A survey carried out by Christian think tank Logos Scotland shows that over 70% of respondents identifying as Christian felt that the Scottish government does not support them.

It also points out that two-thirds of Scots believe Christians face opposition in Scotland, including “negative social attitudes, incidents of prejudice, exclusion, and discrimination”.

Furthermore, around 75% are concerned about the abuse Christian politicians receive in the media .

However the majority of non-Christian respondents largely said believing Christians do not face discrimination, and are not concerned by the criticism of Christian politicians.

Public faith

The study also analyses how Christians feel about sharing what their faith says about public issues and which denominations discuss public policy matters the most.

According to the survey data, the members of the Free Church of Scotland feel most equipped to speak on public issues, while Roman Catholics and independents are most likely to discuss and encourage involvement in public policy, and the Church of Scotland is the least likely to do it.

“Palpable feeling of exclusion”

“These findings expose a palpable feeling of exclusion amongst Scotland's vibrant Christian community. One in three Scots hold a Christian faith, yet it's clear that there is much work to be done to increase tolerance towards this faith group”, underlines Logos Scotland CEO Shona Haslam in a statement.

She recalls that first minister John Swinney “has promised a more inclusive, unified government and country under his new leadership”, and hopes “this data can help guide leaders to listen to the views of all Scots in the decision-making processes of our country - including Christians”.

“There is an opportunity now for the first minister to set a new tone for Scotland, one that doesn't attempt to silence or 'cancel' Christian views, but rather, includes all perspectives in the public conversation”, concludes Haslam.