The Scottish Government Funded Faith and Belief study has recently reported in the Scotsman (10 July) and on its website.
There are a number of questionable features of this study. Why was the funding granted to the Faculty of Divinity at Edinburgh University without, it appears, any competitive bidding as to who might conduct the study? Why was it awarded to a body that has a built in employment interests in attempting to justify the importance of religion in contemporary society? Why did the study not survey the existing literature and utlise the findings of numerous social surveys that give other estimates of the religious beliefs and practices of the Scottish population? Why did it use such an ad hoc methodology when the methods of social survey research would have given a far more accurate picture than the methods adopted by the study. Why were Roman Catholics at 7 per cent so under-represented in the sample when the 2001 and 2011 censuses showed that they were 16 per cent of the population? The Church of Scotland was similarly under-rerpresented at 17 per cent compared to the census figure of 32 per cent. The sample also greatly over-represents the populations of Glasgow and Edinburgh which, combined, are about one fifth of the Scottish population whereas just over one in three of the sample come from these two cities. There are thus good reasons to have fundamental doubts about the quality of the findings of this study.
The report in the Scotsman suggests that there were religious and political aspects to the research. Study director Prof Siddique is quoted as saying 'action needed to be taken to make Scottish society less divisive. She added 'The issues around religion in public life are creat¬ing a new tension and dynamic in Scotland, and it is important that we minimise unnecessary division for the sake of a more inclusive Scotland." Prof Siddiqui said action needed to be taken to make Scottish society less divisive.She added 'The issues around religion in public life are creating a new tension and dynamic in Scotland, and it is important that we minimise unnecessary division for the sake of a more inclusive Scotland."
But what is wrong about democratic debate about the extent to which religious denominations should have privileged positions in Scottish society? Prof Siddique's remarks sound suspiciously like an attempt to close down public debate in favour of continuing the status quo. Division, contention, debate are essential features of democratic debate. A cosy consensus can be the death of diversity and free expression.
The Faith and Belief in Scotland website can be found at http://www.faithandbeliefscotland.co.uk/
Other sources of evidence on religious belief and 'spirituality' can be found in earlier posts on this website.
There are a number of questionable features of this study. Why was the funding granted to the Faculty of Divinity at Edinburgh University without, it appears, any competitive bidding as to who might conduct the study? Why was it awarded to a body that has a built in employment interests in attempting to justify the importance of religion in contemporary society? Why did the study not survey the existing literature and utlise the findings of numerous social surveys that give other estimates of the religious beliefs and practices of the Scottish population? Why did it use such an ad hoc methodology when the methods of social survey research would have given a far more accurate picture than the methods adopted by the study. Why were Roman Catholics at 7 per cent so under-represented in the sample when the 2001 and 2011 censuses showed that they were 16 per cent of the population? The Church of Scotland was similarly under-rerpresented at 17 per cent compared to the census figure of 32 per cent. The sample also greatly over-represents the populations of Glasgow and Edinburgh which, combined, are about one fifth of the Scottish population whereas just over one in three of the sample come from these two cities. There are thus good reasons to have fundamental doubts about the quality of the findings of this study.
The report in the Scotsman suggests that there were religious and political aspects to the research. Study director Prof Siddique is quoted as saying 'action needed to be taken to make Scottish society less divisive. She added 'The issues around religion in public life are creat¬ing a new tension and dynamic in Scotland, and it is important that we minimise unnecessary division for the sake of a more inclusive Scotland." Prof Siddiqui said action needed to be taken to make Scottish society less divisive.She added 'The issues around religion in public life are creating a new tension and dynamic in Scotland, and it is important that we minimise unnecessary division for the sake of a more inclusive Scotland."
But what is wrong about democratic debate about the extent to which religious denominations should have privileged positions in Scottish society? Prof Siddique's remarks sound suspiciously like an attempt to close down public debate in favour of continuing the status quo. Division, contention, debate are essential features of democratic debate. A cosy consensus can be the death of diversity and free expression.
The Faith and Belief in Scotland website can be found at http://www.faithandbeliefscotland.co.uk/
Other sources of evidence on religious belief and 'spirituality' can be found in earlier posts on this website.
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