The survey was taken of Christians in the UK. Their reticence to talk about faith is attributed to various factors, including a rise in antisemitism and a “self-confidence crisis” among British Christians.
A similar reluctance among Jewish respondents can be seen, with 38% agreeing with the statement, “I prefer not to tell people about my faith or religious belief,” according to the survey, commissioned by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) and conducted by Whitestone Insight.
In contrast, only 29% of Muslim participants felt the same way.
Jake Scott, the secretary of IIFL, said the reluctance among Christians might stem from uncertainty about their religious identity.
He told the Telegraph, “There was a high correlation between ‘exclusivist’ Christians — who reflected 28% of Christians in the survey — and a willingness to talk about the faith.”
Exclusivists are those who believe their religion is the only true faith.
Scott noted that the self-confidence crisis among Christians might be linked to cultural Christians — those who were baptized but attend church infrequently and do not strongly identify with the Christian faith.
The survey also revealed generational differences in attitudes toward faith. For instance, only 30% of 18- to 24-year-olds believed people should not talk about their faith in the workplace, compared to 50% of those aged 65 and over.