Entices with Norwegian course
The Church of Jesus Christ tempts unsuspecting exchange students to come to the Church with offers of a free Norwegian course.
"FREE NORWEGIAN COURSE. Our 6 week course will begin on Wednesday January 14th at 17:00. [...] P.S It`s free!"
That is what the note hung up at International Student Union's (ISU) building says. The building is at Moholt Studentby, where many exchange students live.
Both ISU and NTNU arrange Norwegian courses, but it is far from everyone who get one of the limited places. If one chooses to use the free offer that is advertised at Moholt, one might get surprised. The address on the note will bring you to the Mormon church; The Church of Jesus Christ.
The representative of the church, who wishes to stay anonymous, tells us about the reasons for giving a Norwegian course.
– We are not Norwegian teachers, but missionaries, he says, and tells us that it is an open offer and that the course itself is not religious.
Even though the course itself is not religious, the hour long séance also has religious content, exchange student Silvia Avoguadra confirms.
– The teachers said prayers in the beginning and at the end of the first meeting, she tells us, and adds that she did not feel any religious pressure, but found the course useful.
When asked if students with other religious convictions are welcome on the course, the church's representative answers that the course is for everyone who wants to learn Norwegian, and that they did not mean to insult anyone with the religious segments.
