AIBU to think that people should stop claiming we are a Christian country.

[Ohbehave1]

Church attendances are at a very low level. How can we claim to be Christian when virtually no one goes to church any more. It seems people are when it suits them ( births, deaths and marriages or to be anti non Christian )

The 48% figure comes from the NatCen' s British Social Attitudes Survey, which asked about religious belief in more detail than the Census. The census asked "what is your religion?" to which people Re likely to answer Christian if they are culturL Christians or to distinguish themselves from other faiths. The social attitude survey asked if people Regarded themselves as belonging to a particular religion, and if so, what. Which produced 48% having no religion and 47% as Christian.

I would be happy to call out all religious mythologies, whether that is talking snakes, Mohammed riding to heaven on a flying horse or Thor throwing thunderbolts. We are clearly living in a post Christian society not a Christian one. A good parallel would be post Roman Britain were roman culture, law, Latin etc survived the end of the western empire and were in daily use but the inhabitants were no longer roman in any meaningful sense. The state, as distinct from society is clearly Christian as witnessed by the privileges accorded the church, bishops in the House of Lords, exemption from some types of taxation etc. Atheism however is NOT a belief system, anymore than not collecting stamps is a hobby. Atheism is the rejection of the claim that there is a god. Religious believers have made a positive claim and it is up to them to discharge the burden of proof. As soon as there is proof I will change my position, how is that in anyway arrogant

Why is it bothering you so much?

Hang on, schools DO promote Christian based ideology alongside British Values. As evidenced by a pp shock at the amount of influence the Christian church has on mainstream education. And if we are a Christian country why is that so hard to believe?

but how can you say the New Testament ( as example) is anything other than mythology?

Very many people who identify as Christians accept there is a lot of mythology about their faith, some more than others. As someone who would identify as a Christian, albeit a liberal one, accepting much of it as myth is liberating, providing a context and framework for my 'spirituality'... I don't think we need to throw the baby out with the bath water.

As for New Testament, yes, there probably is quite a bit of myth in it.... But to say it is only myth is seriously overstating the atheist case though and would be to contradict pretty every academic who has studied the New Testament, be they Christian or atheist! Did you mean Old Testament

Quite a bit of myth in the New Testament? People coming back from the dead, feeding the 5000 with some loaves and fish? (I wish I could feed my family that cheaply!) There is no independent evidence for any of the events in the New Testament. Even the books themselves are anonymous and merely attributed to various authors; no serious scholar takes the current attributions seriously

Quite a bit of myth in the New Testament? People coming back from the dead, feeding the 5000 with some loaves and fish? (I wish I could feed my family that cheaply!) There is no independent evidence for any of the events in the New Testament. Even the books themselves are anonymous and merely attributed to various authors; no serious scholar takes the current attributions seriously

I fully accept there is most likely a lot of myth in the NT... But to say it is 'pure' myth is seriously overstating the case (I.e. Jesus not only didn't do x,y,z but never even existed.).

A man named Jesus may or may not have existed at the time stated-there is no academic consensus. There are some broad historical facts and historical figures are mentioned. But there is no evidence at all for the overwhelming majority of the Bible. So calling it mythological is strictly accurate.

British society is based upon judeo-Christian ethics - note I said ethics, not ideology. Thou shalt not murder , thou shalt not steal etc. it's got bugger all to do with church attendance.

Non-faith state schools should be secular in operation, with religious EDUCATION not INSTRUCTION.

Lots of people stating that the queen is the head of the Church of England "so that's why". She's not head of the church in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland though.

We are officially and culturally Christian. If we weren't, we would be like France, which is proudly secular. It's why they can ban openy religious symbols like the burka in schools but we can't.

2011 census has 59% identifying as Christian.

Not as eye catching as a linked picture.

But a far bigger survey.

(no religion 25%, Muslim 5%)

And of course it's Christan in law, too.

Soon grounds if both population self-identification and actual law, yes YABU.

It's very important to look at the question that was asked.

You do know we have a state religion, don't you? Or are you one if those people who get all testy about children having vaguely Christian assemblies in non-church schools because you don't actually know the facts of this?

Or are you one if those people who get all testy about children having vaguely Christian assemblies in non-church schools because you don't actually know the facts of this?

I'd suggest (as there is no data) that you have no idea how "vague" the assemblies are. They're pretty bloody explicit at my daughter's school. (I'm working on changing that.)

Christian people were historically the driving force behind much of our welfare system, although clearly some of them used this as a way to abuse.

But if the government have their way, the welfare system will be destroyed and the value system along with it.

"You do know we have a state religion, don't you? Or are you one if those people who get all testy about children having vaguely Christian assemblies in non-church schools because you don't actually know the facts of this?"

I do 't get testy. I don't like it and think it should stop. Which is a completely different thing. And yes, I do know the facts.

"Christian people were historically the driving force behind much of our welfare system, although clearly some of them used this as a way to abuse"

Well. It is difficult to know whether they were actually Christian people, because until relatively recently it would have been impossible to be a member of society without outwardly professing whichever version of Christianity was in favour. Fortunately, there are fewer areas of life nowadays where at least nominal Christianity is a requirement. Sadly, being educated in a state school is one.........

YANBU

A lot of people identify themselves as Christian but live together outside of marriage, have sex before marriage, and live a life that is not based on Christian values

I don't think we have anything to go on other than self-identification.

Especially of a religion that attempts to be non-judgemental (note deliberate choice of "attempt" there).

I do not think there is any particular voice in any mainstream Uk-based Christian groupings to judge whether a person is a good enough Christian.

And it would obviously be deeply inappropriate from non-Christians.

YABU, we ARE a christian country, and it is due to comments like yours OP, that our values are being eroded and / or being taken over by other religions, who unreasonably feel it is their right to come to this country and impose their beliefs.

And by the census, which is the largest survey, it's still nearly 60% Christian, around 10% other faiths and 5% Muslim.

That's three quarters of the population identify as religious, one way or another.

It's fine to wish things were different. But YABU to think that a minority view should carry more weight than the majority.