Study: UK Christians Afraid to Express Their Faith in the Workplace

Christians
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc via Getty Images
Chris Tomlinson

Christians in the United Kingdom are often afraid to display their faith in the workplace, according to a new study that found as many as 82 per cent of British Christians who normally wear religious symbols would not do so while at work.

While it is common for religious minorities such as Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus in Britain to wear religious garb like hijabs and turbans while working, the study of Christians in the workplace by the diversity and inclusion firm Pearn Kandola found that 82 per cent of British Christians who wear religious symbols or dress in their private lives would not do so at work.

Of those who do wear religious symbols or attire to work under half, 47 per cent, said they were comfortable displaying Christian symbols, and 36 per cent stated that they felt uncomfortable while doing so.

Some participants in the study commented on negative experiences involving their faith while at work.

“My co-worker has said some disparaging things as she feels that people who come from my religious identity must be bigots or even fascists,” said one.

 

“I have had a few snide comments here and there about how I live my life due to their negative perception of Christians,” another study participant said.

“I have only told my very closest friends the depth of my beliefs because of the way the vast majority of the staff there have ridiculed religion so publicly and so viciously,” reported a third.

Many said they did not share their religious beliefs with colleagues due to fearing they may offend others, or because they worried “expressing their religious beliefs may make some co-workers with different religious views feel uncomfortable”.

The study comes just weeks after the census revealed that Christians are now a minority in England and Wales for the first time since somewhere around the 7th century.

Britain’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) stated that just 46.3 per cent of the English population now identify as Christians, while 43.6 per cent of Welsh identify with the faith.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.

 

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