In amongst all the usual Christmas mayhem, more Britons will be finding time for church this festive season, according to a new opinion poll.
The results of a new survey have found that some 43 per cent of adults in the UK plan to attend church at some point over the Christmas period, a rise from the 39 per cent in 2003 and 33 per cent in 2001, reported the Daily Telegraph.
The number of adults planning to go to church this Christmas includes a surprising 22 per cent who profess themselves not to be Christian.
“This is really encouraging and what we should expect of a country with a strong Christian history,” said Ugandan-born Archbishop of York John Sentamu, who was enthroned to his new position as the Church of England’s first black bishop at a special inauguration ceremony last month.
The Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch added: “In the midst of the consumer culture there are things that money can’t buy.”
He said that Christmas was a time of year when Britain’s “seemingly secular society connects with the Church.”
The poll of 1,000 adults also revealed strong support for church-backed schools.
Meanwhile the battle for the right to celebrate a Christian Christmas continues. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, wrote in the Mail on Sunday yesterday that “silly bureaucrats” sought to wipe Christian symbols from festive celebrations.
“What makes some people suspicious of Christmas these days is that it’s too religious. This year there seems to have been even more stories about the banning of Christian images and words by silly bureaucrats.”
He continued: “It's not the Christmas pudding the authorities will be coming for but the Christmas crib if some people have their way. And it's all because of the idea that our neighbours from other religious traditions will be offended by Christian symbols.
"The truth is they're usually much happier with the idea of a Christian festival than with some general excuse to have a good time in midwinter."
The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, shares a similar view of the current Christmas debate.
I think there is a view around that practising Christianity and all the symbols that go with it embarrasses people of other faiths and of course that's nonsense," he told GMTV's Sunday Programme.
“We must avoid the kind of political correctness that is creeping in and undermining the public expression of the Christian faith,” he said.
Dr Carey added that he was concerned about “a worrying hostility towards Christianity and all religions by a minority of people in leadership today who want to privatise religion, push it to the boundaries, not allow a voice in the public arena”.
