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Shock poll on UK's faith

Shock poll on UK's faith

Author: Tim Spanton
Publication: The Sun
Date: September 13, 2003
URL: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,5-2003412190,00.html

YOGA is taking over from God for many people.

Britons are abandoning churches in droves, replacing traditional religion with activities that focus on themselves.

But most people still believe in something, a poll revealed yesterday.

Six out of ten of us believe in God and increasing numbers find Jesus inspirational, thanks to a rise in evangelical Christianity.

Islam and alternative ideas such as New Age spirituality are also expanding.

Pollsters Mori interviewed 1,001 people for the fifth anniversary of BBC1's Heaven And Earth Show.

They found a country in which almost half the population could not name any of the four New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

But 60 per cent knew the Koran is Islam's sacred text.

The programme claims there are 750,000 practising Muslims in the UK and a million practising Christians.

A spokesman for the show - hosted by Philippa Forrester and Ross Kelly - said: "The rise of the consumer society and a greater emphasis on individual experience have challenged traditional worship.

"The outlook for traditional Christianity is bleak. But it's different elsewhere. Hindus, Sikhs, Jews and Buddhists remain sizeable groups and New Age beliefs are now mainstream.

"For many, reflexology, reiki spiritual healing, yoga and crystal healing are part of everyday life."

Church attendance is falling by one per cent a year. If the trend continues, parish churches could be empty by 2050.

The poll found four out of ten of those asked fear terrorism or war.

Family, health, money and the environment are all major worries for at least 26 per cent.

But 52 per cent believe in heaven, 40 per cent believe in guardian angels and 38 per cent believe in ghosts.

Many of us look to famous figures for inspiration.

Thirteen per cent named Princess Diana as inspiring and 20 per cent chose Nelson Mandela.

Fifty-six per cent of us say our parents have had the most influence on our lives.

Just five per cent find celebrities or politicians influential.

Some of us think past lives also influence us - 23 per cent believe in reincarnation but only one in ten says they know it has happened to them.

The biggest influence of all is our own experience of life, cited by 62 per cent.
 


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