BBC poll shows changes in faith and secularism across UK
-14/11/05
A new opinion poll
BBC poll shows changes in faith and secularism across UK
-14/11/05
A new opinion poll conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) suggests a persistence of religious belief in the UK, a growth in outright secularism, and widespread ignorance of other peopleís convictions among different faith communities.
It also indicates that while a fifth of people in the UK feel less positive about Islam since the London bombings in July 2005, the view of the majority is unaffected.
Commissioned for BBC News 24ís Faith Day, the poll of a representative sample of adults across the country examines how religious belief is continuing to impact British identity.
Asked if they felt more or less positive towards Islam since the London attacks, 73 per cent of respondents said it had made no difference to their views. But 19 per cent said they now felt less positive.
The two groups displaying the least positive feelings towards Islam were Jews and Sikhs. Around a third of Jews and Christians said they had generally ìpositiveî views of Muslims, however.
Some 35% of those surveyed said they did not understand anything about Islam as a religion, with similar or higher numbers saying the same about other faith groups.
According to the poll, some 67 per cent of the 1,019 respondents described themselves as Christian; 59 per cent of men and 75 per cent of women. Some 17 per cent attended church regularly.
The next largest faith group was Muslims, making up 3 per cent of respondents. Nearly 30 per cent of people indicated that they did not believe in any religion ñ slightly higher than Home Office figures.
Among the general population, 14 per cent said they attended religious service once a week or more while 60 per cent (70 per cent among Christians) attended at least once or twice a year.
However 28 per cent of people said they never attended a religious service.
Around 44 per cent of those who said they had no faith agreed that the UK should retain a Christian ethos.
Of the different faith communities, Muslims were shown to be most devout and Jews least so.
The poll indicates that over 30 per cent of Jewish people in Britain know little about their faith, and a higher proportion know nothing about Islam. Many Muslims are also ignorant of the main characteristics of Judaism.
ICM Research carried out the nationwide statistically weighted poll by telephone between 4 and 6 November 2005.
[Also on Ekklesia: Post-Christendom: Church and mission in a strange new world; Bishop warns that Britain’s churches face extinction; Former C of E head says tide is turning against the church; Make the institutional church history, says theologian.]
BBC poll shows changes in faith and secularism across UK
-14/11/05
A new opinion poll conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) suggests a persistence of religious belief in the UK, a growth in outright secularism, and widespread ignorance of other people’s convictions among different faith communities.
It also indicates that while a fifth of people in the UK feel less positive about Islam since the London bombings in July 2005, the view of the majority is unaffected.
Commissioned for BBC News 24’s Faith Day, the poll of a representative sample of adults across the country examines how religious belief is continuing to impact British identity.
Asked if they felt more or less positive towards Islam since the London attacks, 73 per cent of respondents said it had made no difference to their views. But 19 per cent said they now felt less positive.
The two groups displaying the least positive feelings towards Islam were Jews and Sikhs. Around a third of Jews and Christians said they had generally ‘positive’ views of Muslims, however.
Some 35% of those surveyed said they did not understand anything about Islam as a religion, with similar or higher numbers saying the same about other faith groups.
According to the poll, some 67 per cent of the 1,019 respondents described themselves as Christian; 59 per cent of men and 75 per cent of women. Some 17 per cent attended church regularly.
The next largest faith group was Muslims, making up 3 per cent of respondents. Nearly 30 per cent of people indicated that they did not believe in any religion – slightly higher than Home Office figures.
Among the general population, 14 per cent said they attended religious service once a week or more while 60 per cent (70 per cent among Christians) attended at least once or twice a year.
However 28 per cent of people said they never attended a religious service.
Around 44 per cent of those who said they had no faith agreed that the UK should retain a Christian ethos.
Of the different faith communities, Muslims were shown to be most devout and Jews least so.
The poll indicates that over 30 per cent of Jewish people in Britain know little about their faith, and a higher proportion know nothing about Islam. Many Muslims are also ignorant of the main characteristics of Judaism.
ICM Research carried out the nationwide statistically weighted poll by telephone between 4 and 6 November 2005.
[Also on Ekklesia: Post-Christendom: Church and mission in a strange new world; Bishop warns that Britain’s churches face extinction; Former C of E head says tide is turning against the church; Make the institutional church history, says theologian.]