A youngster at the University described herself as a 'Catlim' when sharing about her religion. She said, her father was a Catholic and her mother a Muslim and she grew up in both the religions and therefore, 'Catlim'.
In a recent survey at the place where I did my Master's here in UK, it was found that only 50% of the students fill in their religion while filling up the application form for the studies. The rest prefer not to mention. Of those, only 18% are Christian, and the rest are of various religions. But even of those 18% not all are practicing believers. Now there is a strong move to drop the optional question of religion in the census forms for the UK in the coming years.
More than ever, here in the UK, I see how religion is a private matter. Though England claims to be a very Christian country in its civil and political structure - and it certainly is - the fact that practice of the religion is totally a private matter. On the collective front there is a tussle between being called Christian, on the basis of its historical past, and being called by no religious affiliation, on the basis of its progressive future. All the while practice of religion is purely a matter of conscience, even the choice of a child - each one for oneself.
In a recent survey at the place where I did my Master's here in UK, it was found that only 50% of the students fill in their religion while filling up the application form for the studies. The rest prefer not to mention. Of those, only 18% are Christian, and the rest are of various religions. But even of those 18% not all are practicing believers. Now there is a strong move to drop the optional question of religion in the census forms for the UK in the coming years.
More than ever, here in the UK, I see how religion is a private matter. Though England claims to be a very Christian country in its civil and political structure - and it certainly is - the fact that practice of the religion is totally a private matter. On the collective front there is a tussle between being called Christian, on the basis of its historical past, and being called by no religious affiliation, on the basis of its progressive future. All the while practice of religion is purely a matter of conscience, even the choice of a child - each one for oneself.
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