One in five is sceptical of Christians

Christians, Pray, Church, ReligionMan Compleplating in Church. Photo: Pixabay.com

One in five is sceptical of Christians

One in five Norwegians is sceptical of people with a Christian faith, according to figures from the Integration Barometer 2018. That is an increase of 3 percentage points in five years.

 

Religious sociologist, Ida Marie Høeg, says to the Christian newspaper, Vårt Land (Our Country), that she believes stereotypes about Christians contribute to increased scepticism against having the Christian faith.

– Many still link being Christians with being intolerant, conservative and judicial to both non-religious and other religious communities, says Høeg.

Lack of tolerance

She says research shows that those who are critical of Christians often point out lack of tolerance to homosexuality and gender equality to explain their negative attitudes towards Christians.

Associate Professor in Religious Sociology, Irene Trysnes, believes the media back the stereotypes of being a Christian.

– Media often creates a picture of Christians as conservative and restrictive and connects it with judgmental attitudes. If there is one thing that Norwegians dislike, it’s when somebody points a moral finger at them, says Trysnes.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today