I think most people in the UK would, if they were to tick a box on a form tick Church of England, but these days the UK is not a very religious country, I feel. Or perhaps it is becoming a more spiritual country, with people identifying as believing in something, but not really bothered about what. I run across a fair few pagans and people who call themselves heathens on various sites. I have seen that more and more in the last five or six years. I don't think here it matters much professionally what religion you are if any, I'm not sure it matters in Parliment, I am pretty sure it does not actually.
When I was young with had hymns and prayers in Assembly at school, now some schools won't do nativity plays because it offends non Christians, and window displays are general 'festive' ones. I hope that there is more tolerance for all faiths or lack of. As a non Church-goer who does have a belief, albeit one that encompasses a lot of pagan views, I would feel very uncomfortable in the US, as I am used to the 'yeah, whatever,' attitude, and have friends (and family) who lean to paganism, Wicca, and church, with a touch of Zen Buddhism :) We all get on fine.
We've also seen a shift to "seasonal" from "overtly religious" in terms of holiday displays and the like, i.e. greenery in December instead of nativity displays. The difference seems to be that, over here, the conservative contingent is constantly bleating about a "war on Christmas" and doing things like berating store clerks who wish their customers "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas." I always think that they must be very insecure in their beliefs if they need to see them represented everywhere in order to remember exactly what they believe in! :)
My RL friend/family group is also a rather motley mix of various religious/spiritual beliefs. We also get on fine because, at the core, we believe in the same thing--kindness, acceptance, respect--even if we call it by different names.
I always think that they must be very insecure in their beliefs if they need to see them represented everywhere in order to remember exactly what they believe in! :)
Well, exactly.
at the core, we believe in the same thing--kindness, acceptance, respect--even if we call it by different names.
Yes, this is very true. It's love really, which can be very hard, admittedly, but not hate, which is a destructive force and very ugly.
When I was young with had hymns and prayers in Assembly at school, now some schools won't do nativity plays because it offends non Christians, and window displays are general 'festive' ones. I hope that there is more tolerance for all faiths or lack of. As a non Church-goer who does have a belief, albeit one that encompasses a lot of pagan views, I would feel very uncomfortable in the US, as I am used to the 'yeah, whatever,' attitude, and have friends (and family) who lean to paganism, Wicca, and church, with a touch of Zen Buddhism :) We all get on fine.
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My RL friend/family group is also a rather motley mix of various religious/spiritual beliefs. We also get on fine because, at the core, we believe in the same thing--kindness, acceptance, respect--even if we call it by different names.
Reply
Well, exactly.
at the core, we believe in the same thing--kindness, acceptance, respect--even if we call it by different names.
Yes, this is very true. It's love really, which can be very hard, admittedly, but not hate, which is a destructive force and very ugly.
Reply
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