To find it interesting how the UK is apparently having a 'Christian revival'?

[BonxBonx]

I was watching the news the other day and they were talking about how there has been a big increase in church attendance over the past couple of years, particularly among Gen Z. Anecdotally, I have seen a few friends (in our mid-to-late 20s) 'find God' and start going to church over the past couple of years. Not just passively attending either; actively engaging in Bible classes and retreats. My TikTok is also showing me a lot of this - British 20-somethings talking about their Christianity.

I find it really interesting, especially the timing of it. With the advances in science and us having been a pretty atheist society for a while now, I am surprised. Is it a consequence of being on the back end of the pandemic followed by a cost-of-living crisis that people are looking for answers outside of themselves? I know when things get hard I find myself praying, even when I don't believe in God. Is this an example of that kind of thinking but on a bigger scale?

State schools are no longer required to pray or worship. I’m not sure where you are but praying in assembly ended a long time ago

Well my kids have obviously attended state schools that don’t do any form of worship. I’d like to hear from others.
Christian privilege?
What is this 33% stat regarding? Access of what?
And the uk has been a mixture of Christian/catholic for centuries. You feel it’s unfair that holidays are based around it?
Do you feel that CofE etc should not be the dominant religion? If so, why?

@Madcatdudette, @CurlewKate is correct about schools in England being required to have daily act of worship. The law still stands, even if it’s not always followed. I expect her point in relation to school admissions relate to faith based admissions criteria which many state schools in England have. For some of these schools, if you’re not of the right religion and actively church going, you’re not getting in ( unless you have an EHC plan or are looked after). If schools have spare places anyone can go, but if they’re popular and oversubscribed it’s a different situation.

I stand corrected.
I do think that a lot of state schools don’t have prayers unless they are attached to a specific religion.

This thread is interesting. Thanks for starting it.

In what way do Christians not allow you to get on with your life?

@queenofthesuburbsThere have been a few replies since my post- have a scroll and see if they help.

As a Christian I was staggered when I first came upon the story of Mithras some years ago. The bread and the wine, for example, obviously have their origin with him, if you look into it. i think that Jesus, at the Last Supper, is referencing Mithras with the bread and wine and saying, It's not about him, it's about me, as a living sacrifice that you can partake in. Two other points - there are many aspects of Mithras that aren't similar to Jesus, such as being born in a cave, being the god of vegetation, and all the zodiac symbolism (being attended by twins, etc). These aren't biblical. The other thing is about the heading of that article. Mithras's feast day was 25th December. We don't know when Jesus was born, the Bible doesn't say, but likely to be in a warmer month as the sheep and shepherds were still in the fields at night. So that feast day was later adopted by Christianity - it doesn't mean that Jesus was fake in any way, just that for expedience, when Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire they integrated the existing feast day.

@Madcatdudette

"Islam is very much anti choice and misogynistic. Are you concerned about Islam eroding women’s rights?"

Muslims aren't campaigning to reduce women's access to abortion in the UK.

To go back to the original post.

I think it’s down to a number of things:

1. the growth in evangelical Christianity (I’m an Anglican and not at all keen on the evangelical churches)- often v fundamentalist, regressive, elicit huge “donations” from the congregation, prey on the vulnerable and have very traditional roles for men and women. They come across as modern with their happy clappy songs and keyboards, but their preaching is far more hellfire and brimstone than anything you get in liberal Anglican churches or often Roman Catholic Mass.

2. a generation who grew up maybe going to a Christian school or being taken to church a few times a year might be returning to it, taking a new interest as they age.

3. many people are looking for more meaning in our hyper individualistic, commercialised society and realising capitalism alone - and indeed atheism - haven’t brought the meaning in our lives which many expected.

4. immigration from Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe has brought a far bigger Christian population.

5. the growth of Islam has probably given some pause for thought. Many don’t want Islam to be Britain’s biggest religion and are realising they actually do need to go to church if they want to tackle that.

6. the growth of ideologies such as transgender ideology and all the harm it’s wrought, along with plans on assisted suicide are making a lot of liberal minded people wonder if a stronger moral and religious code mightn’t be such a bad idea. Those who previously rejected traditional ideas like religion and small c conservativism are starting to think maybe those groups have a point…

Personally I think a growth in Christianity is a very good thing - most Catholics and Anglicans are actually pretty open minded, tolerant and care about running food banks and lunch clubs for the elderly. I don’t think a rise in US style fundamentalism would bring us much that is positive at all.

Perhaps because it doesn’t affect their community as much because would they have a tendency towards arranged marriages and woman being celibate before marriage.

In fairness, Christians also don't approve of sex before marriage and hugely value celibacy in unmarried women, to the point that women who weren't celibate before marriage were considered worthless/killed/locked up, for almost as long as Christianity and Judaism have existed. Doesn't stop them trying to stop other people accessing the reproductive services they think they themselves will never need.

@HeyThereDelila

Anglicans and Christians think that non-believers are destined for hell And they think that's reasonable.

They think belief in god is a choice.

How is that 'tolerant'?

Yes you are right but abortion and sex before marriage is much more acceptable in our society nowadays so perhaps they are trying to make a stand

perhaps this problem is less apparent in Islamic culture in the UK as the consequences would be so awful for the women if this happens but I could be wrong

it is a difficult one

@suburban You appreciate that the vast majority of Muslims in the UK aren't going around murdering women for having sex before marriage? If you knew many educated Muslim women who were born in the UK you'd know that a fair few have sexually active relationships before marriage. My 19 year old son has been going out with an Iranian Muslim girl for 18 months at university. Her mum lets him sleep in her room when the dad is out of the country. 😁

From my understanding, I have seen a lot of talk/discussion online when it comes to what we call third spaces and religious houses used to be one of them. Going out is already expensive. As a result, young people are not drinking. The only cheap free space as part of the community is churches. The rise traditional/trad life is on the increase around young people. I also, think because mental health problems being through the roof, if science can't help, spitualism will keep you just above water.

Interesting this is when the dad is away though.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/apr/14/argentina-human-rights-women-opus-dei-catholic-church-exploitation-abuse-celibacy-trafficking-allegations

Not the UK, obviously, but worth reading in regards to the opportunity to abuse by religion, in this case, girls and women, again....

And why I will never trust any firm of organised religion.

You'd be amazed how many teenage girls of all backgrounds don't want their dad to know they're sleeping with someone....

"The rise traditional/trad life is on the increase around young people."

Umm, statistically it's not.

It's a big trend on TikTok I'll give you that.

Women are less likely to have children and less likely to marry than ever before. Those who do marry, marry later and have fewer children. Married women and those with children are more likely to work.

I would have to disagree with you there. Whilst there are indeed people who campaign regarding abortion, no one actually takes them seriously.
I would say Islam seems very much a misogynistic religion and we have seen in other countries when it comes to women’s rights.

Have you thought that some of these just might be anti Christian propaganda?
I find personal experiences far more reliable.

I’ll agree that every single Muslim woman I know is a beautiful person inside and out. I’ve never met a horrible one.
I would say that they are a credit to Islam.
I can’t say the same for the menfolk unfortunately. I’ve found them very aloof and unfriendly in the main. Apart from one who was awesome and I miss him very much.

All Abrahamic religions are misogynistic.

It's only as society in the West has become more secular and women have obtained more economic power that the Christian church has started to pipe down about women's place being in the home, and to make less of a beef about women's chastity.

@MeadowlandAnti Christian propaganda? What do you mean?