restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations
A Swedish History Lesson of Grave Importance to the Church in America
Most twelve-year-olds in Sweden can tell you ten reasons why God does not exist. It was not always so. Seventy-five years ago, in the late 1920s, the evangelical free churches in Sweden were both numerically strong and influential. The state Swedish Lutheran Church was losing its spiritual and moral influence because of advancing liberalism within, but the evangelical free churches were vibrant, growing, and having a political and social impact as well as moral and spiritual influence. For instance, in the late 1920s approximately 23- of the members of the Riksdag (Swedish National Parliament) were members of these evangelical free churches. Usually the members of the evangelical free churches retained nominal membership in the state Swedish Lutheran Church.
There were weaknesses in the evangelical free churches, however, that would soon cause them to be swept away like a house of cards before a strong wind. German pietists had been very influential on Swedish Christianity in former centuries. One of the characteristics of the Swedish evangelical churches was that in reaction to the formalism of the state Lutheran Church, they tended to eschew doctrinal confessions and theological precision, preferring a more experiential Christianity. Also they had a tendency to devalue the intellectual side of Christianity and their own culture in favor of their more emotion-oriented, experiential brand of faith.
When the Great Depression of the early 1930s arrived in Sweden there was naturally an increased desire in Swedish society for more material security. This proved a great political opportunity for the socialist parties in Sweden, and the Social Democratic Party was able to win control of the government in the 1932 elections. The Swedish Socialists had a long-range plan, which they executed astonishingly well. Their plan was first to dominate the media and second the educational establishment. Dominating such powerful means of influence they would be able to marginalize Christianity, which they considered divisive and ideologically and socially backward. Thus they would establish a political dominance very difficult to challenge and lasting for generations. This would allow them to reshape Swedish society into the humanist, socialist society of their ideological dreams, still further strengthening their political power base.
The Social Democratic Party was able to stay in power for 44 years until 1976, thus having an enormous impact on Swedish society, and building an all encompassing welfare state. They regained power in 1982 and have been in power more often than not since then. During all this time they have dominated the media and educational spheres of influence in Sweden and strongly influenced the remaining religious spheres of influence.
That the socialist parties in Sweden could be so successful in gaining political power and dominating and molding Swedish society into its current form is due in many respects to the weaknesses of the Swedish evangelical free churches already cited. The Swedish Lutheran Church was already too weak from internal liberalism quite compatible with the humanist values of the socialists and from its inherent dependence on government as a state church to muster formidable resistance. The Swedish free churches did not have the doctrinal sinew and roots to withstand the relentless propaganda of the media and especially the educational establishment. Their emotion-oriented and experiential brand of faith also left them unprepared to wage an intellectual and cultural battle for Swedish society. The evangelical churches were simply swept away by what seemed to them irresistible social forces. Their children were left to the wolves and being raised by wolves then became wolves.
Now only a remnant of these evangelical free churches remains. While most Swedes are nominally Lutheran and may attend church a few times a year for some social and cultural traditions, not more than four percent of Sweden goes to any church on most Sundays, and only about half of these are regular in attendance. Sweden is not only in a low spiritual estate, its people are very difficult to reach with the gospel. The Socialists, the media, government, and the educational establishment have done their job well.
It is infallibly true that the gates of hell will not prevail against Christs Church. But it will be a doctrinally sound and both spiritually and intellectually vibrant Church that will inevitably prevail against those formidable forces of evil. A pietistic church without strong doctrinal roots and intellectual sinew is no threat whatsoever to the gates of hell. Is Sweden the shadow of things to come in America? Will we leave our children to the wolves because we cannot discern the times 
and the influences in these shadows?
Let the American church awaken to its danger and to its duty.
March 29, 2004
Mr. Mike Scruggs is an airforce combat veteran of the Vietnam War, holding the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, and Air Medal with oak leaf cluster. He has served as an Intelligence Officer and Navigator. Currently he is a Vice President of Investments and Financial Consultant for a large investment firm. He is also Chairman of the Board of Oak Mountain Classical School and a Ruling Elder and Chairman of the Trustees of Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church. He holds a B.S. from the University of Georgia and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. Mr. Scruggs lives in Birmingham, Alabama, and may be reached for comment here.