Decline of religion in Britain comes to a halt – major study suggests [Telegraph]

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    Decline of religion in Britain ‘comes to a halt’ – major study suggests


    image.jpg
    The Wintershall Players' annual passion play in Trafalgar Square
    CREDIT: GETTY


    John Bingham, religious affairs editor
    7 AUGUST 2016 • 7:00AM


    It is more than 130 years since Nietzsche declared that “God is dead”, and forecasts of the demise of organised religion in the UK and elsewhere have been a regular fixture ever since.

    But new figures from Britain’s longest-running and most important barometer of general public opinion suggest that reports of the imminent death of Christianity at least may have been greatly exaggerated.

    As-yet unpublished findings from this year’s British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA), seen by the Sunday Telegraph, show decades of decline in religious affiliation appearing to level off.

    The overall proportion of Britons who described themselves as Christian actually rose one percentage point in the last year from 42 per cent to 43 per cent.

    And that corresponds with a one point fall in the number of so-called “nones” – those who describe themselves as having no religion – from 49 per cent to 48 per cent.

    The variations in the last year are too small to be regarded as statistically significant in themselves but will some offer comfort to those praying for an end to the seemingly relentless decline in Christianity.

    Perhaps most strikingly, there was three-point fall in the number of adults under 25 identifying themselves as non-believers.


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    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...in-britain-comes-to-a-halt--major-study-sugg/