What Do Americans Really Think About the Bible?

We are emphasizing the story of the Bible at Westwood this year as we explore The Story together. Many of you know that The Bible miniseries on the History channel has drawn the attention of many people in the country to the Bible as the miniseries is being broadcast this month. The miniseries is setting records for the number of viewers for a non-sports cable TV show.

Now the Barna Group, a Christian research firm, in a survey commissioned by the American Bible Society, has provided insight into questions concerning how Americans view the Bible: What do Americans actually think about the Bible? Do they believe it to be sacred, authoritative or merely nonsense? Do they try to follow its exhortations, or do they regard the Bible as antiquated literature? Does the Bible still matter—besides television ratings—to Americans?

The Barna report on their survey concludes, “It’s easy to see why the Bible remains a cultural force in the United States. Yet, its future role looks very different than its past.“

Here are a few of the findings in the Barna survey:

• 88% of Americans own a Bible. That is a slight decline from 1993 when 92% of Americans owned a Bible.
• On average, American Bible owners have 3.5 Bibles in their home, and 24% of Bible owners have six or more.
• 79% of Mosaics (people aged 18-28) own a Bible, compared with 95% of Elders (who are ages 65-plus).
• It is not surprising that devoted Christians own Bibles, but the study finds that 59% who have no faith or who identify as atheists own a Bible.
• 80% of Americans identify the Bible as sacred literature, without any prompting from interviewers. That proportion has dipped from 2011, when 85% of respondents affirmed this perspective of the Bible.
• The above item may explain why 61% of American adults also say they wish they read the Bible more.

There is much more information in the Barna survey. If you would like to read more, go to www.barna.org, and follow the link to “What Do Americans Really Think About the Bible?”

This leads me to suggest to you that one way to share your faith with others is to encourage them to read the Bible. The story of the Bible has captivated people for many years, and continues to do so. Share with people your interest in the Bible and how reading it has affected your life. Tell people about how we are going through The Story this year, and encourage them to buy a copy (or give them one) and read it.

People sometimes ask me where to begin reading in the Bible. I tell them to begin with one of the Gospels — and I suggest they begin with Luke. Luke wrote to people seeking to find God, and his Gospel can still show people the way to God through Christ. Keep on learning from the Bible, and encourage other people to read the Bible and find their way to God.