Pew Statistics: How USA Believers see their "Holy Books"

There seems to be an ongoing argument about how Believers "take" their Holy Books; whether or not their books are seen as literal, figurative, Divine, man-made, etc. LOTS of finger pointing and empty allegations.
I got tired of it, so I went and did some searching for actual research.

The Pew Research Institute is considered an excellent source.

religions.pewforum.org...


I'm going to follow up this thread with one that offers a quiz they have on their site, also - which tests your knowledge of Religion in general. I took it a few weeks ago. But I wanted to offer this up first.

I'm not sure how I want to 'word' the thread yet, because I'd like to get honest result replies from our readers here - and why do I feel like people might not answer what they honestly score?

How about it, ATS, if I post the Quiz as an OP, will you take it, and tell us truthfully what your score was the FIRST TIME YOU TOOK IT?
(My score was among the highest, with only 2% answering as many correctly as I did.)

Or, if not (wanted to include that question in THIS OP, so that I can get some feedback first) - at least what do you make of the stats in the shot above??

Surprised? I wasn't.

Here is the home page of the Pew research on Religion: Covers LOTS of topics, and may be of interest to a lot of you on here!

religions.pewforum.org...

Pretty interesting research. I see that more Jewish people believe it is written by man.

reply to post by wildtimes

There seems to be an ongoing argument about how Believers "take" their Holy Books;

Beyond boosting one's own ego, or disparaging the beliefs of others, I see no point in such an argument. Do you really feel there is anything more to it?

Sincerely,
Milt

reply to post by BenReclused

Do you really feel there is anything more to it?

I think it's important for people interested in religion from an anthropological point of view.

It's not meant to be an "ego boost", Milt - it's meant to show readers that they may not be as knowledgeable about other people's beliefs as they think they are.

I see quite a lot of "you people" stuff going on here, with outsiders "telling people" what they believe, and refusing to hear what they actually say. It's disturbing.

*shrug
If no one is interested in the study, then so be it. Not everyone gives a thought at all to religion, anyway, and that's fine. I, as a student of human behavior and society in general, find it interesting - akin to 'cultural competency' - for example, one can learn a foreign language, but be completely ignorant about how the cultures who SPEAK that language behave, what they consider acceptable manners, etc.

Some articles on how Christians view their Bible.
Obviously, with 2 billion Christians, they won't all view it the same way.


Go Ask A Priest ... Should the Bible Be Read Literally or Figuratively?

Answer:
There are a variety of ways to interpret the Bible, because it is made up of various literary styles and uses different methods to convey the message.

How to read and interpret scripture - Canadian Bishops Booklet

4) The Principle of Completeness - No single verse of the Bible, taken by itself, expresses the whole
of God’s plan. You can prove anything by taking verses here and there out of context. Keep in mind the context of the whole book, and of the other books of the Bible.

5) The Norm of Christ - “Different as the books which comprise it may be, Scripture is a unity by reason of the unity of God’s plan, of which Christ Jesus is the center and heart, open since his Passover.” (Catechism,
112) The Old Testament has a value on its own, but Christians can see in it the foreshadowing of Christ. When disturbed by some things in the Old Testament (e.g. violence, ritualistic concerns, harsh laws), we should see them in the context of the final revelation in Jesus.

6) The Context of Living Faith - The Bible must be read within the context of the living faith of the Church upon which the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Christ did not give us the Bible directly: he gave us the Church, and it was out of the Church that the New Testament later arose. “Sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church’s heart, rather than in documents and records, for the Church carries in her Tradition the living memorial of God’s Word, and it is the Holy Spirit who gives her the spiritual interpretation of Scripture.” (Catechism, 113) It is our sense of the unity of the whole faith, sometimes called “the analogy of faith,” that allows us to interpret rightly any portion of it. (Catechism, 114) For example, if we want to know how to interpret the scriptural references to the Eucharist, we will be guided by our living faith in the Eucharist, which we Christians have celebrated since long before the Gospel was put into written form

Grace Communion International - (Protestant) - Should the Bible Be Read Literally or Figuretively

what if someone asks you, "Do you take the Bible literally?" The correct answer is: "I take the literal parts literally, the figurative parts figuratively, and I use common sense, my experience, my knowledge of language and grammar, and the techniques of hermeneutics to know the difference and help me interpret the statements.

Debate.org ... Should the Bible Be Read Literally or Figuratively?
Arguments and responses from people are given.
30% say it is to be read literally through and through.
70% say it is to be read figuratively.

Catholic Exchange - Should we take the bible literally or figuratively

Many themes and purposes arise in its pages, but the overall goal shows the salvation and redemption of man by the Almighty God, beginning in Genesis and going all the way through the final Amen in Revelation. So as you study the Bible, don't worry about whether you should take the words literally or figuratively. Just take them. Read them. Study them, and get to know what the Biblical record shows about the ongoing relationship between human beings and the God of love.

Protestant Rev. Dr. Rock Schuler - One minute VIDEO - Should the bible be read literally or figuratively?
Answer - Neither. The bible contains a whole array of literature ... a collection of many different books. Each book should be read understanding the purpose of the book. Some are myths; some are literal; some are historical. It takes a whole lot of study to understand which books are literal and which are figurative and which are myth with a lesson ....

@op...... All this proves is that millions of christians don't believe their own Bibles and that christianity is on the decline in North America and Europe. Thats hardly a surprise since atheism is strongest in countries with former christian backgrounds. Is that a good thing according to you?

sk0rpi0n
All this proves is that millions of christians don't believe their own Bibles

Um ... no. It means that most Christians read the bible the way it's supposed to be read. Some books are literal; some are myth with a 'lesson'; some are allegory; some are folklore with a lesson. That's how it is supposed to be read. Not one big literal lump as the muslims read their qu'ran.

If you had bothered to read the information I posted, you would have seen priests and ministers explaining the different books in the bible and how each one is to be read.

and that christianity is on the decline in North America and Europe.

I bet you drool like Pavlov's dog a bit every time you claim that .. don't you?

reply to post by wildtimes

I think it's important for people interested in religion from an anthropological point of view.

I agree that the stats are interesting. It's only the "argument" that I have a problem with.

It's not meant to be an "ego boost", Milt- it's meant to show readers that they may not be as knowledgeable about other people's beliefs as they think they are.

I, truly, wasn't referring to you, or this thread. I was only referring to those that claim to be "knowledgeable about other people's beliefs". Just before finding this thread, I was looking over the "argument" that you were referring to.

I see quite a lot of "you people" stuff going on here, with outsiders "telling people" what they believe, and refusing to hear what they actually say. It's disturbing.

I do too! And, I agree, absolutely.

If no one is interested in the study, then so be it. Not everyone gives a thought at all to religion, anyway, and that's fine. I, as a student of human behavior and society in general, find it interesting - akin to 'cultural competency' - for example, one can learn a foreign language, but be completely ignorant about how the cultures who SPEAK that language behave, what they consider acceptable manners, etc.

Heck... I'm, very much, interested in human behavior. I've been studying people, and their personalities, since early childhood. That's why I find ATS so interesting.

Sincerely,
Milt

reply to post by FlyersFan


The Catholic view of scripture is one of the things that drew me to convert to the church. I've never been a literalist, though I understand why some people are.

wildtimes
I see quite a lot of "you people" stuff going on here, with outsiders "telling people" what they believe, and refusing to hear what they actually say. It's disturbing.

reply to post by sk0rpi0n

All this proves is that millions of christians don't believe their own Bibles and that christianity is on the decline in North America and Europe. Thats hardly a surprise since atheism is strongest in countries with former christian backgrounds.

No, it doesn't. That only proves that interpretations are as varied as individuals.

Your comment did, however, prove my point:

Beyond boosting one's own ego, or disparaging the beliefs of others, I see no point in such an argument.

See ya,
Milt

reply to post by BenReclused

Heck... I'm, very much, interested in human behavior. I've been studying people, and their personalities, since early childhood. That's why I find ATS so interesting.

:thumb up:
Me, too!! That's why we're friends!!

reply to post by yeahright


Yep!! I think possibly ATS is the one safe place we CAN discuss it without making enemies of our real-life face-to-face contacts.

I know my brother is a hardline Republican Limbaugh fan - I've tried to discuss the other side of things with him and he just gets upset. LOL!!

Anyway, yeah, since childhood: do not discuss religion and politics in public. Nor should one ask another what his income is, or how much he paid for something...nor ask a lady her age.

lol!!

reply to post by sk0rpi0n

All this proves is that millions of christians don't believe their own Bibles and that christianity is on the decline in North America and Europe.

So?
The chart also says that only HALF of American Muslims believe the Quran is literal.

Yes, America and Europe have developed beyond "dogma" - that's what happens when people are educated.

Everyone knows Christianity is on the decline, nothing new about your pronouncement.

@flyersfan....''It means that most Christians read the bible the way it's supposed to be read'' - 'Supposed to be read' according to who exactly? You? _________________________________________''I bet you drool like Pavlov's dog a bit every time you claim that... don't you?'' - No. But it sure looked like you did when you found stats to prove that millions of Christians - like yourself - don't believe their own bibles.

reply to post by sk0rpi0n

stats to prove that millions of Christians - like yourself - don't believe their own bibles.

Which also means that your premise that one can't be a "Christian" while not believing in OT stories is disproven. Don't derail this thread, sk0rp.

Go and take the quizzes. Long version, preferrably, and let us know how you did.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

sk0rpi0n
'Supposed to be read' according to who exactly? You?

Gawd .... read what is posted for a change. Unfreak'nbelievable ...
Posted the Information From Priests, Bishops, and Protestant Ministers Here

@adjensen ''I've never been a literalist, though I understand why some people are.'' _________________________________________ You mean you don't believe that Jesus was literally born of a virgin or that he was literally God... Or that he literally died for peoples sins? Or is it that you only dismiss certain portions as being non-literal, and hold on to others as being literal?

reply to post by sk0rpi0n