Religious/Irreligious Beliefs in the UK: An Idiographic Mapping

Staff Writer

Table of Contents

In this writing, I consider religion or no religion from the viewpoints of conscious subjectivity and Agency. By this, I mean that religion or no religion can be viewed either as a subject, such as an individual who has the conscious power to relate his/her feelings, desires or beliefs within the bounds allowed by the law, conventions, and responsibilities, on the one hand, or as an agency that has the power of influence over other people, organizations, societies and even civilizations (‘civilization’, here understood as a society or group of people), on the other.  

Ideographic Mapping

The choice of the phrase ‘An Ideographic Mapping’ as part of the title emphasizes the conscious but rigid specification of the influences of the many religious or irreligious beliefs. The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) argued that space and time are only forms of intuitions that shape all experience and though ‘things-in-themselves’ exist and help shape our experience, they are separated from the objects of experience. For him, therefore objects of experience are appearances and ‘things-in-themselves’ are, however, unknowable.

The phrase ‘ideographic mapping’ as used in this writing is meant to illustrate the meaning of possible, dependent, cultural, or subjective phenomena. Phenomena in this context could be viewed as religious or irreligious beliefs that subjectively cause an individual to express his/her feelings, beliefs, or desires, or wield power over other things.  

Before the Enlightenment, it could be argued that religion was construed as an agency and society (anything outside the realm of religious control) as entities (objects that were known and measured). After the series of Reformations followed by the Enlightenment, the tide turned; religion began to see the last of its halcyon ages; its power was a little tamed but not subdued by the representational secularity.  

It is against this backdrop that this writer considers the title: Religious and Irreligious Beliefs in the UK: An Ideographic Mapping. The use of an empty scale of the British map with a variety of symbols inserted into it signifies how the different religions and irreligion are interweaving and co-existing side by side. They are co-equal because religious freedom is handed to everyone as a right.   

Collective and Organised vs Individual and Spontaneous Experiences

Based on the study by Amber Pariona in 2017, where she described the “Religious Beliefs in The United Kingdom (Great Britain)” and ranked the belief systems, this writing fashioned the ideographic mapping. Her writing is a typical example of the ‘turning of the tide’ of beliefs and the ‘meaning of possible, dependent, cultural, or subjective phenomena.’ Beliefs and religious experiences are moving away from the collective and organized experience to that of an individual and spontaneous experience. Such personal convictions and experiences have resulted in the decline of the number of believers who identified themselves as belonging to any of the organized religions and the surge in numbers of those who identified themselves as irreligious, atheist or agnostic. 

The table below is adapted from Pariona’s table. It is a cursory look at the instances of religious or irreligious growth, diversification, or shrinkage.  

Rank

Belief System

Share of British Population

1

Irreligious, Atheist, or Agnostic

49%

2

Anglican Christianity

17%

3

Non-Anglican Protestant, Orthodoxy, and other forms of non-Catholic Christianity

17%

4

Roman Catholic Christianity

8%

5

Islam

5%

6

Eastern Religions, Judaism, and other Beliefs

4%

The possible phenomenon is that irreligious beliefs are growing faster than Christianity, Islam, Eastern religions, Judaism, and other beliefs. In as much as the Christian values are what shaped British society and in general most of the European culture, some scholars have questioned why it should be referred to as a ‘Christian country’ instead of a ‘secular society’. The numerous towering spires that are landmarks cordoning off the sacrality spaces are nonetheless, no more signs of Christianity. Some will argue that such towering spires are now converted into hostels, flats, pubs and climbing centres. Therefore, it seems reasonable and plausible to refer to it as a secular society since the percentage of people who identified themselves as irreligious is the dominant population.

The measure of a Collective Value

This is just a hypothetical statement. Should today’s values reflect more the values of those with the greatest percentage in terms of belief system? Is value constant or can it change at one point? The answers to these questions may vary depending on the way they are approached. ‘Value’ can be understood as a principle or standard of behaviour, or it can also be understood as a personal judgement of what is important in life. Two different terms ‘standard’ and ‘personal judgement’. Both are particularly important.

What if in the future any other belief system mentioned in the table above, for example, becomes dominant, should the values change and reflect more the values of the dominant religion or irreligion or culture at that time? If in this light, values change, there is a tendency for conflict and not a competition between religious or irreligious chauvinism and hegemony. Hence, there is the need for values to remain principles or standards of behaviour which also respect individual rights and freedom. And these values which are standards should be protected by the law and may not be moved around like any goal posts.

Sources

Religious Beliefs in the United Kingdom (Great Britain) – Amber Pariona, April 25, 2017. In Society. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-the-united-kingdom-great-britain.html

Noumenon in Philosophical Issues, The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica - https://www.britannica.com/topic/noumenon (Accessed 05/12/2020).

Exploring religion in England and Wales: February 2020 in Religion, Office for National Statistics https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/religion/articles/exploringreligioninenglandandwales/february2020#size-of-the-religious-populations (Accessed 05/12/2020).

 

Popular posts from this blog

Early Contacts between Christianity and Islam

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Early Contacts between Christianity and Islam Monk Bahira The Migration to Axum Kingdom Christianity and Islam have always been two noxious bedfellows and yet always proclaim and wish peace on earth. It would not be a crass assumption to state that the two religions have over the centuries crossed paths and re-crossed paths many times. Crossing paths might have been in their ideologies, conflicts, doctrinal interpretations and even sharing some physical spaces. Therefore, in this brief writing, we will explore the early contacts between Christianity and Islam and see how they have influenced each other. Early Contacts between Christianity and Islam The early contacts between Christianity and Islam were not short of frames.  According to Kaufman et al., “frames are cognitive shortcuts that people use to help make sense of complex information.” They are means of interpreting our world and perhaps, the world of other people around us.  Such interpretations helped them to
Read more

The Connection between a Personal Name and Name Groups in Shawnee Social Organisation

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Shawnee People The Divisions The Name Groups and Personal Names I’m always attracted to and interested in the culturally distinct and characteristic elements of different traditions or societies. Reading about the Shawnee people of Native American tribes is no different. I immediately fell in love with the linkage between Shawnee name groups and personal names. The name groups seem to present the Shawnee as a one-descent group with five major divisions. To examine this connection between a personal name and name group, a brief description of Shawnee will help in understanding the Shawnee social organisation. Shawnee People The term ‘Shawnee’ written in different forms ( Shaawanwaki, Shaawanowi lenaweeki, and Shawano ) is Algonquian like the archaic term ‘ shaawanwa ’ meaning ‘south.’ Thus, the term ‘Shawnee’ is (pronounced shaw-nee ) meaning the ‘southern people.’ The Shawnees are categorised as Algonquian-speaking North American Indian people whose pristine ho
Read more

The Akamba – Concept of the Supreme Being & Totems

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Supreme Being (Worships and Venerations) Mulungu   Mumbi  Mwatuangi  Ngai  Asa  Ancestors Totems Here is a brief account of the religious beliefs of the Akamba. Spanning through Central Bantu, the Akamba ethnic group is estimated to be about 4.4 million people and occupies Southeastern Kenya in areas, such as Kangundo, Kibwezi, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni and Mwingi Districts and the Ukamba. A swathe of the Akamba population can also be found in the Mazeras and Kwale Districts of the Coast Province in Shiba Hills. The Akamba languages are Kikamba and Swahili. Globally, the Akamba are not exclusively a Kenyan or African tribe. They can be found in Uganda, Tanzania, and Paraguay, which makes it partly an indigenous group and partly an autochthonal group. Argument from migration theory suggests that Akamba came from Kilimanjaro (a word that means ‘mountain of whiteness’), basing their arguments on the similarity of certain cultural features with the Wachagga people of Kili
Read more

Begrudging & Infightings: Aztec’s Theogony & Cosmogony

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl Tlaloc Chalchiuhtlicue Nanauatzin Cosmic Order – The Balance Aztec is a name used to describe the Nahuatl-speaking people who thrived in central Mexico circa the 14 th  and 16 th  centuries as an empire and dominated large parts of Mesoamerica. Variously, the Aztecs had different names. They are known as Aztlan (which means ‘White Land’), the Tenochca (a name adopted from one of their ancestors called Tenoch), and the Mexica, which was a derivative from Metzliapan (which stands for ‘Moon Lake’). Ancient Aztec religious beliefs and practices were tied to their understanding of the world; the people were deeply amazed by the thought of the unknown, the universe and the end of time. These thoughts arouse some curiosity and awareness to understand better their world and how it came about. I used the term ‘theogony’ to describe the Aztecs’ generations of gods however, not in the context of Greek mythology where the ‘primordial deities’ were the fi
Read more

Nigeria’s Pledge Vs the President’s Mandate: An Antithesis of Patriotism

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Nigeria’s Pledge The President’s Mandate Loyalty to the President or the Constitution? In recent years, the Nigerian polity has been bedeviled by one general term, ‘mandate.’ As years passed, the term mandate gained more ground and replaced the allegiance or any public or private declaration of loyalty to Nigeria, as a country. The contract the people signed with the country was gradually torn into bits by the politicians (or leaders) and by extension, the citizens, (and foreigners living in Nigeria). The current political and economic climate of Nigeria is the main reason for this article. The people have openly rejected Nigeria’s Pledge and have taken recourse to different political mandates of some politicians. The aim here is to bring to the fore the salient points of Nigeria’s Pledge against the mandate of the president. Nigeria’s Pledge The clear and concise words of Professor Felicia Adebola Adedoyin in 1976 describing the terms of the Nigerian oath of
Read more

The Aesir Vs the Vanir – The gods at War

Staff Writer
Image
Audio – The Aesir vs the Vanir – The gods at war Table of Contents Introduction Norse Mythology The different deities under the Aesir Family The different deities under the Vanir Family Other deities Ullr Loki Conclusion Introduction ‘The gods at war’ is a phrase or statement I have chosen as a theme that will help me understand the claim about the many conflicts between the Aesir and the Vanir gods and goddesses. The Aesir gods and goddesses are Odin, Frigg, Höðr, Thor, Baldr, and Tyr. Then, the Vanir gods and goddesses are Njörðr, Nerthus, Freyja, Freyr, Óðr, Hnoss, Gersemi, Skírnir, Kvasir, Gullveig. There is Jotnar, the giant gods who are constantly warring with the Aesir gods and goddesses and they are seen as chaotic and destructive. Then comes Kvasir. According to Norse mythology, Kvasir is a creation borne from the mixture of the saliva of the Aesir and Vanir gods and goddesses at the end of their wars. Kvasir is considered a wise god and he went up and down their sovereig
Read more

Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Election - from preparation to verdicts

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Before the February 25, 2023, General Election During the Election – 2023 After the Election – 2023 The Verdicts – 2023 Moving Forward The insouciant and nonchalant comportment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the face of angst that has inbuilt despair among Nigerians is the reason for writing about Nigeria’s February 25, 2023, presidential election, and the outcome. Yes, it’s seven months after the election was conducted by INEC and the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) verdicts in Abuja on September 6, 2023. Some argued that the entire election was marred with violence, rigging, and corrupt practices and some others argued that it was the freest election ever held in Nigeria, by Nigerians (not ‘Nigeriens’) and for Nigerians. After the results were announced and Mr Ahmed Bola Tinubu was declared winner, his opponents filed petitions alleging that it was a rigged system. In this writing, an attempt will be made to describe
Read more

The Weyekin in Nez Percé Tribe and Catholic Angels

Staff Writer
Table of Contents The Nez Percé People Catholic Teachings on Angels The Spirit, Weyekin in Nez Percé Tribe This writing is to briefly identify and recognize some cultural values of the Nez Percé tribe, especially their belief in Weyekin, often described as a personal guiding angel. The concept of a guiding angel provokes Catholic teachings about angels and comparison with the Nez Percé Weyekin, as the guiding spirit. But that will be a new piece of writing for the future. There can be a cross-cultural gleaning of ideas from nature, beliefs, and interactions.     The Nez Percé People The term Nez Percé, meaning “pierced nose” is the French coinage to describe the Nimiipuu tribe. The term Nimiipuu, meaning “we, the people” is a name the tribe used for themselves and their language, a part of the Sahaptin family. Early contacts with the Europeans, especially French explorers made the name Nez Percé popular because they unfairly adopted the name Nez Percé and used it for the Nimiipuu and n
Read more

The Conflict between the Deities (Igwe and Amadioha) in Igbo Mythology over a Heat Wave

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Introduction The Deity – Igwe The Deity – Amadioha The Conflict between Igwe and Amadioha Introduction The current heat wave reminds me of the conflict between two Igbo deities, namely: Igwe and Amadioha. Just as it was noted somewhere in this blog: Nigeria's Diversity and the South-East/South-South Peripheral Inclusions: Biafra's Raison d'etre , November 15, 2021, the Igbo people are the third-largest ethnic group who live in southeastern Nigeria. They have a very rich culture and tradition among which is their concept of God which varies from one community to another but essentially, they believe that the gods guide and control their life and affairs in many ways. The Igbo concept of God stems from the idea of a chief god who creates everything. This god is supreme. The Igbo variously call this god Olisa bu uwa (the god who carries the world), Olisa bini Igwe , (the god who lives in the sky), Chukwu (the great god), or Chineke (the god who creates
Read more