Quarter of clergy do not believe in the Virgin Birth
By Chris Hastings and Fiona Govan
(Filed: 22/12/2002)

More than a quarter of Church of England clergy do not believe in the virgin birth of Christ, according to a survey carried out by The Telegraph.

A poll of 500 clerics found that 27 per cent privately reject the traditional story of Jesus's birth, which forms a vital part of the Nativity.

The view of a Hampshire vicar was typical. "There was nothing special about his birth or childhood - it was his adult life that was extraordinary," he said.

He declined to be named, saying: "I have a very traditional bishop and this is one of those topics I do not go public on. I need to keep the job I have got."

The survey will dismay traditionalists inside and outside the Church of England.

Many of the sceptics who took part in the survey, one of the biggest ever conducted by a newspaper, said that the story of the virgin birth was a product of poor biblical translations and literary tradition rather than divine intervention.

The Rev Dr Keith Archer, who is based in Salford, said: "It is not particularly important because it is a debatable translation of a Hebrew prophecy which first appeared in Isaiah."

Another vicar added: "Writers at the time used to stress a person's importance by making up stories about their early life. I think that is exactly what has happened here."

Most of those who cast doubt on the virgin birth admitted that they would be presiding over traditional Christmas services which stressed the miraculous nature of Christ's birth.

Dr Archer said: "We will be having a traditional service because that is what people expect and enjoy. There are times and places for this debate."

A colleague added: "I do not believe in the virgin birth but I would not argue for that point of view in a sermon because I simply don't believe it is that important an issue."

The Gospel according to St Luke recounts how Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel and told she would give birth to the son of God.

When Mary questioned how this could be because she had no husband, she was told: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the son of God."

Traditionalists seized upon the survey's findings as evidence of a Church in decline.

John Roberts, an evangelical preacher who heads The Lord's Day Observance Society, said: "If you take away the virgin birth you might as well take away the entire Christian message. The miracle of the Christian faith is that God came down to us. If you lose that miracle you lose the resurrection and everything else."

He said: "It is detrimental to our society as a whole. We must get back to teaching the Bible, and especially the 10 Commandments, if we want to escape living in a society full of crime and fear."

Terry Sanderson, the vice-president of the National Secular Society, said: "This is not the least bit surprising. There's no doubt that children at school are not interested in this topic and we think it is scandalous that it is forced on them.

"If they are old enough at 11 to confirm they are Christians, they are old enough to say they are not religious. It is part of their human rights that they should be able to absent themselves from it."

Ann Widdecombe, the Conservative MP for Maidstone and the Weald, was saddened but not surprised by the findings. She said: "The law does say that there must be religious teaching in schools, but it is not taken seriously. Religious education should be in the national curriculum and should be founded on Christian teaching."

A Department for Education spokesman insisted that children received adequate RE, saying it provided a "solid grounding" in religion, but added: "We accept that there is room for improvement."

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