Traditional Christianity faces a bleak future in the United Kingdom where people are turning to, among other things, yoga and New Age spirituality, a opinion poll has revealed.
Although many Britons still believe in God and find Jesus Christ inspirational, thousands of others are abandoning the church, replacing it with activities that focus on themselves.
Three in five Britons (60%) say they believe in God, according to a new survey from the MORI Social Research Institute. The research, conducted for the BBC's 'Heaven and Earth Show', shows a small drop over the past five years (down from 64% in February 1998) in the percentage of Britons who say they believe in God.
One in five British people (18%) say they are a practising member of an organised religion, with a quarter (25%) a non-practising member. A further quarter (24%) are spiritually inclined but 'do not really belong to an organised religion', whilst 14% are agnostic and 12% are atheist.
Most people in Britain say their own life experience has the most influence on their views and outlook on life. Of those asked, three in five (62%) say their views are most influenced by their own life experience, while more than half (56%) say their parents and almost a third (30%) say their education most influence their views. As far as religious teaching are concerned, 17% say these have the most influence on their views or outlook on life.
They found that belief in Christianity had begun making way for belief in Islam and New Age spirituality. Half the population was unable to name any of the four New Testament gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. There are almost as many practising Muslims (750,000) as practising Christians (one million). Some 23 per cent believe in reincarnation.
A spokesman for the television show that commissioned the survey said, "The rise of the consumer-oriented society and an emphasis on the individual have challenged traditional forms of worship.
"The outlook for traditional Christianity is bleak. But it's different elsewhere. Hindus, Sikhs, Jews and Buddhists remain sizeable groups and New Age beliefs are now mainstream.
"For many, reflexology, reiki, spiritual healing, yoga and crystal healing are part of everyday life," he said.
Four out of ten surveyed fear terrorism or war. Family, health, money and the environment are major worries for at least 26 per cent while 52 per cent believe in heaven, 40 per cent in guardian angels and 38 per cent in ghosts.
Only 13 per cent named the late Princess Diana as an inspiring personality as opposed to 20 per cent opting for former South African president Nelson Mandela.
Technical details
Results are based on 1001 interviews conducted by telephone with a representative sample of British adults, aged 16+. Interviews were conducted between 8-17 August 2003. Data have been weighted to match the known population profile. Trend data is taken from a 'Paranormal' survey conducted by MORI on behalf of The Sun newspaper between 4-5 February 1998 with a representative sample of 721 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain (Q2B, Q2C) and a BBC Heaven and Earth Survey conducted by MORI between 15-17 December 2000 with a representative sample of 999 adults aged 15+ across Great Britain (Q1B).