1 in 3 Britons believe in virgin birth

More than a third of Britons believe that the virgin birth really happened, according to new research published today by Theos, the public theology think tank.

In the poll of over a thousand adults, undertaken for Theos by ComRes, 34% of people agreed that the statement "Jesus was born to a virgin called Mary" was historically accurate. Only 32% considered it fictional. Women are more likely to believe in the virgin birth (39%) than men (29%).

56% of Britons believe that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Surprisingly, the research reveals that people are more likely to believe in the virgin birth than angels. Only 28% believe the Bible's account of angels visiting shepherds to announce the birth of Christ actually happened, compared with 32% who think it is fictional. 37% of people believe that Herod ordered the death of infant boys in an attempt to kill Jesus.

In terms of the significance of Christ's birth, 52% agree or strongly agree that the birth of Jesus is significant to them personally. 72% of people think that the birth of Jesus remains significant culturally.

The research may support recent reports that carol services are growing in popularity. 44% of Britons plan to attend a Christmas church service this year. St Paul's Cathedral is holding identical carol services on the two days before Christmas in order to accommodate the number of people wishing to attend.

57% of people will be celebrating Christmas as a religious festival. Significantly more men (48%, compared with 36% of women) do not celebrate Christmas as a religious festival. Scotland ranks as the most religious nation. 66% of Scots celebrate Christmas as a religious festival.

Commenting on the research, the Director of Theos, Paul Woolley said:

"The extent of religious belief will no doubt surprise people, but these
findings are consistent with other research we have undertaken.

The number of people who believe the birth of Christ is significant to them
personally is especially striking. In periods of financial uncertainty, when
there is concern about losing jobs or homes, perhaps people are more open to
thinking about life’s ultimate questions."

Despite all of the hype around the recent success of recent books promoting
atheism, it is clear that, for most people, religious belief cannot be explained
away so easily."

To read the full findings of the poll, click here.

Same old, same old

Once again we are witness to a terror attack on the planet. This time a group of young men brought fear and death to Mumbai. The danger for myself is that I become numb to these attacks, that death through them becomes statistical. Just because something is commonplace doesn’t make it something to gloss over.

The economic situation continues to dominate the media too. This week we’ve heard the news that two iconic high street traders in the United Kingdom have gone into administration – Woolworths and MFI. Both are well known names but it seems they may have had their day, and the time has come for them to disappear.

The United Kingdom has been told to expect a cold winter this year. At the same time many will feel the need to cut their fuel costs by turning down the heating. So it is with interest that we see ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ voted the best Christmas Carol.

The news reports seem to be stuck with an endless repetition of atrocities, economic woe and seasonal ‘Dead donkey’ stories (hopefully no pun intended there). There is nothing new. Names and places may be different but the stories are essentially the same.

As we progress through Ecclesiastes this week we can hear similar sentiments echoed millennia earlier. Stuff happens and life goes on. The sentiment that however wise and clever humanity becomes, we still end up in difficult situations, is as true today as it was then.

Both the news reports and Ecclesiastes can be seen as a little depressing. They appear to offer little hope. But dig into both and you will find good news, for there are times both to weep and laugh.

Darren

First Advent Podcast

WordLive normally gives you a podcast for each weekday. But for a treat, as we enter Advent, we've got something special for you. For the next four weeks, on Saturday and Sunday there will be a specially recorded Advent podcast. You can download this or listen to it at WordLive, but that isn't all.

To go with the audio podcast we have created an enhanced version. This can be found at WordLive but is also available at the WordLive channel on YouTube. And because we love you so much it is also below...

Bible Illuminated The Book. The New Testament in magazine style

You can find out all about a new, glossy, magazine-style New Testament by following the link below. Whilst the article is very interesting and well worth a read (thanks Mr T), it is the comments that I find most enlightening.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7750842.stm

Prepared for Action

We are in a financial crisis. A common feature of the ongoing arguments about how the current crisis might best be resolved is criticism of the Government for not being better prepared for the global economic downturn. Why, opposition parties ask, was money not set aside in the good times for a time such as this? Meanwhile, as the political debate drags on, we must all prepare for tough times ahead. We must watch the pennies all the more closely when the pound can’t look after itself. And it happens that we must do so even as we prepare for Christmas, until now a celebration increasingly characterised by financial excess as opposed to restraint.

Looking ahead to the New Year, workers at Honda’s factory in Swindon must prepare to find something else to do with their time for the two months when it will close down due to the drop in demand. And rail users must prepare themselves for yet another significant increase in the price of their fares.

The repeated emphasis in our readings this week is the need to be prepared for the second coming of Christ. Put differently, our adherence to a biblical worldview, wherein it is certain that Christ will one day come again, has implications for the way we live now. And they are practical implications. True, we’ll hear Jesus telling us to ‘keep watch’ for his coming, but – as his parable of the talents and teaching about the final judgement using the imagery of a shepherd separating sheep and goats makes clear – that’s far from a summons to complacency and inactivity. On the contrary, our confidence in Christ for our salvation, and our certainty that he will return is to provoke us to bold, imaginative transformative action.

If we are prepared at all for the future coming of Christ, it will be demonstrated in our willingness to act in his name in the here and now.

Nigel Hopper

Accountability

As details of the appalling suffering of Baby P emerged in recent days, shock and disbelief gave rise to questions of accountability. Quite rightly, no one doubts that the men who inflicted such horrific injuries on the 17-month-old caused his death, but could social services have acted to prevent it? Could the government have acted to address alleged failings in Haringey social services’ child protection?

It’s in order to answer these kinds of questions that various inquiries into the tragedy have been launched. ‘If there are failures,’ commented children’s minister Ed Balls, ‘then there’s got to be accountability.’

Similarly, we might view the suspension of Jersey’s police chief as the natural consequence of his being accountable for the now discredited investigation into alleged abuses in the Haut de la Garenne children’s home. Elsewhere, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba has been informed that he must account to both the police and the FA for his altercation with members of the crowd at a recent match.

This week’s readings see Jesus hold the teachers of the law and Pharisees accountable for their pastoral failings of God’s people. As we’ll discover, Jesus doesn’t mince his words – a biblical precedent for taking issues of accountability seriously.

Several times over, Jesus labels their failings as hypocrisy – a charge often levelled at Christians today. Hypocrisy is play-acting – an outward charade that consciously and deliberately masks the inner reality. This is what Christ so savagely condemns.

Doubtless we can be guilty of hypocrisy, and these readings might well give us cause to repent. We need to be careful, however, that we don’t allow misjudged accusations to cause us to interpret as hypocrisy the honest mistakes that are inevitable as we journey and grow in faith.

Like us, Jesus’ first disciples were far from perfect, yet our readings this week close with Jesus assuring them that those who persevere in the faith will be saved.

Nigel Hopper

Back and running

In case you hadn't noticed, WordLive is back up and running again. The essential maintenance has been carried out and been completed. We're back.