A new study reveals that many self-proclaimed “non-religious” Britons believe in some form of God or the afterlife, perhaps owing to Christian upbringings.
The Pew Research Centre found that almost half of the UK (46 per cent) consider themselves to be “non-religious”. However, 25 per cent of this group said they believe in a god or higher power.
When asked more broadly whether they believed in “something beyond the natural world”, this number climbs to 45 per cent.
A third (33 per cent) of the non-religious group also had faith in a form of afterlife.
Conversely, some who deemed themselves to be affiliated with a particular religion did not believe in a God or higher power, suggesting their religious association is merely cultural.
Of those who identified as religious, 85 per cent said they believed in a higher power, and only 69 per cent believed in an afterlife.
The rise of a murky form of faith amongst “nones” follows this year’s much-lauded ‘Quiet Revival’ data by the Bible Society, as well as research by Youth for Christ, indicating that more than half of young people are open to spirituality.
The Bible Society’s Dr Rob Barward-Symmons told Premier Christian News that a burgeoning national interest in spirituality could be a backlash to the "isolation" many people feel in the digital age.
"Young people in particular are increasingly seeking meaning and healing," said Symmons.