New Survey Shows Many
Americans Scramble Their Scripture
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The
American Bible Society’s (ABS) annual “State of the Bible” survey shows that
about 20 percent of American adults falsely believe that the Bible encourages
the repression of women,” and is silent on such topics as war or slavery. Geof
Morin, chief communication officer for the society, states that the 88 percent
of Americans claiming ownership of a Bible tend to overestimate their knowledge
of it, with 82 percent considering themselves at least somewhat knowledgeable
about the Bible.
These results were reported in a recent publication in Christian News.com. Answers to other related questions asked in the survey, validate Morin’s conclusion on the general ignorance of, and apathy towards the Bible. He says that of 1,012 U.S. adults polled in the ABS survey conducted by Barna Research, “43 percent can’t even name the first five books of the Bible.” Many also showed "fuzzy knowledge" of the attitudes and behaviors addressed in Scripture in relation to several critical social issues.
Most Christians however correctly say the Bible discourages prostitution, gambling and pornography; that it encourages generosity, forgiveness and patience; and that it is most certainly not silent on issues such as slavery, war and homosexuality. However, the survey also showed that there were distinct divides between “practicing Christians” — those who consider their faith important, attend church regularly and believe they are born again — and “notional” Christians who wear the label but disengage from practice.
The divisions and contrasts in view between the “practicers” on the one hand, and the “notionals” and “nones” on the other, were highlighted on several key Bible themes:
- Repression of Women: “Notional” Christians — nearly half of all participants in the survey — have a grimmer picture of the Bible’s view on women. Nearly three in 10 (27 percent) say the Bible either encourages repression or is silent on women’s status (28 percent). Among those who claim no religious identity (“nones”), 46 percent see the Bible advocating repression of women and 22 percent say it’s silent on the matter. In contrast, while 91 percent of evangelicals say the Bible discourages “repression of women,” that figure drops to 61 percent for other practicing Christians, such as mainline Protestants.
- Same-sex relationships: Strong majorities in every category say the Bible discourages homosexuality. But 24 percent of “notional” Christians, and 33 percent of “nones”, say the Bible is silent on this topic.
- War: About two in 10 (18 percent overall) also said the Bible is silent about war. However, this time the responses divided very differently: Only 11 percent of non-evangelical practicing Christians saw nothing in the Bible on this subject.
These thematic-based findings have also been corroborated in another similar but separate survey named ‘The Bible in American Life’, and conducted by the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. In a March article titled ‘American Bible Reading Statistics Reveal Who Is Studying The Good Book And Why’ , the Huffington Post reported that “consulting Scripture for personal prayer is three times more common than turning to the Bible to learn about hot-button issues like abortion, homosexuality, war or poverty”.
According to Morin, the ABS survey was specifically intended in purpose to give the Bible society ideas for areas where it can work to strengthen Biblical literacy and help make Scripture the foundation in believers’ lives. Morin stated that “The American Bible Society wants to track what is happening in the culture and why people are less and less connecting the moral and political issues of the day with their Bibles”.
Clearly a lack of Bible studying by Americans, coupled with shallow and superficial Bible teaching in many churches, would account for the failure of many Americans to “connect the dots” regarding what happens in society and what the Bible says about it – whether directly or in principle .
These results were reported in a recent publication in Christian News.com. Answers to other related questions asked in the survey, validate Morin’s conclusion on the general ignorance of, and apathy towards the Bible. He says that of 1,012 U.S. adults polled in the ABS survey conducted by Barna Research, “43 percent can’t even name the first five books of the Bible.” Many also showed "fuzzy knowledge" of the attitudes and behaviors addressed in Scripture in relation to several critical social issues.
Most Christians however correctly say the Bible discourages prostitution, gambling and pornography; that it encourages generosity, forgiveness and patience; and that it is most certainly not silent on issues such as slavery, war and homosexuality. However, the survey also showed that there were distinct divides between “practicing Christians” — those who consider their faith important, attend church regularly and believe they are born again — and “notional” Christians who wear the label but disengage from practice.
The divisions and contrasts in view between the “practicers” on the one hand, and the “notionals” and “nones” on the other, were highlighted on several key Bible themes:
- Repression of Women: “Notional” Christians — nearly half of all participants in the survey — have a grimmer picture of the Bible’s view on women. Nearly three in 10 (27 percent) say the Bible either encourages repression or is silent on women’s status (28 percent). Among those who claim no religious identity (“nones”), 46 percent see the Bible advocating repression of women and 22 percent say it’s silent on the matter. In contrast, while 91 percent of evangelicals say the Bible discourages “repression of women,” that figure drops to 61 percent for other practicing Christians, such as mainline Protestants.
- Same-sex relationships: Strong majorities in every category say the Bible discourages homosexuality. But 24 percent of “notional” Christians, and 33 percent of “nones”, say the Bible is silent on this topic.
- War: About two in 10 (18 percent overall) also said the Bible is silent about war. However, this time the responses divided very differently: Only 11 percent of non-evangelical practicing Christians saw nothing in the Bible on this subject.
These thematic-based findings have also been corroborated in another similar but separate survey named ‘The Bible in American Life’, and conducted by the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. In a March article titled ‘American Bible Reading Statistics Reveal Who Is Studying The Good Book And Why’ , the Huffington Post reported that “consulting Scripture for personal prayer is three times more common than turning to the Bible to learn about hot-button issues like abortion, homosexuality, war or poverty”.
According to Morin, the ABS survey was specifically intended in purpose to give the Bible society ideas for areas where it can work to strengthen Biblical literacy and help make Scripture the foundation in believers’ lives. Morin stated that “The American Bible Society wants to track what is happening in the culture and why people are less and less connecting the moral and political issues of the day with their Bibles”.
Clearly a lack of Bible studying by Americans, coupled with shallow and superficial Bible teaching in many churches, would account for the failure of many Americans to “connect the dots” regarding what happens in society and what the Bible says about it – whether directly or in principle .
The
impact of the decline in interest and application of the Bible is reflected in a
2010 national survey by the Pew Research Center on overall religious knowledge
focused on core teachings, history and leading figures in five major world
religions. It found the most knowledgeable were atheists and agnostics, Jews and
Mormons, who outperformed Protestants and Catholics on most
questions.
Quite an embarrassment - It’s no wonder that American Christians are therefore hardly well placed to ‘to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 1:3), and may instead be more easily converted by their better-read but misguided opponents and critics. They may yet be hope, however, if Christians opt to seriously heed the scripture:
Quite an embarrassment - It’s no wonder that American Christians are therefore hardly well placed to ‘to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 1:3), and may instead be more easily converted by their better-read but misguided opponents and critics. They may yet be hope, however, if Christians opt to seriously heed the scripture:
Be
diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2nd Timothy
2:15)
Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2014/May14/144.html#FXEChGHDEJ4BwPo6.99
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