Editing Separation of church and state (section)

===Finland===
The [[Constitution of Finland]] declares that the organization and administration of the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland]] is regulated in the Church Act, and the organization and administration of the [[Finnish Orthodox Church]] in the Orthodox Church Act. The Lutheran Church and the Orthodox Church thus have a special status in Finnish legislation compared to other religious bodies, and are variously referred to as either "national churches" or "state churches", although officially they do not hold such positions.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Khag6tbsIn4C&dq=constitution+of+finland+church+act&pg=PA45|title=State-Religion Relationships and Human Rights Law: Towards a Right to ... – Jeroen Temperman – Google Books|date=August 19, 2020|isbn=978-9004181489 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819135005/https://books.google.com/books?id=Khag6tbsIn4C&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=constitution+of+finland+church+act&source=bl&ots=SyaSALeKWe&sig=i9jOA2Ja-zalh7G-KT3JGBj6vKQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1uYX6ronOAhVMWywKHY7DCxgQ6AEIKjAC#v=onepage&q=constitution+of+finland+church+act&f=false |archive-date=2020-08-19 |last1=Temperman |first1=Jeroen |publisher=BRILL }}</ref> The Lutheran Church does not consider itself a state church, and prefers to use the term "national church".<ref>{{Cite web | title = Valtiokirkko purettu kansankirkoksi | trans-title = State Church Dismantled into National Church | publisher = Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland | work = evl.fi | date = 24 November 2006 | access-date = 23 July 2016 | url = http://evl.fi/EVLfi.nsf/Documents/85BBFB4816F713BEC2256FEA003A7232 | language = fi | archive-date = 28 June 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160628125115/http://evl.fi/EVLfi.nsf/Documents/85BBFB4816F713BEC2256FEA003A7232 | url-status = live }}</ref>

The Finnish Freethinkers Association has criticized the official endorsement of the two churches by the Finnish state, and has campaigned for the separation of church and state.<ref>[[Eroakirkosta.fi]] – [http://eroakirkosta.fi/media/taustatietoa/toiminta-ajatus.html Palvelun tavoite: Kirkko on erotettava valtiosta] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307032405/http://eroakirkosta.fi/media/taustatietoa/toiminta-ajatus.html |date=March 7, 2016 }}</ref>