Editor & Publisher reports that 31% of the US adult population believes that the Bible is to be interpreted literally, word for word (http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003590603). This is truly kind of scary and makes one wonder what’s wrong with our educational system. Even more frightening is that Chimperator Bush appears to be among the 31% in question. Here’s the E&P story:
NEW YORK About one-third of the American adult population believes the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally word for word, a new Gallup poll reveals. This percentage is only slightly lower than several decades ago.
NEW YORK About one-third of the American adult population believes the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally word for word, a new Gallup poll reveals. This percentage is only slightly lower than several decades ago.
Gallup reports that the majority of those "who don't believe that the Bible is literally true believe that it is the inspired word of God but that not everything it in should be taken literally." Finally, about one in five Americans believe the Bible is merely an ancient book of "fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man."
There is also a strong relationship between education and belief in a literal Bible, Gallup explains, with such belief becoming much less prevalent as schooling continues.Those who believe in the literal Bible amount to 31% of adult Americans. This is a decline of about 7% compared with Gallup polls taken in the 1970s and 1980s. It is strongest in the South
Believe in the literal word of the Bible is strongest among those whose schooling stopped with high school and declines steadily with educational level, with only 20% of college graduates holding that view and 11% of those with an advanced degree.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe in the Bible, but I am among those who "who don't believe that the Bible is literally true, but believe that it is the inspired word of God but that not everything it in should be taken literally." I am not the least surprised that the higher the level of one’s education, the less belief in taking the Bible as literal fact. One need only look to where the growth is greatest in the Roman Catholic Church (i.e., Africa and poor third world countries) to see the direct correlation that that the spread of rigid, unthinking religious belief is tied to low levels of education.
3 comments:
I find it fascinating that as the level of education rises, taking it literally declines.
I have to look for the study, but some time back some religious scholars said it was a "great collection of mythology", and listed all the variations on the same story.
Besides, one wonders how literally you can take it, when there are over 100 different translations. Start your own cult, come up with your own version, and you're off to rope 'em in as fast as you can.
Sigh.
I've read it cover to cover, and if people believe it as much as they say they do, why are they still doing the same stupid sh*t that people did thousands of years ago?
66% of Americans believe in some form of Creationism, 44% still believe astrology affects their lives, and 36% seek the services of "alternative or 'complementary' medicine."
90% of incoming freshman at the nation's top universities believe, "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs," is in the U.S. Constitution. It's from the Communist Manifesto.
70% of Americans cannot name all three branches of their federal government, and only 12% know the name of their Representative.
The most popular television program is American Idol, where amateur "artists" compete for humiliation, denigration, and foolish to the audience's amusement.
2% of Americans can describe how the Bible came into existence. Of those 2%, 90% are wrong. Nearly half believe Jesus spoke in the Authorized King James' English.
50% of Americans believe the Reformation was the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church, the Whore of Babylon, and that own their roots are from Apostolic times.
60% of American Christians insist the Trinity and Purgatory are non-existent Romish Myths, citing the omission of either word in the Bible, as their evidence. 30% deny that Jesus was both human and divine, just human, again because the Bible does say so in those words.
Is the Will to Believe or the Failed Education System the cause of these mental gaps? Both?
Jean Calvin, who authored, "the Bible is the literal and inerrant Word of God, which alone is sufficient for salvation," could not cite evidence for this claim from the Bible. Ergo: It's insufficient, or inadequate, or both.
Post a Comment