Which Denomination Are You, or Were You Raised In?

[The Horned God]

I would say geographically.
It goes from Aust-agder to Møre og Romsdal, mainly on the coast.

Thanks Lydig. This area seems to include much of the most densely populated parts of Norway (with the exception of the area around Oslo).



Does the "Bible belt" include both Bergen and Trondheim or is it only in the rural areas that religion is strong?

[Fredericus Rex]

I would say geographically.
It goes from Aust-agder to Møre og Romsdal, mainly on the coast.

Interesting Norway has a Bible Belt too! I knew the Dutch had one along with ourselves. Wonder if the British or the Germans have them.

[Lydig]

Thanks Lydig. This area seems to include much of the most densely populated parts of Norway (with the exception of the area around Oslo).


Does the "Bible belt" include both Bergen and Trondheim or is it only in the rural areas that religion is strong?

I guess there was some inflation in my bible belt!
Im not a expert on this, but i would say that Aust-agder (Kristiansand etc) is the most religious area.
There is also allot of christians in the areas of Sogn og Fjordane and Møre og Romsdal.
To generalize the whole coast was wrong of me, but i thing some consider the whole part as the belt.

In my opinion, there is more religious people in the rural areas, Kristiansand is an exception.
I live in Trondheim now, and i dont feel there is much chrisitan activity here.
When i grew up then half of the neighborhood went to the same church, i dont see that here, maybe im wrong

[Angus]

I was raised as a Presbyterian, but it was never a part of everyday life by any means. Instead being sent to Sunday school or Bible camps, I was forced to attend etiquette classes. Where I learned the fine “art” of figuring out which fork goes where and how to use a napkin like a gentleman. The only time we would attend a service was on a holiday or when someone had the sudden urge to attend and thought it would be a good idea to drag my sister and I along with them. Around the age of 15 I made an attempt to be a part of a church and gave Christianity an honest try, but soon realized that it wasn't for me.

[The Horned God]

I live in Trondheim now, and i dont feel there is much chrisitan activity here.
When i grew up then half of the neighborhood went to the same church, i dont see that here, maybe im wrong

That makes sense. I spent 3 months in Trondheim once, as a student. I can't say I noticed much evidence of christianity. The Nidaros seemed to be more of a tourist attraction than a religious institution.

[Georgia]

I am a born again Christian of the Reformed faith.

[Sindig_og_stoisk]

What Hersir described about Norwegian conditions could also fit Denmark and my experience with it:

Folkekirken (Danish National Church) is a Lutheran-Evangelical church which has a peculiar and increasingly problematic relationship with the secular Danish state.

I was baptised as a child by a priest, in a church. The whole deal. And then... Nothing. Like most Danish families of the time we never attended Church except baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funeral. Some of my school mates attended Christmas service with their families but my mother claimed that it was 'too crowded'.
My Grandmother taught me how to pray evening prayers, but nothing else and I seriously doubt that it was any kind of deep devotion that made her do it. Probably more like simple tradition.

All of a sudden I was fourteen years old and had to attend confirmation. Nobody asked me beforehand or seemed to care much for my opinion on the matter and I just went along with it, not wishing to cause any trouble. I was way to immature to decide if I actually believed in God or Christianity.
As I have described elsewhere, several years later I gave Christianity an honest try before deciding that it was essentially bogus and had nothing of any value to me. I formally cancelled my membership of Folkekirken (like all native Danes I automatically received a membership when I was born) and now I no longer have to pay Church Tax.

The few dealings with the Church that I have had since then have confirmed that I did the right thing: all members of the clergy I have met have been shallow, life-weary and at best mediocre thinkers while pretty much any practising Christian layman I have encountered has had a behaviour and morality as bad as everybody else or even worse.

The Christians who ran the leisure time soldier club at my Army barracks were a nice, friendly and agreeable group of people right until they pulled out their Bibles and demanded that I share my thoughts on this or that topic before I was allowed to eat my hard-earned dinner. For some reason they were not the least discouraged by me rolling my eyes and sighing loudly, but I had the courtesy to conceal my honest opinion about their Bible. Ever since I have tried to just treat Folkekirken with the mild neglect towards it that I was raised with.

[Rodskarl Dubhgall]

I'm interested in the revival of Calvinism in America. I embrace the Puritan covenant now and am done with Popery and Prelacy. I was raised a Yankee and two of my grandparents owe their roots to 1630s Massachusetts Bay. This is our tradition as Americans, whatever may be the case for Britain and Ireland. I'm not ashamed of my ancestors, no matter what the immigrants think.