Atlantica - 01.03.2002, Page 47

A T L A N T I C A 45
On Sunday mornings residents of Reykjavík awaken to the continuos clanging of church bells echoing
through the streets. With 90 percent of the population belonging to the National Church of Iceland –
Evangelical Lutheran – residents falling into the other ten percent might wonder if those bells toll for thee.
Indeed, there are plenty of alternatives in Reykjavík for those belonging to different faiths. The freshly
remodelled Catholic Church is the most noticeable example. This Gothic cathedral stands stoically upon a
hill overlooking the centre of downtown and holds public services seven days a week. There’s even a
Buddhist house of worship complete with a Thai monk to lead meditation. And that’s not all. A Buddhist
shrine sits atop a hill in Kópavogur, a suburb of Reykjavík, evidence of the ever-growing population of
Buddhists living in Iceland.
“There are no obstacles to practising religion in Iceland,” says Robert Eddison, who lived as a monk in
Thailand before moving to Iceland and starting the Buddhist Association with a group of friends in 1994. No
longer with the association, Eddison says that there is “a bias towards the state religion and school children
can sometimes face a certain amount of alienation, but for the most part there are no serious problems”.
Walking through Reykjavík, one continually notices spires rising into the skyline – the capital city’s most con-
spicuous landmark is the Hallgrímskirkja church, which towers so high it nearly touches the outskirts of
heaven. Regardless, religious tolerance is encouraged, so when those church bells ring come running
because there’s plenty of room at the table for everyone. EW
For Whom the Church Bells Toll
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[ IDEAS OF INTEREST IN ICELAND ]
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PHOTO PÁLL STEFÁNSSON
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