A survey of the UK found that for the first time since the Dark Ages over half the country (55%) said they were not religious! Only 34% said they were Christian. With only 7% claiming to be of another religion (Islam, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Jedi). So much for us being swamped with Muslim immigrants.
Religion is on the decline and has been for a long time. The superstition, based on fear, is waning fast.
Which leads me to ask why, in a secular country, do we still have religious education in our schools? Why do we have a religious Thought For Today instead of a humanist one? Why do we have that ridiculous act of worship on Radio 4? Surely we should balance the books and not seek to brainwash people?
The sooner we put a stop to the religious schools trying to brainwash kids the better!! All these Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious schools are trying to batter young brains with medieval gobbledegook. It’s time that was regarded as what it is – child abuse!
Likewise, race. Britain is multicultural. Has been for a long time. We’ve benefitted so much from a richness of culture – Huegenot, Jewish, Arab, Caribbean, African, Chinese, European, Indian and Tibetan (Etc). They all bring something of worth – whether that be food, words, fashion, art, ideas, literature, music, dancing or poetry. We are all so much the richer.
I thought we’d got past the idea of colour by now. It’s not the colour that’s important but the content of the character, surely?
Seemingly not. Some of the older, or more cerebrally challenged, still hark back to Darker Days.
The UK is a secular, multiracial country! The sooner we realise that, the better!!
Ah, but what percentage answered: I’m not religious but I’m spiritual?
Doesn’t really say Bumba.
However, the number of people who described themselves as “Christian” decreased to less than half the population for the first time. It was a 13.1 percentage point decrease from 59.3% in 2011 (33.3 million people). This continues the decrease since 2001, when 71.7% (37.3 million) described themselves as “Christian”.
This coincided with an increase in the number of people reporting “No religion” to 37.2% (22.2 million) in 2021 from 25.2% (14.1 million) in 2011. Again, this continues the trend between 2001 and 2011, when the number of people reporting “No religion” had risen from 14.8% (7.7 million people).
Among the 405,000 (0.7% of the overall population in England and Wales) who chose to write-in a response through the “Any other religion” option were the following religions:
Pagan (74,000)
Alevi (26,000)
Jain (25,000)
Wicca (13,000)
Ravidassia (10,000)
Shamanism (8,000)
Rastafarian (6,000)
Zoroastrian (4,000)
The largest increase was seen in those describing their religion as “Shamanism”, increasing more than tenfold to 8,000 from 650 in 2011.
Of those who wrote-in a non-religious group to “Any other religion”, the largest numbers were:
Agnostic (32,000)
Atheist (14,000)
Humanist (10,000)
Thanks. Happy Holidays. Especially to all the pagans out there.
Solstice coming up Bumba!! In these cold months a bit of sun worship doesn’t go amiss!
Establishment of a Constitutional Torah Republic: such an institution promises to heal the current Secular/Religious divide which has conflicted Jews, prior to Israeli Independence in the wars fought in 1948 & 1967.
Wisdom the ability to discern like from like. For example: מלאכה from עבודה. What’s the difference between these two similar verbs? Shabbat observance not to do forbidden מלאכה on the day of Shabbat as opposed to the negative commandments not to do forbidden עבודה on the 6 days of Chol; another term which also means shabbat. A person who lacks the ability to discern, not wise – just that simple. Therefore, wisdom exists as the ability to discern like from like. Another example: the distinction which separates a Republic from a Democracy.
Establishment of a Constitutional Torah Republic: such an institution promises to heal the current Secular/Religious divide which has conflicted Jews, prior to Israeli Independence in the wars fought in 1948 & 1967. The Jerusalem Post reports:
“The most widely accepted proposal for amending the Law of Return is the annulment of the “grandchild clause,” such that the non-Jewish grandchild of a Jewish grandfather would not be able to immigrate to Israel, or at least would not be able to do so without his parents or the Jewish grandfather.”
One “secular” critic is Ruth Gavison, a professor of law at Hebrew University and a former candidate for the Israel Supreme Court. In an 86-page paper, The Law of Return at Sixty Years: History, Ideology, Justification she recommends revisiting the Grandparent Clause as “too broad.” She also suggests amending the Law of Return to not grant automatic citizenship to olim (immigrants).”
The chief cornerstone upon which a Jewish Constitutional Republic stands: A) The Written Torah ie first 4 Books of the Torah, to function as the Written Constitution of the Israeli Republic of economically autonomous States of the Union, based upon the oath alliance by which first Commonwealth Israel forges a Republic among the 12 Tribes. B) The establishment of lateral Common Law Courtrooms based upon the mandate of these Sanhedrin Courts to conduct ‘Legislative Review’ or משנה תורה over laws passed by the Knesset or any other type of Jewish government across all States of the Republic.
Oral Torah common law rejects the Statute Law assimilation as a perversion of the Torah in both substance and form. Whereas statute law as embodied in the Rambam, Asher & Karo statute halachic codifications emphasizes the importance of forms of ritual, expressed through their assimilated and therefore skewed idea of the halachic definition, as the substance of Law.
Oral Torah common law courts learn Aggaditah as the basis to glean the k’vanna of Prophetic T’NaCH mussar. And employ this Prophetic mussar as the k’vanna of all ritual halachic observances. Oral Torah makes distinction between substance from form. The substance of Common Law Courts prioritizes the authority of the T’NaCH prophetic mussar and the Mishna over the authority of the halachot learned from the Amoraim Gemara sources.
Statute halachah endeavours to impose a restricted definition of halacha upon all Jews as “the” Torah inheritance of the Jewish People. This foreign assimilation fails to recognize the primary authority of any Mishna source over any later Gemara source. All the later commentaries made on the assimilated Statute halachic codifications fail to study the code precedent halacha back to understand the k’vanna its Mishnaic Primary Source.
Furthermore, Oral Torah Common Law rejects any such artificial Orthodox monopoly over the Torah inheritance to all Israel. Based upon the Mishna which teaches that all Israel have a portion in the World to Come; the oath brit faith of Avram cut upon the souls of his future born generation chosen Cohen seed. The Talmud learns that the mitzva of tifillah exist as the נמשל of the Torah korbanot משל. Just as the Cohen inheritance: not restricted soley to the House of Aaron, so too and how much more so: the Torah not restricted to Orthodox Jews who follow assimilated Roman Law halachic codifications – – a direct violation of the Torah negative commandment not to worship other Jesus/Allah Gods. This most basic discernment separates the wisdom of distinguishing between Like from Like; the Universal false faiths declare Monotheism. But Monotheism violates the 2nd Sinai Commandment.
Isn’t that just more religious twaddle Moshe??
Opher you respond: “Isn’t that just more religious twaddle”. You never learn, always repeat the same errors over and again. The word “that” refers to exactly what? You think I can read your silly mind? What do you mean by the word “that”?
What I refer to by that is your religious rant about the Torah.