Comments by "Luredreier" (@Luredreier) on "World According To Briggs" channel.

@sebbijo I'm glad that you guys don't have to deal too much with religion. I'm a atheist myself (Norway). As for hijab for girls under 15... I feel that it should definitely not be pushed on them. But I have mixed feelings about voluntary use of one. I can see peer pressure being a potential issue if they're frequent among young. As well as potential bullying issues. But at the same time freedom of religion/life stance is also a ingrained value for me. And I really don't like the idea of the state banning people from wearing whatever they want and expressing their own life stance however they wish as long as it doesn't infringe on the freedom of others. And I don't buy the argument that seeing a religious symbol being worn by someone is somehow infringing on *our " rights even if I believe that the French do hold that position...
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@sheep1ewe Yeah, when I grew up there was a scandal where the Norwegian church actually automatically registered children born in the country and registered as citizens as members unless they specifically opted out (or their parents did) Turned out even leaders of atheist organizations where registered without knowing about it. That practice ended after that scandal. But there's still a lot of people registered as members who are not aware of it.
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I wasn't surprised by any nation that has been communist in the past... Nor any Nordic or Asian countries... The biggest surprise for me was that the UK landed above France and Norway... They really don't come across as that secular. Instead I've always felt that they're middle of the road by European standards and only secular when compared to the Americas or Africa etc...
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This list was based on self identification, not membership in a life stance organization. In Norway for instance the state church used to automatically add anyone born in the country that wasn't opted out in some way to their membership lists at birth. So atheist would have to actively leave the church even if their parents where atheists too and never actively joined the church. No notification or anything. It was actually a scandal when I grew up and our population was made aware of the practice.
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@syantikshinta3779 In my country people used to be automatically registered as members of our state church at birth unless they (or rather their parents) actively opted out. Most Norwegians where not aware of that. We also have a lot of traditions regarding changes in life status (birth, reaching adulthood, marriage and death) where people still often prefer to turn to the church, not because they personally believe anything, but because it's tradition, and not using the church for these things would make a bigger statement when most people just want to keep their life stance private and live their lives without bringing their life stance up in public by say not following the traditions or doing them in a secular manner. So membership in the church is just practical for your average Norwegian, yet it's just not a part of their lives during the rest of their lives. They don't think about religion outside those events and just live their lives. Actually religious people are a minority here, and often they only practice it in private, with a personal relationship with their deity.
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@sheep1ewe I think so, but that was before my time I think. At the time of the scandal there was no such law, so the church was breaking the law when they registered people without their consent. They've since changed from their previous opt out system to a opt in one.
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Yes, please do a Americans pr capita in various countries. :-) I'm curious about how the nordic countries will do.
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@cosydream9750 I don't have time to go through the whole thread right now, so might be missing out on nuances here, but just replying to your post here in isolation (and I might have mentioned this elsewhere): Thank you for sharing your experience. The trouble is that it's more complicated then that. Because different Muslim communities from different countries have different traditions. Some of the people using hijabs in western countries come from more secular dictatorships where it was banned, and wearing one is a sign of freedom. Or it might be a sign of cultural identity for people who are surrounded by a different culture. From our western point of view we of course don't want anyone to experience and feel what you did. It shouldn't be forced on you, *ever*. But at the same time you should be allowed to wear it and be proud of it and your culture. Just look at the Norwegian "bunad" Some of them do indeed include head cover. But it's used for celebration and expression of national pride etc. Not to suppress anyone. And I hope that with time such a positive attitude towards the hijab can develop. Banning it is the wrong way to go. Instead communication and understanding should be the goal.
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Why would anyone want to live somewhere with a low cost of living? A low cost of living usually indicates underlying issues like low wages, poverty, crime, lack of public oversight (lack of food inspection, control of buildings being constructed, etc), or other hidden expenses like high vat in places with low income tax... On the whole low cost of living is just a bad sign. And why would people care about the job they're doing if they're not being paid fairly for their services? No, I prefer living in a high cost of living country... My GF is american, and I'm kind of shocked to hear about the work ethics there, going to work sick, infecting co-workers and customers both, people being exhausted at work doing a poor job, jobs designed around excessive customer service from the point of view of the company only leading to stressed workers unable to offer good customer service and entitled customers giving the workers a bad time while they're also being underpaid leading to everyone having a bad experience. Kids having a poor upbringing because their parents have to work way too much to stay afloat to truly be there for their children and being in a unhealthy mental state themselves because they're being overworked, something that's not exactly helped matters for their children...
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The UK less religious then Norway? I honestly don't believe it. -_- Sweden, sure. Estonia, definitely. China, no problem with believing that at all. But the UK? Don't get me wrong, they're not a overly religious country either. But compared to us they always come across as... Well, you know... I'd believe it for London itself being less religious then us. Both countries have their religious as and less religious areas of course. But the general vibe. Just no.
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Yep, pretty much. My only surprise was the UK, not them being there, but their ranking above Norway where I live...
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