Once the church was an anchor. It was not just about the Sunday sermon, it was central to political life and in the forming of young minds, educating children across Scotland. It provided alms for the needy and laid down a strict moral code that informed – or controlled, depending on your point of view – how Scots lived their lives from birth to death, taking in marriage along the way. But as the remaining church bells ring out to celebrate Easter [the first] Sunday [in April 2018] many question the church’s role today.
The last census in 2011 showed that just over half of the population considered themselves religious, with 24 per cent identifying as Church of Scotland Christians and 14 per cent as Roman Catholics. The Scottish household survey in 2016 suggested those numbers were falling, with those who identify as religious now in the minority at 48.5 percent.
Attendance at Sunday services is also at an all-time low – just seven per cent go to church, according to the 2016 Scottish Church Census. The figure is expected to fall to around five per cent by 2025, about the number that attend a book group.
The hold of religion has been stripped back in all sorts of ways.
'Attendance at Sunday services is also at an all-time low – just 7% go to church, according to the 2016 Scottish Church Census. The figure is expected to fall to around 5% by 2025, about the number that attend a book group' https://t.co/69DiDNlF3R #religion #scotland #sociology
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) April 10, 2018