C.of.E on brink of 'losing' 24 million 'members'

"In the modern era of human rights, how long can a religious body continue to claim privileges based on a religious ritual carried out on babies when most of those babies once grown do not continue to practise the religion? Or does Anglicanism at that point become a matter of ethnicity rather than faith?

Given the growing militancy of the National Secular Society and of the human rights lobby, I can't see this situation lasting. It can't be much longer before the established Church is shrunk down to its true size, without losing any 'real' members but perhaps losing some of its status. And only God knows where that will leave the '80-million strong Anglican Communion'."

Extract from an article by the Times Religious Correspondent, Ruth Gledhill.