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Originally Posted by bryantm3
it's mainly because observance is forced and sponsored by the government. no wonder people hate religion in the uk.
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Not sure about that.
My guess is that our long term history of religious strife has - over the generations - shaped the British attitude to religion considerably more than anything in the present. In other words, the decline of Christianity is a long and gradual one, rather than an immediate rebellion against present conditions. There are probably also cultural reasons - our generally greater scepticism and disrespect for/ridiculing of authority, and so on.
Despite the undoubted privileges still enjoyed by the Church of England, despite living in a country with an established church headed by our constitutional monarch, the reality is that religious observance is long long way from being "forced" on us by the government as you suggest. Even I an atheist and committed secularist have to admit that, on a day-to-day basis, such 'incursions' barely register. Of course I'm aware that other people will experience them more.
As Blair's former spin doctor said to an American journalist quizzing him about politics and religion in the UK, "Brits just don't do God". British politicians are well advised to avoid it for fear of seeming a bit weird(-er than normal). I could quite easily see an atheist such as our current deputy Prime Minister being elected into No.10. Not so sure about religion and the monarchy, but then that's an issue in itself with a whole load of other baggage.