Hindus & Jews urge separation of church in Denmark

Hindu and Jewish leaders pointed out that instead of just focusing on one denomination of Christianity, Denmark schools should come up with a comparative religion class teaching basics of all major world religions.

CJ: Correspondent

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 17:14:43 IST

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Religious News :

HINDUS AND JEWS have urged for separation of church and state in Denmark, where currently The Danish National Church is a state church.

Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman; and Rabbi Jonathan B Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in United States of America; in a statement in Nevada on Monday (June 29), said that institution of state church breached the equality of religions and the fundamentals of a secular nation.

According to a MetroXpress poll, 52 per cent wished church-state split. Even the neighbouring Church of Sweden became independent in 2000. Currently National Church (Evangelical Lutheran Church) Folkekirken is officially supported by government and is headed by the Queen. Moreover, separation might bring more independence in the decision-making process of the Church also, without any day-to-day government/legislative interference, Zed and Freirich argued.

Rajan Zed and Jonathan Freirich further said that Denmark should treat all major religions evenly in its “folkeskole”, the Danish municipal primary and lower secondary schools. 'Christian studies' is a compulsory subject in folkeskole and according to 'Act on the Folkeskole', “The central knowledge area of the subject of Christian studies shall be Evangelical Lutheran Christianity of the Danish national Church.”

Hindu and Jewish leaders pointed out that instead of just focusing on one denomination of Christianity, Denmark schools should come up with a comparative religion class teaching basics of all major world religions, including the viewpoint of non-believers.

Meanwhile, Rajan Zed and Jonathan Freirich applauded the Danish Pluralism Project launched by Faculty of Theology of University of Aarhus in Denmark to document the growing religious diversity through mapping, analysing and interpreting the religious pluralism in Denmark. Faculty dean is Carsten Riis, while Pluralism project director is Viggo Mortensen.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, says that Denmark, a culturally diverse society, besides various Christian denominations, has now a considerable population of Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, non-believers, etc.

Denmark is rated among nations with best quality of life, highest per capita income, and low unemployment. Its literacy rate is 100 per cent and its hydrocarbon-rich economy is reported to be booming.

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