Poll suggests opposition to CoE’s role in public life

Opinion polling has suggested that a big proportion of individuals in Britain want to remove the Church of England from a few of its public functions, including its management of religion schools.

Research group More in Common surveyed over 2,000 adults and located that 62 per cent of them believed the Church of England mustn’t have control over state-funded school.

Only 21 per cent believed the Church should retain this role, wile 17 per cent said that other faiths needs to be granted similar status.

The figures were similar when people were asked concerning the position of Church of England bishops within the House of Lords. Some 63 per cent wanted them removed, while 17 per cent wanted faith leaders from other traditions to be granted the identical privilege.

Perhaps surprisingly, the outcomes showed a more even split on issues referring to the monarchy. Only 47 per cent said they objected to the monarch being the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and 45 per cent said they felt the Church of England mustn’t have a number one role in national ceremonies.

Interestingly, 14 per cent of individuals said that other faiths must have the privilege of getting the monarch as their supreme governor, although quite how this may very well be achieved was left somewhat up within the air.

On the problem of religion schools, 22 per cent of respondents said that faith schools should only be allowed to pick students on faith in the event that they are privately funded. Over a 3rd (39 per cent) said selection on the idea of religion should never be permitted.

Sophie Stowers, research manager at More in Common, was quoted by The Telegraph as saying, “This report shows that, in an increasingly irreligious country, most Britons see religion as a non-public matter.

“People broadly support the appropriate to precise religious beliefs, want individuals’ faiths to be respected, and recognise that religion can bring real personal advantages to those that follow it. But this mustn’t be mistaken for an ‘anything goes’ attitude.”