England Increasingly Returning to Paganism

He is difficult to find and even then is barely visible, but he's there. Green Man, a symbol of ancient pagan religion, stares down from the nave of Norwich Cathedral. In a way, his presence is symbolic of how it has always been, and still is, in this medieval city.

Norwich has the unique distinction of being officially classified as England's most ungodly city. That's not unusual considering it's the only English city to ever be excommunicated by a Roman Catholic pope.

 

The excommunication came in 1274. Its "ungodly" status comes from the 2011 census.

 

The 2011 survey has Norwich leading the way in a national shift away from Christianity, with 42.5 percent in the city saying they have no religion, against a national rate of 25.1 percent.

 

When residents hear they live in the most ungodly city in England, however, they aren't surprised. They are surrounded by evidence of it every day. A myriad of shops offer spiritual, New Age and pagan paraphernalia -- crystals, tarot cards, etc.

 

And the city that once boasted an active church built for every Sunday of the year during medieval times now has a pub for every day of the year. The pubs continue to burst with their usual patrons, but many of the churches are now art galleries, meeting halls and bookshops.

 

Norwich pastor Marvin Lucas is familiar with the rich heritage of one church -- St. Andrews. His initial experience with the church was very different from its Christian roots, however. The church's origins go back to 1270, but Lucas has always known it as a community center.

 

"It was at St. Andrews Hall where I would party," Lucas said. "In my adolescence I remember collapsing in a drunken stupor during a party in this building. It is ironic how this place of radical religious fervor is now a place of sin and debauchery."

 

Growing up in England with no exposure to biblical truth or the difference Jesus can make in one's life, Lucas was an outspoken opponent to anything religious. At 25, however, he made a commitment to Christ and was baptized.

 

Now a minister of Norwich Christian Church, Lucas serves as pastor of two house churches in the area and runs a counseling center in the city.

 

Kirsty Bolton, a member of one of Lucas' house churches, sees Norwich's traditional churches as empty, cold stone buildings. Most others in the city see them this way too, she believes.

 

"I know very few people who actually go to church at all, very few," Bolton said. "Those who do go to church are seen as slightly odd by other people, because the majority just don't go. So the census result doesn't surprise me."

 

When one scratches the surface of "no religion" across the British Isles, it is not unusual to find a resurgence of paganism, some secret and some blatant. One of the best-known symbols of ancient paganism, Stonehenge, majestically sits in the English countryside. It is still the site of pagan rituals.

 

Not far from Stonehenge is Glastonbury, internationally known as a center of paganism, witchcraft and spirituality. Regular and heavily attended pagan ceremonies in Glastonbury offer homage, sacrifices and prayers to pagan gods and goddesses, as well as to nature and its elements.

 

"Love pulses" and "cosmic prayers" are part of the vocabulary in Glastonbury. Flowing capes and flowers in the hair are part of the attire. Some participants are even dressed as Green Man, an image that first appeared in England in the 12th century but has a history elsewhere that dates back to first-century Rome. His likeness, symbolizing man's connection to earth and nature, continues to appear on walls and in gardens throughout the United Kingdom.  UCN