The American nation is playing out a dance. It is a dance for three hundred
people to live together as one people. The nation was formed by many
different cultures. The American experience stirred mankind from discovery
to exploration. From the cautious quest for what they knew (or thought they
knew) was out there, into an enthusiastic reaching to the unknown. In their
200 hundred years they have formed the most powerful nation on the world has
ever known.
All religions have based morality on obedience. State religions are based
on compulsory slavery. They have always been more pernicious than any
physical slavery. For the latter makes use of violence, the former -- of the
corruption of the will.
Only in 1951 did Sweden permit members of the state Church to submit their
resignations.
The Swedish nation in its 1500 year history sought to enslave men minds
until recently. The cooperation with the Nazi and a compulsory state
religion for four hundred odd years must be a grave black mark. The roots
of Sweden lie in the different kingdoms of the bloodthirsty Viking Age
Slavery was abolished under King Mangus in 1345. The Kingdom of Sweden
continued to enslave men's minds.
The middle ages saw kings elected for life by representatives of the
different "landskap" (provinces). When the monarchy was made hereditary
after the Kalmar Union, the elected estates at the Riksdag retained
substantial power..
After the Kalmar Union between Denmark and Sweden (1387-1521), King Gustaf
Vasa created a more modern nation and made Sweden Lutheran.
1563-1864 Expulsion is the penalty for spread of beliefs divergent from
orthodox Lutheranism.
1858 The prohibition of religious meetings in the absence of a state church
priest is abolished.
1860 it was allowed for Swedish citizens to switch religious affiliation
from the State Church to certain other approved (Christian) Churches.
1864. The obligation to yearly Church communion was finally abolished.
1907 Men got equal rights to vote.
1921 Women get rights to vote equal to men.
1951 General right for members of the state Church to submit one's
resignation. General freedom of religion for Swedish citizen.
1976 The right of "ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities to preserve
and develop a cultural and social life of their own" is added to the
constitution.
1990s the state church is in the process of liberating itself from the
state, or maybe more accurate: the state is giving up its power over the
church, and the church will lose some of the authority connected to its
status as state church.
1993 the Sámi minority elects a representative assembly, the Sámi
Parliament, which however has limited power. Constitutionally this assembly,
despite its name, is little more than a lobbing organization.
As far as the sex life of Messieurs Jefferson, Clinton and Kennedy goes I
can only envy them.
Sinclair
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lena A Löfström" <lal@algonet.se>
To: <sinclair@quarterman.org>
Sent: 05 July 2001 21:35
Subject: Re: Reply to Lena
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