Almost half of Britain's 12-year-olds are so ignorant of
Christian teaching that they don't know Easter celebrates Jesus' resurrection,
a new survey says.
The survey of more than 500 school pupils also found that some youngsters
believed that Jesus was the son of Joseph, not God. Six percent did not believe
that Jesus had ever existed, the Telegraph reported today.
The research, at Exeter University, fuels fears that many schools are failing
to ensure that pupils get a basic religious education. It will likely increase
pressure on Education Secretary Charles Clarke to include religious education
in the national curriculum.