We like to boast about the Norwegian Christian cultural heritage. It is praiseworthy, worth protecting and upholding. But what is the Christian cultural heritage? Well, it is based on Christian humanism, tolerance, and Christian faith. Humanism and tolerance originate from the writings of the Bible.

But what exactly is the Bible? It consists of the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is essentially selected writings from the Jewish Tanakh.

These writings were in Hebrew and Aramaic. Between 200 and 100 BCE, they were translated into Greek in Alexandra, Egypt. The result is a document called the Septuagint. The name comes from the Latin phrase “Vetus Testamentum ex versione Septuaginta Interpretum » (Old Testament version from the Septuagint translation), usually abbreviated to just Septuagint – 70 or written in Roman numerals LXX. The translators were Jewish scribes residing in Egypt

Egypt was then ruled by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (the Sibling Lover – a phenomenon not entirely unknown among the Egyptian pharaohs). He was the son of Ptolemy I, Macedonian, friend of Alexander the Great and general in his army. He was very keen on exalting and spreading Greek culture. The Bible translation was probably to incorporate the writings into the library of Alexandria.

This version of the Bible, with certain modifications, is still used in the Orthodox Church. Today's Jewish scholars reject this version because it deviates from the original Jewish text in some points.

But the next translation of the Old Testament took place in the 380s CE and was commissioned by Pope Damasus. The translation was carried out by Jerome, later St. Jerome. His real name was Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus of Stridon, a city we do not know exactly where. Jerome translated directly from the Jewish version of the scriptures, rather than using the Greek translation, the Septuagint, which was otherwise common. He also included books from the New Testament in his version, even though they were mainly written in Latin or Greek. His version became the most commonly used Bible version, the versio vulgata, shortened to vulgata or vulgate.

The Bible has been translated into English several times. In the 16th century, there were two official translations used in the English church. However, not everyone was completely satisfied with these translations. King James I of England set up a committee to create a new version. There were several problems with previous translations. The new translation was to avoid footnotes, it was to be adapted to the clergy of the English church, and the Old Testament was to be updated according to the more modern Tanakh (Jewish Bible).

Since then, translations and modernizations of the Bible have constantly appeared. Both to make it available in more countries and in more languages, but also to make it easier to read. And not least to tone down the parts that are difficult to digest in modern society.

Is the Bible Jewish? No, definitely not. The Jews have their own religion and their own scriptures. Christianity can be said to have one of its roots in Judaism, but it is a complex religion with several roots. It revolves around Jesus of Nazareth, his birth, life and death. There is no documentation that he really lived outside of what is found in the Bible. The Romans, who otherwise had control over most things, have not mentioned him. Nevertheless, most religious historians assume that he really lived. It is not that unlikely either, since it was not uncommon at that time to have traveling preachers, often critical of the teachings and practices of the Pharisees, and not least critical of Roman colonialism. What is written about Jesus is found in the four evangelists and in the Acts of the Apostles. The earliest manuscripts are dated to around the year 70. It is claimed that they may have a common source, but no evidence has been found for this. The different evangelists have somewhat divergent focuses. Mark emphasizes Jesus as savior and as mediator between people and God. Matthew emphasizes that Jesus and all his deeds happen as a fulfillment of ancient prophecies (which is at best a misunderstanding, but is preferably to serve a political point). John emphasizes that Jesus is God, that everything Jesus says is the word of God. Luke presents Jesus as the one who helps those in need, as a friend of the outcast and the sick.

The Romans and Christianity. The Romans persecuted the Christians. Not because they introduced a new god. The Romans cared little about that. They had so many already, so one more was of no consequence. What bothered the Romans was that the Christians claimed that their god was the only one. They denied the entire Roman pantheon (and the Greek one too). The Christians were blamed for everything wrong because they refused to sacrifice to the gods. But still, Christianity gained a certain foothold in the Roman Empire. Until Emperor Constantine the Great needed a tool to consolidate his power. He embraced Christianity and used it as a tool to control his empire. Since then, all rulers and monarchs have used religion to legitimize their power. Also here in Norway, as is the case now, albeit somewhat subdued. The king should not be anointed, but should still be blessed in the church.

One of the roots of Christianity lies with the Jews. Where are the others? Mesopotamia is a good candidate for a solid rootstock. The myths of the Flood seem to originate from here, not unthinkable with the great rivers flowing through a flat landscape. The gods are troubled by all the noise humans make and Enlil, the chief god, decides to exterminate humanity in a flood. The biblical story of the Flood and the Mesopotamian myths are very similar. Other elements from the Epic of Gilgamesh also have parallels in the Old Testament. One can also feel a certain influence from Egypt, especially when it delights the fascination with the dead, resurrection and weighing the heart – good against evil. As for Christian humanism, it certainly does not originate from the warlike and quarrelsome Levantines. Then ancient Greece is probably a better candidate. But also the Romans. Despite the fact that the Romans were warriors and conquerors, they had laws and a regulated society. Some influence, albeit later, can be attributed to the West: Denmark, England and the rest of Europe.

The problem with Christianity today. To a large extent, one could say that all religions are problematic. Strong forces are lobbying for religious people to be taken into account in the countries' legislation. I can hardly bear to mention the countries that follow Sharia law in whole or in part. But even in Western countries that otherwise consider themselves to have secular legislation, it still lingers. Also in Norway. We have freedom of religion in Norway. Almost! Section 4 of the Constitution states that "The King shall always profess the Evangelical Lutheran religion." The King does not have the freedom that other Norwegians have. Section 2 further states that "The basis of values ​​remains our Christian and humanistic heritage. . ." So we are not completely disconnected from religion. The running of religion is also a burden on society instead of the believers themselves. Approximately a third of the church's budget is covered by the state budget. The rest is covered by the municipalities. It must be mentioned that some of this goes to cover the operation and maintenance of cemeteries, which is beneficial to the entire population. Church buildings, priests and others, on the other hand, are reserved for believers - in principle. Other religious organizations or faith organizations also receive support from the state, calculated proportionally according to the number of members in comparison with the church. Where both registered and unregistered members are members. A religion that is not eligible for benefits is Pastafarianism. The belief in the flying spaghetti monster. It is actually a bit of a shame because unlike the usual religions that are concerned with salvation (and power) for the chosen ones and damnation for everyone else, Pastafarianism is based on humor, which is much better. It can be mentioned that Pastafarianism is approved as a religion in the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Church buildings are a major source of expenditure for the municipalities. Here in little Sørreisa alone, there are three church buildings, Tømmervik Church, Straumen Chapel and Skøelv Chapel. A total of 620 seats for a population of approximately 3,500, where, according to Statistics Norway, 2,200 annually visit the church on Sundays and public holidays. This gives an average of 43 people per church day if you only take Sundays and forget about the other public holidays. If you then take into account that some public holidays are quite popular, then you can safely assume that on most days the church pews are quite sparsely populated. It is also not so easy to get rid of church buildings. As soon as there is talk of closing down a church or a chapel, an outcry arises. Volunteers rush to renovate the building and stir up the atmosphere. No one, neither administrators nor politicians, dares to raise their voices and the thoughts of closing it evaporate like dew before the sun. So, when the volunteer orgy is over and everyday life descends on the empty benches, the responsibility is left to the community, which could perhaps use scarce resources better.

So, is the Christian heritage so commendable? No, I would argue. Humanism is not something Christianity has a monopoly on. Quite the opposite. I would not claim that the Bible is chemically free of humanism, but one must use a magnifying glass to find it, and then one must also wear blinders to avoid reading the verses that are quite inhumane. When one must have a careful selection of which verses in the Bible are worth following, what value is there in reading the Bible at all. But there are many Christians who have done a lot of good! Yes, there are. But there are also Christians who have done cruel, inhumane things. Then there are also many who are not Christians who have done a lot of good. And some who have done cruel things. In fact, religious affiliation has little to do. Everyone has a potential for both. One cannot say a single good thing that a non-Christian cannot do. Likewise, one cannot say a single cruel thing that a Christian cannot do. It's just a little easier to be cruel or insensitive when it comes to those andre, Hedningene, ateistene, muhammedanerne, sikhene … Dette viker selvfølgelig begge veier – for alle religioner.

We need to stop thinking that religious people are better, more righteous than others. They are not. Someone who puts dogma above reason and facts cannot be trusted. If you read history, you will find many examples of this. You don't even have to read history. You just have to look at how the world is today.

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