Over 9 out of 10 British Christians feel their faith is marginalized, new survey finds

A new survey conducted by Premier Christian Communications has indicated that more than nine out of 10 Christians feel that their faith is being marginalized in British society.

The "State of the Faith" study found that 93 percent of about 12,000 Christian respondents believe that Christianity is being marginalized.

As many as 80 percent of the respondents feel that Christianity is not given equal respect, while 50 percent say they have experienced prejudice. Twenty-six percent said that they are unable to be open about their faith.

Tim Dieppe, Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern, which provides legal support to Christians, said the findings reflect the organization's experiences over the years.

"People try and say that our cases are the exception and extraordinary cases," he stated. "I think what [Premier's] research shows is that it's the tip of the iceberg and actually underlying this there is a very strong ground swell of feeling and experience of prejudice or marginalisation," he added.

The study also found that 67 percent of the respondents say that it is not considered acceptable in society for Christians to share their faith.

The latest figures also indicated that there is a generational gap in views regarding Christian marginalization. As many as 94 percent of pensioners agreed that Christianity is being marginalized in British society compared to only 77 percent of 15 to 19-year-olds.

However, as many as 70 percent of respondents aged 15–19 said they had experienced prejudice because of their faith, compared to just 51 percent of pensioners.

"It's clear that we are not the liberal accepting society we think we are if we don't tolerate and accept everyone, including Christians," Premier CEO Peter Kerridge stated.

"This survey clearly indicates how it feels to be an ordinary Christian today. I suspect that other faith groups may have similar stories to tell," he added.

Alex Cunningham, a Christian and Labour politician, said that the survey result was a "frightening statistic," noting that efforts by believers to challenge negative perceptions among non-believers could reduce the number of Christians who feel marginalized.

"We can all talk about them [Christian values] but actually doing the practical things - I think those are the things that change [that] perception," he said.

The survey came about a month after Tim Farron resigned as the leader of the Liberal Democrats, saying he could no longer do his job because of the hostility to his faith.

Farron, an evangelical Christian who has served as head of the Liberal Democrats since 2015, drew criticisms during the General Election for failing to answer questions about his views on homosexuality.

He clarified that he supported same-sex marriage and LGBT rights, but he declined to say whether or not he believed homosexuality is a sin. The politician continued to face questions in interviews even after he stated that he did not believe gay sex is a sin.