The Dissenter Act (Norwegian: Dissenterloven, formally Lov angaaende dem, der bekjende sig til den christelige Religion, uden at være medlemmer af Statskirken (Act concerning those who profess the Christian religion without being members of the State Church)) is a Norwegian law from 1845 that allowed Christian denominations other than the Church of Norway to establish themselves in the country.
The state church took over this role, and in 1569 Frederick II decreed that all foreigners coming to the kingdom had to prove that they were Lutheran Christians; otherwise they would be deported.
[3] In Christian V's Norwegian Code of 1687, the king's position as religious leader was established, and strict church discipline was introduced.
In 1555, two peasants were burned at the stake in Hamar, and in 1575 Ingeborg Kjeldsdatter from Skiptvet was flogged;[4] in both cases the crime was their Catholic Marian devotion.
[5][8] In 1833 a new proposal was advanced, this time for "the free exercise of religion by all Christian religious sects", by Søren Anton Wilhelm Sørenssen.
But the proposal did lead to changes, as Parliament decided to lift the Conventicle Act and introduce freedom of assembly for members of the Norwegian Church.
Ole Gabriel Ueland believed that "we could bring in both Mohammedan and other unchristian sects",[This quote needs a citation] and most of the peasants followed him.
[10] In 1897 it was revised again, and the ban on monastic orders was lifted on the proposal of the first dissenter in Parliament, Baptist Hans Andersen Gulset.
[6][5] In addition, there were other restrictions, such as the ban on teaching in schools and the religious requirement for officials, judges and state council members.