Related News
Britons' Bible knowledge on the wane
Source: Agencies |
July 13, 2009, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BIBLE knowledge is declining in Britain, with fewer than one in 20 people able to name all Ten Commandments and youngsters viewing the Christian holy book as "old fashioned," a study released yesterday found.
Forty percent did not know that the tradition of exchanging Christmas presents originated from the story of the Wise Men bringing gifts for the infant Jesus, while 60 percent could not name anything about the Good Samaritan, the study conducted by Durham University found.
Youngsters were particularly disillusioned, telling researchers that the Bible was "old fashioned," "irrelevant" and for "Dot Cottons" - a reference to the church-going EastEnders' character, according to the National Biblical Literacy Survey 2009.
"It is the first recognition of something which we all knew in our gut ... but we weren't exactly willing to face up to it," said the Reverend Brian D. Brown, a visiting fellow at St John's College in Durham University.
One respondent to the survey said David and Goliath was the name of a ship while another thought Daniel, who survived being thrown into the lions' den, was "The Lion King."
Brown said the survey showed the need to push for greater religious education among young people as knowledge of the Bible among the under-45 age group was in decline.
"We have got to recognize that it (the Bible) is the foundation of our society, upon which our whole culture has been based," he said. "To understand it and to live in it you do need an understanding of the Bible."
Atheists, however, were not unduly worried about the decline in the Bible's popularity.
"It shows really that religion is becoming less important to people," said Pepper Harow, campaigns officer at the British Humanist Association.
Despite the lack of enthusiasm about the Bible among the 900 respondents, three-quarters said they owned one and almost a third said it was significant in their lives.
Forty percent did not know that the tradition of exchanging Christmas presents originated from the story of the Wise Men bringing gifts for the infant Jesus, while 60 percent could not name anything about the Good Samaritan, the study conducted by Durham University found.
Youngsters were particularly disillusioned, telling researchers that the Bible was "old fashioned," "irrelevant" and for "Dot Cottons" - a reference to the church-going EastEnders' character, according to the National Biblical Literacy Survey 2009.
"It is the first recognition of something which we all knew in our gut ... but we weren't exactly willing to face up to it," said the Reverend Brian D. Brown, a visiting fellow at St John's College in Durham University.
One respondent to the survey said David and Goliath was the name of a ship while another thought Daniel, who survived being thrown into the lions' den, was "The Lion King."
Brown said the survey showed the need to push for greater religious education among young people as knowledge of the Bible among the under-45 age group was in decline.
"We have got to recognize that it (the Bible) is the foundation of our society, upon which our whole culture has been based," he said. "To understand it and to live in it you do need an understanding of the Bible."
Atheists, however, were not unduly worried about the decline in the Bible's popularity.
"It shows really that religion is becoming less important to people," said Pepper Harow, campaigns officer at the British Humanist Association.
Despite the lack of enthusiasm about the Bible among the 900 respondents, three-quarters said they owned one and almost a third said it was significant in their lives.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
