When the interviewer asked Kate Forbes about her faith, he thought she would dodge the question. But he was wrong. "To be straight, I believe in the person of Jesus Christ," Forbes said.

"I believe that he died for me, he saved me. And that my calling is to serve and to love him and to serve and love my neighbours with all my heart and soul and mind and strength."

That was in 2021. Many people thought it was one reason she lost the SNPThe Scottish National Party, a Scottish political party which advocates for Scottish independence. leadership race last year, even though she was Scotland's finance minister.

But she still got 48% of the vote, and today her position looks stronger than ever.

After Humza Yousaf's resignation last week, she did not put herself forward to replace him. But she is expected to become leader after the next election.

When a journalist asked Tony BlairTony Blair was the leader of the Labour party. He was British prime minister from 1997 to 2007.  about his faith, Blair's press adviser Alastair CampbellA former journalist and political strategist, who was a spokesman for British prime minister Tony Blair. interrupted to say: "We don't do God." But religion has always been central to Kate Forbes's life.

Her parents were missionaries and she was brought up in the PresbyterianA type of Protestant Christianity founded in Scotland. Church. She later joined the stricter Free Church of ScotlandA conservative evangelical church in Scotland. It is Calvinist. .

It opposes abortion, sex before marriage, gay marriage and women clergyReligious officials who lead activities for worshippers, especially in the Christian church. . As a result, she faced heavy criticism when she tried to become leader of the SNP last year.   

But Forbes insisted that her beliefs would not prevent her from treating everyone fairly. And when she considered running this time, the reaction was very different. According to Fraser Nelson in The Daily Telegraph: "The controversyPublic disagreement. over her faith was over almost as soon as it began."

"God is in fashion with the shapers of public opinion," writes James Marriott of The Times, giving the Christians Marcus Rashford, Stormzy and the newly baptised Russell BrandAn English actor and comedian. In 2023, he was accused of sexual assault. as examples: "the future may be more religious than we suspect."

Is religion making a comeback?

Yes: The fact that Kate Forbes can talk about her faith without being criticised shows that it is. In a world full of gloom, people will inevitably turn towards something that offers them hope.  

No: People today are much too obsessed by material things. The Anglican Church is rivenSplit apart. by arguments over gay marriage and the Catholic Church has been rocked by sexual abuse scandals.

Or... It depends where you are. In the West, secularisationA transition from a religious to a non-religious state. is a growing trend, according to the Pew Research Centre. But highly religious parts of the world such as Africa have faster population growth. 

SNP - The Scottish National Party, a Scottish political party which advocates for Scottish independence.

Tony Blair - Tony Blair was the leader of the Labour party. He was British prime minister from 1997 to 2007. 

Alastair Campbell - A former journalist and political strategist, who was a spokesman for British prime minister Tony Blair.

Presbyterian - A type of Protestant Christianity founded in Scotland.

Free Church of Scotland - A conservative evangelical church in Scotland. It is Calvinist.

Clergy - Religious officials who lead activities for worshippers, especially in the Christian church.

Controversy - Public disagreement.

Russell Brand - An English actor and comedian. In 2023, he was accused of sexual assault.

Riven - Split apart.

Secularisation - A transition from a religious to a non-religious state.