Introduction
I am Christopher Aqurette, a Swedish writer and philosopher of religion. I was born in May 1972 at Höllviken, a coastal community in southernmost Sweden. After many years abroad, I now live with my husband in Malmö, a port not far from my birthplace, situated on the Sound opposite Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen.
Education
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Lund University. My academic interest in religion sprang from a constant confrontation with religious homophobia and its influence on society. That made me curious to learn what religion is and how it works.
Experience
I have written articles for several publications, and I was one in a small group of people who, in 1995, founded what would eventually become Sweden’s leading gay magazine and Scandinavia’s largest online community for queer people.
Journal
In April 2000, I bought my very own domain name and began to publish myself on the Internet. About five years later, in August 2005, I launched Aqurette.com as a queerly libertarian journal of religion, arts, and politics. Writing the journal has since become a daily routine and a way for me to comment on current affairs and the issues that matter to me personally.
Judaism
My Hebrew name is אבנר and I adhere to the progressive strands of Judaism that embrace pluralism, individualism, rationalism, egalitarianism, and Zionism. Although liberal in attitude to Halacha, I take Judaism very seriously. I am an active member of the Jewish Community of Malmö.
Libertarianism
Politically and philosophically, I am a libertarian who believes that people fully own themselves and have free will. It is therefore my belief that the powers of government must be kept to a minimum in order for people to enjoy maximum liberty. Members of a small minority group are especially at risk from discrimination, which is why I am a strong advocate of civil liberties. No state has the right to deny its citizens free speech, religious freedom, and political autonomy.
Queerism
Far too often, especially in European political discourse, libertarianism is reduced to a synonym for the free market. To me, the true value of libertarianism is its staunch opposition to authoritarianism and its uncompromising defence of individual liberty. Society ought to be evaluated by its treatment of the queer, by its behaviour towards those who wish to lead a life different from the established mainstream. This is why I describe my perspective as queerly libertarian.
Religion
In philosophy of religion, my position is generally that of scepticism, anti-realism, and fictionalism. Objective truth cannot be applied to theories of divinity and morality, but humankind is dependent on belief in fictitious truth for its survival and prosperity.