A recent poll by the think tank Logos Scotland revealed that the vast majority of Scottish Christians feel unsupported by the Scottish Government.
The survey highlighted significant concerns among Christians about abuse, negative comments, and attitudes directed towards Christian politicians in the media.
The polling data indicated that more than 70 per cent of Scot Christians believe the government does not support their faith.
Logos Scotland, established last year, conducted the survey to gauge the sentiments of the Christian community in Scotland.
CEO Shona Haslam said in a statement: "These findings expose a palpable feeling of exclusion amongst Scotland's vibrant Christian community. One in three Scots hold a Christian faith, yet it's clear that there is much work to be done to increase tolerance towards this faith group. Swinney has promised a more inclusive, unified government and country under his new leadership. We hope the data can help guide leaders to listen to the views of all Scots in the decision-making processes of our country - including Christians."
The think tank aims to influence public discourse by encouraging deeper consideration of issues from a Christian perspective. Their mission is to challenge the accepted worldview and foster a culture grounded in Christian faith that empowers public figures to seek truth and engage in meaningful debate on societal issues.
Key findings from the survey of over 1,000 Scots showed that almost three-quarters of Christian respondents "disagreed" or "strongly disagreed" that "the Scottish Government has been supportive of Christian principles in its recent legislative programme." It also highlighted how two-thirds of Scots believe Christians face opposition in Scotland, including negative social attitudes, incidents of prejudice, exclusion, and discrimination and around 75 per cent are concerned about the abuse Christian politicians receive in the media.
In contrast, non-Christian respondents largely do not share these views, with the majority believing Christians do not face discrimination and are not concerned by the criticism of Christian politicians. However, over half of non-Christians surveyed either did not know or also thought that the Scottish Government was not supportive of Christians.
Shona Haslam told Premier Christian News: " We were surprised that none-Christians also think that Christians arent supported by the government.
"So, it wasn't just Christians, it was none-Christians as well. That was a really fascinating finding what we had in the poll."
The survey also examined how equipped Christians feel to speak out on public issues and which denominations discuss public policy matters the most. It showed how Free Church of Scotland attendees feel most equipped to speak on public issues, Catholics and independents are most likely to discuss and encourage involvement in public policy and The Church of Scotland is the least likely to discuss public issues and how to get involved.
With a new minority government in place, Logos Scotland supports a reset in how the Scottish Government engages with faith groups to address the feelings of exclusion within the wider Christian community. They welcome comments from First Minister John Swinney, who has emphasised the need for unity and inclusion in his administration.
Reflecting on the data, Shona Haslam said: "These findings expose a palpable feeling of exclusion amongst Scotland's vibrant Christian community. One in three Scots hold a Christian faith, yet it's clear that there is much work to be done to increase tolerance towards this faith group.
"Swinney has promised a more inclusive, unified government and country under his new leadership. We hope this data can help guide leaders to listen to the views of all Scots in the decision-making processes of our country - including Christians."
She added: "There is an opportunity now for the First Minister to set a new tone for Scotland - one that doesn't attempt to silence or 'cancel' Christian views, but rather, includes all perspectives in the public conversation. We hope that John Swinney and his Cabinet do all they can to create a more inclusive, free, and fair Scotland for us all."