Britain Is A 'Christian Nation', apparently

[Altfish]

Latest post of the previous page:

Who gets to decide the content of these prayers? I trust that equal time will be given to Allah, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and Zeus.

I think that says it all, there is not much chance of Zeus getting a word in.

[lewist]

Because it's an English thing and folk get upset if us strident northerners attempt to interfere in their affairs, which the SNP hitherto don't do. It would have been just your affairs but apparently we're better together

Time for reflection can be good, if not default religious. The HSS has led reflection time at Holyrood...

You really don't like us English, do you Fia, we're not all the same I can assure you.

Altfish! There is no question of Fia or any Scot, for that matter, disliking 'the English'. I have friends and relatives in all four of the countries that make up this failing 'union' and I get on well with them all. I like English people. What I don't like is the Westminster government, which has no concept of democracy, and conspires against us at every turn. I suspect many people in England feel the same.

[Fia]

Altfish, I am English! As Lewist states, it's Westminster we have a problem with.

[Dave B]

And me too!

[Altfish]

Altfish, I am English! As Lewist states, it's Westminster we have a problem with.

I know you are English.

But is it 'an English thing' - aren't there prayers at council meetings in Scotland?
The Parliament used to have (was it called?) 'A Time for Reflection' but tended to be speeches/prayers by priests, ministers etc.
I'm not sure of the current status of councils but I seem to remember plenty still said prayers a year or so ago; although some had dropped them (Just like England)

[Alan C.]

I am also English and concur with what Lewist and fia have said above.

"aren't there prayers at council meetings in Scotland?"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-h ... s-18915566
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-18581419
http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/ ... l-meetings
http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/ ... l-meetings
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religio ... awful.html
There's more if you need it

[Altfish]

I am also English and concur with what Lewist and fia have said above.

"aren't there prayers at council meetings in Scotland?"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-h ... s-18915566
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-18581419
http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/ ... l-meetings
http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/ ... l-meetings
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religio ... awful.html
There's more if you need it

It is the same in England in many places, the only ones that hit the headlines are the Tory nut job councils and then Pickles picked up on it.

THIS ISN'T AN ENGLAND V SCOTLAND ISSUE, it affects both lands.

[Nick]

Nor is it solely a Tory issue. True, they may be more "Christian", but Labour have been very significant in supporting the idea that other religions, particularly Islam, are equally relevant. The disastrous legitimisation of divisions in society into "Communities" (Grrrr!!) tells the same sad story. We should be uniting against religion in public policy.

[Altfish]

Nor is it solely a Tory issue. True, they may be more "Christian", but Labour have been very significant in supporting the idea that other religions, particularly Islam, are equally relevant. The disastrous legitimisation of divisions in society into "Communities" (Grrrr!!) tells the same sad story. We should be uniting against religion in public policy.

I knew if I mentioned Tory nut jobs you'd be in doing 'fair and balanced' reporting.

[Nick]

I knew if I mentioned Tory nut jobs you'd be in doing 'fair and balanced' reporting.

Someone has to....

[Alan H]

The UK is one of the least religious countries in the world, survey finds

The majority of Brits are atheist or agnostic, a poll has found, with only 30% of the population describing themselves as religious.

53% of respondents said they were "not religious", though only 13% said they were a "convinced atheist" and the remainder said they "did not know".

Yet we get more and more religion pushed on us.

[Altfish]

The UK is one of the least religious countries in the world, survey finds

The majority of Brits are atheist or agnostic, a poll has found, with only 30% of the population describing themselves as religious.

53% of respondents said they were "not religious", though only 13% said they were a "convinced atheist" and the remainder said they "did not know".

Yet we get more and more religion pushed on us.

When will politicians start to listen to these types of survey and realise that they are out of step. Pickles and the like are dinosaurs

[Alan H]

The UK is one of the least religious countries in the world, survey finds

The majority of Brits are atheist or agnostic, a poll has found, with only 30% of the population describing themselves as religious.

53% of respondents said they were "not religious", though only 13% said they were a "convinced atheist" and the remainder said they "did not know".

Yet we get more and more religion pushed on us.

When will politicians start to listen to these types of survey and realise that they are out of step. Pickles and the like are dinosaurs

Pickles, Morgan, Gove...

[Altfish]

They do tend to be on the right but I still wake up screaming thinking about Blair

[Dave B]

The UK is one of the least religious countries in the world, survey finds

The majority of Brits are atheist or agnostic, a poll has found, with only 30% of the population describing themselves as religious.

53% of respondents said they were "not religious", though only 13% said they were a "convinced atheist" and the remainder said they "did not know".

Yet we get more and more religion pushed on us.

When will politicians start to listen to these types of survey and realise that they are out of step. Pickles and the like are dinosaurs

WHAT!

Politicians take positive notice of something that goes against their personal/ideological belifs. No bloody chance (unless a Fb or twitter campaign is started against them maybe . . .)

[andrew99]

Spoiler:

2014-06-18_15h32_13.png

British Social Attitudes survey finds most people have no religion, just 41.7% are Christian

Worth noting here, that according to wikipedia, non-religious and atheists don't belong to the same group... wiki link check line #3..

[Alan H]

Spoiler:

2014-06-18_15h32_13.png

British Social Attitudes survey finds most people have no religion, just 41.7% are Christian

Worth noting here, that according to wikipedia, non-religious and atheists don't belong to the same group... wiki link check line #3..

Perhaps, but that's a completely different survey.

[andrew99]

Perhaps, but that's a completely different survey.

Perphaps? What? Perhaps atheists are a subset of religious people? By what definition?

[Dave B]

Perhaps, but that's a completely different survey.

Perphaps? What? Perhaps atheists are a subset of religious people? By what definition?

What is wrong with a "not religious" category that includes "intellectual" atheists, the "can't-be-bothered", those who think religion is mumbo-jumbo that gets in the way of Sunday soccer etc. ?

Take away all those that profess a belief in the supernatural (add in Satanisrs, wicca, pagans and so on to boost the numbers) and I then wonder what proportion of the population would be left on the "unbelievers" side?

[andrew99]

Perhaps, but that's a completely different survey.

Perphaps? What? Perhaps atheists are a subset of religious people? By what definition?

What is wrong with a "not religious" category that includes "intellectual" atheists, the "can't-be-bothered", those who think religion is mumbo-jumbo that gets in the way of Sunday soccer etc. ?

Take away all those that profess a belief in the supernatural (add in Satanisrs, wicca, pagans and so on to boost the numbers) and I then wonder what proportion of the population would be left on the "unbelievers" side?

By what definition are atheists a subset of religious people?

[Alan H]

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?