Less than half

According to the information gathered during the 2021 census, less than half the population of England and Wales describe themselves as Christian. At 46.2%, this was a dramatic fall from 59.3% seen in the last census carried out in 2011. 

This is interesting as the number does not necessarily reflect the number of people going to church. Why Church states that ‘if you look at how many people go to Church at least once a week or once a month this is only 9.1% and 15.1% respectively. There is also a very large number of de-churched ( people who believe without belonging to Church.), such that the ratio of de-churched to regular attenders is about 2:1.’ This would put the percentage of Christians much lower at around 30%. I imagine that some people will have ticked the box on the census to hedge their bets.

This raises the question: ‘Why is the church still established?’ Why do Bishops get to sit, unelected, in the House of Lords and get a say on the way that the country is governed? MInd you, it is not the only time that we are governed by a minority. The last time the government had an actual majority of the popular vote was over 70 years ago and the current Consrevtaive government manages on 43.4% of those who cast their vote.

If Chritianity is on such a decline than it is time to remove the Bishops from the political system

Interestingly, 37.2% of the population now claims to have no religion. By the next census this group is likely to overtake the Christian group and we will become a truly secular country. Yet we need to take this with some scepticism as nearly everyone of us has some faith and subscribes to some religion.

From Wiipedia this time: Religion is usually defined as a social-cultural system of designated behaviours and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organisations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements; however, there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion.

Outside of what we think of as traditional religions there are many others including capitalism, democracy and veganism to name but a few. Each has its own designated behaviours and practices, morals, beliefs etc. Then of course there is the religion of Brexit, with each group hoping and praying that its beliefs will come true. We only have to believe more.

It may well be high time to take the Bishops out of the House of Lords but it will be a long time before we can separate politics and religion. Perhaps hell will freeze over first.

Less than half

According to the information gathered during the 2021 census, less than half the population of England and Wales describe themselves as Christian. At 46.2%, this was a dramatic fall from 59.3% seen in the last census carried out in 2011. 

This is interesting as the number does not necessarily reflect the number of people going to church. Why Church states that ‘if you look at how many people go to Church at least once a week or once a month this is only 9.1% and 15.1% respectively. There is also a very large number of de-churched ( people who believe without belonging to Church.), such that the ratio of de-churched to regular attenders is about 2:1.’ This would put the percentage of Christians much lower at around 30%. I imagine that some people will have ticked the box on the census to hedge their bets.

This raises the question: ‘Why is the church still established?’ Why do Bishops get to sit, unelected, in the House of Lords and get a say on the way that the country is governed? MInd you, it is not the only time that we are governed by a minority. The last time the government had an actual majority of the popular vote was over 70 years ago and the current Consrevtaive government manages on 43.4% of those who cast their vote.

If Chritianity is on such a decline than it is time to remove the Bishops from the political system

Interestingly, 37.2% of the population now claims to have no religion. By the next census this group is likely to overtake the Christian group and we will become a truly secular country. Yet we need to take this with some scepticism as nearly everyone of us has some faith and subscribes to some religion.

From Wiipedia this time: Religion is usually defined as a social-cultural system of designated behaviours and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organisations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements; however, there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion.

Outside of what we think of as traditional religions there are many others including capitalism, democracy and veganism to name but a few. Each has its own designated behaviours and practices, morals, beliefs etc. Then of course there is the religion of Brexit, with each group hoping and praying that its beliefs will come true. We only have to believe more.

It may well be high time to take the Bishops out of the House of Lords but it will be a long time before we can separate politics and religion. Perhaps hell will freeze over first.