A Norwegian parliamentary committee presented it’s recommendation to permanently separate church and state. This move has overwhelming support and is expected to become law later this month. It will remove the government’s minister of churches, state appointment of bishops and deans, and the requirement that at least half of government ministers have to be members of the Church of Norway.

While it seems that most people are in favor of this move, I’m curious how the money is going to work. Most European countries with state churches fund the church through taxes. Since Norway will now be treating all faiths equally, does that mean they all get money or none do? I hope its the latter.

It’s kind of ironic that while people clamor to tear down the wall of separation in the world’s oldest secular democracy, they’re building up the wall in an old “Christian” democracy.

(Kind of via Pharyngula)