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The Lutheran Church in Finland is losing around a thousand members a week, as the society becomes more secular and questions the moral teachings of the Church. But it seems the exodus is not just about saving money. Finnish society is rapidly becoming more secular and questioning the moral teachings of the Church, especially about homosexuality.
Mass Exodus from Finnish state church after televised gay rights debate
After a televised debate on gay rights (like gay marriage and gay adoption) where church bishops and religious politicians argued against homosexual rights, a drastic exodus of believers have left the official church of Finland. The exodus started during an airing of a program called Homoilta (Gay Night) where the debate was broadcasted. Starting during and immediately following the program, 2,633 left the church via an internet website set up for that purpose (the website, Eroakirkosta, was set up to make leaving the church easier.) The next day 5,500 people left, followed by 3,473 the day after, and 4,545+ people today for a total of 16,151+ having left so far. The total number of people who left the state-church in the year 2000 was 13,600. Leaving the state-church means these people have forfeited any opportunity to have their marriages preformed in a church.
Finland is one of nine countries where religion is on the verge of extinction, according to a study by the University of Arizona. According to the study, religion is also dying out in Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republlic, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland. There is a growing trend where people identify themselves as non-religious. The number of non-religious in the Netherlands was 40%, and the highest was 60% in the Czech Republic.
Antti Herlin (born 14 November 1956, Finland) is the current and fourth chairman of the Board of Finnish KONE Corporation. He is the richest man in Finland with assets worth nearly 1 billion euros in KONE stock owned through his holding companies ($1.9 billion USD). He is the son of Pekka Herlin, former chairman of the board of KONE as well. He is also the former chairman of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (Elinkeinoelämän Keskusliitto EK). In March, 2010, Forbes magazine named him as 773rd in their list of the world's richest persons, also noting him as Finland's first billionaire.
Forbes also names several billionaires in Russia, India, Brazil and China. In China there are 115 billionaires, while Moscow has 79. Topping the list is Mexican Carlos Slim with an estimated 74 billion dollars. Bill Gates is second with 54 billion dollars and Warren Buffet is in third place with 50 billion dollars.
From Norden News
Mass Exodus from Finnish state church after televised gay rights debate
After a televised debate on gay rights (like gay marriage and gay adoption) where church bishops and religious politicians argued against homosexual rights, a drastic exodus of believers have left the official church of Finland. The exodus started during an airing of a program called Homoilta (Gay Night) where the debate was broadcasted. Starting during and immediately following the program, 2,633 left the church via an internet website set up for that purpose (the website, Eroakirkosta, was set up to make leaving the church easier.) The next day 5,500 people left, followed by 3,473 the day after, and 4,545+ people today for a total of 16,151+ having left so far. The total number of people who left the state-church in the year 2000 was 13,600. Leaving the state-church means these people have forfeited any opportunity to have their marriages preformed in a church.
Finland is one of nine countries where religion is on the verge of extinction, according to a study by the University of Arizona. According to the study, religion is also dying out in Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republlic, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland. There is a growing trend where people identify themselves as non-religious. The number of non-religious in the Netherlands was 40%, and the highest was 60% in the Czech Republic.
Antti Herlin (born 14 November 1956, Finland) is the current and fourth chairman of the Board of Finnish KONE Corporation. He is the richest man in Finland with assets worth nearly 1 billion euros in KONE stock owned through his holding companies ($1.9 billion USD). He is the son of Pekka Herlin, former chairman of the board of KONE as well. He is also the former chairman of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (Elinkeinoelämän Keskusliitto EK). In March, 2010, Forbes magazine named him as 773rd in their list of the world's richest persons, also noting him as Finland's first billionaire.
Forbes also names several billionaires in Russia, India, Brazil and China. In China there are 115 billionaires, while Moscow has 79. Topping the list is Mexican Carlos Slim with an estimated 74 billion dollars. Bill Gates is second with 54 billion dollars and Warren Buffet is in third place with 50 billion dollars.
From Norden News
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