One News Now | Faith crisis in U.K.: 93% of Christians feel marginalized

Results from a nationwide study in the United Kingdom unleashed on Sunday revealed that a whopping 93 percent of British Christians believe that their faith is marginalized.

Premier Christian Communications (PCC) surveyed some 12,000 Christians in the U.K. to discover what it is like for believers to live in a post-Christian society – in an island nation where militant Islam is tolerated and Christianity is rejected.

After discovering that more than nine out of 10 Christians feel marginalized, the Christian media group insisted that believers in Christ must boldly stand up for their faith – and not be intimidated into silence. What’s your reaction to Christianity collapsing in Great Britain?

“These striking results should give everyone pause for thought as to whether we need to do more to enable people of religious faith to be themselves without fear,” PCC’s Alex Williams asserted in the group’s survey report.

Another major finding in the study was that 80 percent of British believers maintain that “Christianity is not given equal respect” as other worldviews and religions.

In addition, 50 percent said that they have experienced prejudice because of their Christian faith, while more than one out of four (26 percent) British Christians indicated that they are not able to be open about their faith – out of fear of persecution.

As the head of Public Policy at Christian Concern, Tim Dieppe insisted that the results of the study are indicative of what Christians have experienced in recent years – as everything from Islamic intimidation, to the LGBT agenda, to atheistic beliefs being pushed in the academic word have waged a war on Christianity.

“People try and say that our cases are the exception and extraordinary cases,” Dieppe pointed out, noting that his organization offers legal support to Christians who believe they have been unfairly treated. “I think what [Premier’s] research shows is that it’s the tip of the iceberg and actually underlying this there is a very strong ground swell of feeling and experience of prejudice or marginalization.”

Other results indicate the social constructs in Britain make it difficult to evangelize without – facing some major problems.

“Sixty-seven percent think it’s considered unacceptable for Christians to share their faith,” PCC researchers found. “Sixty-seven percent feel unable to be open about their faith at work or equivalent setting.”

Care CEO Nola Leach, whose Christian organization lobbies politicians, is very concerned that Christians’ viewpoints are being silenced – calling the results of the survey a sign of “worrying times.”

“Partly because of illiteracy [and] partly because of those who have a very different agenda, we may be moving into a period when debate is shut down – where you can’t have an honest debate and agree to differ.”

PCC CEO Peter Kerridge stressed that the U.K. is anything but the model of tolerance when it comes to Christianity.

 “It’s clear that we are not the liberal accepting society we think we are if we don’t tolerate and accept everyone, including Christians,” Kerridge argued in PCC’s report. “People of faith, from all religions should be allowed to live and work in freedom. They should be encouraged to hold to their faith not just in their homes and churches, mosques, synagogues and temples, but also in their jobs and hobbies and in the public square. This survey clearly indicates how it feels to be an ordinary Christian today. I suspect that other faith groups may have similar stories to tell.”

He said the results from the survey speak for themselves – and are untainted by biased views or agendas.

“This is not the clergy talking, or academics theorizing, or politicians making a case,” Kerridge continued. “These are ordinary Christians who feel overwhelmingly that their Christian beliefs are being marginalized and that as a result it is becoming far more difficult to live as a person of faith in the UK…”

A generational gap was witnessed when looking at Britons who feel they are marginalized as Christians.

“Asked whether Christianity is being marginalized in society, 94 percent of pensioners agreed, compared to only 77 percent of 15–19-year-olds,” PCC informed. “Paradoxically, 70 percent of 15–19-year-olds said they had experienced prejudice because of their faith – compared to just 51 percent of pensioners.

Case and point

There are many examples of Christians losing their jobs in the U.K. because others have taken offence of their Christian views.

In an attempt to bring comfort and show compassion to patients, Christian nurse in the U.K. was fired for offering to pray with patients before they went in for surgery.

“Sarah Kuteh lost her job last year after patients complained that she talked more about religion than their procedures and told them that if they prayed to God, they were more likely to survive,” the Telegraph reported. “Mrs Kuteh was dismissed for gross misconduct from Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent. Eight patients who were ‘extremely vulnerable’ and facing surgery had submitted complaints about her behavior. “

Still unemployed because of her faith, Kuteh is hoping that the anti-Christian tide in the U.K. will subside – soon.

“Now her case has been brought to an employment tribunal after she claimed she was unfairly dismissed,” the Telegraph’s Olivia Rudgard announced.

It is argued by the hospital trust’s appeal hearing chair, Victoria Leivers-Carruth that Kuteh is guilty because she exploited her one-on-one time with patients to “impose her religious beliefs” on them.

“It was apparent to us that Mrs Kuteh was disciplined because she had engaged in conversations about religion that were unwanted by patients and contrary to her line manager’s instructions,” Rudgard claimed, according to the Telegraph.

Modern-day society edging out Christians

Living out one’s faith and conducting business as usual is no longer possible for many Christians – not only in the U.K., but in the United States — where Christian bakers, wedding photographers and florists increasingly lose their livelihoods when adhering to their biblical convictions in the workplace.

Being an American politician on the Left while living out one’s faith is also becoming increasingly difficult in America, as witnessed by Tim Farron, who resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats last month. He argued that it was impossible to lead the party while remaining true to his Christian faith.

“We are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society,” Farron declared in his resignation statement, according to The Christian Post (CP).

Harvest Christian Fellowship Senior Pastor Greg Laurie gave his own warning to Americans last month that the U.S. could very likely become a post-Christian nation – similar to the U.K. and dozens of other nations on the European continent – if a spiritual awakening does not take place in the near future.

“I think we can look at Europe as maybe a model,” Laurie told CP. “Europe has become so concerned with political correctness and has moved to what is often described as a ‘post-Christian’ state, where church attendance is at an all-time low. I think if the people of the U.K. and Europe in general would turn to God, they would find strength and truth that would help them in the battle against terrorism and their cultures in general.”

Even though the silencing of Christians is currently more pronounced in the U.K., Laurie does not think the U.S. is too far behind.

“So, I think they are further down the road than we are,” the Southern California evangelist continued. “I hope we don’t go down that road, because America is great, because America has been good, as it has been said. But really that goodness is a result of our faith. I think if we stay close to that faith, not just faith in any god but faith in God of the Bible, we will be stronger for it. The more we stray from that faith, the weaker that we’ll become. The Bible says, ‘Righteousness exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to the people.'”

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