The Swedish Constitution of 1975 guarantees all citizens the right to practice one’s religion alone or together with others. In 1995, after maintaining and supporting the Evangelical Lutheran Church as the official state church, government officials and church leaders mutually decided to a formal separation to go into effect in 2000. As of 1996, citizens are no longer considered a member of the Lutheran Church at birth. The 1996 US State Department Report on Human Rights says that Sweden is tolerant of diverse religions including Mormonism and Scientology.
In 1998, following the issue of reports on "cults" and "sects" by commissions in France and Belgium, Sweden appointed a commission of its own to study the issue. In October 1998, the commission issued a report. The report was much less partisan and aggressive than reports issued by the above mentioned countries. In fact, the Swedish commission concluded that the French goverment had "on a whole made common causse with the anti-culat movement." The Swedish commission sought balanced testimony from members of the religions in question and scholars who had studied new religious movements as well as anti-cult groups. Their conclusion was that " the majority of the members of new religious movements derive positve experience from their membership," and that for most ex-members "the withdrawal is usually quite undramatiic."
The report also concluded that existing laws provide adequate protection for the needs of individuals in most cases. The commission also made the point however, that freedom of religion has its limits. In particular, they stated that democratic liberties and rights of others may not be violated, and that people may not break the law in the name of religious commandments. The Commission recommended the inclusion of a proscription of "improper influence" in legislation as an added safeguard. The commission felt that this would both protect individuals from being manipulated by religious organizations and protect religious practitioners from forcible kidnapping or faith-breaking by deprogrammers.
2003 US State Department International Religious Freedom Report on Sweden
Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief Report on Sweden
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