse and ecumenical, in a way that accommodates Christian diversity. And in a society in which 75% of the population belongs to a Christian church and religious community, we cannot say that it occupies a large area.
In a society where many people choose membership in a religious or ecclesiastical community, it is important that NRK and other television representatives present programs of goodwill and expectation, and that we get more out of it.
It will also help reduce the fear of touch that many people feel because of faith. When the Cooperative Council of Communities of Faith and Belief, of which the Norwegian Christian Council was among its members, met at the council meeting in September, most of them were of the same opinion; We want more faith programs and expectations on radio and television.
Let the Sunday service roll on NRK. And make room for more faith programs and expectations. This means other religions are very welcome too.
[ – Jeg er litt redd for å komme i kontakt med de følelsene (+) ]
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