More fiction than fact in encyclopedia article about free churches

Since 2001, schoolchildren using the publicly owned online encyclopedia Faktalink have been able to read that free churches in Denmark are fundamentalist, reject natural science, and work to "establish a true moral society" where all criticism of the Bible is dismissed as blasphemous.

Prejudices are lined up in the online encyclopedia Faktalink, where Danish free churches and the Inner Mission are lumped together with the far-right in the USA in an article about fundamentalism and, among other things, are accused of rejecting natural science and working to "establish a true moral society" where all criticism of the Bible is dismissed as blasphemous. It also states: "...one protests against any attempt to point out internal contradictions in the Bible and any attempt to take into account the historical circumstances under which it was created."
Faktalink is run by the Danish Library Centre (DBC), which also operates Filmstriben. DBC is owned by the state through the Ministry of Culture and Local Government Denmark. The target audience for Faktalink is 10-12-year-old schoolchildren, who have access to the encyclopedia via their so-called UNI-Login, provided by the Ministry of Education.
Venstre's church spokesperson, Carl Holst, sees the matter as a symptom of religious phobia.
- In a time when we are struggling with fake news, it is crucial that we do not also have to struggle with fake facts - especially from a tax-funded institution that primarily targets schoolchildren. It is important that we do not become so religiously phobic that we fail to treat religious matters in a truthful way, he says.

Christian fundamentalism hardly exists in Denmark
In Faktalink, free churches are described as fundamentalist in the sense that they "view the Bible as the word of God."
- Grossly misleading, says Viggo Mortensen, professor emeritus at Aarhus University, about that definition*. 
Hans Raun Iversen, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, elaborates*:
- All Christians view the Bible as the word of God.
He explains that there are two prevailing views of the Bible in Denmark, both of which apply within both the National Church and free church contexts: the orthodox and the conservative, but neither of them is fundamentalist in the true sense of the word.
- In contrast to these Danish tendencies is American fundamentalism, which has often developed an anti-intellectualism and cultural isolationism that has cut it off from most public debate. Such fundamentalism only exists in nascent forms in Denmark – and presumably to the same extent in the National Church and the free churches, he says.
Hans Raun Iversen further states that "Danish free churches are generally culturally, academically, and politically active and anything but isolationist." He also highlights that, especially among charismatically oriented free churches, the Bible is far from the only and often not even the most important source of Christian inspiration.
- Instead, it is the conversion experiences and the ongoing experiences in the – more or less explicitly charismatic – spiritual life of the individual and in the churches' congregations.

An article far below standard
Faktalink's description of the free church movement as fundamentalist does not, therefore, draw on expert knowledge. Professor emeritus Viggo Mortensen says about the article's use of the word fundamentalism:
- A concept that - if defined correctly - can contribute to a certain understanding, is used here quite flippantly about everything the author dislikes. If you simply believe that there should be consistency between what you think, believe, and mean, then you are a fundamentalist.
- This is not an article that a serious educational medium could use. It is based on a very selective and prejudiced reading of a very narrow selection of possible sources.
Associate Professor Hans Raun Iversen agrees:
- Overall, I find the article far below the standard one must expect from articles on public websites that, moreover, characterize themselves as factual.

The reason for the prejudice
For Mikael Wandt Laursen, General Secretary of FrikirkeNet, the case is an important reminder of the significance of definitions.
- This is not the first time we have experienced free churches being described as fundamentalist on an unsubstantiated and factually incorrect basis. Part of the reason is pure ignorance and prejudice, and it reflects a worldview where anything Christian—especially outside the established national church—is perceived as dangerous.
Furthermore, Mikael Wandt Laursen also believes that a political agenda is at play for some:
- It seems as though some actors are determined to find a Christian parallel to Islamic fundamentalism to create a kind of balance that fits their own narrative. It is simply prejudiced and grossly simplistic, and it contributes to a less nuanced world.
Despite FrikirkeNet’s attempts to engage with Faktalink for more than 16 months, it was only after Kristeligt Dagblad and Carl Holst from the Liberal Party (Venstre) intervened that Faktalink took the article down. Faktalink has apologized to FrikirkeNet for the slow response time, citing "a combination of unfortunate circumstances."

*See PDF file below