More than half in UK are non-religious, suggests survey - what about you?

[gazthomas]

For the first time, more than half of people in the UK do not identify as religious, a survey suggests.
Last year 53% of people described themselves as having "no religion", in a survey of 2,942 adults by the National Centre for Social Research.
Among those aged between 18 and 25, the proportion was higher at 71%.
The Bishop of Liverpool said God and the Church "remains relevant" and that saying "no religion was not the same as considered atheism".
The figures, shown to BBC Radio 5 live, reveal a downward trend for religious belief in the UK.

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

So what about you? What do you think?

 

[telstarbox]

Sounds good to me.

 

[TheNewNo2]

I'm atheist.

God, as we have grown scientifically, is reduced to playing a smaller and smaller role. We can explain pretty much the entire universe, so the idea of an interceding deity is to me bull****. I don't entirely discount the idea that a god created the universe, but it's unlikely you can prove it either way.

Actually, in a way there almost certainly is a creator - as a civilisation becomes technologically advanced, they will create simulations of things, and eventually they'll simulate a universe. Likely more than once. Within those simulations there may well be further life which creates its own simulations. The chance of us living in the "base" reality is pretty low.

I also endorse the religious views of Dr Gregory House MD - the idea that life is merely a test of devotion is frankly abhorrent. If there is a god, and he bases entry to paradise on blind belief, then that's not a god I care to meet.

All that being said, I don't deny the idea of an afterlife is a nice one. I would love to be reunited with my cats, my grandparents, others I've lost along the way. I just don't think it's realistic. There is however one sort of afterlife I liked especially, I think it's called the Rainbow Bridge. The idea is all the pets are playing in a field, and then one of them pricks its ears, raises its tail and rushes off, because the human it loved has arrived, and they go off together. That's the sort of afterlife I'd like.

But yeah, it's all a load of bollocks meant to ensnare people in a sociopolitical web which keeps a vested elite in power over the purposely blinded masses.

 

[Harbornite]

Fair enough. I was never really into religion but in recent years, I've gone off it even more. I can't say that there's proof that god doesn't exist (no one can) but I can say that there's no proof that it does exist. Furthermore, showing blind devotion to something that can't be proven and using outdated scriptures to justify discrimination against other people are not things that I'm into.

(N.b. I'm not saying that all religious people are as bad as the likes of the Westborough Baptists church or ISIS)

 

[fowler9]

I'm an atheist. I was actually brought up Catholic though, used to be an alter boy when I was little etc. I got confirmed in to the Catholic Church in my early to mid teens and never went to church again apart from for weddings and funerals. In a bizarre way I think it was the confirmation classes that made my mind up. I actually thought about it properly as I was becoming an adult rather than just accepting what I was told.

 

[507021]

I'm of Jewish heritage, but I'm not religious.

 

[GMT]

Great news. They tried to brainwash me when I was little, the Catholics; they didn't manage to. Happy to live in a secular society.

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm an agnostic, though I feel if there is a God then he wouldn't be like the God of the Abrahamic religions. He seems insecure and capricious, and he also had his son killed.

 

[AM9]

I have no superstitious beliefs so I don't need religion as a comfort object. I don't object to those that do, provided that their dependency doesn't interfere with my freedom of thought and body.

As somebody said to me a few years ago:

"You don't have to be religious to be good and being religious doesn't make you good."

I've never heard anybody attempt to challenge that profound statement.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm what you might (slightly oddly) call a committed agnostic - i.e. I strongly believe nobody has any way to prove if there is a God or not. But whether there is or not does not affect how I should behave towards others.

I don't mind religion as it provides great support to a lot of people in their lives, but I do object to it being used as an excuse to be unpleasant to others, be that racism/sexism/homophobia or be that terrorism/war etc.

 

[najaB]

I'm what you might (slightly oddly) call a committed agnostic - i.e. I strongly believe nobody has any way to prove if there is a God or not. But whether there is or not does not affect how I should behave towards others.

That more or less sums up my thinking on the matter. I'd like there to be a God, but I've seen no signs of it yet.

 

[Hornet]

Where I live, if I was to air my personal views about religion in public, I could be fined or imprisoned. The law of blasphemy still exists here.

Explainer: Why is Stephen Fry being investigated by gardaí for blasphemy and what happens next?

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...blasphemy-and-what-happens-next-35688328.html

 

[Seacook]

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

So what about you? What do you think?

The Bishop of Liverpool said God and the Church "remains relevant" and that saying "no religion was not the same as considered atheism".

As far as I an concerned 'God and the Church' remain as relevant as they ever were, which is to say not at all.

 

[AlterEgo]

As far as I an concerned 'God and the Church' remain as relevant as they ever were, which is to say not at all.

Maybe not to you, but there is no denying the massive, massive influence Christianity and Anglicanism has had on life in Britain - historically at least.

 

[Kattyjohn82]

I grew up in Catholic family....crucifxes and pictures of jesus everywhere. Then I was introduced to science.

 

[deltic]

Brought up a catholic, still a catholic many decades later

 

[Seacook]

Maybe not to you, but there is no denying the massive, massive influence Christianity and Anglicanism has had on life in Britain - historically at least.

And it seems that the influence is dwindling. I don't see that as a bad thing.

 

[LowLevel]

Not interested in religion. Most see the person I am as an affront to their imaginary friend who incidently would be a really nasty piece of work if he existed - possibly the biggest war criminal you could imagine for inflicting the human virus on a fairly nice planet along with everything else that goes on!

 

[gg1]

I'm agnostic with a leaning towards atheism.

If I HAD to pick a belief system I'd go with Deism.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

I'm religious and strongly believe in God.

 

[AlterEgo]

And it seems that the influence is dwindling. I don't see that as a bad thing.

Agreed, was only picking up on your point that religion and God have never been at all relevant.

 

[12CSVT]

As I refuse to associate with any religion, I regard this as good news

5th March 2008 was a good day for British justice when the outdated law of 'Blasphemy' was finally abolished

 

[DelayRepay]

I don't know.

I think there must have been "something" that created the universe, but whether that something is a god, who knows? And who can know?

I do think though, if there is a god, he is a pretty cruel character. Lovely old chap near me, regular church goes, always supported good causes, never hurt anyone. Went downhill with dementia and was found dead in the countryside after 3 days of searching by police, friends and neighbours.

On the other hand, when my dad was taken seriously ill abroad and I got a knock at the door in the early hours of the morning from the police... I found myself talking to god then...

 

[Monty]

Load of old bollocks if you ask me, a means to supress the uneducated and prey on the fears of the masses.

 

[cjp]

No.
Religion is a crutch or a tool.

Let others keep their faith if they wish but not try to impose it on others.

Instead try to play nicely with one another.

Protect your family and friends yet respect others, their thoughts and needs.

Religion has caused and is still promoted as a reason for war and brutality.

 

[DarloRich]

Sounds great to me.

BTW why, if god exists, did he give up the smiting and the fire and the brimstone and the trumpets? We could have used some of that in the years since.

 

[talltim]

One of the things I find weird about religion (as opposed to faith) is how parochial it is. If you are religiously inclined and live in the UK or the US the chances are you will be Christian, in India Hindu, in the middle-east Muslim, etc.

If you were going to buy a sofa, you'd check out loads of options, so why don't (most) people when choosing a religion?

 

[cjp]

Brainwashing.
Or, if you prefer, peer pressure

 

[AM9]

One of the things I find weird about religion (as opposed to faith) is how parochial it is. If you are religiously inclined and live in the UK or the US the chances are you will be Christian, in India Hindu, in the middle-east Muslim, etc.

If you were going to buy a sofa, you'd check out loads of options, so why don't (most) people when choosing a religion?

Because 'most' people don't choose a religion. It is introduced into their upbringing/education before they have the maturity to question it. It was even enshrined in UK (and many other countiries') law that children must be given religious 'education'. In the UK until the latter part of the last century, it was all about protestant christianity* with a casual mention of other religions being incidental to it.

* special dispensation was given when I was at school ('50s & '60s) to those whose parents could prove they were under another recognised religion's indoctrination, - which then effectively meant Roman Catholic or Jewish teaching.

That's why there are still so many offical and other databases that presume a C of E adherance unless a specific alternative is selected/given that is acceptable to whoever sets the data entry rules. Normally, until more recent enlightenment, 'None' has not been considered acceptable.

 

[najaB]

Because 'most' people don't choose a religion. It is introduced into their upbringing/education before they have the maturity.

Exactly. Most people who are religious follow the faith of their parents, and there are some religions which you can only be born into. Most adherents would say that you can't convert to Hinduism for example.