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WASHINGTON – From the steps of the nation's Capitol, hundreds of Christians will be kicking off 90 continuous hours of Bible reading Sunday night.
Every word of the Bible will be read aloud and without comment during the 18th annual U.S. Capitol Bible Reading Marathon which leads up to the annual National Day of Prayer.
"I believe God is using this vision singularly to call this nation back to the simplicity of God's Holy Word, the Bible," said the Rev. Michael Hall, pastor of The People's Church and executive director of the International Bible Reading Association, in a statement. "All of the participants – workers, organizations, churches, legislators, and clergy – come here for one reason alone, to honor the Bible, God's Word, by reading it without comment or interruption from beginning to end."
The marathon comes as a university professor recently revealed how America is one of the most religiously illiterate places. Most Americans know little to nothing about religion, notes Stephen Prothero, author of Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - And Doesn't.
Released in March, the book reveals only half of adults in America can name one of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and most Americans do not know the first book in the Bible (Genesis). Prothero supports the teaching of religion in school and stresses the importance of "knowing something about religion," he told Newsweek magazine.
Members of Congress, world-renowned evangelists, pastors, Christian artists, police chiefs and members of the community are lined up this week to address the problems in the nation by reading all of Scripture beginning from Genesis.
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The nonstop Bible reading will set the stage for the country to "unite in prayer" on the 56th Annual National Day of Prayer on Thursday. Just as the last chapters of the book of Revelation are read, a national observance on Capitol Hill will mark the day in prayer along with millions across the country in their own local venues.
Prayer also kicks off the Bible Reading Marathon, which began in 1990, and concludes the annual event.
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