As some conservative commentators continue to call the public’s attention to “the war on the celebration of Christmas in the U.S.,” now comes word that fewer Americans believe that the New Testament account of the birth of Jesus is depicted based on actual events. A new Pew Research Center survey says there has been a noticeable decline in the percentage of U.S. adults who say they believe the biblical elements of the Christmas story were actual historical events. The four elements they cite found in
Scripture say Jesus was born to a virgin, that the wise men were guided by a star and brought gifts for baby Jesus, that Jesus’ birth was heralded by an angel of the Lord and that Jesus was laid in a manger as an infant. The new study also found a small but significant decline in the share of Christians who believe in the Christmas narrative contained in the Bible. The percentage of Christians who believe in all four of these elements of the Christmas story has dipped from 81% in 2014 to 76% today. This decline has been particularly pronounced among white mainline Protestants, according to Pew. READ MORE
