One in three Brits would take a Bible to a desert island
A new survey shows that one in three people in the U.K. would still want a Bible with them if they are stranded in a desert island.
The study, conducted by ComRes for the Church and Media Network, suggests that the Bible is still valued by Britons who are living in an increasingly secularized culture.
About 31 percent of adults said they would take a Bible with them if they are going to be stranded on an island. However, as much as 56 percent said they would not want to bring a Bible and 13 percent said they are not sure.
The results show that the Bible is more popular among older generations. Around 39 percent of the respondents who are over the age of 65 want to bring a Bible compared to 18 percent of Britons aged 18 to 24. The number is significantly higher among 25 to 34-year-olds at 28 percent.
"Despite the claims we live in a secular country, it's encouraging to see that a third of Brits still value the Bible as an important work," said Steve Cox, chairman of the Church and Media Network.
"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," he continued.
The survey was similar to the format of Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs" where guests are asked whether they would bring a Bible to a desert island along with the complete works of Shakespeare and eight musical pieces of their choice.
"As a network interested in both faith and the media, we would encourage mainstream media outlets and broadcasters to see the importance of communicating the richness of the Bible as a key work in our nation's past, present and future," said Cox.
According to the Guinness Book of World records, the Bible remains to be the world's best-selling and most widely distributed book. It is estimated that about 5 billion copies have been printed between 1815 and 1975.
