Posted on 04/15/2007 1:42:11 PM PDT by WileyPink
A few years back, one-third of freshmen entering Wheaton College (Illinois) didn't know that Paul's travels are recorded in Acts or that the Christmas story is found in Matthew. Gary Burge, Ph.D., Wheaton professor of New Testament, reported these findings from a Bible literacy test administered to incoming freshmen. Burge also said he asked 45 seniors to paraphrase, from memory, the Ten Commandments. Only one student could do so. Though these students are mostly from strongly evangelical churches, their ignorance of Bible basics is disturbing.
The professor maintained that biblical illiteracy is "a universal and growing problem" among students and churches, citing the trend toward a therapeutic emphasis in preaching as part of the problem.
The crisis facing the church is not that Christians disagree with what they have studied in the Bible and what is taught from the pulpit. It is rather that many have heard too few biblical truths to begin with. As churches turn to "spiritainment" to draw the masses, what often falls through the cracks is the transfer of basic doctrinal truths.
"There's not an educational dimension [to church] any longer," Burge said. "We're all about the experience, not the facts." As a result, the younger generation is not learning the important stories, people and background of the Bible. Burge reported the Wheaton findings in his article on biblical illiteracy in Christianity Today.
(Excerpt) Read more at onenewsnow.com ...
Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
;) We both know you won’t find THAT in the Bible but you are RIGHT! People are so IGNORANT by CHOICE! They’ll know who’s screwing who in Hollywierd or what the latest sports hero but nothing about the Bible.
“BTW, I post a Sunday School Bible study each Saturday night if any one is interested. Wiley”
Could you privately e-mail me? I may want to participate.
I get so many pings, I’ll probably miss it.
Ping to read later
Weekly Torah bump.
Shakespeare and Ben Franklin are the two authors who's quotes are most often mistakenly attributed to the Bible.
BTW, I post a Sunday School Bible study each Saturday night if any one is interested. Wiley
Very interested! Can you add me to your ping list? Thanks!
“But then, I WANT THE BIBLE PREACHED!!!”
Yes,
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)
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