When I need time and space to think I like to go to church. Not because I have a deep held religious belief, it's just the only place I can guarantee will always be empty.
That was a cheap shot, but then I read that David Cameron has been claiming, "We are a Christian country and we should not be afraid to say so."
The latest British Social Attitudes Survey has revealed that 50% of British people consider themselves to have "No Religion."
The number of people who describe themselves as religious has been falling and of those who do, many stated that they never attend a place of worship.
The idea that we're a Christian nation is based around poorly gathered data, a vocal minority and an erroneous perception that our entire culture is the result of besandaled Jew 2000 years ago.
This assumption has informed debate on the Lords' Spiritual role in the House of Lords, abortion, sex education, faith education and blasphemy.
The increasing amount of faith schools is in direct contradiction to the falling level of religiosity. All state schools are still obliged to have a "collective act of worship" which is "wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character". That's despite only 44% of British people describing themselves as Christian, according to the BSA Survey.
With only 20% of respondents saying they are Anglican, the Church of England should be done under the trade descriptions act.
We now have a chance to ignore what celibates have to say about sex, marriage and homosexuality. We have a chance to acknowledge that this country's cultural history and identity is not solely built upon Christianity. Most importantly we have a chance to place reason over blind faith.
On a lighter note we should consider the implications of the growing numbers of faithless Britons. For a start the BNP and English Defense League can stand down from 'protecting the Christian majority.'
The national anthem needs rewording, as God Save Our Queen seems simply disingenuous. Rather than swearing on a Bible in court we can chose our own sacred text - I'd chose a battered VHS copy of Star Wars.
Most importantly, when some sanctimonious Vicar comes on the telly to lecture us about the 'true meaning' of the festive season we can remind ourselves that the majority of British people couldn't give a flying Christmas fig about it.
Follow Will Porter on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GlamorousLeft
Barbara Taylor Bradford Slams 50 Shades As Badly Written And 'Not Sexy'
Keep Walking: Eco Niemeyer, Part 2 Of 6 Inspirational Films From Brazil (VIDEO)
'Hair Stockings' From China Promise To Keep Perverts (And Everyone Else) Far Away (PICTURE)
'Hair Stockings' From China Promise To Keep Perverts (And Everyone Else) Far Away (PICTURE)
Japanese 'Face Slimmer Exercise Mouthpiece' Fights Wrinkles And Sagging Skin
Harry Cooper: Being Anti-Gay Marriage Does Not Make You a Bigot
C of E. To be called a Christian you must believe in the ten comandments even if you don't follow all of them. The political caste say that the Archbishop should not comment on political events but when all is said they are now known to be liers, robbers and immoral people when it comes to abuse of the power that comes with the job of being an M.P. That is to some extent the fault of the voters who are not careful enough about who they vote for.Some say, & I agree, that the war we see in the HofC is dividing the nation. The Archbishop said that the coalition is putting forward policies that no-one voted for and no-one wants. He was quite right. Personally I follow the Dali Lama who says his religion is "kindness", but I call myself a Christian. I think most people think the same way judging by their generous spirit towards helping people in their hour of need. What else was Jesus about?
Churches thriving all over Britain? ,I suggest you are somewhat blinkered by a desire to thrust forward a religious agenda.
Everywhere I travel, beginning in my own region, the number of churches that have either, vanished under the wrecking ball, been converted to other use, or are now replaced by small factory estates or brown field housing, is virtually uncountable.
I accept that the RC church still has a reasonable following, but the numbers of adherents has dropped severely since the high of about 5 millions in the 20's/30s
I also accept that many traditional churches, in very small communities, and villages still stand, but even there the congregations are often far fewer than decades ago, to the extent they can no longer support the upkeep of the fabric. The once ubiquitous church or chapel on every street corner in the urban areas are getting fewer by the day.
They, like their erstwhile companions the Pubs, are declining ever more rapidly, their congregations diminishing. and there is a virtually no way they will return, we no longer live in fear of Hell's fires, or have hopes for everlasting life, the lies of the clergy have been outed, and we will; not take the rubbish any more, so please, no more pathetic prozelytising , the day of god fearing and Jesus Loves you is no more.
So no, I am not blinkered by a 'religious agenda', whatever that might be. But I have yet to meet many of this imaginary multitude who 'no longer ... have hopes for everlasting life', 'will not take the rubbish any more', and think that 'the lies of the clergy have been outed'. I respect your views, and you may have good reason for clinging to them. But a number of my best friends used to be convinced that 'the day of Jesus Loves You is no more' until they made the surprising discovery that they were wrong. You'll meet some sooner or later.
The other religions only represent 6% of the population and there is an overall fall in religiosity according to the stats.
I don't think the writer of this article can be taken too seriously unless he advocates a change in church-state relations.
And remember that although muslims may have a higher rate of retaining followers than the various christian sects, people do still leave the muslim religion too. Anybody can become rational if they are willing to ask honest questions.
Britain is not going to be Muslim in 25 years that's just not true. There may be more Muslims here, but they won't be in a majority. There are incomparably more people who are aggressively anti-Muslim than there are Muslims for a start. Secondly the religion requires sacrifices that most of us are completely unwilling to make ( no bacon butties; no beer). Finally most of us have no great love for a religion that seems strict, intolerant and unbending.
Keep the core values. Discard the dross, which is what's keeping people like me from marrying the person I love, or keeping women from having control of their own bodies or giving people an evangelical excuse for their resentment and hatred.
Then you have all the questionable areas of christian morality (stoning to death for various issues, physical punishment of slaves, killing your son as a sacrifice to name but a few).
You can't say christian morality is a good thing unless you are talking about all of it (you don't get to pick and choose otherwise your statement holds no truth). And if you are just going to pick the good stuff then chances are it isn't down to the christian way of thinking that we consider it a good moral to have.
All it is is fear of change and a rose-tinted, nostalgic view of the past, which appeals to people with poor memories and no knowledge of social history. Live moves, and we move with it.
There is no ready to hand way to explain that morality, so by stating they are 'Christian', they are using the term as a substitute for the word they cannot find that all will understand.
Most other words have been hijacked for other reasons, Human goes to the Humanists, pagan implies godless, agnostics, few really understand what that means or implies, so of all that could be used, and I guess there must be many, none really fill the gap should 'Christian' be found inadequate.
As for the numbers, I know hundreds of people thanks to the business I was engaged in, few ever attended any sort of church or chapel, in fact here in my town, I can think of maybe two places still operating out of the fifty or more that rose between 1800 and the late fifties.
If that does not show a decline in 'Christianity I don't know what can.
50%, .....I would say the truth is nearer 85%.