Religion in the UK. Knowledge and belief

Transcription

1 Religion in the UK Knowledge and belief Richard Potter, Analytics Cambridge Ltd. Tel: August 2017, A.D.

2 If you ask a question do you have faith in the answer?

3 Faith & Questions SACRE: Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education 1. A SACRE is a legally required Committee for every Local Authority in England with Education responsibilities. Its role includes: Advise the local authority on matters connected with religious education and collective worship, as the local authority may refer, or as the SACRE sees fit A syllabus for religious education adopted by the council Monitor provision and standards in religious education Make a determination on collective worship when requested 2. SACRE membership is made up of four groups: Committee A Representatives from Christian denominations and other religions reflecting the principal religious traditions of the area Committee B Church of England representatives Committee C Teacher Association representatives Committee D Council elected Members So there is a question: does the membership of Committee A reflect the principal religious traditions?

4 Changing the question can change the possibility of answering The 2011 Census asked: What is you sex? Male or Female 2017 question from a Cambridge University Psychology study

5 the United Kingdom: meaning and interpretation

6 The United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) and colloquially Great Britain (GB) or simply Britain Queen Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God Queen of this Realm and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith "Defender of the Faith 1521 Pope Leo X granted this to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland In 1530 Henry VIII established himself as head of the Church of England 2010 there are 15 other realms with the Queen as monarch. For three of them her title also includes Defender of the Faith Queen Elizabeth was asked by her Private Secretary what her regnal name would be, she responded, "My own, of course what else?

7 Six different kinds of lapsed Catholic includes 1. cultural Catholics who have no personal, meaningful faith whatsoever. They might go to Mass sometimes to please their parents, or at Christmas 2. I am spiritual but not religious those who reject doctrine or religion but who still believe in a higher power and who still pray 3. religious switchers those who switch to another faith, usually Evangelical Christianity (Catholic Herald, Friday, 6 Nov 2015)

8 Religion: its place in the world

9 The world's most (and least) religious countries 1 of 2 Source: Gallup International poll, in Acred, C Faith & Religion, p 19

10 Or - the world's most (and least) religious countries 2/2 Most religious Around three in 10 Britons feel religious. The least religious countries include: Japan, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic, China: only seven per cent. Source: Daily Telegraph, Oliver Smith, Digital Travel Editor, 16 April :00am

11 There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns the ones we don't know we don't know. Donald Rumsfeld was the 21st United States Secretary of Defense.

12 Places of worship: scale Smallest working church in England In 1998 Father Stephen, disillusioned with the Anglican Church where he was a vicar for 20 yrs, joined the Antiochan Orthodox church. (The BBC lists 24 Orthodox Churches). The longest cathedral in the world Liverpool Cathedral: 189 metres external length. The longest cathedral in the world.

13 Religion and age

14 Changes with age & different patterns: Peterborough

15 Religion and age: reasoning Contemporary neurologists offer alternative explanations for hearing celestial speech auditory hallucinations.. are also a feature of degenerative neurological diseases. An elderly relative with Alzheimer s recently told me that God talks to her. Do you actually hear his voice? I asked. She said that she does, and she knows it is God because he said so. (Jerome Groopman, 2017)

16 2011 Census: Northern Ireland 17. What religion, religious denomination or body do you belong to? [] Roman Catholic [] Presbyterian Church in Ireland [] Church of Ireland [] Methodist Church of Ireland [] Other, write in [][][][][][][][][][][][][][] [] None 18. What religion, religious denomination or body were you brought up in? [] Roman Catholic [] Presbyterian Church in Ireland [] Church of Ireland [] Methodist Church of Ireland [] Other, write in [][][][][][][][][][][][][][] [] None

17 2011 Census: Scotland 13. What religion, religious denomination or body do you belong to? * This question is voluntary [] None [] Church of Scotland [] Roman Catholic [] Other Christian, please write below [] Muslim [] Buddhist [] Sikh [] Jewish [] Hindu [] Another religion or body, please, write in [][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

18 2011 Census: Wales 20. What is your religion? * This question is voluntary [] No religion [] Christian (all denominations) [] Buddhist [] Hindu [] Jewish [] Muslim [] Sikh [] Another religion, write in [][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

19 2011 Census: England 20. What is your religion? * This question is voluntary [] No religion [] Christian (including the Church of England, Catholic, Protestant and all other Christian denominations) [] Buddhist [] Hindu [] Jewish [] Muslim [] Sikh [] Any other religion, write in [][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

20 Importance of the question English Church Census of 1989: 47% of population identified themselves as Christian believers but neither going to nor being a member of any Church. George Moyser obtained much higher figures by asking not about membership or attendance but about belonging. In 1979 c. 56% of GB (Eng, SC & Wales, not NI). Claimed to belong to one of the Christian Churches when asked the question Do you belong to any Church or religious group? In 1985 the question was put in the form Do you regard yourself as belonging to a particular religion? This drew a response of 73.2% as belonging to the Christian religion.

21 Questions on SACRE?

22 English LAs with highest per centage Muslin population 2011

23 English LAs with highest per centage Sikh population 2011

24 Spatial Concentration: Example Tower Hamlets MSOAs, close to primary school catchment areas

25 2011 Census Religion Classification Version 3.0 In 2011 Census, 1,310 different religions require classification e.g. Buddhism 30 types

26 And what is reality? CELTIC RECONSTRUCTIONALIST (PAGAN) RELIGION OF THE LIGHT AND SOUND OF GOD (ECKANKAR) CANDOMBLE JEGE-NAGO (SANTERI) UNSURE (AGNOSTIC) THRASH METAL (HEAVY METAL) ARSENAL (NO RELIGION) TOO YOUNG TO DECIDE (NO RELIGION) Answers to 2011 Census England and categories placed in

27 The end is nigh?(1) The word kalpa was not defined by Buddhists, but rather was a general term to measure time in ancient India. It can signify a long time, or a short time (1) 13 th July 2017 The End Is Nigh, the murderous new platformer from the co-creator of Super Meat Boy and the creator of Closure, is now out. It s a bit Super Meaty, a bit Gishy

28 But just because you don t know everything doesn t mean you don t know anything

29 References Badham, P. (1994) Religious Pluralism in Modern Britain, In a History of Religion in Britain, practice & belief from Pre-Roman Times to the Present. Ed Sheridan Gilley and W.J.Sheils. Pp Blackwell (Moyser quoted in this) BBC Eastern ( ) Orthodox Church, EalingGrid for Learning, Sikh contact Gildow, D (2007) Chan Master Sheng Yen, Groopman, J. (January 9 th 2017), The voices in our heads, New York Times. Reproduced in the programme for Hamlet, Ambassador Theatre Group, Hounslow SACRE Luton Borough Council, SACRE membership, Office for National Statistics, 2015, 2011 Census UK Comparability Phillips, F. (2015), From shruggers to sceptics : the six different kinds of lapsed Catholic, Catholic Herald, Friday, 6 Nov 2015, Sandwell RE Syllabus Slough SACRE The Religious Education Council of England and Wales (2013), A Review of Religious Education in England Wills, D. (2016) 10 tiny churches around the UK, Guardian Newspaper, Sunday 16 October 2016, Various, Commonwealth realm, Wikipedia Various, List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth II, Wolverhampton SACRE