Britain today is a diverse society, and the various religions practiced in the UK reflect this. Christianity is the state religion and also the most popular in the UK, with census data showing that 72% of people claim to be Christians. However, only 7% of the population attend church regularly and this figure continues to fall. Meanwhile, Islam is now Britain’s second most popular religion, accounting for 3% of the population according to the census. This book covers issues such as religious diversity, tolerance and discrimination, religious extremism, values and ethics and the controversy surrounding religion in education.
The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
Chapter One: Religious Diversity
What is religion?, Major religions in the UK, Religion in Britain, and in the rest of the UK, The Golden Rule, Food culture and religion, Why does religion exist?, A humanist discussion of ethics, Religion and moral decline, Crisis of faith?, One in seven adults attends church every month, Church of England still valid as state religion?, Only one in six children is now baptised.
Chapter Two: Religious Tolerance
Religion: who needs it?, Majority views religion as force for good, Religion does more harm than good – poll, Christians feel they are discriminated against, Religious hate crime, Extremism: the battle for young hearts and minds, Diversity and dialogue, Young people and religion, Faith schools in Britain, Faith in the education system, Creationism – coming soon to a school near you?, Sneaking God into science by the back door.
Key Facts
Glossary
Index
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Key Facts
• Many religions offer their followers answers to philosophical questions about topics such as how and why the universe came into existence, the purpose of life and the best way to live it, and what happens after death. (page 1)
• 36% of young adults (18 to 34 years of age) define themselves as Atheist or Agnostic, according to a 2005 Ipsos MORI poll. (page 8)
• 62% of people surveyed by Ipsos MORI in 2006 believe that human nature by itself gives us an understanding of what is right and wrong, whereas 27% believe that people need religious teachings in order to understand what is right and wrong. (page 9)
• 33% of people in Britain feel that religion is important. (page 10)
• An overwhelming number of people believe that Britain is experiencing a moral decline according to a BBC/ComRes opinion poll. (page 17)
• One in seven adults in the UK attends a Christian church each month, with nearly 3 million more people saying they would attend church if only they were asked, one of the largest surveys of churchgoing in the UK reveals. (page 20)
• 32% of people surveyed by YouGov said they were Christian, but only attended church for special services such as weddings, funerals and Christmas. (page 23)
• 72% of Britain’s population consider themselves Christian. However, 48% do not understand that Easter marks the death and resurrection of Jesus. (page 25)
• In a survey for Theos, 53% of people agreed that on balance, religion is a force for good in society. (page 26)
• 82% of those questioned in a Guardian/ICM poll say they see religion as a cause of division and tension between people. (page 27)
• A new survey carried out by the BBC has revealed that 33% of Christians in the UK think that the way they are portrayed in the media amounts to discrimination. (page 28)
Religious Beliefs Study Guide
Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.50
ISBN: 978 1 86168 447 9 |
