to think we no longer live in a Christian country

[orlantina]

More than 53% of people have no faith - according to a recent survey.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41150792

That figure changes to 71% amongst 18-25 yr olds.

It surveyed 3000 adults - so it would be interesting to look behind the stats but it seems that more than half the country have no religion.

Christianity is still probably the most common religion out there.

Should this have implications for areas of national life?

That's not quite the same thing is it? You do understand that the vast, vast majority of people who practice Islam aren't extremists?

Of course i realise that. I don't need any lessons or to be preached to. Why can't people accept others opinions. I don't need to be told how i should feel.

'User': I think you will find numerous threads on MN and plenty of commentary elsewhere that ranges from critical to hate crime about Islam.

And Islam is not at the heart of out constitution, as the CoE is.

And honestly, I have never, ever knocked on people's doors, accosted them in the street to persuade them to be atheists.

I have twice had my disabled child pounced on by uninvited would-be 'faith healers ' in the street, with an unwanted religious commentary, told the disability is due to my sin while buying a pint of milk.

I cannot send my Dc to the two closest primary schools because despite the education there being wholly paid for by the taxpayer places are only open to those who attend church. The Christian church.

So I do feel that the church has an influence over my life and I am entitled to protest.

Of course i realise that. I don't need any lessons or to be preached to. Why can't people accept others opinions. I don't need to be told how i should feel

With respect when you type sentences such as Islam wants everyone to be Muslim it's kind of important to get clarification on something that isn't factually correct.

Enthusiasm: in a properly secular society NO religion would be the basis of law.
Religions would not be exempt from law.

Dope one of the things I feel most strongly about is that education and religion should be separated and schools should not be selective on faith grounds, or rather if they are they should be wholly self-supported and not receive funding from the tax payer

putting out conspiracy theory stuff like that is the same as saying the 'jews are running the world' to justify anti semitism. just look at any map of the world most of the southern and northern hempispheres are majority christian countries, north and south america, europe, russia, sub saharan africa, the pacific countries, muslim majority countries are only 50 out of 200 world nations. dont begrudge those muslims majority countries their falling infant mortality rates lets look at what is happening here in the UK and the rest of the west that is causing our own birth rate to fall. its not so much the decline of christianity as the decline of the western population.

ontop of the inexplicable fall in sperm count over the last 40 years, there is also the inhibitory effect of large amounts of debt eg student loans and mortgage loans that make people put off having children or only have a few. its debt that makes people put off having children not poverty. these are environmental and societal issues to look at instead of 'islam is on the rise'. don't get manipulated or strike out at the wrong target.

You said "so you want everyone to be Christian" , which was a pathetic thing to say. The thread is about Christianity on the way out in this country, but someone said "but Islam is on the rise" , you failed to understand why i, as a Christian would not be happy with that, saying "so you want everyone to be Christian"? Massive misinterpretation of what i said and imo looking for an argument.

Meh. Can't be arsed to RTFT, as know how it's probably gone.
I've grown up knowing about Christianity, but also I know that there's more than one religion out there.
Might sound simplistic, but if we could embrace us all believing in different stuff rather than force others to believe what we do, then we wouldn't have such a problem than what we do.
Live by the motto each to their own. World would be a much happier place.

I know that Dope

I can't see that happening changing the business calendar of western society for one

schools would be a good start secular schooling is something I fully support

the world would probably be better without any kind of religion

Agreeing with this more and more lately, as all it seems to do is cause barriers - this is what you believe, this is what I believe, and if we can't agree then let's start wars.

Agree 469

No. I said "so you want everyone to be a Christian?" Which was a question because I really can't understand for the life of me why in the UK (I presume) where you are free to practice religion freely without persecution you're worried about people practising Islam.

Absolutely not at all worried about anyone practicing Islam in the UK. I wasn't the one who said it was on the rise in the UK. If that is the case, and Christianity is on the way out, why would i be happy. If a devout muslim living in a muslim country was told Islam is on the way out but Christianity is on the rise, would they be jumping for joy?
Really don't get the lack of understanding where i was coming from.

Doesn't seem so anymore. But I would be sad to lose religion altogether personally.

I think it should be separate from state, but I don't think religion needs wiping from the earth either.

Fundamentalist religion however... well they should have programmes, like they do for speeding to educate people a bit further on history of religion before they get too extreme.

But then I also think wars aren't really ever over religion, and always over money and religion is used as the scapegoat. I don't think we're bombing Iraq to get rid of ISIS tbh... I think we're bombing the Middle East to get richer

jaques the extremists do

If I put myself down on a sheet or census or whatever, I say I'm a Christian.
I still hold Christian values as that's what I was brought up with. Do I expect everyone to go along with me? No. We're all different.
Christian values are important to me in marriage and kids, for example. You find a partner who thinks the same.
I don't get why some think "Islam's taking over." No, it's not. Why can't you just believe what you want to believe?
I don't for example agree with anything the KKK says. Never would, never will.

I notice that some athesists are massive hypocrites. They claim they don't believe in God or Jesus, and that they HATE religion, but they don't seem to be able to stop themselves commenting on it. I don't like football, and guess what? I never fucking talk about it

If a football team was linked to the State, if we had a national football team, if football teams had players in the House of Lords, if schools had to have an act of worship to a particular team everyday etc, then I think people who either supported a different team or didn't like football would then comment on it - especially if most people didn't like football.

Oh - and if schools were given State funding and allowed to discriminate in favour of people who claimed to be followers of particular football team, then I think people would have some issues with that.

You can't stop people following particular beliefs. No matter what you think of them.

You can separate religion and State. And ensure that people with particular religious beliefs are treated exactly the same as people who don't have religious beliefs.

The Christian culture in the uk is embedded within our tradition, tolerant to other faiths. If the uk were to have a disestablished church I think the traditions would be under threat as other religions sought to take the dominant role. The Christian faith of today in the uk is accepting and inclusive , I am not sure all that all religions would be so accepting and tolerant in a struggle to take the dominant position

If the uk were to have a disestablished church I think the traditions would be under threat as other religions sought to take the dominant role

What traditions do you think would be under threat?

Most Western countries have no link between Church and State and cope. I think that the UK one of only 2 Western countries to have a State religion. There are other countries which have state religions.

simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_religion

I think a good start would be secularising education. I resent that many of the schools my taxes support are closed off to my daughter. I just don't see how that's justifiable in 2017 in an increasingly secular society.

If that is the case, and Christianity is on the way out, why would i be happy

Because Islam isn't the cause of Christianity being on the way out. It isn't a case of everyone defecting.

53% of those asked have no religion.

Rather than railing against Islam if I was concerned at waning numbers in the Christian church I would be looking at Christianity as a model and trying to figure out why it's so unappealing to many people

Some of the most narrow minded people are religious especially when it comes to immigrants. I tell them Jesus was a refugee they don't like it.

They are mainly Catholics.