Religion in Hverland
Religion in Pharexia (2021)
For much of Hverland's history, Christianity has dominated the public and private sphere of daily life. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hverland (commonly called the State Church) is both the established church in Hverland as well as the largest denomination of Christianity, with nearly 73% of the population reported as members. Membership in the State Church has decreased in recent decades, though most of those who have left the state church are still Lutheran. There are several smaller Lutheran churches officially unaffiliated with the Church of Hverland that an additional 12% of the population affiliates with.
Lutheranism in Hverland is influenced on the Pietist movement of the early 18th century. Pietistic Lutherans emphasize following "biblical divine commands of believers to live a holy life and to strive for holy living. Frugality, humility, restraint, and sense of duty and order are common virtues of Pietistic Lutherans in Hverland. The second largest Christian denomination in Hverland is Catholicism, making up nearly 5% of the population. In total, Christians make up around 93% of the population. Their distribution is spread relatively equally throughout the country, although Catholics are almost entirely exclusive to the capital city of Östsjö.
Religion continues to play a significant role in the debate over abortion and physician-assisted suicide in Hverland. The official Church of Hverland stance is, "Human life is a sacred gift from God. Elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to the will and the commandments of God. Church members who submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions may lose their membership in the Church". The Conservative Party, New Future, and the Christian Democrats all generally oppose abortion and cite these values as one of their justifications. The Moderate Party and the Liberals tend to be split on the issue, while the Social Democrats and Green-Left parties tend to support the introduction of limited abortion rights.
While Lutheranism is officially the state religion, People's Law guarantees religious freedom and upholds equality, no matter one's religious affiliation. In the last census, around 6% of the population identified as having no religion.
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