In a nation renowned for secularism and for largely turning away from the Church, a recent poll of 1,000 adults conducted by the think tank Theos has found over half (51%) agreed with the statement that Jesus’ birth was relevant to their Christmas compared with 46% who believed it wasn’t.
The poll also found that there were clear differences in the implications attached to Christ’s birth among the nations, sexes and ages.
Scottish people agreed that Jesus’ birth was relevant at a rate of 65% compared to the national average of 51%.
Interestingly enough, young people aged 18 to 24 were most likely to agree that Jesus’ birth was relevant, challenging the common assumption that faith is only meaningful to older generations.
Women also displayed a higher statistic then men in those who believed in the relevance of Christ’s birth also more likely than men to disagree with the statement (56 percent compared with 47 percent).
However, the poll also found a drop in the numbers of people intending on going to a Christmas church service this year, down from 44 percent in 2008 to 36 percent.
Theos director Paul Woolley said, "It's clear that society is split right down the middle regarding the religious significance of Christmas."
"It will surprise people that young people are most likely to believe that Jesus is relevant to their Christmas," he added. "It's difficult to work out why fewer people expect to attend a Christmas church service than in previous years, although 36 percent remains a relatively high figure.”