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Survey: Americans don't know much about religion
Associated Press ^ | 28 Sept 2010 | RACHEL ZOLL

Posted on 09/28/2010 11:55:57 AM PDT by killermedic

A new survey of Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths. Forty-five percent of Roman Catholics who participated in the study didn't know that, according to church teaching, the bread and wine used in Holy Communion is not just a symbol, but becomes the body and blood of Christ. More than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the person who inspired the Protestant Reformation. And about four in 10 Jews did not know that Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis and intellectuals in history, was Jewish.... On questions about Christianity, Mormons scored the highest, with an average of about eight correct answers out of 12, followed by white evangelicals, with an average of just over seven correct answers. Jews, along with atheists and agnostics, knew the most about other faiths, such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism. Less than half of Americans know that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist, and less than four in 10 know that Vishnu and Shiva are part of Hinduism.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Ecumenism; History; Religion & Culture; Worship
KEYWORDS: antimormonism; atheism; godlessness; inman; knowledge; mormonism; truth
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To: GreyMountainReagan; Logophile
As you know, Bethlehem is about 5 miles outside of Jerusalem.

You know, if either of you had been born in the border town of Colorado City, AZ...which is 8 miles south of Hildale, UT (taking the outer edge of homes in each community)...
...and many moons before you were born -- or at least the document I came up with well after you were born --
...but which listed a pre-birth date...
...prophesied that you would be born in the "Zion" state of Utah in the city of Hildale...
...would you call my prophesy, "Well, close enough...good enough for 'divine' work???"

I mean, here we have the pure "Zion" city of Jerusalem -- a city which at times was indeed described in the OT as a "mountain" -- but which was NEVER confused with ANY OTHER city!

And a Book of Mormon "prophet" is going to peg the city of Zion as Jesus' birthplace? And yet it wasn't the city of Zion? But you both still claim, "close enough?"

You both are still claiming that the Pew Forum survey had a question in which two answers were correct!

And yet you just won't come out & flat out admit that this is the Mormon apologist claim...that Bethlehem & Jerusalem is one & the same...and if we were to just cross out "Bethlehem" in several of those Christmas carols, and replace it with "Jerusalem," well, you seemingly, claim, who cares?

What does that mean? It means Mormons know where Jesus was born.

No, it could also mean that where Mormons do know their Bible -- which is not very deep -- and when it directly contradicts the Book of Mormon, they are beginning to ignore the Book of Mormon as containing errors, having changed "many plain and precious things."

81 posted on 09/28/2010 10:42:44 PM PDT by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian
step away from the keyboard

take a breath

and explain this statement of yours: No, it could also mean that where Mormons do know their Bible -- which is not very deep --

Do Mormons know the Bible or not?

82 posted on 09/28/2010 10:55:15 PM PDT by GreyMountainReagan ("Pray for America")
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To: GreyMountainReagan

I was a Mormon - sixth generation. So yes, I know when it was founded and I know who Joseph Smith is.

Big deal. That information is something only Mormons care about.


83 posted on 09/29/2010 4:49:21 AM PDT by colorcountry ("The power of facts is much greater than the power of argument.")
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To: T Minus Four

WHY do you have the word “laser” tattooed on you at all?


84 posted on 09/29/2010 6:00:54 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Logophile
As you no doubt are aware, the preposition at can mean "near."

Thank you Bill Clinton!

85 posted on 09/29/2010 6:02:08 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: lastchance
For instance the claim that a number of Catholics did not know that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist strikes me as downright unlikely for any Catholic who attends Mass regularly.

I don't know...

Considering that Barak sat for 20 years; listening to Jeremiah Wright.

86 posted on 09/29/2010 6:04:20 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: The Theophilus

Romans 4

 1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

 2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

 3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

 4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

 5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

 6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

 7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

 9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

 10How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

 11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

 12And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

 13For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

 14For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

 15Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

 16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

 18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

 19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:

 20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

 21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

 22And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

 23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

 24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

 25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.


87 posted on 09/29/2010 6:09:35 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: killermedic
you don’t know the difference (or how to read).

Like those early MORMON leaders that couldn't READ about one man/one wife in the BIBLE?


They couldn't READ it in the Book of MORMON; either!

88 posted on 09/29/2010 6:11:53 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Logophile
You were the one who misquoted the Book of Mormon.

It may have been one of the EARLY books - ones that were FULL of typographical errors.

89 posted on 09/29/2010 6:13:21 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: magritte
The Law is not about “condemnation”...that’s strictly a Christian construct...magritte

Leviticus 20 seems to say something a bit different.

90 posted on 09/29/2010 6:16:22 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: GreyMountainReagan
This attempt just tries to slam Mormonism a bit too much.

What can we expect from these "Whores of Babylon"?

--MormonDude(When would be a good time for a couple of our highly trained young folks to stop by your home and more fully explain the Restored Gospel® to you and your family?)

91 posted on 09/29/2010 6:18:44 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: colorcountry
"I was a Mormon - sixth generation. So yes, I know when it was founded and I know who Joseph Smith is.

yes, yes, yes, I have heard... multiple times I can't remember exactly the wording but my memory serves up statements like....6th generation...bishop was an a-hole...saw the light...Mormonism sucks...now I try to enlighten the world to the evils of Mormonism...not Mormons but Mormonism...etc, etc, etc.

That wasn't my point, my point is you said ONLY Mormons would care. You are not a Mormon but it appears you care deeply about Joseph Smith.

Care to explain that as a group why Mormons are against 0bama more than any other major religion?

92 posted on 09/29/2010 6:19:12 AM PDT by GreyMountainReagan ("Pray for America")
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To: ejonesie22

You wuz STILL right! ;^)


93 posted on 09/29/2010 6:20:23 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

The other poster’s context of “condemnation” was that without it, there was no need for the Gospels. Leviticus 20 is about sin and humanity, not about the need for a Jesus-like character to save the Jews from “condemnation”...magritte


94 posted on 09/29/2010 6:21:48 AM PDT by magritte ("There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself "Do trousers matter?")
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To: GreyMountainReagan
You are not a Mormon yet from your postings on FR you seem to think about Mormons quite a bit.

Likewise...

I not a heretic, yet from my postings on FR, I seem to think about HERESY quite a bit.

95 posted on 09/29/2010 6:21:54 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: restornu
Where was your DISCLAIMER; RESTORNU???

Why not TELL folks you are EX-Presbyterian, now a True Beleiving Mormon?

96 posted on 09/29/2010 6:23:30 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: GreyMountainReagan
Well there appear to be quite a following of Freepers who are not Mormons but really care who Joseph Smith was.

Well then; they need to keep reading; for the MORMONs will present the whitewashed 'martyr' and the CHRISTIANs will expose the conman, liar, property destroying, wife grabbing, money digger that history CANNOT hide.

97 posted on 09/29/2010 6:26:29 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: GreyMountainReagan
Do Mormons know the Bible or not?

Sometimes we need to answer the question that WASN'T asked:

Do Mormons OBEY the Bible or not?

98 posted on 09/29/2010 6:28:51 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie; Colofornian
C getting whopped so you attempt to ride to the rescue?

Usually at this point in the discussion the other members of the anti-calvary are called in.

You know the ones.

99 posted on 09/29/2010 6:33:10 AM PDT by GreyMountainReagan ("Pray for America")
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To: Elsie

Paging, paging, paging! LOL


100 posted on 09/29/2010 6:37:50 AM PDT by Utah Binger (Mount Carmel Utah, where the world comes to see America)
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