When compared to people living in Europe’s most Christian-populated nations, Americans are the most prayerful and most likely to be connected to the Bible, according to a new study released on Monday.
Three-quarters of American respondents said they had read a phrase from the Bible in the past 12 months, found the poll conducted by GFK-Eurisko research group for the Catholic Biblical Federation, according to Reuters.
In comparison, only 20 to 38 percent of respondents from the other eight countries surveyed – Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Italy, Spain and Poland – replied they had read from the Bible in the past year.
Among the countries with the lowest Bible reading rate were Spain (20 percent), France (21 percent), Italy (27 percent), and Germany (28 percent).
Similar results were found when respondents were asked if they had read a book with a religious theme in the past 12 months.
More than half of Americans (58 percent) responded affirmatively, while Polish came in second with 50 percent. Other countries have between 22 and 35 percent.
In all countries, the majority of respondents said they believe the Bible was the direct word of God or inspired by God. But Germany and the Netherlands had the highest percentage of respondents that did not believe the Bible was divinely inspired, rather they consider it “an ancient book made up of legends, historical facts and teachings written by man.”
Nearly all Americans (93 percent) said they had a Bible at home, compared to the French who were the least likely to have a Bible at home (48 percent).
The average American household owns three Bibles, according to a 1993 Barna Research study.
A nationwide Harris Poll released earlier in April showed that the Bible was American’s favorite book of all time.
Americans also stood way above other countries when it came to prayer. Most Americans prayed (87 percent), while the French prayed the least (49 percent).
All the nationalities surveyed, except for Italians and French, said they prayed “with my own words.” Meanwhile, Italians and French more often recite memorized prayer.
Americans were also the most willing to donate money to spread the Bible message.
Poland, meanwhile, was found to have the highest percentage of regular religious service goers (91 percent), followed by the United States with 77 percent and Russia with 75 percent.
The poll interviewed Christians and non-Christians ahead of a synod of Roman Catholic Bishops on the Bible to be held at the Vatican in October. Most of the respondents were Christian, and the majority of the Christians polled in the United States and Britain were Protestant; in Russia were Russian Orthodox; and in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Poland were Catholic.
RSS
Jerry, these are for you.
"As we survey all the evidence, the thought insistently arises that some supernatural agency - or, rather, Agency - must be involved. Is it possible that suddenly, without intending to, we have stumbled upon scientific proof of the existence of a Supreme Being? Was it God who stepped in and so providentially crafted the cosmos for our benefit?" - George Greenstein (astronomer)
Greenstein, G. 1988. The Symbiotic Universe. New York: William Morrow, p.27.
"This is an exceedingly strange development, unexpected by all but the theologians. They have always accepted the word of the Bible: In the beginning God created heaven and earth... [But] for the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; [and] as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries." - Robert Jastrow
(God and the Astronomers [New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1978], 116. Professor Jastrow was the founder of NASA’s Goddard Institute, now director of the Mount Wilson
Jerry2
You are a broken record. It is the same ole stuff from you. When are you going to come up with some fresh and original ideas?
Jerry2 , what exactly is your agenda? If religion is a product of social evolution via natural materialism, then why do you persist in attacking it in hopes of erradicating it.
And you claim to be agnostic?
To what great lengths atheists must go to be affirmed?
"It's for a good reason most scientists, and almost all of the top scientists, agree that God is a childish idea. The more people know about science, the less likely they are willing to believe in supernatural nonsense."
Actually Jerry, according to Nature magazine, 40% of scientists believe in a personal God, 40% do not, and 20% do not know. Only an arrogant or ignorant person would claim that scientists are largely atheists, and only an extremely arrogant or ignorant person would claim that it was because of science.
Jerry2.........I can tell by the way you write that you hate what you think is Christian foolishness and gullibility. That's alright, the Bible warns us that to the unbelievers and the lost any God-talk would be nonsense. But tell me if you please, whether you know beyond the shadow of a doubt who made the heavens and the earth? [Don't start with the "big bang" please because that would be asking too much]. I'm praying for you right now that God in his great love and mercy will open your mind and heart to the reality of his existence.
It's for a good reason most scientists, and almost all of the top scientists, agree that God is a childish idea. The more people know about science, the less likely they are willing to believe in supernatural nonsense.
Educated people who are wiling to think for themselves, understand that God is an obsolete idea. Supernatural magic was useful in the Dark Ages, but we don't need it anymore.
Most religious people like to stick their god into gaps in human knowledge. If there is some unsolved problem, instead of trying to solve the problem, they immediately say god-did-it. They choose the god-did-it solution because they are too lazy to think, and because they want to justify the childish fantasy world they live in.
Even worse, many religious people use their god-of-the-gaps to solve problems that have already been solved by science. Even worse than that, they try to force science teachers to teach their childish supernatural magic instead of science.
If only these uneducated deluded religious fanatics kept their insane ideas in church where it belongs. Instead they are constantly getting in the way of human progress, proving that the god invention was greatest mistake the human race ever made.
Actually Jerry, it was a combination of the Reformation and Enlightenment thinking. Science was and still is a relatively small factor in affecting one's faith (though it does affect some's, in both directions).
A real response to your question gavluv, is the Christians themselves are responsible for it. We didn't, and have not, been bearing witness to the truth with our lives. Only a small minority of the Christians in America really try to live a solidly Christian life, and the vast majority look exactly like non-Christians.
A final note, Europe is not surprising at all for its lack of Christianity, I heard that South America is sending missionaries to Germany, hahaha!
"What happened in America, Great Britain and Europe in the last 200 years that so many people no longer believe there is a God, or attend church or read the Word of God?"
Science education.
What happened in America, Great Britain and Europe in the last 200 years that so many people no longer believe there is a God, or attend church or read the Word of God? The gospel of Jesus Christ was brought to our shores and to our forefathers many miles away by missionaries from these lands. The vast majority of us know Jesus today and are keeping the faith because of them. What happened to the faith of their descendants? Who is responsible for this great falling out and who is going to reclaim these once Christian strongholds for God?
While we may be well versed in the bible there is good majority who read but do not understand what they have read, but yet go out and preach the there own version of the word so in actuallity it is not the true Word. God bless and peace always in Yeshua. Matthew
Like Tomas and argyle, at first I thought that 75% of Americans reading a verse in one year was nothing to celebrate (and I still don't). But the fact that other countries with such large "Christian" populations have such low percentages is really quite embarrassing and alarming. I mean ... wow.
you can read a bible phrase on a teeshirt someone at the gas staion is wearing. This speaks nothing of the people of any nation. only God knows who are true. If this many americans really read the bible, i dont think they really take it's message to heart. Alot of ppl i ask always say, yeah, i belive in "a" God but i dont think anyone has it right. These people KNOW me personally and know im not gonna ram Jesus down their throat because i am their friend (there are better ways to evangalize than just tell them its Jesus or hell) But i guarentee a lot of these people would tell a stranger asking them that "yeah I'm a christian" just to avoid being beaten by a Bible. As rude, arrogant and immoral as americans are we still belive in general kindness to other people in public. We tell people what makes them happy, even if its a lie, or not the entire truth. People in this country want to fit in without offending people. This in no way shows anything accpet that americans are more likely to "say" they are christians.
im sorry, one bible phrase a year? thats a really meaningless statisitic in my opinion. No wonder people misinterpret the bible so much.
I read the bible daily, and have read the entire bible including the geneaologies. I have also read non-Christian spiritual literature of many of the most popular Religions. I have found the Bible to be the most comprehensive in dealing with the most difficult subjects in life.
This does not necessarily make the Bible true (I do believe that it is though). However, it does speak to why it is and will remain the most popular Book ever read or bought.
"Three quarters of American respondents said they had read a phrase from the Bible in the last 12 months"...Um, this doesn't sound like much to celebrate. I don't think Christianity will be carried into the 22nd century on the backs of people who read a Biblical phrase once a year. I wonder how many respondents could have claimed "Daily reader" as a response had it been available on the survey. Then again, maybe that was an option.
And wow, only 20 - 38% of Europeans could claim this?!? European Christian apostasy is far worse than I had ever suspected.