Posted on 09/28/2010 6:06:14 AM PDT by lbryce
Researchers from the independent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life phoned more than 3,400 Americans and asked them 32 questions about the Bible, Christianity and other world religions, famous religious figures and the constitutional principles governing religion in public life.
On average, people who took the survey answered half the questions incorrectly, and many flubbed even questions about their own faith.
Those who scored the highest were atheists and agnostics, as well as two religious minorities: Jews and Mormons. The results were the same even after the researchers controlled for factors like age and racial differences.
“Even after all these other factors, including education, are taken into account, atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons still outperform all the other religious groups in our survey,” said Greg Smith, a senior researcher at Pew.
That finding might surprise some, but not Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, an advocacy group for nonbelievers that was founded by Madalyn Murray O’Hair.
“I have heard many times that atheists know more about religion than religious people,” Mr. Silverman said. “Atheism is an effect of that knowledge, not a lack of knowledge. I gave a Bible to my daughter. That’s how you make atheists.”
Among the topics covered in the survey were: Where was Jesus born? What is Ramadan? Whose writings inspired the Protestant Reformation? Which Biblical figure led the exodus from Egypt? What religion is the Dalai Lama? Joseph Smith? Mother Theresa? In most cases, the format was multiple choice.
The researchers said that the questionnaire was designed to represent a breadth of knowledge about religion, but was not intended to be regarded as a list of the most essential facts about the subject. Most of the questions were easy, but a few were difficult enough to discern which respondents were highly knowledgeable.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Those who scored the highest were atheists and agnostics, as well as two religious minorities: Jews and Mormons.
. It's difficult enough to come up with a rationale for why atheists, agnostics, do so much better than religious folks in a Bible survey, but Jews and Mormons together on the same side as atheists, agnostics..... Oy Gevalt!
...the Pew organization has a Lefty outlook so I expect they loaded the questions to mock Christians.
Oy Vey!
Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?
How come pollsters NEVER call me when they have a cool poll like this? I’m betting I would have done as well as a Mormon!
The bracketed title is misleading. First, this is NOT a Bible Survey. The 15-question survey includes many questions on other religions. Second, White Evangelicals and Mormons score better than atheists/agnostics on “Bible Survey”,i.e., in those questions pertaining to Christianity.
A New York Times article on religion that praises atheists...now *THERE’S* a shocker!
Kind of makes sense. Once you learn all about the bible it’s pretty easy to come to the conclusion that it’s all just a bunch of bunk!
I am 6 for 6 on the interactive quiz. Whoo-hoo!!
My impression of most churches today is that they aren’t teaching about the Bible. They are too busy being politically correct and spending lots of money to have all kinds of high-tech stuff to woo young people.
People are starving for real meat sermons these days - but they are mostly just getting fed pablum.
“Kind of makes sense. ..”
My thinking too. That should be obvious, really.
It will be interesting to watch the evasion here though... :)
This headline is a lie. When it came to questions about Christianity in general, the article itself reports:
On questions about the Bible and Christianity, the groups that answered the most right were Mormons and white evangelical Protestants.
Amen I say.
I heard a good one the other day
The straight and narrow would be wider if more people followed it............
Like I trust anything from Pew.
I don’t doubt those who attend the leftwing ‘churches’ wouldn’t know anything
You would most likely be right. Most Christians, IMO, haven't any clue about the nature of God and He works in this world. They probably don't read the Bible at all either.
Not at all hard to come up with the reason. Every atheist at one time or another has questioned their lack of belief. In an attempt to prove themselves right or even to accidently “find religion” in their lives they devour any information they can on it. Whereas believers don’t have the nagging question “what if I am wrong” hanging in their minds much of their lives - they know God is there for them.
My family and those at my church must not have been home.
Sorry, I reject these results.
If the phone questions were like the online test, then it’s nothing more than trivia and says nothing about what people know of religion.
Predictable twaddle from the Times.
Actually, the same could be said for all religion. Fairy tale stuff.
I’m truly sorry you are so lost.
So, why the hissy fit any time someone wants it read in our schools?
If they are so confident that exposure to Scripture discredits it why do they fight so hard to keep people from being exposed to it?
Yea, it’s all facts and stupid stuff like that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.