Religion in Norway
"[14] Other religious groups operate freely and people are also free not to be affiliated with any religion or life stance.
Orthodox, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs are present in very small numbers, together comprising about 1 percent of the population.
Haakon the Good of Norway, who had grown up in England, tried to introduce Christianity in the mid-10th century but had met resistance from pagan leaders and soon abandoned the idea.
The Christians in Norway often established churches or other holy sites at places that had previously been sacred under the Norse religion.
The spread of conversion can be measured by burial sites as Pagans were buried with grave goods while Christians were not.
Catholicism held on in remote parts of Norway for another couple of decades, although eventually the remaining Catholics converted or fled, to the Netherlands in particular.
The Norwegian Constitution of 1814 did not grant religious freedom as it stated that Jews and Jesuits were denied entrance in Norway.
Three years later, the so-called Dissenter Law came into effect, allowing other Christian congregations to establish in Norway.
On 21 May 2012 the constitution was again amended to increase the autonomy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and decrease the connection to the state.
Although there are no indications of active persecution, Jews were banned from entering and residing in the dual monarchy of Denmark-Norway for long periods of time.
After the split with Denmark in 1814, the new Norwegian Constitution included a notorious paragraph that banned Jews and Jesuits from entering the realm.
[4] Norse religion was a branch of the wider religious practices of the Germanic people prior to Christianisation and involved the worship of gods such as the Æsir, Thor and Odin.
[citation needed] Most information about Germanic mythology is contained in the Old Norse literature, the Eddas and later sagas.
Other information comes from the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus and fragments of legends preserved in old inscriptions.
[citation needed] Due to nationalistic movements in the late 18th century, Norwegian scholars found renewed interest for Norse religion, translating many of the myths to Danish (the written language in Norway at the time), popularising legends and trying to use it to create a common Norwegian culture.
The Sámi pantheon consists of four general gods: the Mother, the Father, the Son and the Daughter (Radienacca, Radienacce, Radienkiedde and Radienneida).
[citation needed] The Norwegian church undertook a campaign to Christianise the Sámi in the 16th and 17th century with most of the sources being missionaries.
While the vast majority of the Sámi in Norway have been Christianised, some of them still follow their traditional faith and some Noaidi are still practising their ancient religion.
[citation needed] An act approved in 2016 created the Church of Norway as an independent legal entity, effective from 1 January 2017.
The case was about a subject in compulsory school, kristendomskunnskap med religions- og livssynsorientering (Teachings of Christianity with orientation about religion and philosophy), KRL.
The applicants complained that the refusal to grant full exemption from KRL prevented them from ensuring that their children received an education in conformity with their atheist views and philosophical convictions.
The government's policies generally support the free practice of religion in the country, and it provides funding to religious organizations and anti-discrimination programs on a regular basis.
According to NGOs and the Norwegian police, religiously motivated hate speech is prevalent, particularly online, and primarily targeting the Muslim and Jewish communities.
