Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how many Christians you know in real life?

147 replies

Shutupdad · 01/12/2022 16:03

In the census it said that now less than half of the UK identify as Christians. I am amazed it’s so high since personally I know a few elderly people and one family who are very born again/evangelical who are Christian in my real life. The vast majority of people I know are agnostic or atheist. I don’t have very strong views on religion. I’m Agnostic but I enjoy going to church on Christmas and Easter. I find there to be something comforting about the services but I can’t really describe myself as a Christian. Maybe I just live in a bubble and there are loads of religious people out there. It seems like only the very enthusiastic evangelical type of church seems to be growing and even then it’s quite small numbers. Aibu to ask if you know any Christians?

OP posts:
hellosunshineagainxxx · 01/12/2022 16:34

I know more muslims than Christians. In my early 30s and can name two people I know that are Christian and thats it, no one in mine of my husbands family are religious at all

ScarierThanBoo · 01/12/2022 16:34

I know one Catholic who like me does not offer the information freely to anybody as we have both experienced quite nasty, hostile challenging behaviour from some atheists who think they are the first people to come at us with "Gotcha's!". We are practicing year round Catholic and we have loads of C o E and Universal Church friends.

PrincessConstance · 01/12/2022 16:34

I was, raised a devout catholic in a soviet country. Dp's family converted to Jehovah's Witnesses when he was 7. We've had some interesting discussions as we don't have many of those in my home country.

Stressybetty · 01/12/2022 16:36

Brother and sister in-law are saved Christians whatever that is. Now NC as he's a total nasty dick as well!

Yarrawonga · 01/12/2022 16:36

Too many to count. I’m a regular church goer. As are most of my extended family.

DinosApple · 01/12/2022 16:38

Loads and loads.
I'm Catholic, but beyond a large extended family and those I see at church I don't know many more Catholics irl iykwim - it's generally a surprise when I find out and very few people bring it up in general conversation.

Other than that I know lots of families that go to the free church, church of England, Methodists, etc. I know three ministers and a few vicars.

Most of my close friends are atheists. Its not a huge deal. I don't choose my friends based on their views of god or religion.

I did get flamed on here once for having married an atheist 🤣. My heritage is pretty mixed with RC, CofE, Jewish and Hindu so I come from a pretty mixed bunch and it doesn't seem to cause the huge rifts that it could.

InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits · 01/12/2022 16:38

I don’t think I know any, unless they are keeping it on the down low.

Im atheist but don’t tend to discuss religion much.

I went to a church school as I didn’t have a choice then but I’m not christened, nor are my children, I’ve never actually been to a christening or to a wedding in a church.

I don’t really personally know anyone of any active faith.

Catinabeanbag · 01/12/2022 16:39

At least a couple of hundred... but I also work for the CofE, so that helps 😁

RunRunRunSomeMore · 01/12/2022 16:39

The thing is, the census question asking people if they "identify" as Christian probably doesn't mean very much. A large proportion of those people were probably just told by their parents that they're a Christian family, have always put that in the box when asked, never really think much about it and certainly never attend church, but when pressed about whether they believe in God kind of scratch their heads and say "yeah, I think there's probably something out there like that".

If that's "Christian" then it probably includes many, possibly most, of the people I know. If you mean regularly churchgoers who have really thought about the faith and practising it in a meaningful way, then it would be much less.

123woop · 01/12/2022 16:41

Maybe not the majority of people, but id say a good 60-70% of people I know would describe themselves as Christian and of those maybe 20% are churchgoers on a regular basis? (I'm not religious to add)

Fizbosshoes · 01/12/2022 16:42

I know lots from the church I went to in my teens/20s and a church I went to until about 4 years ago.
I don't think I would describe myself as Christian now and I left the church as I felt like I didn't believe a lot of the teaching and didn't agree with their stance on the roles of women both in the church and in society, and their views on homosexuality. I still have lots of good friends from there though.

torquewench · 01/12/2022 16:43

Merlott · 01/12/2022 16:30

Plenty of people don't announce their beliefs!

E.g. at work, it would be a bit off to go around introducing yourself as a Christian/inviting people to church etc.

Someone I work with does just that and won't take the hint that no-ones interested in joining their evangelical cult.

CremeEggsForBreakfast · 01/12/2022 16:44

Oh, I don't know.... Maybe the hundred or so people in my church, the separate group of friends I made at Uni, friends and family in my hometown.....

I'm in my early 30s and my church friends span all generations - young children attending with their family, teenagers who actively participate in the life of the church, a flourishing group of people in their 20s and 30s, people in my parents generation who care for me and my family like they are my parents, and the older members of the congregation who nurture the children and bring so much wisdom.

And these people are a mixture of regular church attendees and those with a very real faith whether or not they attend church. It doesn't count those who might call themselves Christian but don't actively practice the faith.

This thread sounds like one of those "But I don't personally know anyone who's struggling financially so I don't believe there's a cost of living crisis" type threads.

pointythings · 01/12/2022 16:48

I don't think it's at all surprising that a lot of people on here know a lot of Christians. It's still the largest faith in the UK by a considerable margin. What's changed is that it is no longer the case that over half of the UK population identify as Christian based on the last census. That shouldn't surprise anyone.

Bog · 01/12/2022 16:50

Methodist here.

IntentionalError · 01/12/2022 16:51

Christians as in the hatched, matched, dispatched brigade who don’t go to church and are not religious in any meaningful sense in their daily lives : Hundreds.

Christians as in people who are actively religious, pray, go to church, take communion etc etc : A handful.

Fairislefandango · 01/12/2022 16:51

This thread sounds like one of those "But I don't personally know anyone who's struggling financially so I don't believe there's a cost of living crisis" type threads.

In the case of wider family, actual friends and very regular acquaintances you'd likely know if they were churchgoers though, especially with regular acquaintances who live locally to you.

Eleusa · 01/12/2022 16:53

People who would tick Christian on a form- loads
People who attend church regularly- very few. I know far more practising Jews than practising Christians.

KatherineJaneway · 01/12/2022 16:58

I can't answer that as I don't really know. I know a few relatives are Christian, as am I, but I don't discuss religious beliefs with friends and acquaintances as it is a very tricky subject.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 01/12/2022 16:59

About 2500, the overwhelming majority being more specifically RC, a reasonable number from Black Majority Churches - I spend around 45 hours a week with roughly 1300 of them, then communicate with varying numbers of the remainder on a daily basis. Then there are a few friends, relatives and neighbours, plus about 40 at an activity (secular, by the way) I attend. I'm not counting people at the gym who I can assume are by such things as wearing crucifixes/crosses.

I do try to evade Evangelicals these days, but I've found there's definitely safety in numbers.

ReadtheReviews · 01/12/2022 17:05

Im with you OP. Generally feel like Brits are too pragmatic to be actual believers. Saying you're Christian is one thing but actually believing the Son of God came down, perfor.ed miracles, rose from the dead and is coming back one day I reserve for Deep South Americans.

horseymum · 01/12/2022 17:05

Well, if you're not a Christian, you probably don't have loads of Christian friends and maybe aren't aware of Christian colleagues. We do walk among you though! I know loads, majority of friends, ( plenty are not though), most of my family, many work colleagues and friends from sports clubs and music things. If you are a Christian, you're probably more aware of who else is.

Energypanic · 01/12/2022 17:06

None now. My grandparents were but now that they have passed I don't know any. I did go to a Catholic school but the only people from there I stayed in touch with are all atheist. Not by choice - it's just how life turned out.

ReadtheReviews · 01/12/2022 17:09

Realise I didnt actually answer the q. None. The last one of my age I encountered was a devastatingly handsome.boy with zero pheromones, just a sort of virginal woolly jumper, tea and crumpets aura at Uni. It's the sort of aura I imagine all young English Christians exude...
I jest of course.

Rotherweird · 01/12/2022 17:13

I am not religious myself, but have four colleagues who I know to be Christian (i.e. it is a significant part of their lives). My DC went to a primary school where a lot of families were members of charismatic churches.

Swipe left for the next trending thread