| Brtain is lost, or nearly so. |
The extent of Britons' ignorance about the Christmas story is illustrated today in a new report which shows more than a quarter of adults do not know where Jesus was born.
27% of Britons aged 18+ were unable to identify Bethlehem as Jesus's birth place
The figure rose to 36% of people aged between 18 and 24. |
A survey found 27 per cent of Britons aged 18 and over were unable to identify Bethlehem as Jesus's birth place, while the figure rose to 36 per cent of people aged between 18 and 24. One in ten of those questioned thought the answer was Nazareth and a similar number said Jerusalem.
The poll also found that more than one in four people - 27 per cent - were unaware that an angel told Mary that she would give birth to a son, with some saying she was informed by the shepherds. Most people surveyed believed that Joseph, Mary and Jesus fled to Nazareth rather than Egypt when they escaped from King Herod, and a few even said the holy family's destination was Rome.
The survey also revealed that just over half did not know that John the Baptist was Jesus's cousin. Only 12 per cent of adults could answer all four questions about the Christmas | Only 12% of adults could answer all four questions about the Christmas story correctly. |
story correctly.
The results of the survey, conducted among 1,015 adults last month, are likely to refuel the debate about the secularisation of Christmas.
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