[Curlyben]

A (hopefully) thought provoking piece certainly for the Brits and much of it true for the Americans/Canadians as well, in fact a lot of the English speaking world.

As Lent starts, the debate over secularism v cultural Christianity is raging. But just how much of British culture is inspired by religion, asks Stephen Tomkins.

"On the Origin of Species, uh, with… oh God," as Richard Dawkins said last week on BBC Radio Four's Today programme when challenged by the Rev Giles Fraser to give the full title of Charles Darwin's famous book.

That the unofficial pope of Western atheism should expostulate about God in moments when life is a struggle does not of course mean that deep down atheists believe in God after all. But it does illustrate how deeply ingrained religion is in the UK's culture.

Britain is in many ways a secular state, and traditional beliefs and practices have collapsed, but perhaps the UK's national culture is still more religious than we often notice. Trying to take all the religion out of it would be not so much like taking the raisins out of a fruitcake as like taking the chocolate out of a chocolate cake.

So here are some of the places in British society where Christian heritage can easily be uncovered.

BBC News - How much Christianity is hidden in British society?

[paraclete]

Can't speak for the chums, but here in Oz about 80% of people claim a Christian affiliation even if only a nodding acquaintance with the church. The very ethos of this place is in sharing, in caring for those a little less fortunate although the rhetoric often gets in the way of the execution, however there is little doubt this is grounded in Christian roots, to have compassion on the poor, and as James says, religion without works is dead.

Nor is this confined to Christianity, the same ethos existed here among the indigenous people before the british wrenched it from the hands of the original inhabitants

[OneDude79]

I think what we're seeing is that although the religiosity of the world has changed, the essence of Judeo-Christian values more or less holds on... because it has transcended a religious way and instead become a cultural type.

[Athos]

The foundation of all Western culture is the 1500 years of Christianity which was the single force of unity for that entire period, and which remains the basis of culture today regardless of how many still are "religious".

[paraclete]

Not sure which 1500 years you are speaking of, Christianity has been around for 2000 years and the Judeo part of the Judeo-Christian ethic for a further 1500-2000 years.

There is any doubt our society is based upon the ethic taught with those two religions and it differs greatly from the ethic originating from other sources and as it has been said it gives rise to a distinctive culture.