Is religion under threat?

Another great article on the The Guardian website (click here) about secularism versus religion in the UK.

As a committed atheist living in one of the most secular countries on earth I find the collision between religion and the rise of the non-religious fascinating.

As the number of atheists and agnostics continues to grow around the world we are increasingly speaking out against practices and rituals that are now out of place in a secular society. Unfortunately many religious people take this as an attack on their faith, when it is actually questioning the appropriateness of the faith in a public situation where a range of belief systems may be present.

Julian Baggini makes an interesting point when he says:

"Where tradition flies in the face of reason and justice, it should be dismantled. But when it merely teases it, it is often better to allow the passage to time to erode those anachronistic remnants than try to demolish them."

I have to wonder though if the passage of time will erode those anachronistic remnants. Surely people of faith will always argue against their removal and the erosion will in effect be a series of battle, the Bideford council decision merely being the first.

I will leave you with my favourite quote of the day, which also comes from The Guardian website. Courtesy of Hadley Freeman:

"As America battles with a struggling economy and high unemployment, the Republican primaries continue to focus on the real threat to national wellbeing: the vagina."