UDIs oxymoron: “Verdi-nøytral” (Neutral Values)

UDI is a Norwegian Department of Foreign affairs, and they have given an ultimatum to Christian organizations offering desperately needed available space for housing of refugees and other migrants to purge the premises of Christian symbols, like the cross.

In their, I must believe, well meaning efforts to use space for public service, they fall into their own trap; there is no such thing as ‘neutral’ values.  To eliminate any reference to Christianity for people who have uprooted from their Muslim territories, is not neutral. It is anti-religious; it is based on ignorance. It is in a deeper sense discriminatory. They want to hinder the ones who come here to gain understanding and knowledge of the basic values, which has helped us create a good society.

But why, one may ask? I think it is due to fear of being intruding in on a personal sphere. It may be an area the decision makers in the UDI do not relate to personally and would rather keep on arms’ length. Most Norwegians take their Christian heritage for granted; it is quite ingrained in our general values.

If you press any of them about what ‘neutral values’ would mean, they would need to resort to general statements, which in essence reflect their Christian heritage in many cases. Try, if you please, to define  ‘neutral values’ – and I think you will find you either do not talk about values, or you must give up the concept of ‘neutrality’.