1. Secularisation Facts: Use one colour to highlight evidence that there has
been secularisation, and another colour to highlight evidence that there hasn’t. Unsure?
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The British Social Attitudes Survey, 1991 showed that while many people claim a
belief in God, very few attended church.
According to Bruce, the high point for British churches was between 1860 and 1910,
when around 28% of the adult population were members. The corresponding figure
for 2005 is around 12%.
Surveys consistently show that people identify themselves with a church.
In the USA, the number of people claiming to be Christian exceeds 90%.
Some denominations, such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, have grown, as
have some non-Christian religions.
In Britain people had to attend Church in the old days as a measure of respectability
and social acceptance. It doesn’t mean they all were highly religious.
Lots of things that Churches used to do, such as education and helping the poor are
now done by the government.
Wilson,(1977) points out how - except for the occasional ceremony, such as a
coronation - the church has ceased to preside over national life.
Wilson also says that the mass media has taken over the Church as a source of
information and guidance
Bradley points out that religious programmes are watched or listened to by nearly
60% of the population. Every week between 5 and 6 million people listen to 'Songs of
Praise' on the BBC.
Writers such as Martin, suggest that church power is a rather inadequate indicator of
the importance of religion. While the church may have been more powerful in the
past, it was also corrupt. Thus the church's confinement to religious matters may be a
purer form of religion.
American sociologists - Stark and Bainbridge say that the more secular society gets,
the more religious revivals there are (ie, it is a self-limiting process.). They point out
all the new movements in existence.
Wilson sees the increase in the variety of religious beliefs as evidence of
secularisation because all these religions are competing with each other and therefore
there is no ‘social soidarity’ stemming from religion.
Glock and Bellah, for example, regard all these the new religious movements as
demonstrating a new spiritual sensitivity and search for meaning.
Membership of mainstream Christian bodies fell by 17% in the UK between 1975 and
1990.
Non Christian religions are growing, including Buddhism and Islam.
In America Church membership provides a sense of belonging, and demonstrates a
commitment to the 'American way of life'. But the emphasis is on religious practice
not belief. A kind of religion without god.