We are now officially a majority non religious country

[ProfessorDavey]

Over the past couple of weeks the latest regular British Social Attitudes survey (run pretty well annually since 1983) results have been published.

While it didn't receive a lot of press coverage the survey includes the following data on religion:

No religion: 52.8%
CofE: 15.0%
Roman Catholic: 8.6%
Other Christian: 17.0%
Non Christian religion: 6.3%

This is comfortably the highest proportion of non religion seen in the survey over its 34 year history. Over that period the proportion of non religious have consistently increased from 31% in 1983 to 52.8% now.

The complementary Scottish Social Attitudes survey shows an even greater proportion of the population (58%) indicating that they have no religion - again the highest level ever recorded in the survey.

[DaveM]

My first visit to the UK was in 1970 when I spent close on two months there.  I came away then with the strong conviction that, with the possible exception of Northern Ireland, the other three countries were already majority non religious.  It has taken the stats a long time to catch up with reality.

[ProfessorDavey]

My first visit to the UK was in 1970 when I spent close on two months there.  I came away then with the strong conviction that, with the possible exception of Northern Ireland, the other three countries were already majority non religious.  It has taken the stats a long time to catch up with reality.

That's right in a manner.

For decades the vast majority of people have had no meaningful involvement in any religion, for example less than 10% regularly attend religious worship. What we are seeing is the 'outer envelope' of nominal religiosity also becoming minority. By that I mean those who will say 'Christian' when asked whether they have a religion, but this is merely culturally and historical rather than having any meaning in their day to day lives.

That we are no in a position where a majority wont even claim a religion in a purely cultural manner is quite significant.

[Shaker]

I'll have a drop of something nice tonight to celebrate 

I'm surprised - I thought this made the news some time ago? Perhaps a different survey.

That we are no in a position where a majority wont even claim a religion in a purely cultural manner is quite significant.

I have to wonder though how long it will take for political reality to catch up with social and cultural reality - with regard to things like the establishment of the C of E, bishops in the Lords etc. A long, long time, I suspect.

[Rhiannon]

Yes, cultural Christianity was the norm when I was a child in the 70's. It meant 'christenings', church weddings and the vicar to say something nice at the funeral, plus a massive great piss up at Christmas with maybe a nod to singing some carols. As even that is dying out now the cultural Christianity is too. I think people now expect and want a far more individual expression of their spirituality, or lack thereof.

[wigginhall]

I grew up on a council estate, where religion was like pink zebras.   I mean, you didn't see it.   Well, there were a handful of Irish families or with Irish ancestry.   
 
I also remember that my grandparents were indifferent to religion, and in one case, acutely hostile.   So I never got that over half the population were religious.   

[ProfessorDavey]

Yes, cultural Christianity was the norm when I was a child in the 70's. It meant 'christenings', church weddings and the vicar to say something nice at the funeral, plus a massive great piss up at Christmas with maybe a nod to singing some carols. As even that is dying out now the cultural Christianity is too. I think people now expect and want a far more individual expression of their spirituality, or lack thereof.

I suspect it is a bit more complicated again.

There are still plenty of aspects of our society that are culturally christian (at least in part) that people still enjoy participating in, but we have moved beyond the stage where people will therefore answer 'Christian' to a question about their religion.

So as an analogy - many of us still greatly enjoy fireworks around 5th Nov - indeed plenty of us understand the origins of the celebration. Yet hardly any of us would say we are anti-catholic as a result, indeed we'd probably be horrified by that notion.

[Rhiannon]

I suspect it is a bit more complicated again.

There are still plenty of aspects of our society that are culturally christian (at least in part) that people still enjoy participating in, but we have moved beyond the stage where people will therefore answer 'Christian' to a question about their religion.

So as an analogy - many of us still greatly enjoy fireworks around 5th Nov - indeed plenty of us understand the origins of the celebration. Yet hardly any of us would say we are anti-catholic as a result, indeed we'd probably be horrified by that notion.

Bonfire Night remembers something that was driven by a mix of religious and political events. It's not a Christian celebration in any sense of the word.

[Shaker]

Bonfire Night remembers something that was driven by a mix of religious and political events. It's not a Christian celebration in any sense of the word.

At least some of the townsfolk of Lewes may disagree.

[Rhiannon]

At least some of the townsfolk of Lewes may disagree.

Why, do they operate by a different church calendar to the rest of the country?

Sectarianism isn't Christianity, it is people behaving like wankers.

[Shaker]

Why, do they operate by a different church calendar to the rest of the country?

Sectarianism isn't Christianity, it is people behaving like wankers.

Given that seventeen burning crosses are carried through the town to commemorate seventeen Protestant martyrs murdered in the Marian persecutions, sometimes it's difficult to disentangle the two.

[Rhiannon]

Given that seventeen burning crosses are carried through the town to commemorate seventeen Protestant martyrs murdered in the Marian persecutions, sometimes it's difficult to disentangle the two.

Still not a Christian festival though. It's a folk tradition.

[ProfessorDavey]

Bonfire Night remembers something that was driven by a mix of religious and political events. It's not a Christian celebration in any sense of the word.

Nonetheless - many of us enjoy bonfire night without feeling that we are aligning ourselves with either its religious or political context.

[Shaker]

Nonetheless - many of us enjoy bonfire night without feeling that we are aligning ourselves with either its religious or political context.

... Christmas likewise - perhaps to a lesser extent Easter.

[Rhiannon]

Nonetheless - many of us enjoy bonfire night without feeling that we are aligning ourselves with either its religious or political context.

Of course. It's just a folk tradition and we no longer care about its origins.

Christmas and Easter are a part of our Christian cultural identity; we have a late May holiday as a hangover from Whitsun (Pentecost) and many places have Michaelmas Fairs and so on. Mothering Sunday too is Christian, as distinct from Mother's Day, although the two are now often merged. And of course Hallow'een - the eve of All Hallows Day.

[Harrowby Hall]

Christmas and Easter are a part of our Christian cultural identity; we have a late May holiday as a hangover from Whitsun (Pentecost) and many places have Michaelmas Fairs and so on. Mothering Sunday too is Christian, as distinct from Mother's Day, although the two are now often merged. And of course Hallow'een - the eve of All Hallows Day.

Indeed - and on Sunday we can only shop for six hours!

[Robbie]

Except at the Co-op - 10am-10pm

[Gordon]

Indeed - and on Sunday we can only shop for six hours!

No Sunday shopping restrictions at all here in civilisation 

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Over the past couple of weeks the latest regular British Social Attitudes survey (run pretty well annually since 1983) results have been published.

While it didn't receive a lot of press coverage the survey includes the following data on religion:

No religion: 52.8%

That's a Brexit sort of a majority.............................................That's going well isn't it?

[Shaker]

No Sunday shopping restrictions at all here in civilisation 

Grrrr! *waves walking stick*

[Shaker]

That's a Brexit sort of a majority.............................................That's going well isn't it?

A majority is a majority.

I would try and explain the concept to you but right now I'm all out of dolls and crayons.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

A majority is a majority.

I would try and explain the concept to you but right now I'm all out of dolls.

What about the big rubber one under your bed?

[Shaker]

What about the big rubber one under your bed?

It went down on me ... a thoroughly deflating experience.

(Dishonest quote mine duly noted   ).

[Owlswing]

It went down on me ... a thoroughly deflating experience.

(Dishonest quote mine duly noted   ).

One wonders if finding out about its existence involved a little tiny bit of illegal entry and searching without a warrant.

[ProfessorDavey]

That's a Brexit sort of a majority.............................................That's going well isn't it?

Three points:

1. 52.8% is a much higher than the 51.9% Leave vote - albeit marginal.

2. Much more significantly the Brexit vote was a forced choice of just 2 options, so the Leave 51.9% was less than 4% ahead of the next most popular (and only other) option. No religion at 52.8% is over 35% ahead of the next most popular option.

3. The direction of travel. The demographics mean that the Leave slender majority is likely to shrink further as old (more 'Leavy') people die and younger (more 'Remainy') people turn 18. The reverse is true for religion - the demographics imply a relentless increase in 'non religion', with the proportion of people claiming to be religious shrinking further over the next few decades.