Christianity is Finished in Britain, says Church of England Bishop

[and-justice-for-all]

A long-serving Church of England bishop has predicted that the Church of England will cease to exist within a generation. In an article in the Sunday Telegraph, the Right Reverend Paul Richardson said declining church attendance and the rise in multiculturalism meant that "Christian Britain is dead".

More:
http://www.atheistalliance.org/Latest/Christianity-is-Finished-in-Britain-says-Church-of-England-Bishop.html

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Finally, they actually bring the 'good news'.

[moggie]

1. In England, Christianity is largely dependent on immigration

I say "England" rather than "the UK", since it varies: church attendance is holding up better in Northern Ireland, for example (but NI is not exactly a good advertisement for the benefits of Christianity). In England, I think the only churches which are doing well are those with African and Afro-Caribbean congregations, and they're mostly not Church of England. So, while it's possible that the C of E will disappear, as its elderly churchgoers die off, the future of Christian worship as a whole here will depend on patterns of immigration and assimilation.

[trotsky]

2. Islam is on the rise in England too, isn't it?

That's probably a contributing factor. Between the Church of England and Sharia Law, I'd GLADLY take the former.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. I don't think it contributes significantly

There are occasional converts to Islam, but very few, really. It's that people attend church less and less.

the article is actually about the Church of England, not all of Christianity in Britain - "Christian Britain is dead" means "the idea that Britain is a Christian country is dead", and he's saying it should give up the official links between the Church of England and the state (eg the seats for bishops in the House of Lords, or that the Queen is the head of the Church of England).

Here's a 2007 survey (what people say they do, and reality, isn't always the same thing, of course):


Regular churchgoers: At least once a month
Fringe churchgoers: At least six times a year
Occasional churchgoers: At least once a year
Open de-churched: Don't go, but likely to go again
Closed de-churched: Used to go, but unlikely to go again
Open non-churched: Weddings/baptism/funerals but may go again
Closed non-churched: Weddings/baptism/funerals but unlikely to go again
Other religions: Non-Christian
Unassigned: Did not answer question on prior church attendance

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6520463.stm

[Warpy]

4. I don't think it will disappear

as long as the monarch is the titular head of the church. I do think it will likely be a lot smaller, with churches mostly in the cities.

Then again, with the horrors of two world wars and a Depression between them forgotten by generations to come, there could always be a religious resurgence.

One just never knows.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. I found some stats, from the British Social Attitudes Survey

which is taken every year:



"Time series of responses to British Social Attitudes question "Do you regard yourself as belonging to any particular religion? IF YES: Which?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_Kingdom

Being the same question each year, this is more useful, as a trend, than trying to compare different surveys.

I think the bishop was actually saying it'd be more honest to disestablish, ie stop the monarch being the head of the CofE, than to hang on to that while attendance declines. The Tearfund survey I linked to above said that about 5% of the adult population goes to a CofE church at least once a month, while about 30% said they belonged to the CofE. So you can see why he feels being the established church isn't maintainable in the long term.

[Warpy]

6. I don't think it matters much to churchgoers

whether the Queen or the Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the church, or whether it's anyone else, or even if the churches become independent of each other and of a central authority. Disestablishment wouldn't have an effect on this trend unless it involved a merger back with the church of Rome. Even then, it would be a numbers game rather than any real change.

This graph does show the decline leveling out, if only for a very short time.

While I think it certain the church will have to think in smaller terms, I still doubt it will go away any time soon.

[enlightenment]

7. Interesting thought.

I feel exactly opposite on that point - I think it is more likely that disappear (at least the CofE) because it is a state-sponsored religion. I've always thought that was were the Founders screwed up. They should have given the US a state-sponsored religion . . . then we'd have gotten bored with it and found better things on which to waste time.

Known quantities don't attract as much interest and eventually lose support.

Whatever - it's nice that it's not a huge issue in the UK, overall.

Most of my friends in the UK are decidedly secular but one (who is a very good friend) wears a small cross on a chain all the time. I assume she's raising her children in whatever flavor of Christianity she practices, but I don't know. I've never asked and she never mentions it in any way, shape or form. It is delightfully refreshing.


edited to add an "I think" because that's all this blather is - an imo . . .