Over half of british people have no religion

Atomic_Piggy

Atomic_Piggy

Newbie
Joined
Apr 26, 2006
Messages
6,485
Reaction score
2
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3412118.ece

Freedom from religion in Britain is becoming as important as freedom of religion, according to a United Nations investigation into religion in the UK.

In a 23-page report published this evening, a UN rapporteur claims the 2001 Census findings that nearly 72 per cent of the population is Christian can no longer be regarded as accurate. The report claims that two-thirds of British people now do not admit to any religious adherence.

The report also calls for the disestablishment of the Church of England. The role and privileges of the established Church are challenged because they do not reflect ?the religious demography of the country and the rising proportion of other Christian denominations.?

The report also warns that measures to combat terrorism in Britain could be undermined because of discrimination against Muslims.

According to the report into the freedom of religion and belief in the UK, there is an ?overall respect for human rights and their value.? But the report warns that Muslims in particular face screening, searches, interrogation and arrest.

Citing research that showed that 80 per cent of Muslims in Britain feel they have been discriminated against, the report singles out the Terrorism Act 200 for particular criticism.

Under the act, police in some areas can stop and search people without having to show reasonable suspicion.

The report says this affects ethnic and religious minorities more than other groups, especially since the July 7 bombings in 2005.

Figures for 2004 to 2006 ?show that searches of people with Asian appearance under this provision increased by 84 per cent, compared to an increase of only 24 per cent for White people,? the report says.

The report?s author, Asma Jahangir, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, also criticises terms in the Terrorism Act 2006 for being ?overly broad and vaguely worded.? Phrases she focuses on include "indirectly encouraging" acts of terrorism, and ?glorification?, interpreted to mean ?any form of praise or celebration.? She also describes the policy of 28 days in detention without charge as unsatisfactory.

Ms Jahangir, 55, twice chair of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and who was herself only released from house arrest in Lahore during November, says in her conclusions ?there exists no hierarchy of discrimination grounds.?

She argues that religion should not have a lower ranking when competing rights are being balanced.

However, she does acknowledge concern about ?informal matrimonial courts operating within the Muslim community based on sharia law.? Ms Jahangir, a mother of three children, says the argument by some religious leaders that their traditions should override the rights of women is ?unacceptable?.

The report was published the day after the Archbishop of Canterbury said some of the ways in which Sharia was practised were ?appalling?.

Dr Rowan Williams said the way the system was applied to women in countries such as Saudi Arabia was ?grim?. The Archbishop was speaking in Cambridge days after being criticised for raising the possibility that some aspects of Sharia might be introduced into the British legal system. ?What I was trying to say the other day is that sharia law is a very, very wide-ranging scheme of legal understanding within historic Islam,? the Archbishop said at a public lecture in Great St Mary?s Church.

?It is rooted in the sense of doing God?s will in the ordinary things of life.? But he added: ?In some of the ways it has been codified and practised across the world, it has been appalling.?
Click to expand...

:bounce:
 
"Half the people of the UK are NOT retarded"


worded differently but the outcome is the same
 
Wish it was the same in America...this country is so lost to religion it's sickening. It wouldn't be so bad if the religious right didn't have so much influence.
 
Well then they're going to hell.
 
Awesome, Cambridge got a mention in there.

This isn't particularly surprising to me.
 
Aye, I only know one religious person (and he's pretending).
 
Can relate, seems everyone I talk to now is either atheist or agnostic.
 
Close :) I suspect for an easier life, but there's a girl involved too. She fills the house with figurines from the nativity and doesn't like me.
 
You should draw little satanic moustaches on the figurines when she's not looking.
 
lol :) The fallout from something like that would be biblical - and probably involve, after some flexible interpretations from 'life for dummies', castrating me in the name of jesus.
 
I'm very proud to say that I live in the least religious country with only 15% of the population involved with religion.

In other news, I have one of those internet ordinations so I'm "legally" a priest of some sort... which can be great fun at times :p
 
Warbie said:
Close :) I suspect for an easier life, but there's a girl involved too. She fills the house with figurines from the nativity and doesn't like me.
Click to expand...

lol @ an "easier" life ..having to say 15 hail marys followed by 30 Our fathers every time you play with your manhood doesnt sound easy to me ..not too mention going to church, praying to the great spaghetti monster in the sky etc

oh and the figurines thingy = extremely creepy ...he should rearrange the figurines while she's out ..put them all in sex poses ..bonus points for making the principle players homersexuals/pedophiles


or just replace some of the characters ...

328202270_a8e19a34a6.jpg
 
I'm one of them. >_>
 
One of what, the religious? The "no religion"ists? The figurines?
 
There's probably a lot of atheists and agnostics in my college. There's only two other Christians that I know and that's my friend Agnes and one of my teachers, Juanita. There'd be a lot of Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus as well.
 
$kelet0r said:
I don't believe it tbh
Click to expand...

Well, as shift said, its rare to meet a religious person here, particulary in the big cities (and they are almost always really liberal, non-practicing christians). It wouldn't surprise me if it was slightly less than this in less "city" areas (but having said that, I live in a town where pretty much everyone is an athiest/agnostic, so meh).
 
We British are too busy complaining about the weather and queuing in lines to have time for a religion.
Tea and crumpets anyone?

$kelet0r said:
I don't believe it tbh
Is there no mini-census in the UK in between the 10 year real census that those claims can be compared to?
Click to expand...

It seems about right to me, but seeing as you are from Ireland I can understand how it is much different where you are from.





The Irish are too busy hating the English and running out of potatoes to have time to give up religion.
Pint of Guiness anyone?


:p
 
neptuneuk said:
We British are too busy complaining about the weather and queuing in lines to have time for a religion.
Tea and crumpets anyone?
Click to expand...

Indeed old bean. What say we go for a spot of hunting ere the evening wanes?
 
What? We don't hunt old chap!

Hunting is far too strenuous.

*puff puff*

Fancy a pipe?
 
PUT ANOTHER SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE MATE!!!



am I doing it right?
 
i think CptStern is a pretty cool guy. eh makes lulz and doesnt afraid of anything
 
here's an authentic UK accent

"DIE INFIDEL, YOU DARE INSULT ISLAM!!!"




/runs
 
i think Druckles is a pretty cool guy. eh fixes quotes whilst getting back at CptStern simultaneously and doesnt afraid of anything


CptStern said:
here's an authentic UK accent

"DIE INFIDEL, YOU DARE INSULT ISLAM!!!"




/runs
Click to expand...



It's not funny because it's true :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MFL
Fascinating look at the ongoing psychological evolution of flat hieirarchies.
Replies
2
Views
2K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
Acurt1982
The Success and Failure of Silence: Gordon Freeman in 'Half Life' and 'Half Life 2'
Replies
1
Views
2K
Chowder
Chowder
Danny_ZQ
NSA shares raw intelligence including Americans' data with Israel
Replies
1
Views
3K
Stigmata
Stigmata
mechanicallizard
Saudis fear therell be ‘no more virgins’ and people will turn gay if women drive
Replies
17
Views
1K
DEATHMASTER
DEATHMASTER
CptStern
Is religion a force for good or evil? Blair loses to Hitchens
Replies
3
Views
521
Warbie
Warbie
Back
Top