A Renfrewshire pastor has said that he has "no concerns" after it was revealed the majority of Scots say they have no religion.
According to new census data, 51.1% of those who responded say that they do not associate themselves with any religion.
It is a stark rise from the 2011 census where 37% said they had "no religion".
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The biggest drop in any category was the Church of Scotland which saw just over 1.7 million people associate themselves with the institution in 2011 to a little over 1.1 million in 2022.
Pastor Alan Biswas-Rooney, a minister at the Hopehall Evangelical Church in Paisley, says that although numbers may be dropping, churches are still helping the community in whatever way they can.
He said: "In Paisley, there are a lot of churches that are doing incredible work and helping meet the community needs.
"Whether that be helping with food banks, social clubs or afternoon lunches, they are always trying to be a beacon of light within the area they are in.
"However, as a minister, it doesn't concern me (that half of Scots say they are not religious). For me, it is not having that mindset that we are a social club and need more members but it is about people coming to know God for themselves.
"It is also about having that relationship with God and if that means having a season where they are 'non-religious' then that is fine."
There was also a drop in people who associate themselves as Roman Catholic, Jewish or other Christian.
Whereas there is a rise in people who class themselves as Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh.
Jon Wroth-Smith, NRS director of Census Statistics, said: “These statistics give a fascinating insight into religion, ethnicity, national identity and language use across Scotland and how they have changed over the years.
“It is exciting to publish the first of topic releases and this, along with our other census data to come, will help local and central government, businesses and charities to plan services in the years ahead.”
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