【上世紀英國最重要的現象是「基督宗教的衰落」；近 33 年英國基督宗徒減半】
據英國《衛報》報導，宣稱不信仰任何宗教的英國人占全國人口比例為 48.5%，宣稱自己為基督宗教徒的人數為 43.8%，宣稱信仰其他宗教的占 8%。
在 1983 年時，宣稱自己為基督宗教徒的英國人高達
87% 左右；2001 年時，仍然有近 75% 的英國人明確表示自己為基督徒。在過去的
15 年內，英國基督宗教徒人數減少了
31% 左右；在近 33 年來，英國基督宗教徒人數削減了一半。
與此同時，宣稱不信奉任何宗教的人數比例卻呈快速增長勢頭。五年前，不信教人數占英國人口比例僅為 25%；現在，該比例「突飛猛進」至 48.5%。正是因為一方面基督宗教徒人數「斷崖式」下降。
英國《旁觀者》週刊說，「上世紀英國最大的變化是基督宗教的衰落」。
英國的基督宗教主要是「英國聖公會」和「蘇格蘭長老會」這兩大基督新教的「國教」，與北愛爾蘭的天主教。英國長期以來教徒人數已持續減少，近五六年來出現的「崩塌式」劇降。主因是大量原先出生於基督宗教家庭、從小受過基督宗教觀念薰陶的年輕人「背棄」家庭基督宗教傳統，不僅不再信奉基督宗教，而且對任何宗教信仰都持冷漠態度。在家長不信教家庭中，95% 的兒女長大後不信教；父母為基督宗徒的家庭裡，40% 孩子長大後不會信教。
英國《衛報》說，作為一個具有
1700 年歷史的基督宗教國家，基督宗教在英國已經「走到盡頭」。根據英國蘭卡斯特大學的一項研究，40 歲是目前英國「信教」與「不信教」的重要分界線。大不列顛人群中，40 歲以下者不信教者居多，而 40 歲以上者則正好相反。
「台灣反宗教者聯盟」台灣反基督教者 陳立民 Chen Lih Ming（陳哲 CLM）
21 Jan 2017
上文主要根據下兩則中英文新聞報導：
【英國不再是一個基督教國家】
〔壹讀 2016-11-01
09:14:00〕
【Britain really
is ceasing to be a Christian country
The decline in religious belief has become
precipitous in recent years】
〔The Spectator 28 May
2016〕
A landmark in national life has just been
passed. For the first time in recorded
history, those declaring themselves to have no religion have exceeded the
number of Christians in Britain. Some 44
per cent of us regard ourselves as Christian, 8 per cent follow another
religion and 48 per cent follow none. The decline of Christianity is perhaps the biggest single
change in Britain over the past century. For
some time, it has been a stretch to describe Britain as a Christian country. We
can more accurately be described now as a secular nation with fading Christian
institutions.
There is nothing new in the decline of the
church, but until recently it had been a slow decline. For many decades it was possible to argue that while Christians
were eschewing organised religion, they
at least still regarded themselves as having some sort of spiritual life which
related to the teachings of Jesus. Children were asked for their Christian name; conversations ended with ‘God bless’. Such phrases are now slipping
out of our vocabulary —to wear a cross
as jewellery is seen as making a
semi-political statement.Christians are finding out what it’s like to live
as a minority.
Just
15 years ago, almost three quarters of Britons still
regarded themselves as Christians. If this silent majority of private,
non-churchgoing believers really did exist, it has undergone a precipitous
decline. Five years ago, the number of
people professing no religion was only 25 per cent.
網址：
「宗教止於智者」。
台灣反宗教者聯盟 台灣反基督教者立民 Chen Lih Ming (陳哲) 於 21 Jan 2017
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