"Discuss the claim that Religion is in decline in modern British society."

In data collected from a Mori poll in August 2003, only 55% of the English population could name one of the four Christian Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John).  Slightly more, 60% could name the sacred text of Muslims – The Koran.  These figures suggest that no longer is religion in a position where people need to know details, just having faith is enough to be considered as religious – knowledge on your selected religion is less important than it was years ago.

There is evidence that the importance and number of lowers of traditional religions are rapidly declining.  The rules/guidelines of traditional religions are somewhat harder to follow in today’s lifestyle as a result many “spin-off” religious groups are appearing.  An example of such a religious group, or movement, is the “Promise Keepers” – the fastest growing religious movement in the United States today.  Although the Promise keepers maintain traditional Christian beliefs, they deliver them in a more up-to-date manner – holding conferences in sports stadiums across the U.S.  The rate at which the Promise Keepers continue to grow shows that people still have religious beliefs but just need a more modern way of practicing them.

Although Christianity may be declining, imported religions and religions based off modern psychology have began to generate a greater following.  In fact, other religions have gained a 300% growth since the 1970’s a time in which the hippy movement and communal living was still very much at large.  This period of time allowed people to develop their own sense of religion and even follow traditional religions from other cultures, as apposed to sticking to what society expected them to.  It was this era that allowed for a rapid growth in new religious movements, which inevitably lead to a decline in people following traditional Christianity.

The claim that religion is declining (secularisation) has been challenged by a number of sociologists, such as Stark and Bainbridge, who have claimed that the secularisation thesis is ethnocentric (evidence tends to be based on Europe).  The challenge put forward takes the form of a paradigm known as “the new voluntarism” – this refers to the fact people in today’s society have choices and religious beliefs are now typically chosen not ascribed.  Stark and Bainbridge see secularisation as a short-term, self-limiting process – they believe people will always seek rewards and compensators – as offered by religion. The supply of religion remains fairly constant, since there is a stable demand for it.

Glock suggests that the secularisation thesis cannot be tested because of the failure to conceptualise religion.  Empirical evidence can be used to argue both that secularisation 'is’ or 'is not' occurring. Luckmann (l983) argues, “To the extent that secularisation is a myth rather than a reasonably objective sociological or historical construct, it misdirects our observations of religion as a social reality in late industrial society.”

It is evident that Christianity is relentlessly declining in British society, however this doesn’t mean that religion as a whole is on its way out.  As we can conclude from research and the growth of imported and new religious movements – Britain still very much values religion one way or another – our movement into a multi-cultural society has just lead to a more diverse selection of religions becoming available to us.  Religion is now up to an individual’s own interpretation where it once was not.