I blogged briefly about this a few weeks ago, but it’s an important topic and deserves another post.
The UK 2011 Census forms has, by now, been delivered to the country’s households. Officially, the form is meant to be completed on or about 27 March, although the online version has been accepting input for a couple of weeks already (which is how I did mine).
The British Humanist Association is running a campaign to highlight the importance of one specific question in the census: “What is your religion?”
Seems harmless enough, doesn’t it? The available answers are as follows:
- No religion.
- Christian
- Buddhist
- Hindu
- Jewish
- Muslim
- Sikh
- Other (specify)
Many people will automatically tick the religion that they have grown up with. And why not?
I grew up in a traditional, white, English community, in which “belonging to” the Church of England is taken for granted. In my late teens and early twenties I took an interest in eastern philosophies such as Buddhism and Toaism. I was also interested in UFOs and other paranormal nonsense. There was no conversion from Christianity.
If I had been asked the question “What is your religion?”, a superficial answer would have varied crom Christian to Buddhist to Other. In the end, though, if I thought about it, I did not “have” a religion. An affiliation, perhaps. But not a religion. I am not religious in the sense that a practising Christian, Buddhist, Jew or Muslim is religious.
I have no lack of awe and wonder at the marvels of nature. I recall quite vividly how this sense of wonder was amplified by the birth of my son, thirteen years ago. I’ve tried to maintain that feeling of wonder and pass it on to him. He’s certainly got some of it, and has a strong interest in science and the natural world.
The “What is your religion?” question, as it appears in the 2011 Census, has been criticised as being likely to prompt an inaccurate response. On BBC Radio 4′s Sunday programme, 27 February, one respondent’s reply was quite telling: “Well, Christian I suppose.” The person went on, unprompted, to say “…Buddhist would also be an option”. (This links to the “listen again” for that programme, if it is still available. The interesting part starts around 22 minutes into the recording).
This highlights the problem. Responses to the religious question are, for many people, an indication of affiliation rather than actual belief and religious practice.
Does this matter? Yes, it does.
Why spend the millions of taxpayers money on a census, if the results are not to be used? The results of the religion question will be used. They will be instrumental in determining local and national government policy with regard to religious matters. Things like funding faith groups and free schools. Religious groups will receive funding out of proportion to their membership, while other, non-faith secular groups, will be disadvantaged.
If you are not religious, I urge you to tick the “No religion” box on the census form. It does matter. It will make a difference.
