SOMETHING odd’s afoot this Christmas.

Nearly half of us plan to go to God during the festivities to sing a carol or two, do a nativity or even go to church.

A still larger number desperately fight to get kids into schools that take Christmas and the religious calendar and its values seriously. Some even go to rather ungodly lengths, we're told, to ensure their kids get God and a faith upbringing.

This week highlighted the reason yet again: faith schools top the league of top primaries.

Now, the odd bit is in trying to fathom out this educational or festive enthusiasm for God-things compared to the diminished numbers sprinkled about the pews.

One non-churchgoing father saw the oddity himself while preparing for his first-born’s baptism.

“I wanted the best for my lad,” said dad, “and this involved a proper dunking and upbringing.”

Pausing shyly he added, “Actually, me and the wife want to start coming as well.”

“How come?” asks I.

“Simple,” shrugs dad, “if I want the best for my kid, then why not the best for myself as well?”

It’s a Christmas cracker of a question. Why do we fight to get our kids a faith education then hardly bother with God ourselves?