Christianity remains world’s largest religion, but growth is slower than Islam
Latest research from the Pew Research Centre shows how the world’s population and the number of people in religious groups, has grown in a decade. Relying on an analysis of 2,700 censuses and surveys of the years 2010-2020, the findings show Christianity remained the world’s biggest religious group, but the number increased at a slower pace than for Muslims. The number of Christians rose by 122 million, to 2.3 billion, but its share of the world’s population fell 1.8 percentage points, to 28.8 per cent. Muslims were the fastest-growing religious group over the decade, increasing by 347 million to 2 billion, with a share rising by 1.8 points, to 25.6 per cent. People with no religious affiliation, “nones”,were the only category apart from Muslims which grew as a percentage of the world’s population, reaching1.9 billion. Pew Research is here
Historian Tom Holland made a Canon at Salisbury Cathedral
The historian and “The Rest is History” podcast host, Tom Holland, has been appointed Canon Historian at Salisbury Cathedral. He is the first person to take on this role in the 800-year history of the Cathedral, describing it “as great an honour as I could possibly imagine!”. He was once a self-described Protestant agnostic, but had several spiritual experiences feeling the presence of angels and seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary, which has awakened a curiosity. He once said he was “navigating shadowlands between belief and agnosticism” and felt in almost every way a cultural Christian. He is one of four lay canons newly installed at the cathedral.
Twelve MPs back bill to ‘protect free speech and right to criticise religion’
The Conservative MP, Nick Timothy, has tabled a private members bill in the Commons, widening the scope of the public order act to protect free speech and the right to criticise religion. It follows the case of Hamit Coskun, aged 50, who set fire to a Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London earlier this year. He was convicted of committing a racially aggravated public order offence, under the public order act, but this has been criticised as an attempt to re-introduce a blasphemy law. Eleven other MPs supported the bill – John Cooper, Dr Luke Evans, Mr Richard Holden, Robert Jenrick, Rupert Lowe, Rebecca Paul, Jack Rankin, Sir Alec Shelbrooke, Bradley Thomas, Tom Tugendhat and Sir Gavin Williamson. It will be read for a second time on 11 July. Hansard account here
Church of Scotland calls on UK government to do all it can to end the war in Gaza
The Church of Scotland has urged Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP to ensure that the UK Government does all it can to help permanently end the war in Gaza. Last month, the General Assembly condemned the resumption of the war on Gaza, the blockade of food and humanitarian aid, the ongoing forcible displacement of Gazans and the continued holding of hostages. A letter from the church’s Israel Palestine Committee, writing on behalf of the General Assembly, calls on the UK Government to advocate for a permanent ceasefire, an end to the suffering of Gazans, an end to the occupation of the West Bank and the suspension of arms export licenses to Israel. It also calls for the recognition of the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, saying: “Without this tangible recognition of the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people, calls by the UK Government for a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution are hollow”.
Methodists and URC call for end to ‘appalling reality’ of war in Gaza
A joint campaign by the Methodists and United Reformed Church is calling on the UK government to “act with decency and morality”, and to urgently ensure that the UK stops supplying components used in combat aircraft operations in Gaza. A statement says: “The Hamas attacks of 7 October against innocent Israeli civilians, and the ongoing cruelty of holding hostages, is criminal. However, the escalation of attacks in the wake of these events in the name of self-defence by Netanyahu’s government – resulting in the persecution, killing, and repeated expulsion of Palestinian communities across Gaza and the West Bank must stop. This appalling reality is something that the Church can neither ignore nor condone, for any reason whatsoever”.
Debate to end non-stun slaughter of animals ‘reveals anti Muslim bias’
A parliamentary debate on a petition seeking to end “non-stun animal slaughter” has sparked strong opposition from Muslim MPs, who say it threatens religious freedom and fosters division. The petition, started by a member of the public, gained more than 109,000 signatures. It calls such practices “barbaric” and incompatible with modern values. UK law currently permits religious slaughter without stunning, a practice common in Islam. Independent MP Rupert Lowe, a vocal supporter of the ban, described halal and kosher practices as “vile,” calling for their prohibition. Critics of the ban, including MPs Yasmin Qureshi and Iqbal Mohamed, highlighted that the focus on halal, rather than kosher, reveals anti-Muslim bias and the debate risked promoting xenophobia under the guise of animal welfare.
Catholic archbishop rallies opposition to the Assisted Dying Bill
Archbishop John Sherrington, the Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool and lead bishop for life issuesis urging “Catholics and all people of goodwill”, to contact their MP and ask them to vote against the Assisted Dying bill, which comes back to the Commons later this month. It will complete the second day of its Report Stage on Friday this week, with a final vote on Friday 20 June. In a statement, he says Catholic bishops of England and Wales oppose this “flawed bill” both in principle and in practice, concerned at the impact on care providers and safeguards for the vulnerable. He concludes that “the whole process by which this bill has been brought forward and debated is insufficient for such a radical change”. Statement here
Satanic Temple in Iowa claims discrimination on religious grounds
The Satanic Temple in Iowa, has filed a complaint accusing state officials of discriminating against them on religious grounds because they were denied permission to mount a display in the state Capitol building in December last year. The state governor said policies reflect the potential impact on children and families, who regularly visit the building. It follows an incident in 2023 when a previous display in the capitol’s rotunda, depicting the horned deity Baphomet, was destroyed by a protester. AP report here
