In 2003, the Freethinkers of Tampere created eroakirkosta.fi, a website which allows church members to resign online. The service was made possible by a change in law which allowed members to resign by letter — before this time, one would have to go to the magistrate, on in some cases the church, in order to resign. The historical difficulty in resigning, combined with the extremely high baptism rate, means the church is still full of people in whose lives it plays no part but who continue to fund it.

The good folk behind eroakirkosta.fi have now published an article (in English!) which highlights some of the problems and inequalities behind the state church system, and reports promising developments in the resignation rates. The website seems to have been a great help in resigning; in 2006, as many as 80% of all resignations were submitted through the website, with many quoting the ease of resignation as an important motivator.

The article doesn’t go as far as to suggest ways to revoke the privileged status of the Evangelical Lutheran Church; I would’ve liked to see a short summary of this too, as it is the goal of the Finnish Union of Freethinkers. Anyway, it’s excellent work!