An article in today's Eesti Päevaleht reports that Estonia is one of only four countries in the world to receive full marks for religious freedom from the Hudson Institute in Washington (the others being fellow Christian club members Ireland, Hungary and - inevitably - the United States).
It makes you wonder what the criteria were. The US is well known as the birthplace of tele-Evangelism and for providing homes to one kooky cult after another, largely without rebuke, so you kind of get that. Ireland has a strong religious heritage. Don't know much about Hungary. But Estonia? The article cites the "strong linkage between levels of religious freedom and degree of economic freedom and enterprise" in its highest ranking countries, which would probably see Estonia qualify on those grounds alone.
But does absence of religion equate to freedom of religion? The article was accompanied by an illustration (pictured) underscoring the world's religious diversity, but I would posit that hardly any of them are represented in this country. Estonia has always seemed to me to be a deeply unreligious place, in the general meaning of the word. Religion seems to play a minor role in the lives of the great majority of the population. Yes, a brand new synagogue was recently opened, meaning the Jewish community are catered for, but that's about it.
Just because the media don't reflect it doesn't mean it isn't there, of course, and if Estonia really is as liberal towards people's beliefs as this report suggests it is, then that's great. I'm all for people believing whatever they want, so long as it doesn't impinge on anyone else. And apart from the Mormons stalking the streets, maybe that's what the other religious folk in the country think, too.
