How Christian / atheist is England these days?

[Reluctantadult]

This has come to mind today because of many people saying God save the King, on TV, radio, social media. How religious are we as a country these days? What is your opinion on this?

As a child of the early 80s I think religion was a part of the fabric of school. As an adult I am not religious. I am a scientist by education. I suppose if I am honest I view it as out dated and thought we were a largely atheist society. But I am often surprised when I find that day a colleague or a parent believes in God or is a practicing Christian.

I will go off and have a look at the census later!

Judging from the amount of "Rest in Peace" comments, or "she'll be back with Philip at last" - you'd think everyone was Christian, or at least religious.

But in reality, I don't think they are - the sayings are trotted out because they are traditional, not because they mean anything.

With apologies to any Christians reading this - there is no "resting in peace" if you're not religious, and nor are we re-united with anyone who has previously died after our own death.

I know a lot of practicing Christians, but then I am also one. I also have a lot of other friends of other religions and none.

I think a lot of people are saying "God save the King" because that's the tradition rather than they believe it.

I'm not sure how accurate the census would be really. For example my ex lists himself as Christian as he was Christened as a baby. He doesn't believe in God though.

Of the people I know I'd say 10% are practicing Christians.

However many others would still write 'Christian' when filling in a survey or being asked directly, and many still use the church when it comes to traditions - church weddings, having children baptised, funerals etc.

I think a lot of the expressions have social and cultural meaning as much as a religious meaning. It’s almost reflexive. I still say ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes, celebrate Christmas, and enjoy an Ave Maria as much as the next person, but I’m a out and out atheist. I also think there is much comfort to be derived from thinking that people do meet their loved ones again and for many it’s an easy ‘lie’ to yourself. I believe that when we die we return to the earth to nourish and sustain it, and for me there is value in that, but also that it’s unpalatable to many people.

God save the king is just what you're supposed to sat. Not reflective of people's actual beliefs.

My culture is Christian but I am an athiest and I sing god save the Queen as well as anyone

That's how I take it too, but I wonder if other people mean it?!

There’s middle ground though between Christian and atheist.

IME a lot of people have some belief, or want to, but don’t believe in organised religion. But they’re more agnostic than atheist or Christian, and many others are spiritual.

I'm a practicing Anglican and I suspect will be all my life. I also suspect that I'll be the one turning out the lights, which isn't a nice feeling at all.

I'm in NZ and we've had the same precipitous decline here.

i think the reason is clear - the Anglican Church was traditionally the very place for culturally Christian agnostics, and it worked because until quite recently that's where perhaps the majority of people were at. The more downright minority had the option of Catholicism or the independent evangelical churches.

But as the majority has moved away from Christianity, although they may remain agnostic, that space isn't needed.

I don't think this is a good thing at all - while I accept people's experience of church varies Anglicanism has been great for me and I got lots of good examples of quiet, understated kindness when growing up - I don't see that around so much now.

A few years back I visited the UK and in Sunday went to a local parish church. Full of families with kids. Great - except it became very clear very quickly just why they were there. Massive ruckus and noise throughout the service. It wasn't kids having fun noise, it was kids pissing around noise, with the parents but lifting a finger to stop it. Yep - just there to get entry to the local C of E school. The only people there actually engaging with the service were probably the vicar and my family.

I don't think it's ever been truly Christian.
I don't think we ever really stopped being pagans tbh

It's an interesting point. People say sometimes that Christianity isn't truly indigenous to the UK (and Europe in general), because it's an import from the Middle East and that paganism is.

I don't think that's right at all for various reasons, most most importantly, Christianity, in becoming and remaining the majority belief system for well over thousand years took on lots of useful things from paganism.

Christianity is very syncretic in its origins and it varies over the world.

I think I heard Nigel Farage say the other day that We are 47% Christian in this country

I say god save the king and I'm an atheist (baptised so technically a Christian but do not have a belief)

Believing there is a God can be different from being a baptised or practising Christian, or of another faith. I think those believing in no God are still a minority.

Even in 1851 only a third of people attended church.

Has anyone read Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy?

Set in the mid nineteenth century. Very much about the local church. Hardly anyone went and while the vicar was a recognised authority, no one paid him too much mind and the book has a definite atmosphere of 'whatever' about religious observance.

A bit like diversity initiatives and diversity officers today actually!