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Posted on 04/30/2008 5:58:37 AM PDT by NYer
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Americans are among the world's most 'Bible-literate' people and Spaniards, French and Italians are among the most ignorant about what the "good book" says, according to a new study released on Monday.
A poll carried out in nine countries -- the United States, Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Italy, Spain and Poland -- also showed Americans were most willing to donate money to spread the message of the Bible.
The poll for the Catholic Biblical Federation interviewed Christians and non-Christians ahead of a synod of Roman Catholic Bishops on the Bible due to be held at the Vatican in October.
Most respondents in the poll, which was presented at the Vatican, were Christian. Except for in the United States, Britain and Russia, most of the Christians respondents were Catholic.
Asked if they had read a phrase from the Bible in the past 12 months, 75 percents of American respondents said yes, while between 20 percent and 38 percent of respondents in the other eight countries said yes.
The lowest were Spain with 20 percent, France with 21 percent, Italy with 27 percent, and Germany with 28 percent.
Results were similar when respondents were asked if they had read a book with a religious theme in the past 12 months. Fifty-eight percent of Americans said yes. Poland was second with 50 percent and the other countries came in between 22 and 35 percent.
The poll, taken by the GFK-Eurisko research group, showed Americans prayed the most (87 percent) and the French the least (49 percent).
Americans, Britons, Dutch, Germans, Spaniards, Poles and Russian tended to pray "with my own words" whereas Italians and French tended to recite prayers they had memorized.
Germany and the Netherlands had the highest percentage of respondents who said they believed the Bible was not divinely inspired but just "an ancient book made up of legends, historical facts and teachings written by man".
The majority of respondents in all countries believed it was either the direct word of God or inspired by God.
Americans were the largest group who said they had a Bible at home (93 percent) and the French were the lowest (48 percent).
The French were the most opposed to teaching the Bible in schools whereas the Americans were split about evenly.
Poland had the highest percentage of those who said they attended religious services regularly (91 percent), followed by the United States with 77 percent and Russia with 75 percent.
For more on religion, see the FaithWorld blog at blogs.reuters.com/faithworld))
Of course France is among the least Bible literate nations. If the poll was about Koran literacy France would be number one.
Two words: Nancy Pelosi
Though to be fair: the fact that Nancy felt it necessary to wrap her brand of apocryphal Bible-lese around her Nu-Age agenda speaks rather well of the Christian literacy of the US.
According to Rev. Weight, however, it doesn’t seem like Americans are very knowledge or enlightened on “Black Liberation Theology”, though./s
G-Damn Amerikkkka! Oh, wrong thread.
“Poland had the highest percentage of those who said they attended religious services regularly (91 percent), followed by the United States with 77 percent and Russia with 75 percent.”
Speaks volumes, doesn’t it!
WAIT!
I thought Catholics don’t read bibles.
Lurking’
Being literate compared to Old Europe isn't saying much.
“Asked if they had read a phrase from the Bible in the past 12 months,...”
I just read in the Bible in the last 6 minutes before reading this.
“Americans were the largest group who said they had a Bible at home...”
I’ve got three Bibles. That’s what happens when you tell people you need a new Bible.
And I don’t even consider myself very religious. I mean I could be much more religious.
I never read that in the Bible.
I think it's in the koran.
I DO think this is a Catholic/Protestant thing. The Catholics tend to use ritual and priests as an interpreter and Protestants tend to just read. Not bad or good in either direction, both are beautiful in their own way. Protestants can be clumsy and also very knowledgable on their own. Catholics can be rigorous in their faith, but rely on others to learn and speak for them. And France, Spain and Italy are higher percentage of Catholic, right?
Please do not be offended, I do not think bad about either.
The people of Poland have suffered much...and many have learned from it. Good people!
The B-I-B-L-E ... Yes, That's the book for me.
I stand alone on the word of God, The B-I-B-L-E.
Protestants hear the minister speak about different topics from the bible, some take notes, and then they return home to study what was said during the week. Catholics attend mass, hear the scriptures and hopefully go home to meditate on the subject.
:-)
“And France, Spain and Italy are higher percentage of Catholic, right?”
Not any more really. Many will state that they are Catholic...but this is a case of nominal catholicism only. They do not practice their Faith.
“Catholics can be rigorous in their faith, but rely on others to learn and speak for them.”
Absolutely not! We are encouraged to PERSONALLY seek to grow closer to God and to read the Sacred Scriptures prayerfully, asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. ;-)
You know, you may be right!
Oh my, the world is in more trouble than I thought.
Oh, you mean those books that Martin Luther decided to yank out on his own accord.
I don't think you get a very good understanding of American history without reading the Bible. It was the one book that practically every home had and read daily in the early days of our country. Most had nothing else. It affected everything they did. If people weren't so freaked out about Christianity, it would be in every high school history class.
It would not fit in with your faith's world-view.
Lurking’
hey TexGuy!
Question: Whatever would he have sung prior to 1500 AD?
Lurking’
I’m surprised at the Russian figure. That’s a hopeful sign.
I don't think you get a very good understanding of American history without reading the Bible.
"The P-O-P-E ... Yes, That's the dude for me!
He tells me what to believe and think ... The P-O-P-E"
(Duck and run)
How do thy explain Obama's church, the Methodists and others homosexual marriage, the break off of the Anglicans, etc. They read but they can't see.
When they say literate, do they mean in the sense of literal infallibility?
No thanks. I have enough garbage to sort through in life. Why would I waste my time reading a blatantly anti-Catholic site?
“The people of Poland have suffered much...and many have learned from it. Good people!”
Rural Poland is the most Roman Catholic place I have ever been...fabulous food too. Rural Greece is the most Orthodox place I have ever been. The people “walk Orthodox”. Good food there too. A coincidence? I think not! :)
Well, I guess if you're not man enough to face a detailed refutation of your long-debunked propaganda, that's your business....
I’ll pray for you that you may gain some maturity.
I apologize, I did not mean that you were spiritually lazy or anything!! Wow, I did not express myself well at all, and/or I am ignorant about this. Again, I am sorry!
Never forget, “New Age” is simply PAGAN with a new coat of paint.
Here's a scary stat for you: 75-88 percent of kids who grew up in a Christian household lose their faith by their sophomore year in college.
Conversely, 94% of homeschooled kids keep their faith all the way through college.
Just sayin'.
Can't find those refs in the Bible - care to help me out?
Pray for yourself, first. Maturity includes being able to deal with viewpoints that differ from your own, which your previous response suggests you can’t do, and instead have to dismiss anything disagreeing with you as “blatantly anti-Catholic”.
Conversely, 94% of homeschooled kids keep their faith all the way through college.
... Yep ... 4 kids, Christian Schools ... We tried public schools, we're done with that non-sense ...
However, the whole family is very involved in a Bible-believing church, which seems to be more important than schooling ... at least to me.
I am a convert to Catholicism from the Baptist faith. I’ve seen the other side. Please don’t tell me I don’t know how to deal with differing viewpoints; I’ve experienced many of them and found a good number of them to be faulty. I’ve found the truth and the fullness of faith in the Catholic church. If you have a problem with that, well, then, I’m sorry.
It never ceases to amaze me how non-Catholics seem to think they know the faith better than Catholics, and seem to think that linking to a non-Catholic site to refute a point is going to win us over. We’re called to task when WE provide websites that are Catholic and told that these somehow are insufficient. We expect the same level of fairness from you. I don’t need to read a website that tells me I’m going to hell because I’m Catholic.
Remember that what unites us is greater than what divides us. God bless you.
Good Post!! I was baptized Southern Baptist. I occasionally now attend Methodist, read the Bible daily as well as thank God for countless blessings. We are all yet Christians. How similar were the original 7 churches? I guarantee there were differences, but all had Jesus Christ at the center.
because they are not in the parts you read.
Lurking’
hey Tex
cute come back
but since NONE of the faithful had bibles prior to the 1500s
what do you think you son would be singing, without a bible??
seriously, how could you have your sola sciptura without the Scriptura?
what did all you protestants, splinter groups, sects and schismatics do before 1500???
Lurking’
ThasswhutI’msayin’
point me to the chapter & verse so that I CAN read them.
Amen to that!
Lurking’
Lurking’
ah, an “extra-biblical” work
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