England & Wales: Christians Now A Minority – Surprised, Anyone? Does God Actually Care?
Christians now a minority in England and Wales – The News…
By AFP November 30, 2022
LONDON, United Kingdom: Fewer than half of people in England and Wales identify as Christian, according to census data released on Tuesday, underlining a landmark shift towards secularism in multicultural Britain.
The findings from the 10-yearly census, carried out in 2021, came just over a month after Rishi Sunak became Britain´s first Hindu prime minister. They showed rapid growth among the Muslim population. However, “no religion” was the second most common response after “Christian”, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said it was no “great surprise” that the Christian proportion was declining over time. But he said that, facing a cost-of-living crisis and war in Europe, people still needed spiritual sustenance.
“We will be there for them, in many cases, providing food and warmth. And at Christmas, millions of people will still come to our services,” said the Anglican Church´s second-ranking cleric. But the group Humanists UK, which campaigns for the rights of non-religious people, said the government should take on board policy implications.
Those included government backing for religious schools and for the established Church of England, its chief executive Andrew Copson said. “Iran is the only other state in the world that has clerics voting in its legislature. And no other country in the world requires compulsory Christian worship in (non-religious) schools as standard,” he said.
“This census result should be a wake-up call which prompts fresh reconsiderations of the role of religion in society.” Some 27.5 million people, or 46.2 percent in England and Wales, described themselves as Christian, down 13.1 percentage points from 2011.
“No religion” rose by 12 points to 37.2 percent or 22.2 million, while Muslims stood at 3.9 million or 6.5 percent of the population, up from 4.9 percent before. The next most common responses were Hindu (1.0 million) and Sikh (524,000), while Buddhists overtook Jewish people (273,000 and 271,000 respectively). Source…
Editor writes…
The oblivious attitude of churchmen to this news is just breath-taking: Oh, don’t worry, people will still come to church services at Christmas, and they’ll still look to us to help them when they are hungry, and what with the war in Europe, they might need someone to chat with… about sums up the brain-dead and faithless response of the Anglican clerics mentioned in The News report. There’s no sign whatsoever of the fear that should be paralysing Christians across the land. The same people who were terrified at the prompting of the Government nudge unit, petrified of a virus from which almost 100% of those infected recover, are not one bit concerned that Christ’s final words on this earth have been ignored. And they’ve been ignored in the name of accommodating false gods – both religious and secular. Shivers and spines. Shivers and spines.
Christ’s final words on this earth were a command, a very clear command to go out into the whole world and bring everyone into His Church: “Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). So, to answer the question in the headline on this page – yes, you betcha – God cares. Big time.
This news, about the decline of Christianity in England & Wales is not restricted to those nations. Anyone who thinks that the same paganism does not exist in Scotland, hasn’t been paying attention. Bishops and priests in the countries of the UK have kept a low profile for a very long time now. Diplomacy, going along to get along in ecumenical and inter-faith fashion, marks them out as men in the shameful mould of Pontius Pilate. Preaching Christ gets folk into bother these days – just ask Father Sheehy – so, if the Government allows it, settle for opening the church doors at Christmas (and maybe Easter, for good measure) and live and let live, the rest of the time.
Jesus, mercy! Mary, help!
Your thoughts…
Comments (11)
That image of Our Lord suffering on the cross, above the news that his own bishops and priests don’t care enough to obey his final command to spread the Good News of the faith, even on this small island, is little short of heartbreaking.
Saying that, can anyone really be surprised at this news? We can see on our streets where the really vibrant religious faith lies, and it is with the Muslims. They are not shy of showing their religion in the way they dress and when you think that Christians don’t even like praying the grace before meals in public, it is shameful. We really can’t be surprised that Christianity is now a minority religion in England & Wales – I think the same is true in Scotland, as well.
I was just about to say the very same thing. It has been on the cards for years now. We have made it so easy for non-Christian religions to have their mosques, temples etc. How can it possibly benefit a nation which has a Christian heritage to allow the public worship of gods other than the one, true God? That is something that I can’t get my head around.
Josephine,
I so much agree – that image of Our Lord on the cross is heartbreaking.
I’m not in the least surprised – Catholics don’t know the faith so how can they spread it, and I definitely agree that God cares. His wrath is evident in the world right now – we are being punished for our faithlessness, no question. The cardinals who knowingly elected this pope have something to answer for.
Nicky,
I agree – God DOES care that His final command on this earth, which is to spread His Truth, has been ignored and we are paying the price already. The world could scarcely be in a worse state, ditto the Church.
The figures for Scotland are also interesting. The C of S has the highest number of adherents with the Catholic Church figures being abysmally low – and this was in 2011. You can imagine it now. “No religion” is the highest number.
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/major-religious-groups-in-scotland.html
It’s no wonder, with the so-called Christians keeping a low profile, not wanting to offend anyone.
Lily,
It’s the keeping a low profile, the fear of causing offence, that identifies the person identifying as a Christian, as being no such thing – if you get my drift!
The inference of Our Lord’s words on the subject are unmistakeable: anyone who denies Him in the presence of men, woman and children, He will deny before His Father in Heaven.
So, get with the programme: if you want to identify as a Christian, then ACT like a Christian. Or else!
As you say ED no surprise really and the decline in Mass attendance at N.O. is down approx 50% in recent survey. As for the Anglican Bishops having a vote in the House of Lords remember this. When the Same Sex Marriage Bill went to the House of Lords less than half of them went to Vote on the Bill so what the good Bishop says about being open for Christmas only is about correct . Not forgetting of course the Anglican Bishops claims for House of Lords expenses . They claim £27.000 a year and they get £27.000 a year . Not bad for staying open at Christmas. Of course am sure that they will also claim for Heating Allowance for opening up their Churches. BTW Justin Welby the Man of all Seasons receives £850.000 a Year plus Expenses . An ordinary Anglican Bishop receives only £46.000 a Year ,with free Mansions Etc. Am sure of course that they wont be taking in any Illegal Immigrants. When you have a look at those Financial Figures am sure one can see why the Humanists want a Piece of the Action.
FOOF,
50% Mass attendance, given the (ever reducing) small Catholic population in Scotland, is highly, and depressingly, significant.
As for the financial revelations in your comment at 5.02 pm – corruption everywhere. That’s what we are witnessing, God help us all.
This has been prophesied for years now, that with the level of immigration, both legal and illegal, it was only a matter of time before the white, Christian population became a minority. This is what we are seeing. It’s very sad and I would say the same if any African country overseas suddenly became predominantly white. I think it’s always sad if an indigenous population becomes the minority.
On the purely religious front, I do believe we are bringing God’s wrath down upon us for failing to uphold Christian beliefs.
Substitute “Catholic” for “Christian,” and the numbers would be drastically lower, as far as I can tell. The deaf, dumb and mute state of the Catholic clergy reminds me of the Apostles hiding in the Upper Room after the Crucifixion, for fear of the Jews.
In this case, fear of what? Fear of being smeared and shamed by the globalist apparatus, and fear of being punished by the Dictator Pope., who has been co-opted by that same apparatus. And, come to think of it, fear of being exposed as homosexuals through blackmail.
(The adherents of false religions have no such fear and shame, in part because they know they are endorsed and protected by the globalists, and in part because they have fervor. The only thing they are afraid of, in the case of Muslims, is breaking Islamic law.)
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