A majority of Britons fear moving away from Christianity risks harming future generations, a new opinion poll has revealed.The survey, conducted by polling firm Whitestone, found 52 per cent of Britons believe it would be detrimental to loosen ties with the church, while just 19 per cent consider it beneficial.It also finds 58 per cent of Britons believe Christianity still has something positive to offer Britain in the way it is governed, morally and/or practically.Also, just 11 per cent believe Britain has shared moral values and strong institutions, something 65 per cent of respondents believe is crucial for holding society together.
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Polling shows Britain is divided over its identity, with just 39 per cent saying it remains a Christian country.The data also shows a fractured political landscape with voters of different parties holding varied opinions on how much of an influence religion should hold in society.Reform UK voters have grown pessimistic about Britain’s moral and institutional condition, according to the data, which shows 78 per cent believe the country has lost a shared sense of right and wrong, while 63 per cent say they no longer know what it means to be British.Conservative voters share similar concerns about the loss of Christian roots, but greater fears about whether moral renewal is achievable.Green Party voters stand out as the most secular and most resistant to religious influence in public life.Nearly three-quarters fear appeals to shared moral frameworks risk imposing values.Whitestone says the findings suggest Britain is struggling with a battle under the surface over just how much moral life is formed, transmitted and authorised.The major new UK-wide poll gathered the thoughts of more than 2,000 adults and was commissioned to coincide with an Oxford conference of Christian politicians, theologians and public intellectuals on Christian revival.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSLabour accused of appeasing ‘sectarian voting bloc’ as ‘anti-Muslim hostility’ definition unveiledEquality Bill could create ‘new discrimination’ and harm poorest Britons, bombshell report warnsRachel Reeves accused of ‘gross mismanagement’ by Mel Stride as Chancellor issues inflation warning“A new cultural, political and moral moment is emerging”, commented conference organiser Dr Jonathan Price, Matraszek Fellow of Pusey House and St Cross College.“From Badenoch, Farage and Lowe on the Right associating Britain with its historic Christian identity, to Glasman and Blue Labour on the Left doing the same, or Sir Ed Davey talking about how God speaks to him, this poll tells us politicians have an audience among voters. In this post-liberal moment, a trans-denominational Christian restoration is gathering momentum—intellectually, spiritually, and culturally. Our conference will examine what this might mean politically for government.”A study last month found the number of Christians exposed to religious persecution worldwide has reached “unprecedented levels”.Open Doors, a non-denominational mission providing emergency relief and educational resources to believers in more than 80 countries, published its World Watch List looking into the trend.According to this year’s report, 388 million Christians globally are suffering for their faith, which is an eight million rise on last year.The number of countries with a level of anti-Christian persecution that can be described as “extreme” has risen from 13 to 15, it also revealed.Christians are increasingly being killed as well, the report claims, with a rise from 4,476 to 4,849.North Korea was the country named as the worst offender for Christian persecution.
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