Christianity in Britain declining

[Halb]

Christianity in Britain declining as Islam more popular, report shows
https://www.rt.com/uk/324970-christianity-religion...

Christianity on the decline....yay!....
People in influential positions wanna allow for more quackery from other stone age cults...boo!

article said:

Modern Britain is no longer a Christian country, a report by the Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life concludes. It calls on institutions to adapt to the nation’s increasingly multi-faith and non-religious makeup.

Just when one might think the UK could stroll decently unshackling in a slow and easy-going manner from cultist fetters into the 21st century, free from superstitions twaddle, there are those that wish to make allowances for cults of a different flavour.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/bish...

Although there is some good stuff about education.

[Andehh]

There is far worse in society/modern Britain then a moderate religion, followed by predominately level headed & kind individuals.

[aka_kerrly]

I can't say I'm at all surprised by the report findings although I'd wager that a lot of white English identify themselves as Christians as they think it's the "right" answer for the purpose of a survey and the amount of those who have no religious ties is higher.

[glazbagun]

aka_kerrly said:

I can't say I'm at all surprised by the report findings although I'd wager that a lot of white English identify themselves as Christians as they think it's the "right" answer for the purpose of a survey and the amount of those who have no religious ties is higher.

Yeah. They aintaChristianbruv.

[CrutyRammers]

Halb said:

Just when one might think the UK could stroll decently unshackling in a slow and easy-going manner from cultist fetters into the 21st century, free from superstitions twaddle, there are those that wish to make allowances for cults of a different flavour.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/bish...

Although there is some good stuff about education.

Indeed. Either leave it as it is, or (preferably) remove all religious say. Certainly do not start including foreign ones instead.

[grumbledoak]

CrutyRammers said:

Indeed. Either leave it as it is, or (preferably) remove all religious say. Certainly do not start including foreign ones instead.

I do agree, but there is no way that will happen - it will not be acceptable to the Imams. You don't build a billion and a half strong power base by passing up obvious opportunities to gain power!

[Dr Jekyll]

[Type R Tom]

Andehh said:

There is far worse in society/modern Britain then a moderate religion, followed by predominately level headed & kind individuals.

I'd agree, although I'm not religious I can't help but think if more people lived by 5 of the 10 commandments there might be slightly less problems about. My issue with the decline of Christianity is not about religion but more about a body to represent a lot of our society. With people becoming more apathetic and less "united" our society could change in the face more organised groups. Personally I'd rather see us become secular but if we don't there needs to be balance.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

CrutyRammers said:

Indeed. Either leave it as it is, or (preferably) remove all religious say. Certainly do not start including foreign ones instead.

Yeah, these bloody foreign religions imported from the Middle East, taking the place of Christianity.

[s2art]

The problem is that approx 50% of the population is below average intelligence. Having a nice gentle and tolerant religion such as the CofE means they dont have to gravitate to whatever brainless bollux beliefs that get promoted. Dont knock the usefulness of having such a religion for the masses in keeping things civilised.

[grumbledoak]

s2art said:

Having a nice gentle and tolerant religion such as the CofE means they dont have to gravitate to whatever brainless bollux beliefs that get promoted. Dont knock the usefulness of having such a religion for the masses in keeping things civilised.

I am a big fan of us as a country having a benign official state religion to stop worse ones getting ideas. Ditto the Queen or a future King.

[Andehh]

Heck, remove all religion from the middle east and you think it wouldn't still be an utter mess!?

What about the combination of poor countries sitting atop lakes of oil? (which we want robust access to)

Or the huge disparity between have and have nots?

Or the corruption?

Or the environmental hardships?

Or the dictators /ruling families?

Or the...?

Remove religion, and there is no shortage of other "excuses" people will use as to why they need to hate on their neighbour /blame the rich countries for!

Edited by Andehh on Monday 7th December 21:17

[Vizsla]

s2art said:

The problem is that approx 50% of the population is below average intelligence.

Just so. Like the politician who was deploring the failings of our education system on the grounds that 50% of the population still had an IQ of < 100.

[Matt100HP]

s2art said:

The problem is that approx 50% of the population is below average intelligence. Having a nice gentle and tolerant religion such as the CofE means they dont have to gravitate to whatever brainless bollux beliefs that get promoted. Dont knock the usefulness of having such a religion for the masses in keeping things civilised.

This, 100% this. Having an inoffensive, gentle and easy to access option for those who wish to practice a religion is perfect. If you start trying to ban or outlaw all religion it'd just get pushed underground, where the nice, peaceful religions end up on the same level as the extremist rubbish and then get thoroughly beaten with centuries of experience.

[Derek Smith]

Matt100HP said:

s2art said:

The problem is that approx 50% of the population is below average intelligence. Having a nice gentle and tolerant religion such as the CofE means they dont have to gravitate to whatever brainless bollux beliefs that get promoted. Dont knock the usefulness of having such a religion for the masses in keeping things civilised.

This, 100% this. Having an inoffensive, gentle and easy to access option for those who wish to practice a religion is perfect. If you start trying to ban or outlaw all religion it'd just get pushed underground, where the nice, peaceful religions end up on the same level as the extremist rubbish and then get thoroughly beaten with centuries of experience.

Is anyone trying to outlaw religion? I've not seen many who are after banning it.

The suggestions that have come from this research is that the c of e should be disestablished, that the house of lords should not have 26 vicars in there by right. That the 'thought for the day day' should not be restricted to vicars of any religion (I assume it is mixed) but of people in general, and no favouritism given to those who profess belief in a deity. That religious services should not be a requirement in state schools or in the house of commons. In other words, religions should be treated in the same manner as model railway running: do it is you must, but don't expect us to fund you or give you privileges.

I'd be happy with that.

As for not observing the historical religious festivals, I'm ambivalent. It seems odd that we acknowledge just one solstice and one equinox, and one of them at various times.

Amalgamate xmas with the new year, have the Monday nearest the spring and autumn equinoxes and have the week off nearest the 24-hour race.

I could live with that.

I think we should challenge any religion which doesn't treat minorities, women, gays, whatever as equal. Popes cannot be female, transgender and more. So if they want to be partial, then so do I.

And with regards to average IQ: the point is that most people are in or around the norm. The tests are not accurate enough to ensure that those near the cusp always stay one side or the other. If Darwin was right then those with an IQ of 120 are just as 'odd' as those with one of 80. If a high rating was a survival factor, the vast majority of us would have an IQ of around 120.

Around average is good. It must be otherwise average would no be average.

Newton was a genius, and no doubt would have had a very high IQ, but he was weird. Seriously weird. The same goes for many others who have shaped our world in their scientific research. Relativity had a number of interpretations for Einstein.

[s2art]

Derek Smith said:

And with regards to average IQ: the point is that most people are in or around the norm. The tests are not accurate enough to ensure that those near the cusp always stay one side or the other. If Darwin was right then those with an IQ of 120 are just as 'odd' as those with one of 80. If a high rating was a survival factor, the vast majority of us would have an IQ of around 120.

Around average is good. It must be otherwise average would no be average.

You might want to think a bit harder about this. 100 is defined as average. If we all had IQs of 120 then 120 would be 100!

And no, average isnt good, by definition.

By your thinking being unfit and a bit overweight must be good, as its average. All Darwin tells us is that an intelligence of what is approx average is sufficient to survive in a society with a bell curve distribution so that there will be plenty of smarter folk to deal with the tough problems.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

No one is talking about outlawing religion, from what I've heard. What is being discussed is altering some of the Christian privileged now that it's a minority interest.

Why do we need 26 bishops in the house of lords? Who are they representing?

Why do we need bank holidays on good friday or easter monday. Who cares? Or what's left of Sunday trading laws.

It's good to question these things. Society should evolve to adapt to changing attitudes.

[anonymous-user]

Andehh said:

There is far worse in society/modern Britain then a moderate religion, followed by predominately level headed & kind individuals.

This!
As mentioned before the Church offers a structure that unites people and keeps communities together.
I heard a vicar shortly after Paris who I could imagine had read a few of the Syria threads on here and was getting quite animated about those that were calling for Muslims to be deported and the M.E turned to glass, saying that fear allows evil to breed. He didn't really offer a God based analogy, more really a voice of reason and a reason to pause and consider ones own thoughts on the matter. The sad thing was the Church was filled with 90% old people, as if their children and their children too have forgotten the place. But if they don't need or want to go then that's their choice. But how do we keep our communities united? Social media? Do we actually think or care about the people around us? Do we act proactively or reactively when it's often too late? Social media seems to be the way forward. As much as it can be damn puerile, narcissistic and shallow it is also great at uniting people to help a cause. And what does it ask for in return? Facebook, justgiving, freecycle.... I suppose, like religion, it is what we make it.

[allnighter]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

CrutyRammers said:

Indeed. Either leave it as it is, or (preferably) remove all religious say. Certainly do not start including foreign ones instead.

Yeah, these bloody foreign religions imported from the Middle East, taking the place of Christianity.

[RichB]

Dr Jekyll said: