Smoky Mountains Sunrise

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Survey Documents American Ignorance of Religious Knowledge


When we're shocked and perplexed at how someone like Obama could become President, how Americans could even consider a mosque at Ground Zero, or how this nation could owe more money than all the money that exists in the world, we come upon statistics like these; the fruit of America's government schools.

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 bread 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
  • only 59% of Americans know that the vice president of the United States is Joe Biden
  • Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.


    No comments: