The Finnish state church is dying..
February 26, 2013 at 12:55 pm
(This post was last modified: February 26, 2013 at 12:58 pm by Kayenneh.)
.. but there are even worse dangers lurking in the shadows.
What I'm about to write is a synopsis of an episode of the TV program MOT, which discusses current affairs. This particular episode aired yesterday, and though it can be viewed abroad, I doubt anyone of you will, since it's in Finnish with Finnish subtitles. That aside, if you're interested, the episode can be found here. For more information on the church of Finland, go here
With the slow death of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, a large number of revival movements have popped up all over the country. The members of these are usually the bulk of the meager 7% who attend service more than once a month. Even members of the clergy* are avid members of the movements. Everyone who belong to the church pay church tax, but the 76.4% of the Finns who belong to the church practically pay for the revival movements' activities.
What's even worse, the church seems to invite anyone who can bring back the church goers. This includes faith healers, one of the most prominent and worst, Pirkko Jalovaara. It's a lucrative business to be a faith healer, 2007-2009 she raised 465,000€ and 2009-2011 572,000€, and that's not including offertory during her sessions.
Tuomo Tikkanen, chairperson of the Psychological Association is not pleased: "A person like this is dangerous, potentially to vulnerable people." He continues to describe faith healing to be: "...extremely reactionary and hazardous." And it's not only Tikkanen who sees the dangers. One of Jalovaara's poster boys, a man with prostate cancer, who eventually died of said illness though he was convinced to be cured, left a infuriated widow behind. The widow says: "Remove such a person from the church! Sick people lean on [faith healing] in vain and the money they spend on it, they could use for real medical treatments."
Jalovaara herself is not too pleased about being investigated. During a session in Kallio, Helsinki, the team films the unfolding events, though they were not permitted to.
"The drugs have clouded your mind to the fact that Satan has penetrated you. Drugs are a way for him to get to the innermost you, spirit, soul and body", preaches Jalovaara.
In later sessions she preaches that the MOT-team is sent by the Devil himself.
When interviewed and given the opportunity to give her side of the story, Jalovaara states that medical or psychological attention is not enough for some, but they are opposed by demons and can only be healed through prayer. She feels that she's not in discord with the church, after all, she bases her work on the Bible, just as the church does.
At the Bishop's Office in Helsinki, Dean Reijo Liimatainen disagrees.
"This doesn't sit well with the church's principles of spiritual guidance. Illness does not stem from demons --- this probably causes more mental health issues than what it solves", says Liimatainen. Though when asked what the church intend to do about this, Liimatainen is vague. Congregation Supervisor Johanna Korhonen has an inkling why this is. According to her the bishops are unwilling to take a stance on the matter, since this could case a lot of friction and with this even less church goers.
(*All members of the clergy are official, public servants in Finland.)
What I'm about to write is a synopsis of an episode of the TV program MOT, which discusses current affairs. This particular episode aired yesterday, and though it can be viewed abroad, I doubt anyone of you will, since it's in Finnish with Finnish subtitles. That aside, if you're interested, the episode can be found here. For more information on the church of Finland, go here
With the slow death of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, a large number of revival movements have popped up all over the country. The members of these are usually the bulk of the meager 7% who attend service more than once a month. Even members of the clergy* are avid members of the movements. Everyone who belong to the church pay church tax, but the 76.4% of the Finns who belong to the church practically pay for the revival movements' activities.
What's even worse, the church seems to invite anyone who can bring back the church goers. This includes faith healers, one of the most prominent and worst, Pirkko Jalovaara. It's a lucrative business to be a faith healer, 2007-2009 she raised 465,000€ and 2009-2011 572,000€, and that's not including offertory during her sessions.
Tuomo Tikkanen, chairperson of the Psychological Association is not pleased: "A person like this is dangerous, potentially to vulnerable people." He continues to describe faith healing to be: "...extremely reactionary and hazardous." And it's not only Tikkanen who sees the dangers. One of Jalovaara's poster boys, a man with prostate cancer, who eventually died of said illness though he was convinced to be cured, left a infuriated widow behind. The widow says: "Remove such a person from the church! Sick people lean on [faith healing] in vain and the money they spend on it, they could use for real medical treatments."
Jalovaara herself is not too pleased about being investigated. During a session in Kallio, Helsinki, the team films the unfolding events, though they were not permitted to.
"The drugs have clouded your mind to the fact that Satan has penetrated you. Drugs are a way for him to get to the innermost you, spirit, soul and body", preaches Jalovaara.
In later sessions she preaches that the MOT-team is sent by the Devil himself.
When interviewed and given the opportunity to give her side of the story, Jalovaara states that medical or psychological attention is not enough for some, but they are opposed by demons and can only be healed through prayer. She feels that she's not in discord with the church, after all, she bases her work on the Bible, just as the church does.
At the Bishop's Office in Helsinki, Dean Reijo Liimatainen disagrees.
"This doesn't sit well with the church's principles of spiritual guidance. Illness does not stem from demons --- this probably causes more mental health issues than what it solves", says Liimatainen. Though when asked what the church intend to do about this, Liimatainen is vague. Congregation Supervisor Johanna Korhonen has an inkling why this is. According to her the bishops are unwilling to take a stance on the matter, since this could case a lot of friction and with this even less church goers.
(*All members of the clergy are official, public servants in Finland.)
When I was young, there was a god with infinite power protecting me. Is there anyone else who felt that way? And was sure about it? but the first time I fell in love, I was thrown down - or maybe I broke free - and I bade farewell to God and became human. Now I don't have God's protection, and I walk on the ground without wings, but I don't regret this hardship. I want to live as a person. -Arina Tanemura
