Re: Your Freedom
Is Depending On
God's Favour
Johan Grahn
From: "Grahn, Johan"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: RE: Johan Grahn
Date: Monday, August 14, 2000 6:12 AM
I read your exchange with Jonas (It's his first name, so Mr. Jonas would be incorrect) and I can indeed verify that he is (unfortunately) a Swede. His kind is uncommon though. I can not add a lot to your answers except of course his ridiculous reference to King Gustav Vasa (V, not W -- only people ignorant about Swedish history spells his name with W.) The reason as to why he picked Vasa (ruled between 1523-1560, rather than Olof Skotkonung (who ruled between 1000-1020) who was the first Christian king is painfully obvious.
Skotkonung was a Catholic while Vasa converted himself and Sweden to Protestantism. He was anything but pious though for he destroyed hundreds of churches and took their land in order to increase the wealth of the state. I'd say that Gustav Vasa was the biggest enemy the church has ever had in Sweden, but Jonas had to pick him anyway since he made Sweden protestant which, to him, is the only true Christian sect.
There is a funny story about king Gustav. After his second wife died, he decided to marry his first wife's niece, which was not allowed by the church at the time. However he was King and told his archbishop to "find a way or else." The poor bishop decided that the laws outlined in the old testament were valid to the Jews only and not to the king of The Gotar. Only the ten commandments (which ten?) applied to all people in all times.
Jonas didn't stop his falsification of history there but included the obviously false quotes from Lincoln and Washington. Also, the church in Uppsala is indeed old but by no means is it built on the ruins of the much older pagan church which was burned (of course) by the Christians as soon as their power was secured. In contrast to the pagans I might add, who let the early church prosper as long as they didn't force their beliefs upon anyone.
I hope you'll find the time to format your old letters since I enjoy reading your letter exchanges immensely.
One question while I'm writing to you. Have you ever attended any FFRF conventions? There is one held in Minneapolis in a couple of weeks and I'd guess I'd like to know if they are worth while?
Take care.
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