Religion
Main article: Religion in the United Kingdom See also: Religion in England, Religion in Northern Ireland, Religion in Scotland, and Religion in WalesThe United Kingdom was created as an Anglican Christian country and Anglican churches remain the largest faith group in each country of the UK. Following this is Roman Catholicism and religions including Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, and Buddhism. Today British Jews number around 300 000 with the UK having the fifth largest Jewish community worldwide. While 2001 census information suggests that over 75 percent of UK citizens consider themselves to belong to a religion, Gallup International reports that only 10 percent of UK citizens regularly attend religious services. A 2004 YouGov poll found that 44 percent of UK citizens believe in God, while 35 percent do not. The Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter are national public holidays in the UK, and Christian organisations, such as the Salvation Army founded by William Booth, play an important role for their charitable work.
Read more about this topic: Culture Of The United Kingdom
Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“Culture’s essential service to a religion is to destroy intellectual idolatry, the recurrent tendency in religion to replace the object of its worship with its present understanding and forms of approach to that object.”
—Northrop Frye (b. 1912)
“No, no; Religion is a Spring
That from some secret, golden Mine
Derives her birth, and thence doth bring
Cordials in every drop, and Wine;”
—Henry Vaughan (1622–1695)
“As for Hitler, his professed religion unhesitatingly juxtaposed the God-Providence and Valhalla. Actually his god was an argument at a political meeting and a manner of reaching an impressive climax at the end of speeches.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)