A Christian country?

[Oneeyedvic]

There are many questions below (and over the last few weeks/ months) about Muslims taking over etc etc.

There are a lot of talk about this being a Christian country and there is a lot of outrage that this is not being considered.

Just wondering why we think we are a Christian country - and how many of the Ten Commandments do you think are followed (eg working on a Sunday, adultery, coveting a neighbours possession etc)

[NORMANTHEDOG]

of course its a christian country,the queen is the head of the church and the head of the country

[Oneeyedvic]

to be a Christian country, surely the majority of the people must be Christian, not just the head of state.

[Ethel]

72% of the UK population claim to be Christian, but only 7% attend church regularly.

The UK is officially a Christian country - but as it is a democracy we are not forced to attend church, or practice any religion.

[noxlumos]

Technically we are a Christian country for the reasons that Ethel says, and for the same reasons we're not going to be becoming a "Muslim State" anytime soon, but I agree with you vic that in practice we are far more secular than most countries and that's what I personally am comfortable with.
Very few of the Ten Commandments are followed and those religious few that try frequently break them ( even though they might not aknowledge that).
I did think of responding to the anti-muslim rants posted a little down the page, but to be honest is there really any point? People who are no more Christian than josef stalin rail on about the destruction of "our Christian country" when half of em have never seen the inside of a church yet alone practice any sort of christian lifestyle. It's just another weapon for the narrow and bigoted to wave about to try to give their prejeudices some sort of legitimacy where there clearly can be none.

[jno]

Britain has an 'established church' - C of E - with the queen at its head (descended from Henry VIII, who in effect created it), and bishops sitting as of right in the House of Lords, the upper lawmaking chamber. So I guess you can say it is an officially Christian country, just as Iran with its mullahs is officially an Islamic Republic, even if the only church anyone goes to is St Tesco. And I suppose it's the opposite of Turkey, which is full of Muslims but is officially secular.

As for the religous rants, they don't seem very Christian to me, except in the Old Testament, 'smite'em all' fashion; but I'm not an expert.

[kwicky]

The problem today is that we are seeing religion mixing with politics and ideals; the two do just not go together. Christianity does not go with BNP but are lumped together to form a basis for stopping immigration. Muslims and terrorists are lumped together to kill soldiers in Iraq.
We have learnt nothing from N.Ireland where the Catholics were lumped with the IRA.
Unless as a civilisation we can untangle the two conficls will surely continue.

[THECORBYLOON]

jno, Britain has no Established Church, certainly not the Church of England. The Queen may be Supreme Governor of the C of E, England's Established Church but she has no religious role in the Church of Scotland for example.

[jno]

sorry, TCL, you are quite correct; I meant England. Does the church of Scotland count as an Established church in the same sense?

[scotstone]

Noxlumos. I suggest you read your obscene contribution to the discussion re Daily Mail before you accuse other subscribers of ranting.

[Theland]

How many times do we see muslims on our TV screens calling for our destruction, or for beheadings for daring to criticise mohammed? What about the lame BBC etc who refused to publish the mohammed cartoons, through fear, but often have a good old chuckle at Jesus.
Any one of you could have been a 7/7 victim, and may be in the future, unless we wake up to the very real threat. This is not ranting, just recognising the reality of our situation.
There seems to be an unofficial unholy alliance between our left wing liberals, and the right wing islamofascists who demand ever more rights, at the expense of the majority in this, their host country.
Was Melanie Philips's book, "Londonistan" entirely wrong? I think not.

[THECORBYLOON]

The Church of Scotland is the National Church in Scotland and its status is protected by various acts the 1707 Act of Union being one of them.

[noxlumos]

Scotscone, how exactly was my response "obscene"?
I pointed out that the things being discussed were not at all factual ( and they are NOT, christmas is NOT banned anywhere in the UK) and that the gullible and terrified were being whipped up into a right wing fervour of terror at something that's not hapening ( and it's NOT, contrary to whatever the Daily Mail cares to tell you).
How is that "obscene"? Is it because you are one of the whipped up and terrified, and you'd prefer to believe that you have some sort of superior knowledge that the rest of us morons seem to have missed? You clearly know nothing about tolerance, so you're not terribly well equiped to comment on anyone else's lack of it, are you really?
Mind you, that irony will be lost on you as well I daresay.

[berniecuddles]

im so happy im an atheist, religion is the biggest load of cr@p ever invented i cannot believe people argue,fight and kill over it,its pathetic seeing for instance, grown adults slaging off and taunting young children going to school in northern ireland because they are catholic in a protestant area, what sort of hard men and women!! are they. religion you lot can keep it. The only thing is when world war 3 starts because of religion i will be stuck in the middle of it great innit!!

[jamesy boy]

If only we could prove that one of Jesus' decendants became one of Mohammed's wives, eh....

[scotstone]

Noxlumos: Thank you for your latest rant in reply to my comment. However if you don't consider referring to a newspaper journalist as a ' total f.........g w.........r' obscene I suggest you consult a dictionary. I find your use of this kind of language on AnswerBank offensive but then in this country it appears only Moslems are allowed to be offended.

[noxlumos]

What I find obscene is that this "total fcking w4nker" (YES absolutely my words re Littlejohn, Daily Mail ******** to the far right ) considered it ok to denigrate the deaths of five young women as an "occupational hazard" simply because they were prostitutes. The man is an utter monstrosity.
I am not a Muslim, but I'm not a cry baby, whiney, little right wing kiss 4rse either, who believes every word propelled from the bowels of the Daily Mail are the gospel truth.
If I offend you quite frankly I couldn't care less, you and your opinions offend me deeply, and for the record I haven't even started ranting yet. When I do, I suspect you'll be amongst the first to know about it sunshine.

[scotstone]

I rest my case.

[noxlumos]

Thank f3ck for that!

[prattler]

I second that!

[Le Chat]

Although I agree with Nox and thought that the Daily Mail article was insulting and making light of the importance of life ie, the article seemed to suggest that they were 'only prostitutes' and uncontributory to life. I do think that getting into the car of an unknown man or men several times a day would constitute to the chance of being murdered, and could be seen as an occupational hazard.