Is the UK the most secular Christian country?

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rom a young age, I recall having to take part in prayer during primary school assemblies. sing religiously themed songs and learn about the intricacies of Christianity. When filling out the UK census, my family identified as members of the Church of England, despite the fact that we have never attended church.

For a long time, I assumed that I was a Christian because as far as I was aware there was no other option. Only when I entered secondary school did I realise that I was in fact an atheist.

In a recent BBC article, it was revealed that schools in the UK do not have to teach non-religious views as part of the updated Religious Studies GCSE. The Department of Education document which specifies the new content guidelines does state that the aim of the course is to “develop students’ knowledge and understanding of religions and non-religious beliefs, such as atheism and humanism”.

Only when I entered secondary school did I realise that I was in fact an atheist.

Despite this, the specification for the programme of study does not provide the option to study topics such as atheism and humanism for the final examination. Further more, in early 2015 David Cameron was quoted as saying that Britain is still a “Christian country”. He goes on to state that “tens of millions of pounds” have been invested in refurbishing churches.

I wouldn’t say I’m alone in believing that this money would have been better invested in dwindling mental health services, public libraries or national transport services among other programmes. Cameron also hailed the Magna Carta, a predominantly religious text, on the 800th anniversary of its signing, stating that it still bears significant relevance over Britain today.

This money would have been better invested in dwindling mental health services, public libraries or national transport services

Legally speaking, Britain is not a secular country. There are many countries all over the world which claim to be secular, but Britain is not one of them. It’s not so much that I take issue with Britain not being secular – I just can’t understand how we’re still labelled as “Christian.”

The updated Religious Studies specification and Cameron’s numerous pseudo-theocratic speeches cannot change the fact that 55% of teenagers have no interest in religion, and that in the latest UK census the number of atheists had increased by 10% to make up 25% of the population. A huge 74% of the UK population believe that religion should not have a bearing on politics, meaning that Britain can now be summed up as one of the most overwhelmingly secular “Christian” countries.

A huge 74% of the UK population believe that religion should not have a bearing on politics

The UK is hardly renowned for allowing religion to overshadow its politics – however the reluctance of this country’s Prime Minister to accept the widely secular attitudes of Britain’s population is cause for concern. I don’t see religion as a terrible thing which corrupts politics. I simply see it as something which should be kept separate from politics.

There have been steps in the right direction, as a High Court ruling now means that all Religious Studies specifications must teach students to demonstrate knowledge of a wide range of religions, as well as atheism and humanism.

The UK is hardly renowned for allowing religion to overshadow its politics

It isn’t my dream for Britain to call itself an atheist country. I just feel like atheism should be shown as a legitimate option in a country which so clearly supports secular beliefs.