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?

So you agree that this also applies to almost every other religion and isn’t CofE specific?

@Madcatdudettei honestly don’t know what you’re wanting from this thread. If you’re wanting me to say that I’m as opposed to Islam as I am to Christianity, then I’m happy to do so. The difference is that Islam is not entrenched in our legislature or education system the way Christianity is.

Be thankful it isn’t

I've been active in religion all of my life, it's always been important to me. I've not really noticed a change in numbers or attitude in recent years.

Absolutely not. Why would I be asking you to oppose islam?!
I’m pointing out that it doesn’t really matter what religion you are, you get your zealots.
I’m asking why one religion is so very different to another.
Christianity, Catholicism even way back with Druid’s, are all very much religions of the UK historically.

We have people who are spouting Christianity is a threat. Why would I not be asking why and why it’s different from any other religions?

@Madcatdudette
We have people who are spouting Christianity is a threat. Why would I not be asking why and why it’s different from any other religions?” OK. I feel I have said this several times already, but…. Christianity is the majority faith in the UK. The newer Evangelical Christian sects are committed to rolling back women’s rights and freedoms and if there is a growth in interest in Christianity in the UK the chances are that it’s this kind of Christianity. Which is a threat. Christianity is not “worse” than other religions, but it is, as I said, the majority faith in the UK, so obviously has the most influence.It will be interesting to see which side of the Church the new Archbishop of Canterbury comes from. It’s very unlikely that he will come from a liberal perspective.

"I’m asking why one religion is so very different to another."

@Madcatdudette

Well, in my opinion/experience, most contemporary expressions of Pagan faiths are very different to the Abrahamic faiths. They are not built on dogma and there is are universally agreed moral rules or a universal sacred text. (That's not to say that pagans don't draw inspiration from sacred texts, such as mythology, but there is nuanced perspective on the writings and they are not perceived as 100% factual and free of error.)

While the various pagan faiths are drawing upon deities and practices of the past, they are also living, evolving practices that are tailored to the modern world and modern sensibilities. So the various contemporary Pagan religions do not preach bigotry against women, gay people, and do not wish to convert everyone else to their way of thinking.

For example, you don't see Wiccans campaigning against abortion or claiming that homosexuality is sinful.

(That's not to say that there aren't individual Pagan practitioners who aren't sexist or homophobic, because they can certainly be found - but those attitudes have not been inspired or created by pagan spirituality.)

I hope not. Live with very christian foster parents for almost years and it did my head in long term. Lot of strange beliefs.
But they were sane compared to the American god botherers online. They have to post on every single FB dinosaur or astronomy subject that the earth is only 6000 years old and all fossils were created in "the flood". Oh and evolution does not exist. Fecking tedious.
If British christians keep it to themselves it's fine. Spouting their crap loudly at every opportunity and imposing themselves in every conversation? No no no no!

Christianity is the dominant religion in various forms.
Yes it may will be ‘entrenched’ doesn’t stop any other faith worshipping whoever.
It does prevent women having abortions or doing whatever they feel like doing.
It hasn’t for a very long time.
What would you like to happen to all the evangelicals you mention?

Nobody's advocating for anything to "happen" to any evangelicals or zealots if any sort, one would hope, aside from them not having regressive or detrimental effect on what should be rational secular politics. For example, those who believe wars should be fought to bring about the second coming - or in fact the first, depending on which stripe of lunacy we're talking about. Doing or not doing something simply "because God" doesn't cut it in my books, if it leads to unecessary suffering and is often underpinned by monetary gain.

I think it’s loneliness. Apparently it’s at epidemic proportions with the under 35 age group. Incredibly difficult to make a friendship group once you’ve left college and started working. Community is more fragmented than ever and people really notice their isolation when they see others living idealised lives on social media.

@SorcererGaheris No, come to think of it you don’t. Maybe I’ve found my religion.

Yes, but this is a thread about an apparent upsurge in Christianity, so that's what we're talking about?

It's was also adding to the point that women's rights may be threatened by this; other groups' hard earned rights are also at risk from increased religiosity.
Of whatever variety.

DuckieDodgyHedgyPiggy · Yesterday 18:10

Fair comment if that's your belief (you can probably tell that I'm an atheist!)

I found all the Greco Roman mythological fascinating as a child and was brought up on the Bible, realising by 8 that I didn't belive the religious aspect of it.

It's certain that the early church subsumed everything pagan into their doctrines. They appropriated shrine and temple sites for churches, myths about miracles by local minor deities and sprites became those of saints etc. Sacred shrines became holy wells, blessed by saints etc.

I don't believe in Athena, or Quetzalcoatal, nor the Tooth Fairy, so not believing that Jaweh made a human woman pregnant doesn't figure, either.

Funnily enough, I think having the C of E as the established religion stops other, maybe more fundamentalist religions from taking hold. Christianity may he growing, but it is mainly Catholicism, which isn't the established religion, and it's popularity is probably in part fuelled by immigrants from strongly Catholic parts of Europe like Poland and Catholic parts of Asia, like the Phillipines and Kerala. Atheism is the majority belief in this country, and the established religion is the C of E, which is diminishing hugely, at least in the UK. Islam and Catholicism, no matter how strong they get, cannot have that status while the C of E is the established religion.

Im surprised, as I read recently that attendance is lower than ever.

I don’t think that’s a bad thing

Yet posters are ‘terrified’ and ‘concerned’ about the rise in church goers in the UK.
Let’s get one thing straight. Evangelicals, Christians, Catholics, Hindus. Sikhs etc are not on the counter terrorism radar.
They are no threat to anyone in the uk. I think it’s vile that people are being anti Christian in a Christian/Catholic/Presbyterian country.

Yes isn’t it

Yes, we've atomised families and communities and we have fewer shared spaces. I absolutely agree that loneliness is likely to be a driver.

As a Gen Z, I agree that secular capitalist progressivism has not worked. I was raised Christian myself and it has definitely helped me have a strong set of values. I also think the emphasis on sex as an important thing involving serious feelings would be good for Gen Z. (I myself am not anti all premarital sex but think casual sex is normally unhelpful in that it all too often promotes viewing people only as sources of physical gratification.)

 My school has quite a few students from Europe & Asia- they tend to be socially fairly liberal but have similar views to the ones I outlined, & I think it is helpful. Otoh, imo secular humanism can promote good morality - I have several friends raised atheist who similarly have strong values. The issue is that the good principles (yes I agree many were religion derived) of secular humanism have become justifications for literally 'everything is fine' so people are encouraged to do whatever they want as long as it doesn't cause direct harm, which ofc leads to suffering and emptiness.

They did and do engage with young people.

They’ve just been terrible at who they’ve let do it.

It’s everywhere, not just the uk. My friend is living in Germany and commented on it the other day, apparently there isn’t a lot religious youth over there but suddenly teenagers and young adults are getting big into Christianity.

I agree that sexual liberation has largely benefitted men, as have the removal of societal expectations that men need to marry before they have children and remain committed to their mother. It is invariably women who are left holding the baby.
I think, thinking of my son ( who is not religious but enjoys coming to mass occasionally) that just having a bit of time to sit somewhere in quiet and reflect, without phones or constant stimulation is more and more valuable.

I agree. I think if we were to stop having an established religion, we should have a strictly enforced secular democracy. But that would mean, as in France, no outward religious symbolism and definitely no blasphemy laws, for any religion.