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Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

For topics that are more about faith, religion and religious organisations than anything else.
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Alan H
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#81 Post by Alan H » April 15th, 2015, 9:40 am

Latest post of the previous page:

andrew99 wrote:
Alan H wrote:Perhaps, but that's a completely different survey.
Perphaps? What? Perhaps atheists are a subset of religious people? By what definition?
Eh? I said no such thing. The point I was making is that the the BSA survey and the World Factbook are measures taken by different organisations and the definitions used by one do not necessarily coincide with those used by the other - unless you have evidence to the contrary?
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Altfish
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#82 Post by Altfish » April 15th, 2015, 5:13 pm

In third world countries religion is endemic, as countries become more educated religion declines. That is one of the reasons ISIS, the religious right in the US and the like don't like education.

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Dave B
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#83 Post by Dave B » April 15th, 2015, 8:26 pm

Altfish wrote:In third world countries religion is endemic, as countries become more educated religion declines. That is one of the reasons ISIS, the religious right in the US and the like don't like education.
This seems to apply especially when women are given free access to education.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Altfish
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#84 Post by Altfish » April 15th, 2015, 8:57 pm

Dave B wrote:
Altfish wrote:In third world countries religion is endemic, as countries become more educated religion declines. That is one of the reasons ISIS, the religious right in the US and the like don't like education.
This seems to apply especially when women are given free access to education.
True, and contraceptives.

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Alan H
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#85 Post by Alan H » June 1st, 2015, 10:05 pm

I missed this a few weeks ago: After initial crisis, nation struggles on without Minister for Faith
After initial panic and a constitutional and political crisis, the country is struggling on without a Minister for Faith. Benjamin Jones lambasts the Prime Minister for leaving this crucial role unfilled for so long.

While the Prime Minister set about appointing his Cabinet earlier this week, the country waited nervously for the most crucial announcement of all: who would be the next Minister for Faith?

It is now one week since polling day, and no appointment has been made. The country has ground to a halt; government is paralysed, the stock-market has been wiped out…

Whisper it, but dare we hope that no appointment is forthcoming?

The Minister 'for Faith' role was originally established for the unelected Baroness Warsi. When she left the Government it was incorporated into Eric Pickles' brief at the DCLG.

Now that he has left, has the role finally gone with him?

The vital posting, with a job description to work with "community leaders" to "promote faith" in the UK, is clearly an essential part of government. It is outrageous that Cameron has neglected to appoint a replacement to Mr Pickles.

Really though- what possible purpose did this role have?

What did the Minister for Faith actually do? They arrive at work at 9, go home at 5, what do they do in between? What are you actually doing when you are promoting "tolerance and stronger communities" (as the job specification states)?

A quick scan of the "announcements" section on the Government website for the 'Faith' brief reveals that the office-holder seemed to spend a lot of time just sending people nice messages if they were celebrating a religious holiday… "Messages for Yom Kippur" and "Messages for Eid ul-Adha" etc. Fine, though, oddly, neither of those worthy statements featured Mr Cameron's defiant Easter message that the UK is "still a Christian country."

There is another statement welcoming the launch of a new "interfaith website" back in November 2014. Amusingly enough when you follow the link the second news story on the "interfaith website" is the Archbishop of Canterbury lambasting "'bland statements of anaemic intent' in interfaith dialogue". Quite.

On balance though the job doesn't seem too difficult; and on a ministerial salary, it looks like good work if you can get it.

Why though does 'Faith' get special treatment? Should there be a Minister for Doubt, in the interests of inclusivity? Or perhaps, if you do think 'faith' is a virtue, and/or that faith groups do a lot of good (and many clearly do), why not also have a Minister for Generosity, or a Secretary of State for Goodwill to encourage other virtues?

It is long-since time that this silly title was abolished. In the meantime the wait goes on to see who, if anyone, lands this plum job…

Benjamin Jones is the NSS communications officer. The views expressed in this blog are his alone, and may not represent the views of the National Secular Society.
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Alan H
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#86 Post by Alan H » June 4th, 2015, 6:17 pm

NSS criticises Tony Blair’s plans to 'entrench' religion in public life across Europe
The NSS has criticised Tony Blair's proposals ahead of his appointment as chair of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR) as "ill thought out and counter-productive".

The former Prime Minister has defended proposals "lowering the barriers to what constitutes incitement to violence" and pan-European plans to make Holocaust denial illegal and to 'entrench' "state funding for religious institutions into law."

The NSS is adamant that measures such as 'group libel' would be "counter-productive, have a massive chilling effect on free speech and would be likely to restrict the open debate necessary to resolve problems."
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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coledavis
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#87 Post by coledavis » September 11th, 2015, 9:26 pm

Is this normal?
I went to a friend's funeral, at a crematorium. The local parson had little to say about my friend but went on and on about his own current preoccupations. These seem to be: hatred equals murder, and why Cain killed Abel. The motivation for this ancient doing-in? Cain was jealous of Abel for being a righteous man and he was angry that his father (who I believe was one Adam) had become a Christian.

For the last few months of his life, I had been helping out with the care of my friend. The same well-balanced chap I mentioned above, who I believe to be a Baptist, knew that I did not want to pass my personal details to him or any of his other nosy and noisome followers and he made it very clear at the funeral, by repeating my name often, that he had found out things about me.

Is this common, or am I in a particularly manky part of town? Will women end up with the scarlet letter. Yours bemused, Cole.
http://www.coledavis.org - insight analyst, specialist in the interpretation of surveys for charities and education

http://www.careersteer.org - careers quiz helping people to choose their career direction

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Dave B
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#88 Post by Dave B » September 12th, 2015, 8:33 am

Quality of eulogy reflects quality of eulogiser - you got a duff one, a sermoniser. Did not a family member have a piece tp say?
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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coledavis
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#89 Post by coledavis » September 12th, 2015, 1:09 pm

Three other speakers. A 'friend' of the deceased who couldn't complete his lousy poem because he kept bursting into tears (and apparently was also tearful when later trying to extort money from the major beneficiary - apparently his £20,000 wasn't enough for him). An atheist who did produce a witty speech, of complete relevance, in perfect English (well done the Polish). And finally another friend of the deceased who produced a fantastical version of my friend's life, basically as a vehicle for more Christian propaganda.
http://www.coledavis.org - insight analyst, specialist in the interpretation of surveys for charities and education

http://www.careersteer.org - careers quiz helping people to choose their career direction

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Alan H
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#90 Post by Alan H » October 29th, 2015, 2:45 pm

Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Alan H
Posts: 24067
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:26 pm

Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#91 Post by Alan H » November 30th, 2015, 10:11 am

Christianity on course to be minority religion in UK
Christians will be a minority in the UK by the middle of this century amid surging growth in atheism and Islam, an authoritative new study charting the future of the world’s religions predicts.

According to projections by the US-based Pew Research Centre, the proportion of the British population identifying themselves as Christian will reduce by almost a third by 2050 to stand at just 45.4 per cent, compared with almost two thirds in 2010.

The number of Muslims in Britain is predicted to more than double to 11.3 per cent, or one in nine of the total population during that time.

But the reports predicts that biggest change in the religious make-up of Britain in the next three and a half decades will be a major expansion in the number of non-religious people.

They would account for just under 39 per cent, challenging Christians as the biggest faith community in the UK.
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Dave B
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Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#92 Post by Dave B » November 30th, 2015, 10:23 am

... challenging Christians as the biggest faith community in the UK.
Should that not be:
"... challenging Christians as the biggest belief community in the UK."
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#93 Post by Alan H » January 12th, 2016, 5:44 pm

Church of England collapse strengthens the case for a secular UK
Weekly attendance at Church of England services has fallen below 1 million for the first time – bolstering the argument for a secular state.

New figures released by the Church show that just 1.4% of England's population attend Sunday services with the Church of England. 980,000 people attend church each week, based on figures from a survey carried out in October 2014, and there has been a 12% decrease in church attendance in the past ten years; equivalent to an average decline of little over 1% a year.

Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, commented: "Church of England attendance now appears to have fallen well below 2% of the population, and looks set to fall further given the preponderance of older churchgoers. This seriously calls into question its privileged access to political power and right to remain the established church. Indeed, it is inappropriate for there to be any established religion in a modern pluralistic society, far less one where the majority do not consider themselves to be religious."

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, said that there was an "anti-Christian culture" but added that while "many talk of the post-Christian society" the Church of England "educates more than a million children in our schools."

The Archbishop claimed that the "Church of England is still a primary source of leadership for communities" but that culture in the UK was "becoming anti-Christian, whether it is on matters of sexual morality, or the care for people at the beginning or the end of life.
"
Mr Wood said that "Adults continue to turn away from the church in droves, and even many of those who consider themselves Christian reject the Church's policy on ethical matters such as same sex marriage. Sunday schools have all-but disappeared, so the Church is determined to force its influence on the population though faith schools – and is only able to do this because the running costs are paid from public funds."

Addressing the most recent measure of the collapse in Anglican church attendance, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt. Revd. Graham James, said he did not expect the trend to change soon, but denied that the decline was inevitable. "We lose approximately 1% of our churchgoers to death each year. Given the age profile of the CofE, the next few years will continue to have downward pressure as people die or become housebound and unable to attend church."

Polling by YouGov around Easter of 2015 found that 62% of Britons says they are "not religious".
ETA: Someone on Twitter Tweeted this but I don't know if this is accurate (but it looks like it could be):
2016-01-12_17h45_43.png
2016-01-12_17h45_43.png (189.17 KiB) Viewed 7623 times
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Dave B
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Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#94 Post by Dave B » January 12th, 2016, 7:15 pm

Don't understand what the "Electoral roll" line means, that only that % of the population signs up for the ER? Or is it the % of those on the ER who regularly attend church?
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#95 Post by Alan H » January 12th, 2016, 7:21 pm

Dave B wrote:Don't understand what the "Electoral roll" line means, that only that % of the population signs up for the ER? Or is it the % of those on the ER who regularly attend church?
That confused me as well, but the CofE have their own meaning for that. It means the Diocesan Electoral Roll. The full report with that chart is here: Statistics for Mission 2014

Press release: Church Publishes 2014 Attendance Statistics
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#96 Post by Dave B » January 12th, 2016, 8:35 pm

Ah...
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#97 Post by Alan H » January 12th, 2016, 9:17 pm

Dave B wrote:Ah...
I think you'll find religions have their own meanings for words...
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#98 Post by Dave B » January 12th, 2016, 9:27 pm

Alan H wrote:
Dave B wrote:Ah...
I think you'll find religions have their own meanings for words...
Yes, "truth" for example covers many sins...
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#99 Post by Alan H » January 14th, 2016, 5:42 pm

0.0% of Icelanders 25 years or younger believe God created the world, new poll reveals
Iceland seems to be on its way to becoming an even more secular nation, according to a new poll. Less than half of Icelanders claim they are religious and more than 40% of young Icelanders identify as atheist. Remarkably the poll failed to find young Icelanders who accept the creation story of the Bible. 93.9% of Icelanders younger than 25 believed the world was created in the big bang, 6.1% either had no opinion or thought it had come into existence through some other means and 0.0% believed it had been created by God.

The poll, which was conducted by the polling firm Maskína on behalf of Siðmennt, The Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association, an association of Icelandic atheists, found that 46.4% of Icelanders identify as religious, which is the lowest figure to date.
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Dave B
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Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#100 Post by Dave B » January 14th, 2016, 8:34 pm

93.9% of Icelanders younger than 25 believed the world was created in the big bang,
Er, yes, if you consider that every sub-atomic particle in "the world" was created in The Big Bang. The discrete bits came together roughly 11 billion years later. [/pedant]
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
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Re: Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

#101 Post by Alan H » March 27th, 2016, 4:57 pm

Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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