Nýlega birti sænska dagblaðið Dagens Nyheter (dn.se) stefnuyfirlýsingu tólf vel þekktra mennta- og framámanna í Svíþjóð þar sem þeir kalla eftir veraldlegu samfélagi. Meðal þeirra eru:
Björn Ulvaeus – söngvari, lagahöfundur og hljóðfæraleikari ABBA,
Hans Bergström – fyrrum ritstjóri Dagens Nyheter,
Eva Dahlgren – söngkona og lagahöfundur,
Christer Fuglesang – geimfari,
Morgan Johansson – fyrrum félagsmálaráðherra,
Stellan Skarsgård – leikari
og Christer Sturmark – formaður sænsku siðrænu húmanistasamtakanna Humanisterna.
Tvö textabrot úr yfirlýsingunni eru sem hér segir:
„Why is it important to have a secular society? Because it is the only kind of society that shows the same respect for all people, whatever their cultural or religious background. In the secular society there is freedom of religion, the right to believe in any god you wish – but also the right to not believe in any god at all.“
„For too many people in the world religion … means an obligation to submit to other people’s perceptions of God’s will. Women are stoned to death under Sharia law. Girls’ schools are destroyed by the Taliban in the name of God. 70,000 women die as a result of illegal abortions each year. Those who survive are condemned by the clergy, or thrown into prison, in many Catholic countries. In several countries, LGBT people are imprisoned and harassed; in some places, they are even in danger of being executed. Every day, we read about beaten LGBT activists and Pride parades prohibited for religious reasons.“
Hægt er að lesa alla stefnulýsinguna (á sænsku) á vef Dagens Nyheter