Poll says religion does more harm than good

Guardian Unlimited More people in Britain think religion causes harm than believe it does good, according to a Guardian/ICM poll published today. It shows that an overwhelming majority see religion as a cause of division and tension - greatly outnumbering the smaller majority who also believe that it can be a force for good.

I can understand that in a country where the King declared imune from following the orders of the [Catholic] Church, and set up his own church [Church of England], but if they want to avoid being taken over by the Muslims they have let into the country, they better embrace some Christian religion, because Muslims hate non-believers even more than they hate Christians.

The poll also reveals that non-believers outnumber believers in Britain by almost two to one. It paints a picture of a sceptical nation with massive doubts about the effect religion has on society: 82% of those questioned say they see religion as a cause of division and tension between people. Only 16% disagree. The findings are at odds with attempts by some religious leaders to define the country as one made up of many faith communities.