Census
figures show Christianity in sharp decline while belief inIslam dramatically increases
Dear distinguished Audience
Hoping that
this issue or rather relevant topic will bring bright and in -depth Analysis as
well as probing and diligent ideas
that surely will enhance the civilized dialogue between Human kind while
respecting every one's beliefs and trends.
Census
figures show Christianity in sharp decline while belief in Islam dramatically
increases
A fresh analysis of the
2011 census has shown that Christian faith in the UK is declining rapidly
amongst the British-born population, whilst belief in Islam has dramatically
increased.
A report published by the
Office for National Statistics revealed that the percentage of people following
a Christian faith dropped from 71.7 per cent in 2001 to 59.3 per cent in 2011.
More than one in 10 under 25s in the UK now describe themselves as
Muslim.
Figures for Christianity
were boosted however by the 1.2 million foreign-born Christians residing in the
UK, such as Polish Catholics and evangelicals from countries such as Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the percentage
of the people who have no religion rose from 14.8 per cent to a quarter of the
population.
This fluctuation is being
attributed to both ageing Christians, a quarter of which are aged 65 and above
and younger Muslims, half of which are under 25. Rising levels of immigration
across England and Wales over the last decade are also believed to have
contributed, with the 2011 census showing 600,000 more foreign-born followers
of an Islamic faith.
Christianity is still the
most prevalent faith in England and Wales and has 33.2 million followers, but
such a rapid decline could suggest that it may lose its place as the most
popular religion amongst Britons within the decade.
A spokesperson for the
Church of England said that despite the analysis, the UK was still a “faithful
nation.”
“Christianity was the
largest religious group in England and Wales with 33.2 million people – 59 per
cent of the population. The second largest group was Islam with 2.7 million
people – 5 per cent of the population. Combined with other religions, these
figures show that as a nation we are overwhelming a faithful nation.”
Keith Porteous Wood,
executive director of the National Secular Society said that young people may
perceive Christianity as unattractive because it "lacks relevance to their
lives".
Keith added: "They
particularly dislike the church's failure to treat women equally and its
obsessional war against homosexuality. Most young Catholics despair at their church's
attitude to contraception and abortion.
“Because the young are
abandoning the churches, congregations will continue to dwindle and age.
Christian Research projects Anglican and Catholic church attendance in Britain
will drop below 200,000 jointly by 2050.”