Kultura in jezik
Na Švedskem je, tako kot v Sloveniji, veliko lepih cerkva, na podeželju pogosto tudi skromnih, lesenih. Cerkve so brez zlatega razkošja in bleska, so estetska protestantsko-lutheranska svetišča, zadržana v stilu, brez svetnikov in spovednice. Vernikov pa nikjer, 85 odstotkov jih ne veruje v boga! In vendar, protestantizem je globoko oblikoval švedsko kulturo in karakter naroda. Protestantske vrednote lahko vidiš in čutiš povsod: racionalnost, delavna etika, zadržanost, enakopravnost med spoloma in ljudmi nasploh, sprejemanje drugačnosti, solidarnost in še kaj.
Protestantske vrednote, globoko zakoreninjene v švedskem človeku, so pri novoselcih iz Afrike, Srednjega vzhoda, iz Južne Amerike pogosto nerazumljene. Kultura muslimanskih priseljencev je povsem drugačna, občasno prihaja do verskih in etničnih trenj, navkljub veliki tolerantnosti, razumevanju za drugačnost in čutu za enakopravnost staroselcev in evropskih 'novih' Švedov.
Culture and language
Just as in Slovenia, also in Sweden there are plenty of beautiful churches, around the countryside in most cases modest in appearance, made of wood. The churches have no golden grandeur and glitter, they are aesthetical Protestant-Lutheran shrines, reserved in style, without any statues of saints or confessionals. But there are hardly any worshippers in sight, for 85% of the Swedes do not believe in god! And yet, the Protestantism has exercised a profound influence upon the culture of Sweden and the character of its population. The Protestant values can be encountered and felt everywhere: the rational outlook on life, working ethics, reserve, gender equality and equality between people in general, acceptance of differences, solidarity, etc.
Protestant values, deeply entrenched in the Swedish person, tend to be misunderstood by the newcomers from Africa, the Middle East and South America. The culture of Muslim immigrants is completely different and occasionally there arise religious and ethnical frictions, in spite of a high degree of tolerance, understanding of differences and a feeling of equality between native inhabitants and the European ‘new’ Swedes.