Many young people are faced with a big choice when confirmation time approaches: Should they be confirmed in the church or humanistically? – It has always been a matter of course that I will confirm myself in humanities, says Oda Aakvik (15). She is sitting with 80 other graduates in the concert hall at Stormen in Bodø, where they are having a dress rehearsal for tomorrow’s big ceremony. Aakvik and the other confirmation candidates are not alone in this, because this year there are a record number of people choosing humanistic confirmation. According to figures from the Human-Ethical Association, there are 15,041 young people in Norway who choose humanistic confirmation, which is 1,300 more than last year. – My brother did it humanistically and so the family is not particularly religious, says Aakvik. Next to her is Kristiane Steinsdatter-Sandmo (14), who is also confirmed in humanities. She was very clear about the choice. – I was quite early on in knowing what it was I believed in, says Sandmo. In Bodø alone, it has almost doubled in the last five years from 119 to 227 young people who choose humanistic confirmation. – I think it will be more open so that more people can do it, and can make the choice themselves, says Aakvik. Not a surprise General Secretary Trond Enger of the Human-Ethical Association says they are not surprised that more people choose humanistic confirmation. – Humanist confirmation is seen as a Norwegian tradition like other ceremonies. In addition, more people know about the offer and use it, and we have the offer in several places in the country, so that more people get the opportunity. Secretary General of the Human-Ethical Association, Trond Enger says that they are very proud and happy that so many choose to celebrate the entrance to adulthood with them. he adds that there has been an increase over time, so it is not a surprise to them. Photo: Human-Ethical Association For the Church of Norway, the trend has been the opposite. In 2022, for the first time, less than half of the confirmatory cohort did not receive church confirmation. The Church of Norway does not yet have the figures clear on how many will be confirmed with them this year, but in 2022 the number was 32,500. – It is slowly decreasing, but the proportion of our baptized who choose to be confirmed remains stable at almost 80 per cent, says Jan Christian Kielland, department director for church studies and ecumenism in the Church of Norway. Want to change the curriculum Kielland believes that the changes are largely explained by population development, where you get a society made up of several religions and views of life. – Then there will be fewer people who are both baptized and confirmed in the Church of Norway. At the same time, 5–6 per cent of 15-year-olds are confirmed in another denomination, he says. – We see that vacancies contribute to fewer people being confirmed in the Church of Norway. If, for example, a small place lacks a priest, it becomes less attractive for young people to be confirmed since they do not know the priest, he believes. Kielland says that they are very aware of the numbers and are working on measures to make it more attractive to be confirmed in the Church of Norway. Jan Christian Kielland in the Church of Norway says that they are working on measures to get more people to confirm with them. Photo: The Norwegian Church – Our natural goal is that everyone who is baptized in the church is confirmed with us, so that number is something we must try to get higher. – We are working on revising our curriculum for the confirmation period, making registration easier and working to ensure that more congregations offer camps. Kåre Sigvald Fuglseth is a professor at the teacher training program at Nord University in Bodø, where he teaches in KRLE. Humanist confirmation exists in Sweden, but they do not receive the same support from the state as in Norway, according to Fuglseth. The professor adds that the Swedish state is not as generous in Norway when it comes to state support for faith and outlook outside the Church of Sweden Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news He says that the way confirmation has developed in terms of society is interesting. – It is surprising that an old Christian tradition linked to baptism has become a more secular tradition. The connection may be that it became a rite of passage in Lutheran state churches. The tradition is almost gone Fuglseth believes it is interesting to compare Norway and Sweden. – In Sweden, the tradition has almost completely disappeared. The Swedish Church confirms only a quarter of the litter in Sweden. The same has not happened here, where the church and humanities are well over 80 per cent. The professor explains that the fact that you can choose different directions in Norway may have helped to keep the confirmation tradition going. – In that way, one can imagine that the humanistic confirmation has helped to strengthen the ecclesiastical one and not the other way around. Humanistic confirmation has strengthened the ecclesiastical Kåre Sigvald Fuglseth points out that the humanistic confirmation may have helped to strengthen the ecclesiastical. Photo: Henning Winnem Sørelv / news Fuglseth believes that the increase in humanistic confirmation may be due to a long secularization process, and describes that we are getting a society that is becoming more diverse with many different directions to choose between. – Old traditions become something you have to choose. It can create uncertain situations where many have to try to find their own way and creates other options. Then there will be a void behind the church activity that must be filled with something, and then humanistic confirmation will be a way to fill it. Keeping tradition strong together The Church of Norway and the Human-Ethical Association find the professor’s theory interesting. – We do not have a documented connection to this in Norway, but it is an interesting theory. Having more offers makes it more common to be confirmed, and I see it can help to keep it up for the church as well, says Kielland. He believes that, together with the Church of Norway, they are responsible for a very fine tradition where families can mark and celebrate their youth in a solemn way. – But the fact that people have a choice about where they want to be confirmed is an important reason that keeps the tradition strong in Norway, says Enger. Aakvik and Sandmo were confirmed on 13 May and had a great day. – The ceremony was very nice and the keynote speech was very moving, says Aakvik. Oda Aakvik says that she was very nervous before she went on stage, but that everything went well. Photo: Henning Winnem Sørelv / news – Had a nice day with friends and family, says Sandmo. Kristiane Steinsdatter-Sandmo says that having to give a speech during the ceremony was a bit scary, but that she got to challenge herself. Photo: Henning Winnem Sørelv / news
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A record number of young people are doing like Oda and Kristiane – news Nordland
