A survey of 3,412 Americans conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has documented the extent of religious ignorance.
While 44% of Americans speak frequently with friends and family about religion,
✷ only 71% could name the place of Jesus’ birth
✷ 67% inaccurately believe that public school teachers are forbidden to “read from the Bible as an example of literature”
✷ only 63% could name the first book of the Bible
✷ only 54% could name the Muslim holy book
✷ 52% of Americans think that Catholics believe that “the bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ,” while 45% think that Catholics believe that “the read and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ”
✷ only 46% could name Martin Luther as “the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation”
✷ only 45% could name the four Gospels
✷ more Americans (28%) believe that Billy Graham participated in the First Great Awakening than that Jonathan Edwards did (11%)
✷ more Americans (36%) believe that Brown v. Board of Education case-- which ended segregation in public schools-- focused on evolution than believes that the Scopes trial (which actually focused on evolution) did (31%)
The survey also found that
✷ 69% are “absolutely certain” that God or a universal spirit exists, while 17% are “fairly certain” and 6% are atheists
✷ 48% read Scripture at least monthly
While 44% of Americans speak frequently with friends and family about religion,
✷ only 71% could name the place of Jesus’ birth
✷ 67% inaccurately believe that public school teachers are forbidden to “read from the Bible as an example of literature”
✷ only 63% could name the first book of the Bible
✷ only 54% could name the Muslim holy book
✷ 52% of Americans think that Catholics believe that “the bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ,” while 45% think that Catholics believe that “the read and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ”
✷ only 46% could name Martin Luther as “the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation”
✷ only 45% could name the four Gospels
✷ more Americans (28%) believe that Billy Graham participated in the First Great Awakening than that Jonathan Edwards did (11%)
✷ more Americans (36%) believe that Brown v. Board of Education case-- which ended segregation in public schools-- focused on evolution than believes that the Scopes trial (which actually focused on evolution) did (31%)
The survey also found that
✷ 69% are “absolutely certain” that God or a universal spirit exists, while 17% are “fairly certain” and 6% are atheists
✷ 48% read Scripture at least monthly
0 comments:
Post a Comment