Modern British attitude towards Christianity...

[Lozzer]

Do you believe there's a changing attitude towards Christianity in this country, not necessarily towards the religious belief itself, but to people who claim to be Christian? I think it's pretty evident that people are getting less 'respectable' of people who announce their religious belief, particulary in pop culture. It's just not 'cool' to be Christian.
I know it's a weird way of substantiating what I just said, but last night's Big Brother was a demonstration of this. Out of all these candidates BB singled out people and called them to the house. Once their name was announced, a video on this large outdoor screen would display their 'profile video'. All individuels who made mention of 'moral values' was pretty much boo'd from the start. even despite their profound personality. One was a Monk who proffessed very early on in the video that he was a "Christian" who "loves Jesus". It suffices to say, thousands of people boo'd him. see I quite liked him myself. He founded his own sect which its docterine demands that all members engage in rampant drunkard disobedience to become 'at one' with God. It's basically an excuse to get wasted.

I know Johos have a very infamous reputation in this country for being collectivly shunned and mocked, but is this a product of Britain's modern attitude towards Christians? I don't think it's evidence of an increasingly secular society, but certainly, people don't appreciate having other peoples' beliefs shoved down there throat.

[Geoff]

Do you believe there's a changing attitude towards Christianity in this country, not necessarily towards the religious belief itself, but to people who claim to be Christian? I think it's pretty evident that people are getting less 'respectable' of people who announce their religious belief, particulary in pop culture. It's just not 'cool' to be Christian.
I know it's a weird way of substantiating what I just said, but last night's Big Brother was a demonstration of this. Out of all these candidates BB singled out people and called them to the house. Once their name was announced, a video on this large outdoor screen would display their 'profile video'. All individuels who made mention of 'moral values' was pretty much boo'd from the start. even despite their profound personality. One was a Monk who proffessed very early on in the video that he was a "Christian" who "loves Jesus". It suffices to say, thousands of people boo'd him. see I quite liked him myself. He founded his own sect which its docterine demands that all members engage in rampant drunkard disobedience to become 'at one' with God. It's basically an excuse to get wasted.

I know Johos have a very infamous reputation in this country for being collectivly shunned and mocked, but is this a product of Britain's modern attitude towards Christians? I don't think it's evidence of an increasingly secular society, but certainly, people don't appreciate having other peoples' beliefs shoved down there throat.

I'm not sure the BB audience is anything to go by - not that I've ever watched it.

In general, though, I think the "downsizing" of Christianity (in the UK) is a trend that's been apparent for a long time, as people become better educated, and I see no reason for that trend not to continue.

[Lozzer]

Do you believe there's a changing attitude towards Christianity in this country, not necessarily towards the religious belief itself, but to people who claim to be Christian? I think it's pretty evident that people are getting less 'respectable' of people who announce their religious belief, particulary in pop culture. It's just not 'cool' to be Christian.
I know it's a weird way of substantiating what I just said, but last night's Big Brother was a demonstration of this. Out of all these candidates BB singled out people and called them to the house. Once their name was announced, a video on this large outdoor screen would display their 'profile video'. All individuels who made mention of 'moral values' was pretty much boo'd from the start. even despite their profound personality. One was a Monk who proffessed very early on in the video that he was a "Christian" who "loves Jesus". It suffices to say, thousands of people boo'd him. see I quite liked him myself. He founded his own sect which its docterine demands that all members engage in rampant drunkard disobedience to become 'at one' with God. It's basically an excuse to get wasted.

I know Johos have a very infamous reputation in this country for being collectivly shunned and mocked, but is this a product of Britain's modern attitude towards Christians? I don't think it's evidence of an increasingly secular society, but certainly, people don't appreciate having other peoples' beliefs shoved down there throat.

I'm not sure the BB audience is anything to go by - not that I've ever watched it.

In general, though, I think the "downsizing" of Christianity (in the UK) is a trend that's been apparent for a long time, as people become better educated, and I see no reason for that trend not to continue.

Maybe, but in my experience it's the vast majority of people who couldn't be said to possess a 'better education'.

[devogue]

One was a Monk who proffessed very early on in the video that he was a "Christian" who "loves Jesus". It suffices to say, thousands of people boo'd him. see I quite liked him myself. He founded his own sect which its docterine demands that all members engage in rampant drunkard disobedience to become 'at one' with God. It's basically an excuse to get wasted.

Yeah, I wasn't sure if they were booing him because he was a bit strange, or because he was a Christian. It was hard to tell.

I wouldn't get too encouraged by it anyway, because they also booed a rather endearing girl who is a medical student, no doubt because she is smarter than them. I just think that crowd like to drink alcopops, fall over, suck cocks, fuck pussy, then do it all over again, and the most important thing in their lives is the now. Anything that deviates from their modern Chav British lifestyle is instantly open to derision and ridicule.

[Feck]

I have been asked if I'm a protestant atheist ! because there is no such thing as a Catholic atheist !

Seems sectarianism is alive and well even if Christianity is dying out .

[Lozzer]

One was a Monk who proffessed very early on in the video that he was a "Christian" who "loves Jesus". It suffices to say, thousands of people boo'd him. see I quite liked him myself. He founded his own sect which its docterine demands that all members engage in rampant drunkard disobedience to become 'at one' with God. It's basically an excuse to get wasted.

Yeah, I wasn't sure if they were booing him because he was a bit strange, or because he was a Christian. It was hard to tell.

I wouldn't get too encouraged by it anyway, because they also booed a rather endearing girl who is a medical student, no doubt because she is smarter than them. I just think that crowd like to drink alcopops, fall over, suck cocks, fuck pussy, then do it all over again, and the most important thing in their lives is the now. Anything that deviates from their modern Chav British lifestyle is instantly open to derision and ridicule.

She wasn't endearing, she was patronizing and all girly I found her obsession with shiny things and the colour pink really obnoxious. She came across as a spoilt brat and those 'chavs' saw her for what she was--an over-privilidged daddy's girl.
Of course, I'm not defending these chavs

[Pappa]

While traditional CofE Christianity is on the decline here, Evangelical sects are booming, as is Paganism and other random woo. The majority of people have an acceptance of religion that is truly stupid. They accept religious privilege in religions they don't even subscribe to. I've seen how some of my family an friends have responded to my anti-Pope or anti-religion stuff on Facebook. It's embarrassing that functional agnostics seem to give so much respect to religion.

[Lozzer]

While traditional CofE Christianity is on the decline here, Evangelical sects are booming, as is Paganism and other random woo. The majority of people have an acceptance of religion that is truly stupid. They accept religious privilege in religions they don't even subscribe to. I've seen how some of my family an friends have responded to my anti-Pope or anti-religion stuff on Facebook. It's embarrassing that functional agnostics seem to give so much respect to religion.

Like casual apologetics who seem to be preoccupied with the belief that Muslims are a race? They're quite irritating

[devogue]

One was a Monk who proffessed very early on in the video that he was a "Christian" who "loves Jesus". It suffices to say, thousands of people boo'd him. see I quite liked him myself. He founded his own sect which its docterine demands that all members engage in rampant drunkard disobedience to become 'at one' with God. It's basically an excuse to get wasted.

Yeah, I wasn't sure if they were booing him because he was a bit strange, or because he was a Christian. It was hard to tell.

I wouldn't get too encouraged by it anyway, because they also booed a rather endearing girl who is a medical student, no doubt because she is smarter than them. I just think that crowd like to drink alcopops, fall over, suck cocks, fuck pussy, then do it all over again, and the most important thing in their lives is the now. Anything that deviates from their modern Chav British lifestyle is instantly open to derision and ridicule.

She wasn't endearing, she was patronizing and all girly I found her obsession with shiny things and the colour pink really obnoxious. She came across as a spoilt brat and those 'chavs' saw her for what she was--an over-privilidged daddy's girl.
Of course, I'm not defending these chavs

She'll be there on the last day. You'll see.

[bhakta]

As a kind of believer I reckon you are right, people of faith are increasingly marginalised and often ridiculed. I think formalised belief is heading for obscurity. I keep my faith to myself and my colleagues will never know anything of it. I am almost fearful of their reaction should they find out. I know it wouldn't do my credibility or prospects any good. I rarely meet another believer. I live and work in a white working class community. The churches are all closing as the congregations of old ladies die out. There is a charismatic church but its not growing and has its work cut out caring for its needy congregation. I know in bigger towns there are some very active churches but they are often student / graduate based and those kind of folk don't come here, they generally stay in their ghetto's.

I kind of think the athiests in my community, at the local level at least, might feel the struggle against Christianity is almost over? Perhaps they should be putting more thought into how to dialogue with the world view of the vast majority of folk with the deep seated influences of nominal astrology , New Ageism , alternative medicine, materialism etc. I guess though this is a more nebulous entity and it will be a longer harder battle than the one athiesm has had with Christianity?

I hope as I enter my twilight years that there are one or two believers left around who I can have a natter with around a warm fire under a starlit sky and not have any regrets that I kept a little faith. Perhaps by then athiests will want to preserve the last of us, an endangered archaic anachronism, maybe not.

[Elessarina]

There are about 15 of us that work on my site for my company as far as I know only two are religious one is Catholic one is Muslim.

I know at least 5 or 6 have stated outright they are not religious at all.

[colubridae]

[maiforpeace]

I have nothing to compare to having only visited the UK twice recently, but what I can say is I like the current attitude in the UK.

I hope we get there one day here in the US. It was great not being in a tiny minority, seeing Dawkin's on home bookshelves as commonly as one would see a Bible on a bookshelf here in the US.

[Tigger]

I have nothing to compare to having only visited the UK twice recently, but what I can say is I like the current attitude in the UK.

I hope we get there one day here in the US. It was great not being in a tiny minority, seeing Dawkin's on home bookshelves as commonly as one would see a Bible on a bookshelf here in the US.

We Brits sometimes take it for granted, which is a mistake.

[AnInconvenientScotsman]

We don't have time for all that God nonsense. We're too busy ensuring that fish & chips remains perfect and that there's enough beer to keep us going for another week.

As Alistair Campbell said, we don't do God.