Christians outnumbered by people with no religion, report by senior lecturer

[Gordon]

Dear Floo, Rhiannon and Gordon,

The homosexual question, it makes us all foam at the mouth, we see the stupidity, we point out the stupidity ( I am using the word stupid, you can use any other word you like ) are we any further forward, for me personally homophobic thinking damages Christianity, it is a nasty side that needs to be challenged, eradicated, how do I do that! But then, may be just calling out their stupidity time after time is the only way and it is justified, but I like to think they can be reached, how do I do that.

Gonnagle.

I think perhaps it needs other Christians, such as yourself, to help them along by example: it isn't easy though since those Christians who are hidebound to the fallacies of authority and tradition need to move away from that position to somewhere nearer your outlook and they seem perversely blind to both reason and love.

In spite of the obvious social changes in many parts of the world towards inclusiveness, which I'd have thought would give them food for thought, but instead, and ironically, it seems to have hardened their hearts and, as you say, damages Christianity - and this isn't even the idiocy of evolution deniers and biblical literalists: this is about dealing with real people living real lives in the here and now.

Hopefully the part of Christianity that is in decline is their part and not your part.

   

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Personally I find it a bit rich being lectured on Gay Issues by antitheists who I feel are merely using these issues as a weapon or a position from which to be self righteous.

If we are going to wield homosexual groups 'Braveheart' like...remember antitheists there are plenty of Gay Christians for whom sexuality is not a dealbreaker.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Personally I find it a bit rich being lectured on Gay Issues by antitheists who I feel are merely using these issues as a weapon or a position from which to be self righteous.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/how-uganda-was-seduced-by-anti-gay-conservative-evangelicals-9193593.html

[Walt Zingmatilder]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/how-uganda-was-seduced-by-anti-gay-conservative-evangelicals-9193593.html

I am not Ugandan nor anti-gay. Any more than you are (Insert strict atheistic country which limits or seeks to limit religion or country in which Christians are killed or targetted of choice.)

Oh ...and thanks for the masterclass in how to attempt to reinflate a punctured turd.

 

[Hope]

Questioning the tendency for Chridtian tribalism has nothing to do with either terrorism or any kind of slippery slope argument.

And what would this 'Chrisdtian ( ) tribalism' be all about?  Is it the kind of stuff that we see in football supporters, or politicians, or nationalist thinking?

[Rhiannon]

And what would this 'Chrisdtian ( ) tribalism' be all about?  Is it the kind of stuff that we see in football supporters, or politicians, or nationalist thinking?

I post mostly on my phone so I make a lot of typos. I don't have a problem with that so I fail to see why you do.

Well done for identifying other kinds of tribes. I've yet to hear people describe themselves as 'brothers and sisters in Manchester Utd' and I think that is where the difference lies.

[Shaker]

And what would this 'Chrisdtian ( ) tribalism' be all about?  Is it the kind of stuff that we see in football supporters, or politicians, or nationalist thinking?

Look over there!

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I am of the opinion that some who claim to be anti-gay, are actually gays in denial

And like everyone else, should have the right to bathe in Africa's longest river.

[Shaker]

I post mostly on my phone so I make a lot of typos. I don't have a problem with that so I fail to see why you do.

A diversionary tactic designed to avoid grappling with the subject at hand, like his constant ignoratio elenchi/"Look over there, they do it too!" which at the moment is threatening to supplant the negative proof fallacy as his favourite form of addled thinking.

[floo]

And like everyone else, should have the right to bathe in Africa's longest river.

Ehhhhhhhhh, what are you wittering on about?

[jeremyp]

Ehhhhhhhhh, what are you wittering on about?

Africa's longest river is the Nile.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Ehhhhhhhhh, what are you wittering on about?

You said many anti gay Christians were gays in denial.

[Shaker]

You said many anti gay Christians were gays in denial.

Christians or not there's quite the body of research to this effect, I gather.

[Owlswing]

You said many anti gay Christians were gays in denial.

GROAN!

[Sassy]

Almost half of the population of England and Wales identifies itself as having no religion, outweighing the number of people who say they are Christian, research found.

In 2014, 48.5% of those asked referred to themselves as having no religion, compared to the 25% that fell into the "none" category in the 2011 census.

Those who defined themselves as Christian - Anglicans, Catholics and other denominations - made up 43.8% of the population, the Guardian reports.

The proportion of the population describing themselves as Anglican plunged from 44.5% in 1983 to 19% in 2014. Catholics made up 8.3%, other Christians 15.7% and non-Christian religions 7.7%.

http://www.itv.com/news/2016-05-24/no-religion-outweighs-christian-in-uk-population/

How many foreigners have joined the population from other non-Christian Countries?
Not a true figure then... since we had over 300,000 immigrants enter last year alone....

[ProfessorDavey]

How many foreigners have joined the population from other non-Christian Countries?
Not a true figure then... since we had over 300,000 immigrants enter last year alone....

As ever Sassy getting it spectacularly wrong.

Immigration has shored up the numbers of christians in the UK - without immigration the decline would have been steeper still.

[Sebastian Toe]

How many foreigners have joined the population from other non-Christian Countries?
Not a true figure then... since we had over 300,000 immigrants enter last year alone....

and how many of them are people of no religion?

[Sassy]

and how many of them are people of no religion?

My point exactly... how do they know how many have religion and don't. Even those who live here. You can get polls to say what you want simply by where they are set up from.

[Sebastian Toe]

My point exactly... how do they know how many have religion and don't. Even those who live here. You can get polls to say what you want simply by where they are set up from.

The guy who did the research analysed data collected through British Social Attitudes surveys over three decades.
Are you saying that this data was flawed in some way?
Was it conducted erroneously by people who wanted them, all thirty years worth, to say what they wanted?

[Owlswing]

The guy who did the research analysed data collected through British Social Attitudes surveys over three decades.
Are you saying that this data was flawed in some way?
Was it conducted erroneously by people who wanted them, all thirty years worth, to say what they wanted?

Of course that is what she's saying! What else did you expect her to say?

[ProfessorDavey]

My point exactly... how do they know how many have religion and don't. Even those who live here. You can get polls to say what you want simply by where they are set up from.

No you can't - not if they are conducted properly. And anyhow I wouldn't describe these data as 'a poll', this is serious academic research.

And those researcher clearly understand why the numbers are declining - it is called generational replacement. Effectively each generation is less religious than the previous one, which coupled with the fact that people that as an individual generation gets older there is no meaningful change in the proportions that are religious or not religious, means that over time the population as a whole gets less religious as the oldest generation, which is the most religious, dies and is replaced by a younger and much less religious generation.

The only perturbing factor is immigration and actually immigration, rather than contributing to the reduction in christianity in the UK, has masked a rather greater decline amongst UK born people.

[Sassy]

The guy who did the research analysed data collected through British Social Attitudes surveys over three decades.
Are you saying that this data was flawed in some way?
Was it conducted erroneously by people who wanted them, all thirty years worth, to say what they wanted?

I am saying he did not do cover enough areas and people to know what the social attitude was.
I was never asked once in those 30 years. If he went to Bradford and did his research over the past 30 years what would that social analysed data reveal?

It does not matter how long the research is done or where it is done. It won't give a true reading unless done everywhere and including all people. Because if he chose areas like Bradford even over 30 years he would not have got that result.

You can make any research say what you want it to say when it comes to the social media.

[Gordon]

Saw this on the BBC today so resurrected this thread.

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

This survey confirms the downward trend in those self-identifying as religious, especially young adults.

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%.

Almost two in three 25 to 34 year olds said they were non-religious, while 75% of people aged 75 and over said they were religious.

[Owlswing]

Saw this on the BBC today so resurrected this thread.

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

This survey confirms the downward trend in those self-identifying as religious, especially young adults.

Quote

    Almost two in three 25 to 34 year olds said they were non-religious, while 75% of people aged 75 and over said they were religious.


The latter number reducing due to them dying at a faster rate than the former

[Sriram]

This is probably true only in Britain.