Survey: Americans don't know much about religion
gimmesometruth27
St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
interesting how we are one of the most religious countries in the world, yet we know less about religion and other religions. i find it striking that agnostics and atheists knew more than a lot of the faithful..kind of like me...been there, learned that and learned enough about other religions to realize none of them fit me and i didn't believe any of it...
Survey: Americans don't know much about religion
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_rel_relig ... eracy_poll
A new survey of Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths.
Forty-five percent of Roman Catholics who participated in the study didn't know that, according to church teaching, the bread and wine used in Holy Communion is not just a symbol, but becomes the body and blood of Christ.
More than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the person who inspired the Protestant Reformation. And about four in 10 Jews did not know that Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis and intellectuals in history, was Jewish.
The survey released Tuesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life aimed to test a broad range of religious knowledge, including understanding of the Bible, core teachings of different faiths and major figures in religious history. The U.S. is one of the most religious countries in the developed world, especially compared to largely secular Western Europe, but faith leaders and educators have long lamented that Americans still know relatively little about religion.
Respondents to the survey were asked 32 questions with a range of difficulty, including whether they could name the Islamic holy book and the first book of the Bible, or say what century the Mormon religion was founded. On average, participants in the survey answered correctly overall for half of the survey questions.
Atheists and agnostics scored highest, with an average of 21 correct answers, while Jews and Mormons followed with about 20 accurate responses. Protestants overall averaged 16 correct answers, while Catholics followed with a score of about 15.
Not surprisingly, those who said they attended worship at least once a week and considered religion important in their lives often performed better on the overall survey. However, level of education was the best predictor of religious knowledge. The top-performing groups on the survey still came out ahead even when controlling for how much schooling they had completed.
On questions about Christianity, Mormons scored the highest, with an average of about eight correct answers out of 12, followed by white evangelicals, with an average of just over seven correct answers. Jews, along with atheists and agnostics, knew the most about other faiths, such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism. Less than half of Americans know that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist, and less than four in 10 know that Vishnu and Shiva are part of Hinduism.
The study also found that many Americans don't understand constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools. While a majority know that public school teachers cannot lead classes in prayer, less than a quarter know that the U.S. Supreme Court has clearly stated that teachers can read from the Bible as an example of literature.
"Many Americans think the constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools are tighter than they really are," Pew researchers wrote.
The survey of 3,412 people, conducted between May and June of this year, had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, while the margins of error for individual religious groups was higher.
Survey: Americans don't know much about religion
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_rel_relig ... eracy_poll
A new survey of Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths.
Forty-five percent of Roman Catholics who participated in the study didn't know that, according to church teaching, the bread and wine used in Holy Communion is not just a symbol, but becomes the body and blood of Christ.
More than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the person who inspired the Protestant Reformation. And about four in 10 Jews did not know that Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis and intellectuals in history, was Jewish.
The survey released Tuesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life aimed to test a broad range of religious knowledge, including understanding of the Bible, core teachings of different faiths and major figures in religious history. The U.S. is one of the most religious countries in the developed world, especially compared to largely secular Western Europe, but faith leaders and educators have long lamented that Americans still know relatively little about religion.
Respondents to the survey were asked 32 questions with a range of difficulty, including whether they could name the Islamic holy book and the first book of the Bible, or say what century the Mormon religion was founded. On average, participants in the survey answered correctly overall for half of the survey questions.
Atheists and agnostics scored highest, with an average of 21 correct answers, while Jews and Mormons followed with about 20 accurate responses. Protestants overall averaged 16 correct answers, while Catholics followed with a score of about 15.
Not surprisingly, those who said they attended worship at least once a week and considered religion important in their lives often performed better on the overall survey. However, level of education was the best predictor of religious knowledge. The top-performing groups on the survey still came out ahead even when controlling for how much schooling they had completed.
On questions about Christianity, Mormons scored the highest, with an average of about eight correct answers out of 12, followed by white evangelicals, with an average of just over seven correct answers. Jews, along with atheists and agnostics, knew the most about other faiths, such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism. Less than half of Americans know that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist, and less than four in 10 know that Vishnu and Shiva are part of Hinduism.
The study also found that many Americans don't understand constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools. While a majority know that public school teachers cannot lead classes in prayer, less than a quarter know that the U.S. Supreme Court has clearly stated that teachers can read from the Bible as an example of literature.
"Many Americans think the constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools are tighter than they really are," Pew researchers wrote.
The survey of 3,412 people, conducted between May and June of this year, had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, while the margins of error for individual religious groups was higher.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
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Godfather.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
or the believers them selfs.
I have noticed that many people on this forum say they do not believe in the God and the savior and at the same time are the first to criticize another's faith..and there is at least one who believes and still criticize another's faith, for those of you that don't believe why do you engage in these topics ? for you if God does not exists why debate his word. ? you do not need to prove to a believer you do not believe,most times a believer will believe you if you do not and the worst that will happen is that somebody might pray for you and you may never even know it.
just my thought on it.
Godfather.
but to answer your question, i do not want believers in my government making decisions based on faith that affects all of us. like the stem cell research opposition is outrageous to me. the opposition to gay marriage bassed on nothing than religion is not fair and is discriminatory. and the churches stance on women's rights is just dogmatic and asenine. and the catholic church's stance on condoms is so dark ages...
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
and I do not want non believers in my government but seems thats where it's going and my stance on gay marriage is based on my faith but also the thought of 2 men bumping uglies really grosses me out big time
but as I always say "believe as you wish" and also live as you wish.
Godfather.
just noticed your avatar.
Godfather.
My theory on it is that Highly educated people need more than just faith to believe something. That isn't to say people who are religious are dumb...far from it, but in this context, The more educated you are the more you enjoy/engage in critical thinking. Measuring one religion against another is a good way to do that...which would explain the agnostics and atheists doing better in answering questions about all religions.
Also, people who are more educated can simply recall things they have learned better than people with less education, making it easier to answer questions about different faiths. That probably isn't the reason for all of it, but it is a definite correlation.
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
Higher education makes sense as well.. look at most public schools, you get a little info about religious people/events in history classes, but that's it. In college, chances are you either took some sort of world religion class or just learned more detail in history classes.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I am constantly asking her questions about her religion and she sometimes doesn't know the answer. She has a much higher education than I do. She believes what she believes, and I don't think she cares to know all the details of why. She just does.
I think agnostics and atheists might know more because they have researched it more to try to dispell or prove their belief system at the time. Maybe moreso than your average believer. I would say they turn to their preacher or prayer for answers, not a book.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
good grief.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
So then, is religion a tool of the ignorant or is education a tool of the privileged? All I know for sure is that this survey is what we thought it was.
well what would call it ?
Godfather.
it was just stated in a rather, um......juvenile fashion.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
My take... I don't care what religion you choose to follow... that's your call to make, not mine or anyone else's. I choose not to follow any religion... not so much because of the religion itself... I am more turned off by the 'faithful' that follow religions. I think I wouldn't have such a bad taste in my mouth about religion... if those whom claim to be religious practiced more of what they preached... you know, lived by example, instead of telling me how I should live. Like, if you are going to be throwing your hatred around... don't tell me about your dedication to Jesus.
...
Also... I certainlty do not want religion to be the source of legislation or governance. I can see that in action where the laws of the people are deeply rooted in Holy Text... and I want no part of that.
Hail, Hail!!!
I have a denny green reference for you, Boogie ... Boogie. If you get that one I know where you are from.
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
I think most people will jump into the fray and question you on your beliefs... when your beliefs involve the rest of us. For example, when you use your beliefs against Gays and Lesbians and want to change the law of our land to oppress them, then it becomes a matter of public debate, not of personal belief. In most cases, the Bible is eventually envoked when arguing the issues regarding Gays.
...
I believe most Aetheists and Agnostics don't really care what religion you belong to as long as you do not try to apply your beliefs onto everyone.
The truth is... no religion knows the truth. No ones knows the truth.
Hail, Hail!!!
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
See you all there.
Because, seriously... according to most religions, 100% of humanity is going to Hell and the only ones in Heaven are God and Jesus.
Hail, Hail!!!
ill save you a seat.
im kinda hoping its like dantes hell.. cause i surely dont want to be hanging with the deceivers.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I want to be where all of the rock and rollers are.
Hail, Hail!!!
thats a tough one. what do you reckon their greatest unpardonable sin would be?
personally ill be hanging in the city of dis.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Apparently... being born a human.
Thanx, Eve... for fucking it up for the rest of us.
Hail, Hail!!!
good point. We are all born into a system - ideological, religious, political, and some of us recognize that and try to break down the walls of that system. Some of us are content with living within the confines of the system. What is sad to me are those who fall victim to sheepdom - never confronting the system.