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Archiver > SUFFOLK > 2003-08 > 1060727805


From:
Subject: RE: [SFK-UK] Some help please - EYE Baptist Chapel
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 23:39:10 +0100
References: <3F3951C0.1633.6D0D368@localhost>
In-Reply-To: <OCEGIHPNGHADJNBKFBBOAEJACPAA.cjm.online@ntlworld.com>


On 12 Aug 2003 at 21:31, Colin Marrow wrote:

> >
> I can't remember how the last UK census question was put but in my
> case I probably answered Church of England, not because I believe in
> any particular god, nor any specific doctrine, but because I was
> christened in a C of E church as an infant.
>
>>
> There was some hype in the media about the last UK census concerning
> nationality and ethnic origins but, IMHO, most people who were
> prepared to complete the form (and there were many who didn't) just
> ticked the boxes. Had there been a 'none of the above' box (as I
> dearly wish there was for political ballots), I suspect the majority
> would have chosen that option.
>
>

Interestingly the census question was not about the denomination but about whether the
respondent claimed adherence to a religion. So you didn't tick Church of England but,
eg, Christian. Additionally, there was a box of the type that Colin asked for (ie, no
religion) and also the statistics contain a category of 'nothing stated'. For further details
of how the question was asked go to Q10 at

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/pdfs/H1.pdf

I agree that there is a mismatch between the numbers claiming adherence to a religion
and the apparent numbers attending recognised places of religious worship. Obviously
we here are not in a position to resolve these differences. In any case there are lots of
people who are trying to do so.

However, to me the more interesting discussion would be: if we have this kind of
difficulty trying to understand what something means when it was done only two years
ago, how much greater is our difficulty in trying to understand what was going on among
our predecessors in Suffolk in the 19th century, let alone earlier!

Rgds

Michael
(Peterborough, Cambs, UK)





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