How well do Americans know the Bible?

[JDPriestly]

Not well it seems:

More than 95 percent of U.S. households own at least one copy of the Bible. So how much do Americans know of the book that one-third of the country believes to be literally true? Apparently, very little, according to data from the Barna Research group. Surveys show that 60 percent can’t name more than five of the Ten Commandments; 12 percent of adults think Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife; and nearly 50 percent of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were a married couple. A Gallup poll shows 50 percent of Americans can’t name the first book of the Bible, while roughly 82 percent believe “God helps those who help themselves” is a biblical verse.

More on this:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/29/right-wing-biblical-illiterates-would-be-shocked-by-jesus-teachings-if-they-ever-picked-up-a-bible/

Considering they claim that we are a Christian country, this is very sad.

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Shocking - but not surprising.

Clearly, there are a lot of Christians that don't have the faintest idea of Jesus' teaching. Jesus preached love; the fundies preach hate.

Thanks for this!

[intaglio]

2. Jesus - if he preached anything - preached Jewish scripture

Cherry picking the Bible You can actually show Jesus approved of owning weapons, preached love, wanted civil war, wanted the end of the world, wanted tolerance, avoided lepers (until they sought him put), hung round with wealthy people and bullies, supported obedience to civil authorities.

The NT is a mishmash of myths, legends, copied parables, improperly expressed Greek philosophy, contradictions and historical impossibilities.

[longship]

3. Yup. The Bible as a ventriloquist dummy.

Jerry Mahoney never said anything that did not come out of Paul Winchell's mouth. (Or, Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen respectfully, if you wish.)

People with political or theological agendas -- often difficult to separate the two -- have been doing the ventriloquist trick with the Bible (or the Koran, or whatever holy book) for centuries.

Learning about the Bible certainly helps understand the game being played and one inevitably shudders at the possible consequences of a society which takes it seriously. I think we all understand where it could lead. There are sufficient examples in history, to say nothing of the current world.

We ignore it at our collective peril.

[edhopper]

8. I get this funny image

probably blasphemous to some, of a ventriloquist preacher with a Jesus dummy on his lap. Coming to a Mega-Church near you.

As for the Bible, I liked the part where they opened the ark and all the Nazi heads exploded.

[JDPriestly]

4. Did you read the article? It did not disagree with you although it did not agree with you either.

It pointed out that people claim to be Christian but do not read the Bible or place its texts into a cultural or historical context. So, maybe the author would agree with you.

[intaglio]

6. I wasn't commenting on the OP

I was responding to someone who does not know the Bible

[dipsydoodle]

5. Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife !

[TexasProgresive]

7. Probably as well as they know the bill of rights.

In this "information age" it seems that the common knowledge base is eroding. What people know is ephemeral. It changes with the wind. There is no getting a grip on it. This makes conversation difficult at best.

For the most part pro-bible and anti-bible folks are as ignorant of it as anyone else.

[okasha]

9. You beat me to it.

And it seems that much about what they "know," about either document, they "learned" on the internet.

[cbayer]

10. Not much different than all the things that a rather illiterate populus

considers themselves experts.

Just talk to people about medical issues. I had a discussion yesterday with someone about these snake oil products that claim to reduce the symptoms, severity and duration of cold symptoms (or even prevent them entirely). Despite massive evidence to the contrary, people continue to spend unspeakable amounts of money on these bogus products.

Advertising works. It works for religion. It works for "health" products. It works for politics.

People don't have the interest or the skills to do their own research and more often than not just want to be spoon fed and told what they want to hear.