A huge new study has found that I am “relatively rare.”
In the survey, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life posed 32 questions about the Bible, religions and the Constitution to more than 3,400 Americans. Most scored 50 percent or less on the quiz. (I scored 100 percent, putting me in the “relatively rare” category. Phew.)
DemWit readers of duration know I am Christian. As a Christian, I am appalled that people who insist America is a Christian nation have disgraced themselves in this study.
Appalled, but not the least bit surprised. I have long known that the teachings of Jesus Christ get little attention from many who carry the Christian banner.
My guess that atheists and agnostics probably scored highest proved correct as I read the results. Here are some interesting findings:
“It's not evangelicals or Catholics who did best - it's atheists and agnostics.
“It's not Bible-belt Southerners who scored highest - they came at the bottom.
“Those who believe the Bible is the literal word of God did slightly worse than average, while those who say it is not the word of God scored slightly better.
“Barely half of all Catholics know that when they take communion, the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ, according to Catholic doctrine.
“And only about one in three know that a public school teacher is allowed to teach a comparative religion class - although nine out of 10 know that teacher isn't allowed by the Supreme Court to lead a class in prayer.”
Read more about the Pew study and take an abbreviated version of the test HERE.
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11 comments:
that not knowing other religions thing does not surprise me one bit. what always does surprise me is people who call themselves christian who aint able to come up with much more than John 3:16 and i mean just the verse number not even the words! thanks for the post hope everything is good....
well I got 8 out of 10... tripped on on the start of the Jewish Sabbath and Indonesia. LOL. I should have thought about it longer. Cute quiz and very interesting observations about it.
Phillip
I got 10 out of 10.
Raised a Catholic, but now I am a nonbeliever.
So I guess that puts me in the category of nonbelievers who know the Bible?
LOL!
This is troubling news about religious literacy/illiteracy in this country. If we're going to be citizens of an increasingly diverse country and interconnected planet, we need to understand world religions. We can't afford to be insulated from other people's ideas.
Ahab: You are absolutely right. Most troubling to me is the relationship of the lack of education in general to the failures on the quiz. The Religious Right has too long taken advantage of ignorance in this country to spread hatred, bigotry and fearmongering. Breaks my heart for the poor souls who are so eager about their faith, but have been left uninformed by their leaders.
The survey questions were not intended to be the most important facts, but merely a representative selection.
Only eight of the 3,412 survey respondents got all 32 questions right. Six got them all wrong.
Americans fared no better on the nine general knowledge questions added for comparison. Six in 10 Americans, the survey reveals, can name the vice president of the United States. The current vice president!
I have put a link to the Pew results at the top of DemWit’s sidebar. Worth the read!
BJ
Been trying to take that test since this morning. They must be overwhelmed because I can't get on. Oh well, I'll probably finish at the bottom anyway.
Hey, one of my classmates in HS didn't know what party DDE belonged to and this was back when he was president.
Leslie: Clcik on the sidebar link. There is (within the text) a link to answer 15 of the survey questions and compare yourself with others.
I pretty much figured out from the Pew report most of the 32 questions and got them all right. Hey, I read a lot! LOL!
I think the reason I can't do the survey is because I was one of the original respondents. Duh!
Guys: If anyone sees a post with the 32 questions and the nine general knowledge questions, send me a link!
Tiny scored 10, but she studied the major religions in college and independently. How much better society would be if everyone had to study them before they graduate from high school. But then, some religions, especially Christianity would be afraid of loosing people to other religions.
Due to the radical religious right a major exodus by our younger generations away from Christianity is taking place. When you take a look at the sour puss politicians, who can blame them?
Frodo did a 9, and Sam answered that one correctly (blew a few others though). Like every other test that Frodo has ever taken, it all depended on his mood--let us not ask about those SAT days.
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