Is This A Christian Country ?

Well it is certainly not an atheist country with 8% describing themselves as such . About 20% of Britain say they are not religious ‘or’ do not believe in god but many of these have other spiritual beliefs. These are included in the 10% of agnostics whio in many cases would fit comfortable into the Anglican Church if they wished to .
More than 72% call themselves Christian ( last census ). In fact the torrential immigration encouraged by New Labour has ad the unintended effect of making the country more Christian . There is a great deal of soft Christianity but the ubiquity of Church weddings and funerals is a telling fact. True church attendance has declined overall but not as fast as the decline in membership of political Parties . It may not represent a lessening the spiritual yearnings of the nation as a new ways of living
Behind this , even those who hate the church like Polly Toynbee call themselves humanists a tradition that clearly evolves from and with great debt to Christianity. It is the wider cultural stream which I am calling on when I say this is a Christian country . There are about 5% identifying with other religions of which Islam is the largest and was on 3 % (more now ).There have only been rare periods when a passionate faith has characterised this country , the times of Cromwell perhaps . These has been taken to mean this is not a religious country I take it to mean that we are happier with a quiet religion . I accept hat the place of the church has changed formally but the country is to its former self as the man is to the child

My heart leaps up whenI behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man; ………
( Wordsworth)