For the 1st time in over 1,300 years, the Isle of Wight no longer has a Christian majority.
In 686AD, the Island was invaded by the Christian Cædwalla of Wessex. The Island’s pagan King Arwald was killed in battle and his heirs executed. The pagan population of the Island was exterminated and replaced with Christians, and those who survived were forced to accept baptism.
The Island has remained Christian ever since, until sometime in the 2010s when the number of those accepting Christ as their Saviour had dropped to under 50%.
The current census, compiled in 2021, shows that just 47.7% of Islanders define themselves as Christian, down from 59.3% in 2011. In numbers, 67,005 Christians lived on the Island in 2021, compared with 83,671 a decade before.
61,572 Islanders said they had no religion in 2021, up from 39,960 in 2011. Nature abhors a vacuum, so the number of Satanists living here has more than trebled, from 5 to 18. An equally worrying trend is the loss of all the Isle of Wight’s Jedi Knights, whose numbers have decreased from 766 in 2011 to 0 today.
The number of Muslims on the Island remains relatively small – just 593 compared with 524 some 10 years earlier.
Bembridge and Nettlestone is the most religious area on the Isle of Wight with 58.4% declaring themselves as Christian. By contrast, Newport Central and Parkhurst is the most non-religious with only 39.2% of the population calling themselves Christian.
Compared to the rest of the country, the Isle of Wight remains relatively homogeneous.
93.4% of Islanders classified themselves as white British. This compares with 77.7% of the population of Portsmouth and 68.1% of the population of Southampton. The national average of those declaring themselves white British now sits at 74.4%.
95.7% of the Isle of Wight population reported themselves as having a UK identity, compared with 87.7% in Portsmouth and 81.2% in Southampton.
Practically all of us on the Isle of Wight – 98.14% – speak English as our 1st or main language.
This census was largely performed on the internet so i dont suppose many people were too worried about accuracy, just get it done to avoid being chased up by the authorities.
Hence many many people come here to retire as they wish to live in communities they still feel at home with, as in many of their indigenous localities they feel and are the outsider now.
Disgusting that Politicians from all parties have ruined this country, not as with war, or recession for a while, but now forever.
As people understandably escape here, then indirectly masse arrivals to the UK still effect us as we lose more homes, and more green spaces to house those fleeing from the never end invasion.
Respect for our leaders has long since gone, and all parties are out fore themselves individually, so can’t even vote a party out to change things now.
God help your children
Sadly England no longer exists
Thrown to the dogs and the PC to ssers by all governments in the forlorn hope that the cultures would get on, what a mistake that was!
Ivy, you obviously aren’t a Christian with your hideous racist views.
So called Christianity has been the bibest longest con the world will ever see and your remarks to another overdose views just makes my point
That’s it Mark. .. throw the race card. .how is it that we constantly get the blame but cannot open our mouths in defence of our country that millions lost their lives fighting for freedom . Freedom that’s a laugh now.
Maybe you’d better so off to a country that is more in line with your own beliefs, “Ivy”?
Because you aren’t wanted here, no matter how many times you use TOR to upvote your own posts.
I doubt “Ivy” is even British.
Probably a very low ranking Russian or Chinese state troll.
What is TOR Smiffy, how do people use it to upvote their own posts please. Why is it that when I click on a thumbs up the thumbs down number goes up sometimes by 2 or 3 points.
I have spoken to people who also like myself moved to the island in retirement. Their reason for doing so was “they felt like foreigners in their own country”.
I stopped going to church when I lived on the mainland owing to the fact that it was closed down and converted into a Mosque.
We don’t want you here with that narrow minded racist attitude. What rubbish, turned your church into a mosque!
Life must be wonderful in your little bubble. Perhaps you should travel the UK and learn what exactly is happening, you will also learn that Racism as you put it actually works both ways.
As for my church it was the Mount Zion Methodist Church.
I’m sure the majority of this once great country feel the same.
Where am I living? I moved here because I thought it was a friendly, civilised place to live. After reading the racist comments from some of the people I am ashamed and embarrassed to admit to living here. No wonder the Isle of Wight education results are bottom of the country if this kind of narrow minded, ignorant way of thinking is passed on to our children, what chance do they stand.
Curious, unfortunately it is the norm here. I’ve never witnessed such an openly racist, hate filled place in the whole of the UK.
Curious and Mark
If a kindly neighbour takes in a sick stray cat, pays for it to be treated, pays for a warm bed for it and its food and needs forever, THAT is an act of personal kindness.
Yet, IF that same neighbour takes in a hundred stay cats, and can’t afford THEMSELVES to treat, house, and feed those stays, then the act of ‘kindness’ becomes others problems as the sheer numbers, which through breeding will ensure that then, forever more, the neighbourhood is plagued with problems which THEY never wanted but end up ‘paying the price’ for, FOREVER more, and increasing in amount as the years go by. Especially if the neighbour keeps bringing in increasing numbers as well
SEE it how it is, not how the BBC wish it to be shown.
That’s the way we like it x.
I have found that many islanders who shout racist are actually racist against those who have moved from the mainland. When I come across these islanders I am glad I am classed as an Overner. Hence the reason I am hoping to sell up and move back to civilisation. The woke islanders do not realise that Wokeism creates Racism.
Most puzzling why so many non-Christians celebrate the religious festivals Christmas and Easter.
Do they not have enough chocolate throughout the year?
I certainly celebrate Xmas but nothing to do with religion,thank God numbers are reducing, religions create problems far and wide – especially Christians and eventually war. In a modern world when we understand from science and logic how we have evolved no place anymore. Belief in religion, atheists or Satanists does not make a difference to looking after each other. I used to have a mate who was a Satanist – he was such a character and would go out of his way to help others, more than can be said for some Christians- greedy millionaires who take from the poor!. Or mass school shooter’s in USA. Or Russia – Putin .
Well why are you thanking God then you moron.
Christmas and Easter are pagan holidays so non Christians would celebrate them, just in a slightly different way.
It’s not just because they want chocolate it’s because they respect the religions and want to get involved. They don’t need to be of a religion just to celebrate Christmas and or Easter . So go back and eat your chocolate and just respect thoughts who respect the religious festivals and are not religious
You and many like you need to look further back in the History books. Even BEFORE religion… and what RELIGION has done to the world. Religion is a money grabbing cult. Why do people think there is a supreme ruler over all of Earth n?? I have no idea how people can even imagine it.. an invisible friend..??
If you thought those cosy traditions you knew and loved were just about celebrating Christmas, think again! Things like kissing under a mistletoe, carolling, wreaths, and even gift-giving were all aspects of pagan holidays that were hijacked by Christians and turned in to there Christmas
More puzzling is why the Romans decided to take pagan festivals and rebrand them as Xmas and Easter……
Christianity, as usual, forced upon the unwilling.
Now that we can turn our backs on it without being put to the sword, or drowned in the village pond with our cat, can only be a good thing.
Freedom of choice.
They aren’t Christian festivals.. they were celebrated for a very long time before Christianity requisitioned them
I think you will find that “Christmas” and “Easter” are in fact Yule and Ostara .. deeply rooted PAGAN festivals with a thin veneer of Christian capitalism.
Not a surprise. Jesus barely gets a mention at Christmas nowadays.
I feel sorry for those that think Jesus was real… same as Santa Claus… fairy tales to make you believe… hence slowly the belief is disappearing.. thank you…
3.5 million more people than in 2011 and apparently we need even more migration. Its bonkers.
To be honest, I don’t see a problem with this, more and more people don’t want to be Christian, I’m the same, I’m definitely not Christian, if anything I’m more leaning to Buddhism.
Hilarious.
Thank you.
Most people just consider the census as something that has got to be done
and so fill it in quickly and get rid, apart from occupants they probably just stick anything in,
so I wouldn’t be too concerned about the apparent decline of a Christian majority on the island as in my opinion (and this is only mine),the report is a load of cobblers
Well stop importing heathens.
There won’t be many “heaths” left soon, the way development is expanding on this once lovely Island.
Who cares anyway …who believes in cheese sandwich …
We truly are a multicultural hub <3
What a load of nonsense. Thank God I’m an atheist .
Christianity is an imported abrahamic religion.
Before that we followed the old ways, as do the wise people of today, christianity and those under its blood thirsty spell persecuted anyone whom they viewed as evil, I.e you didnt fit their view or preferred not to be brainwashed into the new thinking.
You Christian’s are referred to by your leaders as ‘the flock’ for good reasons.
Get real people, the main issue is that all 766 Jedi Knights have been lost in 10 years. Has the ‘Empire’ finally won? It’s a sad time for all. Let us hope that the Force is still strong…
Rebel scum.
I find their lack of faith disturbing….
So the Christians exterminated the pagans.
Christianity and all religions are about gathering wealth and giving the followers an excuse to wipe out indidinous populations,all in the name of a god that doesn’t exist.
Bit like being a Tory or a Gammon.
Thank you, Warren, for profiling St Helen’s church in your photograph for this piece. We would like to extend a warm welcome to all – religious, non-religious and everyone in between – to our Christmas services! You can find the details here: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/16786/
If you forsake GOD you enter into the darkness for eternal life