Christians in the UK are afraid to speak openly in work about their faith for fear of ridicule by colleagues, a study by the country’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has found.
In a study conducted among 2,500 people of all faiths and none on the topics of religion and the workplace, the EHRC found that Christians who openly declare their faith are often labelled ‘bigots’ by work associates or routinely mocked for their beliefs. The respondents indicated that such treatment was meted out to their children at school too. Given such experiences, those Christians polled also told the EHRC of their belief that Christianity is being increasingly sidelined in the UK.
According to the EHRC’s report: “A recurring theme among some employees was the pressure they felt they were under to keep their religion hidden at work and feeling discriminated against when it came to wearing religious symbols or expressing their beliefs. This was felt particularly by Christians.
“People reported being mocked for their beliefs, including Christians, who said their colleagues assumed they were bigoted.”
Christians made up the largest single faith group responding to the EHRC survey, accounting for 1,030, while the next largest cohort was atheists, with 188 respondents.
Ironically, given the findings, the EHRC study was carried out by the body which is behind the case against Northern Ireland’s Ashers Bakery, arising from the refusal of that Christian-run business to supply a cake with a slogan supporting same-sex marriage. Indeed, the EHRC report acknowledges: “Some Christian-run services or businesses said they felt in turmoil about behaving in ways that they feared might breach the Equality Act 2010, which protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in access to goods and services.”
The survey report has been welcomed by the UK’s Christian Institute. While citing the EHRC’s own part in making British Christians feel like a persecuted group, the institute’s Simon Calvert said: “It is a relief that the commission is beginning to realise there is a problem.”
