Well, after years of blogging that atheists were superior in their religious knowledge to the average Christian bible bangers, a new Pew Research survey proves it. Specifically, the independent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life phoned more than 3,400 Americans and asked 32 questions about the Bible, basic doctrines (like the Catholic teaching on the Eucharist), general Christianity and other world religions, as well as famous religious figures and the constitutional principles governing religion in public life.
For those who'd like to take the challenge, the quiz is found here:
http://features.pewforum.org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge/index.php
The above is an abbreviated version (15 questions) of the full test, and I scored 14 of 15 for a 93% or better than 97% of the American public. I trust my pastor bro processes that fact next time he's inclined to assume I know nothing of religion! (And I'd be curious to know what he scores!)
The astounding results obtained were that those who scored highest were not the Bible believers or bangers, but ATHEISTS and AGNOSTICS - who snared an average of 20.9 out of 32 correct . Meanwhile, white evangelicals score a 17.6, and Hispanic Catholics an 11.6 (which low score might partially be explained by language limitations).
Most amazing is how many BASIC religious questions were muffed by the sancitmonious. A sampling:
- Only 45% of American Christians could give the names of the four synoptic gospels
- Over 50% did not know Jesus was born in Bethlehem
- Fifty-three percent of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the man who started the Protestant Reformation.
- Forty-five percent of Catholics did not know that their church teaches that the consecrated bread and wine in holy communion are not merely symbols, but actually become the body and blood of Christ.
This is nothing short of ridiculous and discloses that although Americans flaunt their religiosity and their church going, most don't know diddly or squat. If they were cowpokes, they'd be all hat and no cattle.
What about the strong atheist showing? A real surprise? No! As atheist David Cross pointed out on Keith Olbermann's 'Countdown' last night, once you give a kid a Bible (as many atheists are from early) the intelligent among them will soon figure out it's a load of fairy tales scribbled by semi-literate nomads, then re-copied with errors aplenty and deliberate changes to advance an agenda.
Meanwhile, Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, pointed out in an interview with the New York Times:
“I have heard many times that atheists know more about religion than religious people. Atheism is an effect of that knowledge, not a lack of knowledge. I gave a Bible to my daughter. That’s how you make atheists.”
In my own case, once I really began exploring the basis of The Baltimore Catechism, then later performed an actual starch and protein test on a (consecrated) communion wafer, I knew transubstantiation was mumbo jumbo. A plethora of bullshit designed for the weaker minded. Evangelicals brag their shtick is superior to that of the Roman Catholics, but only in their wild imaginations. Any group that places all its faith and trust in a Bible approved by a renegade King, a book which was originally filched from a corrupted 12th century manuscript by Erasmus - is no way better. And actually, a lot worse - since they've also bought the expiation-redeemer -free salvation "gift" hokum which has long since been disproven.
The moral of this story? Americans don't know anywhere near what they ought to - not only about their own religions, but others in the world as well. Given this, it's not surprising we have fiascos like the recent one with the idiot Terry Jones, or the pseudo-contrvoersy over the World Trade Center "mosque" - which is actually a civic center that the Muslims have as much right to build as anyone.
When the day comes Americans can score as high in such religious knowledge tests as those of us who are atheists, there may be hope to reduce some of the blighted bigotry that persists in this "land of the free"!
For those who'd like to take the challenge, the quiz is found here:
http://features.pewforum.org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge/index.php
The above is an abbreviated version (15 questions) of the full test, and I scored 14 of 15 for a 93% or better than 97% of the American public. I trust my pastor bro processes that fact next time he's inclined to assume I know nothing of religion! (And I'd be curious to know what he scores!)
The astounding results obtained were that those who scored highest were not the Bible believers or bangers, but ATHEISTS and AGNOSTICS - who snared an average of 20.9 out of 32 correct . Meanwhile, white evangelicals score a 17.6, and Hispanic Catholics an 11.6 (which low score might partially be explained by language limitations).
Most amazing is how many BASIC religious questions were muffed by the sancitmonious. A sampling:
- Only 45% of American Christians could give the names of the four synoptic gospels
- Over 50% did not know Jesus was born in Bethlehem
- Fifty-three percent of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the man who started the Protestant Reformation.
- Forty-five percent of Catholics did not know that their church teaches that the consecrated bread and wine in holy communion are not merely symbols, but actually become the body and blood of Christ.
This is nothing short of ridiculous and discloses that although Americans flaunt their religiosity and their church going, most don't know diddly or squat. If they were cowpokes, they'd be all hat and no cattle.
What about the strong atheist showing? A real surprise? No! As atheist David Cross pointed out on Keith Olbermann's 'Countdown' last night, once you give a kid a Bible (as many atheists are from early) the intelligent among them will soon figure out it's a load of fairy tales scribbled by semi-literate nomads, then re-copied with errors aplenty and deliberate changes to advance an agenda.
Meanwhile, Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, pointed out in an interview with the New York Times:
“I have heard many times that atheists know more about religion than religious people. Atheism is an effect of that knowledge, not a lack of knowledge. I gave a Bible to my daughter. That’s how you make atheists.”
In my own case, once I really began exploring the basis of The Baltimore Catechism, then later performed an actual starch and protein test on a (consecrated) communion wafer, I knew transubstantiation was mumbo jumbo. A plethora of bullshit designed for the weaker minded. Evangelicals brag their shtick is superior to that of the Roman Catholics, but only in their wild imaginations. Any group that places all its faith and trust in a Bible approved by a renegade King, a book which was originally filched from a corrupted 12th century manuscript by Erasmus - is no way better. And actually, a lot worse - since they've also bought the expiation-redeemer -free salvation "gift" hokum which has long since been disproven.
The moral of this story? Americans don't know anywhere near what they ought to - not only about their own religions, but others in the world as well. Given this, it's not surprising we have fiascos like the recent one with the idiot Terry Jones, or the pseudo-contrvoersy over the World Trade Center "mosque" - which is actually a civic center that the Muslims have as much right to build as anyone.
When the day comes Americans can score as high in such religious knowledge tests as those of us who are atheists, there may be hope to reduce some of the blighted bigotry that persists in this "land of the free"!
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