A third of people in the UK would want a Bible if they were stranded on a desert island but more than half said they wouldn’t want one, according to new research.
Commissioned by the UK-based Church & Media Network ahead of its 40th anniversary conference later this week, the research – carried out by ComRes – found that about 31 per cent of the 2,042 people surveyed said they would like a copy of the Bible if stranded on a desert island, a question inspired by Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs program. But 56 per cent said they wouldn’t want a Bible and 13 per cent said they didn’t know if they wanted one.
The poll also revealed the Bible was significantly more popular among over-65s than young people with 39 per cent of that age group wanting a Bible compared with just 18 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds. Among those aged 25 to 34-years-old, 28 per cent said they would want a Bible. Other findings showed that more afflluent people were more likely to want a Bible.
Steve Cox, chair of the Church & Media Network, said that despite claims the UK was a secular country, “it’s encouraging to see that a third of Brits still value the Bible as an important work.”
“Whether you are a Christian or not, the Bible is an amazing book that gives accounts of life, love and hope,” he said. “It is wonderfully rich in texture, containing histories, letters, poetry and much more describing the human condition, family, and the wrestling with all that life has thrown at humankind throughout the centuries: triumph, despair, courage, grief, redemption and hope. As Christians we also happen to believe that it is not just a piece of literature, but God’s Word. I cannot think of a better book to take with me if I were to be stranded on a desert island.”
