"Sweden is a very religious country"

Hi,

As I can overlook almost two hundred years back from now, being born in 1818 and still able to follow the state of affairs from above in my heaven I know one thing for sure: The heading about Sweden being a very religious country was true when written by my great granddaughter Edna, looking back on the years when her father and mother lived in that country, up to 1889.

Today Sweden is not a very religious country. The Lutheran Church is still there but has lost its impact on people. Edna tells us in her story that her parents "were both good Christians, but it was really the Lutheran church of Sweden, that caused them to leave the homeland they loved so well" (E.G.).

"The clergy ruled over all the affairs of the people, each clergyman ruled over a certain district or locality and they ruled with a vengeance, downright dictatorship, so many folk left the Lutheran church and formed a church of their own, called the Mission Friends, very similar to the Christian Alliance church of Canada. They felt the Lutherans were not biblical Christian when they could inflict such harsh unreasonable treatment on the parishioners, but it didn't help to leave their church, for the State church still held the whip-hand over all business affairs.

Proosten would come out to a place he chose for his hearing, giving notice to every family in his district to appear at this home chosen by him, he requested a big dinner be served to all that came, no matter how humble or poverty stricken they may be. Proosten is a church dignitary just under the Bishop. At his chosen home he would hold what is called Husförhör. Hus means house and förhör means a questioning , rather more like a documentary of each family for his church books, names and ages of each family as well as their ancestry on both sides...

...so great numbers decided to leave the country so they could live in peace and worship God Almighty himself, instead of the State Church of Sweden." (E.G.)

Might go and ask the Almighty himself about His judgement, checking up on who is here and not!

With love to you all,

Göran.