[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Gnist

You are right. The one explanation that makes more sense than any other explanation I know of is the one I already offered. But I will go into closer detail, because it is interesting to know some history behind it.

We had here a certain degree of compulsion surrounding the church. It was mandatory to attend mass, for example. When I was searching for more precise information about the date of installation of that order, I didn't find anything, but I will keep looking. What we can assume is that the arrangements surrounding the church became looser with reformation, in the sense that they became subordinated to the King. So it's quite reasonable to assume that reformation itself was a seed of what would come later. On the one hand, the closer ties with the state enabled such a thing as mandatory attendance and observance, while on the other it left the church in the hands of political power.

Thank you for the detailed reply.
Judging from what you wrote, is seems that the reason why Swedes don't have a firm bond to their church lies in a fact that there were so many turmoils and corruption in the history of their Christianity. I guess that Church had lost its confidence in the eyes of the people through centuries because of that. But what about the pre-Christian religion in Sweden? I've read somewhere that the Christianization of Sweden wasn't exactly received with enthusiasm, since Norse paganism was forbidden in the eleventh century. Was there any impact because of that?

Originally Posted by Marulus

In more modern times, however, many people came to the conclusion that, since the Churchmen are so corrput, that the very institution of the Church has no meaning, nay, that even there is no God.

Correct. For that we can "thank" the modern world.

Is this also stemming from this overestimation of man's powers? From this worship of man I referred to... As if mortal and sinful men who make mistakes were so powerful that by their malice they could "abolish" God.

I agree. It is caused by arrogance.