Cross on Norwegian church keeps people annoyed

As CNE reported earlier, in March, the Skien municipality granted the Skauen Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Society (DELK) permission to continue illuminating the controversial cross on top of its tower. The Christian Norwegian press agency KPK reports that this decision has now been appealed, among other things, on the grounds of an alleged health hazard.

The complainant refers to DELK’s history. KPK reports that, In 2018, the Society sent a letter to anyone who had been pupil at the church community’s primary or secondary schools in the period between 1955 to 1990. There, the church community acknowledged that some students had had bad experiences over the years due to the way some of the teachings at the schools had taken place. KPK does not report on the nature of these bad experiences. In the letter, the DELK management reiterated an apology from the 1990s to students who had been affected. “After reading these stories, it becomes quite obvious to most people that it cannot be ruled out that what we are talking about here may constitute a (mental) health problem for those who have been exposed to these atrocities”, writes Skauen church’s neighbour, Jan Eilert Løvseth in his appeal.

Løvseth, who lives about 400 meters away from the church, argues that a “health examination” may be carried out before the municipality decides on the cross at Skauen church. He fears that the shining cross will “tear open old wounds”. He also thinks that permission for the illumination of the cross will set a precedent.

Symbolism

The complainant, who has now appealed the municipality’s decision, stated last year in Telemarksavisa that the luminous cross is “annoying because we live in a residential area with a diversity of views. And it seems provocative because it is dominant and lights up 24 hours a day.”

At the same time, the complainant emphasized that it was not the light itself that was troublesome but the symbolism of the cross.

Problems

The Skien congregation opened the newly built church last summer. The cross on the church has caused problems from the start. The disputed cross has some mounted stripes with LED lights. Some neighbours, consequently, complained about the brightness. That has been dimmed several times. There is now only one neighbour who is still dissatisfied and has appealed Skien municipality’s decision.