More Than Half In Uk Are Non-Religious, Suggests Survey

[mikey4444]

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

I have been an Atheist all my adult life, so I am not remotely surprised by this. I have also worked on the BSA survey for 8 years and seen the percentage of people describe themselves as not religious grow over that time.

Anybody else surprised ?

[wolf63]

I was born in 1963 and they wouldn't let my mum into the delivery room until she stated a religion for the baby. I was born in the corridor.
I am an atheist and always have been.

[Old_Geezer]

A little surprised. Natives may be increasingly not wishing to assign their spiritual beliefs to an established religion, but immigrants often come from countries where a particular religion is held to be sacred.

[mikey4444]

Wolfie......strange story ! ......I don't think I have ever heard of that before.

I was born in a Catholic Hospital, in North London, so I suppose my first memory, if I had one, was of a Nun with those huge wimples bearing down on me !

I should say that I enjoyed my Catholic upbringing and schooling very much, although in my late teens, I became rapidly disillusioned by it. I haven't looked back since.

[Mamyalynne]

2,942, that's a tiny survey base - but regardless, I am neither shocked or surprised.


People's beliefs or not are their own choice.

[-Talbot-]

Not surprised ... ban it in schools.
Go to a religious building for religious stuff, go to school for education.

[mikey4444]

Mamy....while I can't give away the exact details of the religion question, people are given a card with all main religions on it to choose from. At the top of the list is an option of none.

[davegosling]

I would like to think that it is both true and indicative of a continuing trend.

The quicker religion is eradicated from the earth, the better off humanity will be.

[Mamyalynne]

I don't need the specific question Mikey - no problem.

[mikey4444]

Mamy....just trying to be helpful !

Its included in the BSA survey for diversity reasons, as much as anything else. We must demonstrate that we are seeing as wide a range of people as possible.

[Khandro]

// I was born in the corridor.//

Eee, we dreamed of bein' born in a corridor, we were born in a ditch at t'side oe'r t'road.

[jourdain2]

'In a ditch?!' Tha' were lucky - we were born on t' centre line, had to roll away from t'traffic - matter of luck if we'd position to suckle!

[Khandro]

well, when I say a "ditch", it were more like a roll of wet newspaper

[Zacs-Master]

Tha were lucky. Me dad used to wake us up half an our before we'd gone t'sleep, give us warm gravel for breakfast, then we'd work a 26 hour day an we ad to pay t'boss for t'privilege.

[jourdain2]

We'd no newspaper on t'white line, lad!

[New Judge]

They don't know they're born today.

[jim360]

You could try telling me all that, but I won't believe you.

[Zacs-Master]

Well, I'm reyt glad wiv sorted that one out. Job well done lads.

[Buenchico]

The only thing which surprises me is that Mikey is surprised by the results of the survey. A quick perusal of any threads about religion on AB would seem to suggest that believers are very much in the minority here.

Similarly, apart from one Roman Catholic, I can't think of any of my friends and acquaintances who aren't either atheists (as I am) or agnostics.

A quarter of a century ago, when I was teaching, at one time we had exactly 50 teaching staff in the school I worked at. 3 of them were Christians, with the 47 others all being either atheists or agnostics.

Even half a century ago, when I was still at school myself, Christians were very much in the minority among the pupils. (I don't recall any other religion being represented at all).

So I'm always amazed when surveys seem to find that large numbers of people in the UK are still 'religious'. I suspect that, particularly among the older age groups, some people simply tick the 'C of E' box because that's what they were brought up to do. (Both of my parents would have said that they were 'C of E' if they were asked about their religion but neither of them actually believed in God!)

[Zacs-Master]

'Appen.

[jourdain2]

^^^ :) :) :)