Posted on 09/29/2010 3:05:05 PM PDT by zippythepinhead
Atheists and agnostics know more about major world religions than many people of faith, while Mormons can answer more Bible questions than their Catholic and mainline Protestant counterparts.
Those are among the somewhat startling conclusions about religious literacy in America the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life drew after surveying 3,412 Americans.
Some of the multiple-choice questions were relatively simple: Where was Jesus born and who led the exodus from Egypt? What religion was Mother Teresa, what day does the Jewish Sabbath begin and what is the name of Islam’s holy book?
Others were more obscure: What is Indonesia’s dominant religion? Which Christians teach that salvation comes through faith alone?
About half the Protestants (53 percent) couldn’t correctly identify Martin Luther as the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation. Fewer than half of Americans (47 percent) knew the Dalai Lama is Buddhist and only 38 percent correctly associated Vishnu and Shiva with Hinduism.
John Morehead, director of the Western Institute for Intercultural Studies in Salt Lake City, had already noted religious illiteracy in the general population as well as in the evangelical community. But he did not expect Mormons to top them in their biblical fluency.
“Mormons tend to emphasize Mormon scriptures like the Book of Mormon rather than the Bible in their devotional life,” Morehead said in an e-mail.
Even some LDS scholars were surprised to find Mormons at the top.
(Excerpt) Read more at sltrib.com ...
“I know there are people who interpret some Bible passages differently from Mormons — and indeed there are different interpretations of scripture between different denominations.”
Bullfeathers! Moromonism distorts the message of the Bible in every possible way. It believes almost every single heresy ever condemned by the Christian Church. It mixes in New Age thought, Hindu thought, etc.
Christian denominations all believe in the Triune God.
NO Christian Church believes God used to be a man, or that God has celestial sex to create spirit children, or that Christ was created. Or that there is more than ONE GOD.
To imply that those are just other “interpretations” other churches believe is the most bald-faced distortion of a post I’ve read on here lately.
You could not be more wrong in more ways in one post Normandy.
“This is why it is so helpful to have additional revelations from God which is what Latter day Saints believe we have. Additional revelation can help make clear some of the parts of the Bible over which there is disagreement and confusion.”
yea, right.
Mary Baker Eddy has additional revelations. So does Rev. Moon. So do Jehovah’s Witnesses. So does Scientology. So do mormons. See the trend... Cults have their own books.
“We believe that God is not dead, nor does he sleep, and he is revealing his will to mankind through prophets just as he did in earlier days.”
Yea, right Normandy. YOUR mormon prophets have taught all kinds of bullfeathers, including that people live on the sun. Don’t blame that on God.
By the way, everything you wrote, in addition to being false, is simply your opinion as a member of the mormon cult. No evidence, no facts, no logical argumentation. Just opinion and feelings.
Normandy, you are so reasonable in so many ways, it is astounding that you can buy into things that violate the very laws of logic and defend the indefensible.
best,
ampu
3412 people surveyed and only 15 questions doesn’t seem like much of a survey.
Alrighty, I got all 15 correct. Does that mean I’m Mormon?
Hi Ampu,
In my religious life I have always searched to find what is real and true. It is the most serious aspect of my life and I have sincerely sought the will of God through study and prayer.
I have needed God’s direction and guidance in these matters — I am not willing to take another person’s word for truth unless I feel it confirmed to me by God in my soul.
The only reason I am a Latter-day Saint is because of the witness and testimony of the Holy Spirit of God confirming to me of the truthfulness of the teachings taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I must be true to what I know — and I want to be true to it, because I have found more light and peace in my religion than in any other way. I have the evidence that I need.
Best regards,
Normandy
Got your meaning...totally disagree with you on most points, but good to see some depth in your posts...magritte
“I have needed God’s direction and guidance in these matters — I am not willing to take another person’s word for truth unless I feel it confirmed to me by God in my soul.”
“The only reason I am a Latter-day Saint is because of the witness and testimony of the Holy Spirit of God confirming to me of the truthfulness of the teachings taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
And yet, you have admitted the following:
1. You have no way to KNOW that your “witness and testimony”
is from the Holy Spirit and not a demon or familiar spirit.
2. You have no way to know other than your own feelings.
3. You have no way to measure what is true objectively.
4. And based entirely on your feelings, you have accepted
a teaching that is contrary to what God says about himself,
is illogical, and cannot possibly be true.
Now, you have a right to believe whatever you like. I have
no argument with you there.
But you are basing your whole eternal destiny on your feelings
and nothing else. All rope. No net.
And all based on gods and becoming a god. None of which is
possible.
None.
What interests me most, though, is your interpretation of this:
BUT the thief did the thing Jesus tells us was required by God to obtain deliverance: the thief believed on Him WHom God sent as Soter, Deliverer. Believing on Him is the work God requires for salvation. And that day, the thief did the work that God requires.
Please, walk me through that verse so I can understand better why you see it that way.
“No, he started in Council Bluffs, Iowa then to SanDiego where they were relieved from duty. He then walked with a small band to include his B-I-L to Sutters Fort, CA then over the Rockies and up t So. ID and down to SLC. Finding that his family was not there as he expected he then walked back to Iowa, turned around and with family in tow went back to SLC = 5000 miles....
“I am proud that the blood of this man now flows through my veins”
The good news is that if it’s congenital, GPS systems have
come way down in price!
Let’s discuss that interpretation, then.
Well, according to lds, your jesus was born in Jerusalem.
http://mrm.org/jerusalem
Are those facts straight enough for ya?
****
This is so rediculous there are examples all over the US and I am sure in other nations.
Jerusalem was a metropolitan city just like Detroit and I am sure many other places on the earth.
Metro Detroit
Detroit (Hamtramck, Highland Park)
Canton Township • Clinton Township • Dearborn • Farmington Hills • Livonia • Sterling Heights • Troy • Warren • Westland
Dearborn Heights • Farmington Hills • Grosse Pointe • Macomb Township • Novi • Pontiac • Redford Township • Rochester Hills • Royal Oak • Saint Clair Shores • Shelby Township • Southfield • Taylor • Waterford Township • West Bloomfield Township
Largest Metropolitan Areas in the United States
http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/cities.htm
Hey that was my post and you didn’t ping me.
So this is a really good example for lurkers. I posted a link directly from an lds site and lds still argue the point.
I will post again what I posted before.
Well, according to lds, your jesus was born in Jerusalem.
http://mrm.org/jerusalem
Are those facts straight enough for ya?
LOL.
You just made the LDS case for the founding of the USA - religious freedom and tolerance.
Resty,
You do know that GOD specifically said “BETHLEHEM” - NOT Jerusalem...
Mic 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”
Here’s why:
- Bethlehem in Hebrew means “House of Bread” - This is where the Bread of Life was born :-)
- Mic 5:2 also verifies that Messiah would be from everlasting, from eternity past - in contrast to mormonism, which teaches Jesus Christ was created :-)
- Bethlehem was the birthplace of King David, most Hebrew kings were born in Jerusalem - Jesus Christ will reign on David’s throne :-)
- The first century Jews all understood the reference to be the town of Bethlehem.
- Bethlehem was located about 5 miles from Jerusalem - and every Jew distinguished it from Jerusalem - unfortunately, Joseph Smith couldn’t do the most basic thing, nor did he
understand why.
So God was specific for a reason.
Joseph Smith got it wrong, not being a prophet of God.
That was just one of Joseph Smiths many errors.
How about a formatting truce? ;-]
Would you mind reposting that one with paragraphs?
I really do want to continue, but the word density boggles my limited mental resources.
1. You have no way to KNOW that your “witness and testimony”
is from the Holy Spirit and not a demon or familiar spirit.
****
The Holy Spirit witness and teaches a man to do good the will of the Heavenly Father.
To Love one another, the devil will never teach this!
The Spirit of the Lord will teach
2 Nephi 25
26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
27 Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be done away.
28 And now behold, my people, ye are a stiffnecked people; wherefore, I have spoken plainly unto you, that ye cannot misunderstand. And the words which I have spoken shall stand as a testimony against you; for they are sufficient to teach any man the right way; for the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law.
29 And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out.
Yet the Devil will teach a man to be faultfinding, and contentions!
Your facts are historically challenged. I only found one act of arson as I described. The group of mormons that stayed with emma smith were not attacked, but were allowed to practiced their mormonism in peace. Nauvoo was a MORMON city, the only religious bigots would have been mormons. If you are willing to provide reasonable links backing up your history, I'll gladly rethink my view of the period, but my searches have turned up nothing to support you claims of widespread arson, and the sort.
There were several Bethlehems in the area this one was in Jerusalem not the Bethlehem in Galilee.
Bethlehem of Judea is the proper name of the town near Jerusalem.
AMPU Nitpicking is very unbecoming!
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