In a response to David Cameron’s claim that Britain is still a Christian country, The British Humanist Association (BHA), alongside this open letter of complaint, published revelatory statistics to provide a more realistic look into the nature of Britain’s religious identity. Key flaws in the census meant questions directed individuals, who would not otherwise describe themselves as religious, with a family or cultural link to Christianity to tick ‘Christian’.
The BHA asked the questions found in the infographic below in order to demystify general opinions and beliefs – instead of simply asking “What is your religion?”.
BHA’s research has discovered that a large majority (almost 50%) of the state considers itself to have no religious alignment. The largest minority of 37% allies itself with Christianity and regardless of religious beliefs, citizens give equal importance to charity.
Whilst this may not necessarily mean the country is ‘Athiest’, fewer people are allying themselves with a specific religion – potentially due to the evolution of British life which now coincides with British-specific moralistic values encouraged by a belief in God, the unsatisfying nature of religion in British society or a complete lack of belief in any deity. Does Britain really need a religious stamp to provide it with a moral compass?
This article was originally published on Urban Times.
