Some statistics:It is not just ignorance of science, but also ignorance of religion, that is widespread in America. Does this totals to ABSOLUTE ignorance? Where do people get their disinformation? Can we step in and provide some information instead. As argument from authority obviously works on many people, how can we replace the local fire'n'brimstone preacher, as well as Hannity, as the "authority" for many more people?
* About 92 percent of American own at least one copy of the Bible.
* The average household has 3 copies.
* About 67 percent of Americans say that the Bible holds the answers to the basic questions of life.
* The Bible is the world's all-time best seller.
* At least 20 million copies are sold each year.
* Gideon International annually distributes more than 45 million copies.
Biblical knowledge (Biblical illiteracy is rampant):
* Perhaps 15 percent of Americans participate in Bible studies.
* The number of people who read the Bible, at least occasionally is 59 percent.
* Less than 50 percent of Americans can name the first book of the Bible (Genesis).
* Only 1/3 of Americans know who delivered the Sermon on the Mount (more people identified Billy Graham rather than Jesus).
* Twenty-five percent of Americans don't know what is celebrated on Easter (the Resurrection of Christ, the foundational event of Christianity).
* Twelve percent of Christians think that Noah's wife is Joan of Arc.
* Eighty percent of born-again Christians (including George W. Bush) think it is the Bible that says "God helps them that help themselves." (Actually it was said by Benjamin Franklin.)
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Why have a book if you never read it?
Some interesting statistics, via Jane:
That is apalling. Here I was thinking the Evangelical Christians were trying to run me through with the pure sword of gods word and all they got for voters is a crowd of mush heads mouthing a goofy pastiche of pickeled piety and patriotism!
ReplyDeleteThis fits with my experience living and teaching in Indiana. Everybody talked a good game when it came to religion, but when you tried to get into detail with them, they were lost. Most of my students claimed to be practicing Christians, but I routinely had to tell them bible stories like Jonah and the Whale and Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and Sampson. "What did you talk about in Sunday School?" I'd asked them, because they'd all gone to Sunday school.
ReplyDeleteShrugs all around.
I use to be realy religious, read the bible from cover to cover, studied it... knew verses and all.... I was always a US Democrat. Now I'm not religious or even spiritual, and I sitll know the bible better than most of the religious right. Want to talk about fustration? An altra-liberal Democrat spouting off bible verses back at these nutjobs.
ReplyDeleteTetricus - people like you and me who have bothered to read the bible and the koran are the ones most likely to be secular humanists!
ReplyDelete