Is “For God’s Sake” Offensive?
By
BBC Breakfast 06 March 2011
With Caspar Melville of The British Humanist Association:
http://www.humanism.org.uk
The 2011 Census Campaign:
http://census-campaign.org.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12637201 :
Campaigners are urging members of the public who are not religious to say so in the national census.
For only the second time, the 10-yearly survey will include an optional question about religious belief.
Some secular groups, including the British Humanist Association, say the question is skewed and may overstate the extent of religious affiliation.
The campaign slogan was changed to drop the words “for God’s sake” after advice from advertising regulators.
Poster campaign
The secular groups want people who are not religious to tick the box saying “No religion” on the census.
The British Humanist Association (BHA) has unveiled a series of posters on buses and billboards across the country.
Using the slogan “Not religious? In this year’s census, say so”, they hope to persuade people to think carefully about which option to tick on the census form, which is being delivered to every household in the country this month.
The question about religious belief allows respondents to choose from several possible answers, including “No religion”, “Christian”, or “Hindu”.
But BHA chief executive Andrew Copson believes the wording of the question in the last census resulted in 72% of people being classed as Christians – a figure which is much higher than other surveys.
“Instead of asking, ‘Do you have a religion and if so, what is it?’, the question asks ‘What is your religion?’, a closed question that funnels people into giving a religious response, even if they don’t go to a church or a mosque, even if they don’t believe in God.”
A similar sentiment was expressed by Prof Richard Dawkins who told the BBC more precise questions need to be asked “if you want to use information for political purposes”.
He said: “If you really, really want to know whether people are religious in the true sense – the sense that everybody understands about religion – ask a specific question: Do you believe Muhammad rode on a winged horse? – something like that.”
Mr Copson also says that the placing of the religious question close to other questions about ethnicity encourages white British householders – even those who never go to church – to tick “Christian” because they believe it is part of their overall cultural identity.
The BHA warns that getting the figures wrong may have a direct impact on civil society.
Consultation process
“If the number of religious people is artificially inflated in the census, then public policy in matters of religion and belief will unduly favour religious lobbies and discriminate against people who do not live their lives under religion,” Mr Copson says.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which is responsible for the census, says that the wording of the 2001 question on religion was decided after consultations with a wide range of stakeholders.
The same wording has been kept for this year’s survey in order to effectively map any changes.
The think tank Theos, which undertakes research into religious matters, believes that the ONS never set out to measure how many people regularly attend organised worship.
Paul Bickley, one of the researchers at Theos, says the census information on religion is not used in the far-reaching manner that the BHA believes, and that the 72% figure for Christians can be qualified and challenged by other data.
‘Cultural affiliation’
“All data has to be interpreted; the facts never speak for themselves. I don’t think it has been used to underpin controversial policies. The power of this statistic is that it is illustrative. It’s not as if Tony Blair saw the 2001 census results and thought, ‘Hang on, let’s start opening more faith schools.’”
Mr Bickley says the census question is right to measure cultural affiliation, because that is how many people actively choose to identify themselves, even if they do not regularly practise a faith.
This in turn presents a different point of view to the argument that the UK is becoming a more secular society.
“You can’t say, ‘If you don’t practise, you’re really a humanist, please tick the ‘No religion’ box’. I think that’s to go too far,” Mr Bickley says.
The BHA’s new poster campaign has already suffered from one setback.
The original campaign slogan was refused by the company CBS Outdoors, which owns much of the advertising space in Britain’s railway stations, following advice from industry body the Committee of Advertising Practice.
The slogan – “If you’re not religious, for God’s sake say so” – was judged to contravene codes designed to prevent offence to religious people.
CBS Outdoors has maintained its ban for the updated slogan too – but it will appear on the sides of more than 200 buses across the country.
Duration : 0:3:41
Treading on …
Treading on eggshells, for gods sake, that.
at least our …
at least our religious nuts are reasonably eloquent
I don’t care what …
I don’t care what the humanists say… the only reason i put no religion is that I don’t want to be the only country outside of Iran, that has unelected members of the clergy in government
SHUT THE UP …
SHUT THE UP FOR GODS SAKE
@Joe22c Respectful, …
@Joe22c Respectful, not polite. For quote’s sake.
For Gods sake, …
For Gods sake, Susanna needs it.
What the is …
What the is this? What on earth did they think the humanist society had in its mind when they decided to use the phrase? It is just an ironic joke for the love of God! Why do they need to discuss it?!
Quick! Churchie …
Quick! Churchie people…hide the words “For God’s Sake”! Non-believers are using it freely for fun!
God Is Pro-LIFE AND …
God Is Pro-LIFE AND Pro-DEATH. Including, apparently, pro-MURDER, if you consider that part of His Design for forgiving humans for giving in to the propensity towards violence w which He created them was to demand that they murder His most compassionate Son. If a God named Thor had commanded his son Velma be hanged from a tree and had his throat slit, you’d call that a religion of “human sacrifice”. So, crucify this guy & I’ll forgive you. What’s the diff? Or have you all failed to notice that?
For god’s sake, how …
For god’s sake, how is this even discussion-worthy?
Caspar does well though. But yes, as Richard Dawkins said, “let’s all stop being so damned polite!”
Someone said ‘for …
Someone said ‘for god’s sake’… Get the over it. BE offended.
Why is it, that …
Why is it, that most of the people who defend theism tend to be rather less eloquent, erudite and open-minded than those who support atheism? I think that basically answers itself
@PortVienna80 I …
@PortVienna80 I don’t actually mean it, I was making a point. If people can get offended because I say “Jesus Christ”, then it works both ways. I *could* get offended by churches.
@jonnythrombosis23 …
@jonnythrombosis23
Hey,why are you cursing and swearing using God’s name and Jesus’ name if you don’t believe in them?
@TheRippingCorpse
…
@TheRippingCorpse
The atheist dictator Josef Stalin tried that in Soviet Russia…and failed!
I’m not a native …
I’m not a native English speaker and I just used this expression in a forum and I was kind of attacked by moderators by sentences like you were rude, it shows high level of anger and aggression, it was not-very-polite, you were frustrated and stuff….!!!! And thefreedictionary website indicate explicitly that this expression is “rude”……
You cant use “god” …
You cant use “god” that’s my word!
jesus …
jesus christ – stop getting so irate over your imaginary friends – religion in the most part = superstition – its all made up fictionalised to keep you in your palce – to keep you in slavery for gods sake
It’s odd, every …
It’s odd, every time I walk past a religious building I get offended. Perhaps I should ask for them to be knocked down.
“thou shall not use …
“thou shall not use the name of your Lord in vain” there’s your answers you muppets
fuck the census! …
the census! dont even fill it in enless you are gay black muslim traveler.
Who the gets …
Who the gets offended by this? Religious people use science and technology every day yet deny its importance in understanding the universe. yet if we so much as say a word they made up they get offended.
religion is not …
religion is not important. i hold my right to be offensive. what people think they have the right to dictate what i say, think or do. by the same token, anyone has the right to react to me being offensive, for who am i to say what they may say, think or do. we all have the RIGHT to be whatever we choose or go wherever we want to go. SCREW THE CENSUS. SCREW THE GOVERNMENT. SCREW ANYONE ELSE WHO TRIES TO TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE. I AM ME. I AM FREE
@Sonyoooo3 wealthy …
@Sonyoooo3 wealthy and spoiled? Are you are mental patient sir?
@Stevoukos I agree …
@Stevoukos I agree, God is offensive to reason and logic… But, I think the ‘Tooth Fairy’ has a bigger case to answer.
Now, Don’t get me started on ‘ Father Christmas’ ‘Santa Claus’ or ‘St Nicholas’ i find this character extremely offensive and bigoted.
How much longer can these two characters exploit children in this way ?
As an AltarBoy in Glasgow from 1971/74, Everytime i asked a reasonable & logical question about God or Jesus? I got the same reply.. A very hard Slap on the Head !