Meditation 1121
Skeptics outnumber regular bible readers
by: John Tyrrell
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An annual survey conducted by Barna Research on behalf of the American Bible Society shows this year, for the first time in the USA, that engaged readers - those who read the Bible almost daily and consider it sacred are matched by the number of skeptics who see it as stories, myths, and advice. Both groups came in as 19% of survey responders.
But "that's a match" you might say. "The title of this article is misleading."
But I'd just remind you of Meditation 958 and the related discussion which pretty well establishes that self-identified believers grossly overstate their degree of religious involvement. If this survey found 19% who claim they read (and believe) the bible almost daily, the truth is closer to 10%.
As recently as 2011, the number prepared to self-identify as skeptics on this survey was 9%, so the number has doubled in a brief period, while those who claim to be almost daily readers has remained unchanged.
Momentum is on our side.
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