To ask why religion is declining in Britain

[Jackieweaver2024]

Just that really I would be interested to hear everyone’s opinions?

Because people felt judged if they didn’t go. When they realised they didn’t have to, they stopped.

I know a few people from my childhood who still attend Catholic Church and it works for them.
I know more people who attend evangelical churches. Including a member of DHs family who I would say is obsessive and unhealthy with it.

I remember my SIL started going again when she had children and she lasted about 6 months (CofE) before admitting she thought it was really boring and stopped going.

Because the majority of children aren't routinely indoctrinated from birth by their families any more.

They get the free will to question and choose and most don't choose any religion.

If Religion is "horribly misogynistic", I assume that doesn't include CofE where many Clergy are women, including Bishops.

As PP's have said, increased critical thinking and relevance. But also a refusal to be held accountable for their actions. I suspect the current popular phrase "Don't judge me!" is really code for "I don't want anyone to draw attention to the shitty thing I've done because there's really no justification for it".

Plus, being the prodigal son is still a tough gig with few perks!

@DNHandTNS
Hahahahaha
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Oh
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Hahaha

@DNHandTNS

If Religion is "horribly misogynistic", I assume that doesn't include CofE where many Clergy are women, including Bishops.

Why would it not include CofE just because they pay some of the handmaidens?

@Iamthewombat

Because established religion like Cof E is no longer in any way relevant to the rest of the population. My DC were Cathedral choristers and what I saw was appalling - no pastoral care, no recognition they were anything other than singing machines

So you lost your faith because your chorister children weren’t praised enough?

Where did she say that? Do you know what pastoral care means?

We don’t need god. We’ve got Twitter

To look at it critically, it's useful to compare to other Christian countries where religion is also declining and those where it's not. It seems to me that poorer and/or more conservative nations maintain a high level of religious belief/worship, while richer and/or more progressive/liberal/tolerant countries do not.

I think it's quite obvious why poorer people are more likely to hold onto religion, and presumably the conservative countries do so because Christianity is a very conservative belief system.

It's not served up in a 60 second soundboard or 280 characters. It's not easy. It requires you to live differently. Be a better person. It's hard to understand. As said here there are many more fun things to be doing like shopping or watching TV.

There is much more choice in spiritual expression now.

Its a bit of a joke blaming better education and more critical thinking. If anything, society's malaise is the opposite. Do any of the people who post this stuff stop to think critically about what they are saying? Or just go on to be casually bigoted and judgemental.

Christianity is growing globally. Must be all those thick foreigners eh?

You have NO AUTHORITY here to ask this question, NO AUTHORITY whatsoever

OP didn’t bother their arse to put any effort in to their post, or reply. Rude. Why do you want to know? What have you done to educate yourself on the subject? Any thoughts on the replies?

@evenBetter

OP didn’t bother their arse to put any effort in to their post, or reply. Rude. Why do you want to know? What have you done to educate yourself on the subject? Any thoughts on the replies?

Probably got an essay to write!

Because people have realised it's bunkum and they no longer have to pretend it's not to appease anyone.

Because all voluntary societies are on the decline.

I don't see that people on general are better at critical thinking then they used to be, unless Instagram is what you mean by that.

@Marinaloves

We don’t need god. We’ve got Twitter

And the welfare state.

@Greendoonan

Too much other stuff to do. I can see why you might go to church when there was no telly, for a bit of a sing song and some story telling. But it’s unnecessary now that we have Netflix.

This.

It's all because those evil supermarkets opened on Sunday.

Re Why would it not include CofE just because they pay some of the handmaidens?

Can somebody please clarify what type of handmaiden they are referring to here?

Education

@TomPinch
Eh?!
We’ve had the welfare state for ages
Are you saying people don’t need god because they’re on universal credit!

@TomPinch
Voluntary societies
People have never known life so good
Life is good.
It’s fucking amazing compared to what people endured in the past.
Sorry the poor aren’t taking your spoon fed bull shit to keep them in their place anymore

Religion has and always has been about controlling the masses

People think that they have all the answers and will do what they think is right in their lives.
They might think that Christian religion has lost touch with today’s world. I am a Christian & the congregation at the church I ‘attend’ is consistently growing, even during lockdown.

Religion in general? Where is your proof?

But I agree there is a perception that 'religion is declining' - and I would suggest that is by design ie deliberate over the last few decades. Just my opinion, not always popular.

Marina - yes, organised religion isn't need for control anymore - they have smart phones, social media and entertainment to control the masses. We can get people to wear masks 'for the greater good' based on little scientific evidence for example ...

And because of social media connections, people are even less likely to stand up for their beliefs if it means they will seem different to their peers. Peer pressure exists even more than it used to.

Likely for the same reason it is in many western countries.

Charles Taylor, one of the best known English-language philosophers (he's Canadian), wrote a book called "The Secular Age" on this topic which has been quite influential among scholars on the topic.

He very much rejects the idea that it's much to do with scientific discoveries or more knowledge or anything about that, and as a person educated in the history of philosophy he's well aware that the religious worldview of the west has a significant and strongly rooted philosophical tradition.

He suggests that significant cultural changes in background worldview are what drove such a massive move toward secularisation, including a change in how people view and experience time, a change in the perception of how the individual is related to the community, a cultural preference for and even assumption of materialism, among other things.