Swedish politician criticised for creationist views

Rarely was creationism such a political issue in Sweden. Julia Kronlid, a member of the right-wing Sweden Democrats was elected the second speaker in the Riksdag. This position corresponds to the second vice-president in the Swedish Parliament. However, Kronlids election was not a formality. It took two re-elections in the Riksdag before Kronlid was chosen. At the same time, she received criticism for being an opponent of abortion and a creationist.

The criticism of Kronlid's creationist view is based on an interview from 2014 where she claims that the earth was created 6,000 years ago. So-called "young earth" creationism is based on a literal interpretation of the Bible's events and dates.

One of those who has been sharp in his criticism is the humanist Christer Sturmark. "A politician who is willing to opt out of scientific evidence that fits his own worldview is a dangerous politician", Sturmark wrote in an op-ed in Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter.

Julia Kronlid grew up within the Swedish Alliance Mission, the free church in Småland. Nowadays, she goes to a Pentecostal church in Stockholm, Grindtorpskyrkan.

Sad

Kronlid thinks it is sad that journalists picked up on some questions that "were in the margins". She says so to the Christian Swedish daily Dagen. Kronlid says that she would rather have seen her political experiences highlighted in the speaker election. According to her, the discussion about her creationist views had nothing to do with her role as a speaker.

When asked about her views on the age of the earth, Kronlid did not want to comment on it. "I don't want to go into it because it will just be additional quotes that will be distorted", Kronlid said to Dagen. "How old the earth is, that's not something I want to name. It's not something I claim to know".