Gallup Poll: Better Than 1 in 4 Americans Believe the Bible is the 'Actual Word of God'

Editor and Publisher ^ | May 22, 2006 | Gallup Poll

[Wolfram]

Ya know, I often wonder how these people reconcile "literal truth" with Christ being called the "lamb of God" or other such statements.

I dated a girl who told me she believed it was the literal truth and that she went to a "Bible Church" where they believed exactly what the Bible taught.

My response? "So why don't you confess your sins orally? Why don't you believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist? Why don't you refer to his mother as "blessed" when she instructed all generations to do so?"

Her response: Smart ass.

I'm not trying to insult anyone who goes to a so-called Bible Church...but there is a disconnect in the name and what is preached by the majority of its congregants.

[Hebrews 11:6]

I take the Bible figuratively when it makes it plain we are to do so and literally otherwise. I'm afraid I have no idea what your "healthy amount of literalism" might be.

[blue-duncan]

It appears to be a terribly worded poll. Look how they word the two questions, "The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word; the Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally".

It is the actual and the inspired Word of God and to be taken literally and symbolically as the context and type of literature demands.

[rightofthefairway]

The contradicitons go much deeper than simlpe wording differences, with the influence of zoroastism the Israelites went from a polytheistic people to what you see now, the contradicitons come from week faithed people that have the all or nothing argument to faith, because they simply can't understand that the Bible didn't just apear under a tree but was shaped thoughout history.

[Hebrews 11:6]

re: your post #35: Well said!

[SF Republican]

so what's your problem? - saw a funny cartoon a couple of months ago; a waiter at a restaurant looks at the partron and said "yea, Brooklyn Chowder, you gotta problem with that?"

[Hebrews 11:6]

re: your post #30: BINGO!

[italianquaker]

I dont know get upset when people dont have faith i just feel bad for them

[Almagest]

<< I do. But roughly half was originally written in Greek or Aramaic, not Hebrew. >>


My Hebrew stinks, and my Greek has all but left me -- but I need to tweak that just a little. About 3/4 is Hebrew -- that is the entire OT except for a few short Aramaic passages in a couple of books. About 1/4 is Greek -- that is the entire NT except for a couple of Aramaic sentences in the gospels.

[RetiredArmy]

That many indies is because so many have left the RINOcrat party because they are no longer remotely conservative. I am one.

[Purrcival]

"Not surprisingly, the number of literalists rose somewhat with age, and the highest number live in the South."

Here we go with the "dumb Southerner" crap again.

[BenLurkin]

"The number of those backing the "literal" view was 28%, with 49% selecting the "inspired word of God"

77% believe.

[JamesP81]

You know, it didn't take long for the 'the Bible is incorrectly translated' crowd to come out.

Look, God spoke and created all that we see. He can get His book written and distributed, trust me. A god that couldn't prevent mankind from destroying or corrupting his message, frankly, isn't a god worth worshipping. If that's who god really is, then we all might as well start sleeping in on Sunday morning, because if he can't get a message out, he probably can't save your soul.

That, however, is not the God I serve. He is quite capable of getting His message out. And the more man tries to stop it, the more it flourishes.

[BenLurkin]

19% are ignorant.

[MeanWestTexan]

Well, we have a difference of opinion.

I know my Bible well (I should, given my background), and have yet to encounter a fundamental contradiction like you espouse.

Indeed, the parallelism and completeness of the Bible (Old Testament to new) is one of the most elegant evidences of its truth.

[JamesP81]

Here we go with the "dumb Southerner" crap again.

I've been used to it for a long time.

[Biblebelter]

Maybe, maybe not. I would offer the following, the translation of scripture with the greatest authority for a Christian would be the translation that Jesus read from in the temple. Many believe that translation would have been the Septuagint which was written Greek. Therefore Greek may be the key language for reading both the New and Old Testament. I am no scholar but I believe that the Greek of the Septuagint might be more classical than the Greek identified with most of the New Testament.

[Irene Adler]

"I can explain his comment. The Old Testament is written in Hebrew, the new testament in ancient Greek. For one to truly believe that the words are the uninterpreted words of God they would have to read the Bible untranslated for it to be uncorrupted by human beings."

By no means. The translaters may also be guided by the Holy Spirit as were the original authors in their original languages.

[rightofthefairway]

ok so when the bible clearly states that in early times God had many sons that would mate with daughetrs of humans and they were they would produce angelic halfbreeds. when I was pretty sure Gospels state that God only had one son??
I could go on about the many gods referenced in the old testament if you want?

[southernnorthcarolina]

With respect to the debate over what language(s) the Bible was written in, I can offer the thoughts of the 1920s Texas Governor Miriam ("Ma") Ferguson, who, while inveighing against teaching Mexican schoolchildren in Texas schools in Spanish, picked up a copy of the King James version of the Bible and proclaimed: "If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it's good enough for Texas."