• Sweden edition
Society

Church calls for swear ban after gay sex rant

Published: 29 Jul 10 14:34 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/28060/20100729/

The Church of Sweden is being asked to introduce football-style penalties for swearing, after a priest used foul language at last year’s meeting of the church’s governing body.

Dag Sandahl, a priest and opponent of gay marriage, told gay marriage supporting priest Karin Långström Vinge:

“So you think that when you fuck people you should do it up the arse."

Sandahl reportedly made similar comments to another woman at the meeting.

“He wanted to make us aware, in a provocative way, that this wasn’t just a question of marrying homosexuals, but that they also had sex with each other. As if we wouldn’t have understood that otherwise," Långström Vinge, a curate in Skövde, told The Local.

Now Långström Vinge is calling for such language to be banned. In a motion to the church’s general synod, she and fellow delegate Maria Abrahamsson call for those who swear at a church event to face fines:

“It is tempting to compare how language, behaviour and restraint are handled in sport, which seems to have come a lot further than the Synod,” the motion reads.

Långström Vinge told The Local that there was a clear need to clamp down on bad language:

“You might think that it would be natural for people to behave themselves in an ecclesiastical context, but that is clearly not always the case.”

“Schools are far ahead of churches in dealing with bad language like this.”

Dag Sandahl laughed when The Local told him about the motion:

“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s totally mad. Those words are in the Swedish Academy’s dictionary, so it’s perfectly OK to use them.”

“I could have chosen other words, but these words were justified in the context,” he added.

Sandahl vowed to oppose the motion when it comes up for debate in September:

“These liberals are always such tyrants. They want to rule over us all,” he said.

The Synod will now be asked to vote on the move when it meets in Uppsala at the end of September.

James Savage (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)

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15:16 July 29, 2010 by eZee.se
Church of Sweden... thats the biggest joke.
17:27 July 29, 2010 by treetri88
15:16 July 29, 2010 by eZee.se Church of Sweden... thats the biggest joke."

What is it that you consider to be funny? Priests and pastors ought to check their language when engaging in debates. This is not gangster's talk for people to swear off. As far as men "having sex with each other's arses" is concerned, shall I show you what heterosexual people do to one another in straight porn? You may go away enlightened as how these actors are amazingly creative with their bodies and how they can elicit fun sex out of the most bizarre positions and with the most unconventional "toys".

eZee, you are no more than an uneducated bigot. Don't think that the anonymity of the internet can help you cloud your identity and use it to spew your garbage.
21:37 July 29, 2010 by eZee.se
Ummm, no need to fly off your high horse.

The reason I said the church of Sweden is a joke is because its a "breakaway" church which allows gay marriages, women priests, priests to be wed etc

(note: I have nothing against gay people, people who marry ... or women)

As for anonymity, we have our website which is ezee.se, we have never tried to hide that - whats your excuse?
10:17 July 30, 2010 by foxpur
Just as a note:

I skimmed the ezee.se site, it was fair, I saw nothing there that didn't allow differing opinions. Anonymity is the price you pay for using the internet. I saw few points that were un-educated, most were opinion, not lack of education.
10:34 July 30, 2010 by treetri88
There are plenty of churches everywhere that bless same sex unions, let women be priests, and allow priests to be wed.

Those churches that advocate subjugation of women to men, that practice Biblical literal verses (I believe that's how the "witch hunt" and the Spanish Inquisition started), that gets too big and too influential over people's lives, that stage massive cover-ups of its child abuse records, are the ones that get me disgusted.
10:35 July 30, 2010 by Da Goat
I agree with ezee the church of sweden is a joke and I also say 10 points for Dag for standing up for what is right and shame on the gay loving liberals who are getting shafted!

I am a Christian And abhor bad language but Dag has to make his point somehow, he has to awaken the dopey ones who just float and have no clues as to what is appropriate and what is not.

they are supposed to embrace the people and not the sin, yes the church needs to reconnect with their leader (GOD) and not with wishy washy crap human philosophies. (even if unpopular)

I have nothing against Gay people they are people like everyone else and deserve love and respect too, although some of (them) their behavior leaves me wondering if they should be allowed out in public, its OK to be gay but not in my face please! I don't need to know REALLY!
19:30 July 30, 2010 by Helena Kekkonen
The Bible says: No man is to have sexual relations with another man; God hates that.( Leviticus 18:22). God`s opinion in this matter is clear. Even if the church accepts gay relations, it doesn`t change God`s opinion. God loves every people also gays, but He hates the sin what we are committed. He wants to come into our life, purify us, give us his peace and meaningful life. This is possible through Jesus Christ, who is his son and who died on the cross to atone for our sins.Helena
21:38 August 3, 2010 by DArtagnon Puissant
19:30 July 30, 2010 by Helena Kekkonen

The Bible says: No man is to have sexual relations with another man; God hates that.( Leviticus 18:22).

For SHAME Helena! I've only been a Church Pastor for 10 days but my education confirms that God does not HATE but he Severely Dislikes it when people put words in His Mouth that are UNTRUE. Lev18:22 says NOTHING of which you CLAIM but it WARNS Christians NOT to attend PAGAN CEREMONIES where people are worshiping golden calves and men are sleeping with men etc ... The WARNING from God is CLEAR and it is NOT about homosexuality but about attending Pagan Ceremonies. And yet "loving Christians" have used this LIE for decades in an attempt to show their contempt and prejudice for gay people. And that is where Matt7:1-5 steps in "Thou shalt not Judge lest YE be judged"!

So, now, Helena, you can quote the Bible properly in the future and NOT put lies into the mouth of GOD!

Also, the Bible is all about living LOVE. John states it when he says that "this entire book can be condensed into one word and that word is Love". God would not MAKE gay people if He was to punish them for being gay people. That makes no common sense whatsoever. He is a LOVING God and He does NOT condemn gays who are in a LOVING relationship doing what gays do best. BUT, in your defense, I WILL state that God is against sins of the flesh. Note again, that there are 6 admonitions in the Bible against Gay Sex but there are 166 against HETEROSEXUAL SEX. The sin is in HOW we do it and WHY we do it! Hetero sex for the purpose of lust is forbidden as is the same with gay sex. To covet a neighbors wife is against God's laws as is it when gays do the same.

Let me make this crystal clear for you Helena. If it it against God's will for gays to have sex then it is equally against His will for straight people to have sex. Plain and simple. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

And Helena, as a man of God, He asked me to ask you NOT to speak for Him anymore unless you KNOW of which you speak. It's not a LOT to ask is it?
15:35 August 11, 2010 by MarkieMark
When I read or hear about the Church of Sweden, at least about it's liberal side and it's liberal decisions and changes, I hear this part of a famous hymn in the ears of my heart:

"Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou who changest not, abide with me."

May that be the Church of Sweden's prayer: may it realize that the One who changes not and his divine gifts to us can't be changed. May the Church of Sweden choose to restore her roots and so grow in the faith. Kyrie eleison.
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