Christianity – Theme 3 – Challenges from Secularisation By the end of this lesson you will have: Understood what is meant by secularisation Considered the challenge of secularisation for Christians in Britain today Considered whether Christian churches can respond to the problems of secularism

Spec Check AO1 AO2 The conflicting religious and non-religious views on Christianity in the UK (the value of Christian faith schools; whether the UK can be called a Christian country); beliefs conflicting with the laws of the country; perceived challenges to Christianity (decline of role and status of Christianity; reduced impact in public life; restricted religious liberty) The effectiveness of the Christian response to the challenge of secularism The extent to which the UK can be called a Christian country

Is Britain a Christian Country? Imagine you are a tourist visiting the UK, which things may you see which make you think that Britain is a Christian country Write down as many ways in which you can argue that Britain is a Christian country

Is Britain a Christian Country? Did you get…. Cathedrals in every major city Churches in every village A mixture of catholic and protestant churches Royal family are the head of the state and head of the Church Britain’s geography is divided into parishes Christian schools There are Bishops in the house of lords Major British novels are based on Christian story (chonicles of Narnia / lord of the rings) Songs of praise on TV and thought for the day on the radio

Is Britain a Christian Country? However, has the tourist been misled? How many people are actually attending services in the Churches? How many students at the Christian schools are Christian?

Is Britain a Christian Country? 54% of the population affiliate with Christianity on 2011 census 15% of the population go to church Church of England attendance is less than 2% of the population The population is becoming increasingly ‘spiritual’ but less ‘Christian’ Linda Woodhead conducted surveys to establish the rising nature of ‘no religion’ in the UK. She discovered that this is growing amongst young people. She also noted that this isn’t a rise in ‘anti-religion’, simply no-religion

Is Britain a Christian Country? Use page 77 of your workbook to make a table with 1 column listing reasons why Britain IS seen as a Christian country and 1 column listing reasons why it isn’t

The Value of Christian Schools in the UK With your partner, one needs to argue for the value of Christian faith schools and one against. Help each other complete a ‘for and against’ table using pages 78 and 79 to help you

The Value of Christian Schools in the UK VALUE for Christian Faith Schools NO value of Christian Faith Schools All faith schools must follow national curriculum Governors recruit as opposed to the local authority – meaning it can be exclusive (i.e. you must be religious to do the job) Faith schools have funding from both state and church Some families only attend church to get their children into school They meet the need of religious parents R.E is not inspected by OFSTED like other subjects They add diversity and choice to education Is it indoctrination? They foster good values which are appreciated by religious and non-religious parents alike Certain issues may not be explored properly i.e. contraception/abortion Some faith schools go against scientific discovery i.e evolution

Beliefs Conflicting with the Laws of the country As the UK is historically a Christian country, there aren’t as many tensions between law and religion as there may be with other religions This advert for the Church Of England was banned from being shown at cinemas in case it offended people of ‘differing faiths and none’. Were Digital Cinema Media company right to ban the advert? The Equality and Human Rights Commission did not think the advert should have been banned stating that there is nothing in law which prevents a religion from promoting themselves through adverts

Beliefs Conflicting with the Laws of the country Should it be illegal to wear a crucifix? In 2006, British Airways suspended a worker for refusing to cover up her crucifix, despite other workers being allowed to wear a Hijab or a Turban. Ms Eweida consequently took BA to court on the grounds of religious discrimination. She took her case to the European Court of Human Rights and won.

Beliefs Conflicting with the Laws of the country However, there are cases where British Christians have lost their cases: Shirley Chaplin, a nurse, was not allowed to wear her cross at work in case it spread disease Gary McFarlane, a marriage counsellor, was dismissed for saying he might object to same sex marriage counselling Lillian Ladele, a registrar, was disciplined after she refused to conduct same-sex civil partnerships

Secularisation as a challenge to Christianity in the UK Secularisation = is the transformation of a society from close identification and affiliation with religious values and institutions toward nonreligious values and secular institutions Many are committed to a secular ideal – they see religion as associated with violence, control and repression. Secularists assume that a country can’t be modern and religious Denmark is one of the most secular countries in Europe – yet they remain culturally Christian – Wives of Copenhagen Do you agree with a secularist viewpoint?

Secularisation as a challenge to Christianity in the UK However, many people question the rise of secularism Is modern science always reliable / ethical? – Black Mirror Trailer They suggest there is a false dichotomy between science and religion Moreover, what’s not to say people choose to be religious? Religion has also helped to bring about a lot of positive social change – street pastors UK

Consolidation Task – Give me 5! Make 5 key bullet points for the following: Is Britain Christian? The decline of Christianity The meaning of ‘no religion’ The value of Christian faith schools Objection to faith schools Banning Christian adverts The case of the crucifix Challenge of secularism